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It comes with no surprise to anyone that the world can be unfair. When you consider how half the population is at least being discredited for something completely out of their control such as gender, without considering any other identities, you somewhat get demotivated. To add to this, opinions aside, statistics are constantly reinforcing that the career perspectives of a woman in business, or even “worse”, in technology, are significantly different to that of a man’s, and not in a good way. How much impact can an individual have? How much change can a group of women make in this world? I used to think that you can’t do much despite doing your best and having your best intentions in mind. My mindset has changed, however. I now believe that to so much as have one person question the way they think and re-evaluate their bias is incredible.
Being given a platform such as mine at FS Women in Business, along with being the first and only girl in my study program Bachelor in Computational Business Analytics (BSc) has opened my mind to new opportunities and conversations that I hadn’t considered before.
The Women in Business initiative is a platform which creates an uplifting and empowering environment for women. By connecting over 300 women to not only each other but women of influence in corporations all over Germany and even Europe through events catered for their personal and professional development. To lead this initiative is a big honour, to say the least, and this couldn’t be done without Frankfurt School (FS) holding our hands and creating a space for us to shine, with complete disregard for norms hence allowing us a safe atmosphere to express ourselves fully and securely. And while this should be the bare minimum in the 21st century, unfortunately, it’s a rarity and a privilege that we’re lucky to have.
As for my studies in Computation Business Analytics (CBA) at FS, I’m the only woman in a class of 15 students, and while that can be overwhelming sometimes, I have never been made to feel less competent or able than my peers. My (male) fellow students show solidarity towards me and other women as if they were one of us, and it only gets better with time and exposure. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m breaking biases left, right and centre but I can say with full confidence that you can be a positive influence on your peers just by being yourself. I’ve never seen my actions to be something outside of norms or particularly courageous. I was just doing what seems best at the time to me, with authenticity, good intentions, and confidence. This is what breaking this bias is for me, being absolutely myself and allowing myself to take in space. Frankfurt School paves the way for women and allows them to take in space, and despite being a male-dominated university, women are still taking as much, if not more, space than their male peers. Nothing makes me prouder than to be a part of the FS Community.
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