As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we will mark the occasion with a discussion celebrating women in dentistry.
Taking place this evening at 7pm, we will join a room on Clubhouse to mark International Women’s Day.
Titled ‘Celebrating women in dentistry’, we will talk about the fantastic contributions women make to the profession. We will also touch on issues of discrimination and how to make dentistry kinder and more progressive.
Hosted by Dentistry Online’s Gaby Bissett with Manrina Rhode, we hope the discussion will help to highlight the barriers that need breaking to improve the inclusivity of women in dentistry.
Speakers include:
- Manrina Rhode
- Uchenna Okoye
- Jayne Sproson
- Angela Auluck
- Shivani Patel.
You can sign up to the event here.
Bigger opportunity
Jayne Sproson believes Clubhouse allows women to speak out with ease – and urges people to get involved.
‘I founded the Ladies who do Dentistry Facebook group, which is affiliated with the BACD. We found that 33% of the BACD were women but this does not reflect the ratio within the profession. This group was made to help address this issue and we are making great strides in our mission.
‘It’s a safe space to discuss dental issues that doesn’t put the pressure on women where they feel they have to “look good” or wear make up, or will not be taken seriously, which is a criticism they feel has been levelled at them on occasion whether it be explicit or implicit, which saddens me.
‘When Clubhouse came along, I saw it as an even bigger opportunity for women. You don’t need to have the right lighting or curate the right environment so you look a certain way as you do for Instagram.
‘It’s perfect for women. It doesn’t matter if I have a bad hair day or skin day – it’s about what I can share and what value I can give and what I can learn. It’s not about what I look like right now. A lot of women I know do feel judged on the way they look.’
Encourage women
‘This new platform is a good equaliser,’ Jayne continues. ‘It doesn’t matter if you haven’t got model looks or you’re not in your “prime” radiant youth. It’s not about your sex, it’s about what value you bring and also what you can learn. I’m trying to encourage women across the profession to get involved, get on that stage and talk.
‘Women have told me they are sometimes reluctant to speak out because they are worried they might be trolled or they might get mocked. I promise we have your back!
‘This is only the beta test for Clubhouse. It might be that I might not like the finite app that it ends up being. But right now, it’s providing a lot of opportunity.
‘If we don’t keep on having one voice and raising the profile of women, then what role models do young women have? I’ve got two daughters, one granddaughter and another on the way; I want them to have great role models so they know that everything is possible, they can do them, and they don’t have to be a man to succeed.’
How do I get involved?
- Download the app and secure your username. Existing users may be notified eg ‘”xxxx” is on the waiting list, would you like to let him/her in?’ They can then fast-track the user
- Find somebody you know who is on Clubhouse and ask them for an invitation.
Jayne is on Clubhouse at @Jaynesproson.
You can get involved with tonight’s Clubhouse discussion here.
Follow Dentistry Online on Instagram to catch all of our posts celebrating women in dentistry.
