TGt Meets...Anna Wheeler, Community Engagement Manager at Bath College - IWD Special

Anna Wheeler, Community Engagement Manager, at Bath College (Further Education provider) with two main campuses based in central Bath and Radstock and with community learning provision delivered across the county. My job is to run the Adult Community Learning Team and the English Language School upskilling adults across the region to promote independence and improve life and work opportunities.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is #choosetochallenge – what would you choose to challenge when it comes to gender equality or inequality this year? 

I would like to challenge the lack of recognition of the many hours of care and support provided predominantly by women which enable our society to function.I would like to see a cultural shift whereby parenting and caring is genuinely recognised as being of value.The past year has seen an unprecedented demand on parents and carers with the challenges of home-schooling and caring for dependents frequently mixed in with work responsibilities.These additional responsibilities have fallen disproportionately more with women than men as evidenced in a wealth of research including that by Oxford, Cambridge and Zurich Universities last April.

Unpaid care work was mainly provided by women long before the pandemic hit though and I would love to see it given the status and recognition it deserves.Without the huge number of hours put in by these individuals, the demands on health and social care and education would be unbearable.

Thinking of your own experience in the world of business – which inequalities, if any, have you experienced personally or witnessed around gender?

I have been lucky enough to work for some fantastic employers and many of my direct bosses have been women or men with families who have been accommodating and supportive in my work.I spent years working in the voluntary sector and residential care where I found a majority of unpaid and low-paid work was carried out by women.Both women and men in these roles however carried out demanding and sometimes distressing responsibilities with little or no recognition that nevertheless improved the lives of their wider communities.Roles which can make huge demands both physically and mentally are often taken for granted and yet without them, society would struggle to function.

Have you during your career ever challenged a situation where you felt a woman (even it’s yourself) has been disadvantaged by gender?

Not really but then I think I have worked in a range of roles where others have worked hard to bring in greater equality in working practice before my time.I have benefitted from maternity leave, the ability to job-share and to achieve managerial positions which even a generation ago would have been a challenge.

What do you think women offer in particular to the world of business?

Whatever your business is, whether your trade is in commodities or services, your target customers will usually be both men and women.I believe that having an insight into the people you are trying to reach is relevant within any discipline and is just as relevant in education.Diversity amongst staff can only help in reaching out to a wider participant or customer base.

Can you name up to three women in business or in your organisation or in the wider business community that you admire? 

I am lucky enough to work with some fantastic women at Bath College and since coming into post nearly 6 year ago have seen the Senior Management Team transition from being predominantly male to predominantly female.  When we run specialist courses including those looking at upskilling women to return to work, it is great to have role models from the teaching team and wider staff who can inspire the learners with their own experiences.  I have been met with understanding when I have had to deal with family emergencies in work time or when needed to be given some flexibility because of my responsibilities as a mum and a daughter.  It makes me feel valued at work and happy to go ‘above and beyond’ my role when needed with an enthusiasm for my job.   

A few years ago I was also privileged to work with Dr Sue Porter supporting research into the treatment of and lessons to be learnt from disabled people in the health and social care system.  She was a gently powerful force whose lived experience as a disabled woman influenced research and good practice nationally. 

What do you think about the International Women’s Day movement?

I think that International Women’s Day has an important role to play as a vehicle for inspiration and celebration.  There are so many women through time who remain unknown and unremarked yet who had a huge impact on others and many more who are doing so today.  We often run courses for parents and carers who undervalue their skills and their worth and I think that there is still much work to be done to recognise just how vital they are.

For further information about Bath College visit www.bathcollege.ac.uk.