The Women in Learning conference takes place at the Ham Yard Hotel in SoHo, London, on the afternoon of 05 July 2019, and is organised by Ashley Sinclair of Thrive Learning. 'I am so excited to announce this event. It's been a bit of a brainchild of mine since LT19, when Donald H Taylor and Kate Graham shared the data on discrepancies in pay and women in leadership positions in learning. Awareness is one of the core movers to get us out of inertia and cause change, so an event like this is absolutely critical to helping progress the #WomenInLearning movement to help drive better gender equality in our industry. This is why we've paired up with GetAbstract to bring the first-ever Women in Learning conference to the United Kingdom."

With continued media coverage of gender pay gaps and reported discrepancies of women in leadership positions in organisations across the world, it's clear that gender equality is still a problem for most industries. The learning industry is no different; following research from Donald H Taylor, which highlights a notable gender gap and a clear lack of women at board level (only 31% of senior authority roles are presently held by women), we've taken it into our own hands to begin to tackle the problem.

The event proposes to evoke awareness of the problem, but rather than revel in these issues, it aims to address how to begin to tackle them.

Speaking of their involvement in the conference, Jayne D'Silva, VP of Sales at Get Abstract said, "We're already business partners with Thrive, so when they approached us to be part of this event, we were very excited about it. Having an afternoon like this, designed with the sole purpose of raising awareness of pertinent and difficult issues such as gender inequality, is something our industry should be doing more of.

"We at GetAbstract believe in equal opportunities for all, and increasing exposure of some of the complex gender issues the learning industry is experiencing is a great way to encourage better experiences for the workforce of the future."

The conference already boasts a stellar speaking roster including

• Nicola Kilner, CEO, DECIEM - CEO of one of the world's fastest-growing beauty brands, Nicola joins to show us what's possible with tenacity, resilience and, most importantly, kindness.
• Donna McGrath, Learning and Change Expert - Donna has worked for over twenty years in a variety of HR and learning roles, most recently heading up the digital learning team at Royal Mail Group. Throughout her career, Donna has championed inclusion and is passionate about enabling people to meet their potential. Donna will share her thoughts about how technology can support inclusion in learning.
• Kate Graham, Head of Content, Fosway Group - Kate has worked in L&D and HR for over fifteen years. A seasoned awards judge and long-time contributor to numerous magazines and publications, Kate has recently co-founded the rapidly growing Women In Learning movement to champion gender balance and equality across the industry.
• Julie Brayson, Head of Organisational Development, The Card Factory - Having worked in L&D across a range of sectors, Julie now leads the Organisation Development function at Card Factory and will be joining to share her story and help us think about how we can enable others to overcome the challenges of inequality, and write their own.
• Donald H Taylor - An industry guru with over twenty years' experience, Don has been a Chairman of the Learning and Performance Institute since 2010. It is his research that highlighted many of the issues to be tackled at the event.
   

As one of the major trailblazers for gender equality, Tony Reddington, Managing Director at Thrive Learning, commented, "This isn't a men vs. women discussion. This is about identifying root causes, confronting core problems, and recognising ways in which the status quo can be challenged. Awareness events like this are all about setting new standards for the future workforce, breaking down stereotypes, and creating more open, cohesive workplaces and environments in which women feel able to succeed."