Speakers share personal stories as British Forces Gibraltar marks International Women’s Day

British Forces Gibraltar marked International Women’s Day with an event featuring six female speakers who explored the theme “Give to Gain”.

This year’s theme focused on advancing equal rights, access to justice and meaningful action to create lasting change for women and girls in all communities.

Guests from a range of careers and ranks, including both women and men, were welcomed by the Commander of British Forces Gibraltar, Commodore Tom Guy.

“This is time out, not time off, because this is absolutely an intrinsic part of us being who we are, the organisation being what it is, and allowing us as people to collectively reflect and collectively draw strength from each other and what each other have done,” he said.

He said that while British Forces Gibraltar strives to be inclusive, the event was also an opportunity to reflect on the wider world and on the challenges women continue to face globally.

The first speaker was Emma Clarke, the Command Secretary for British Forces Gibraltar, who described herself as a leader, a mother of two young boys and a person with a disability after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 20.

“I actually joined Metropolitan Police and worked there for five years during the London riots, and it was an absolutely incredible experience, because it really grounded me in understanding,” she said.

She said she had hoped to join the police full-time, but that her diagnosis meant she could not continue with frontline duties.

“I fell into the civil service, and that's really how this journey began,” she said.

Reflecting on the theme “Give to Gain”, she said it meant making the work environment better for those who followed.

“Making sure that the people showing up after you have a slightly easier time, slightly better working environment and a better experience,” she said.

The chairperson of Breast Cancer Support Gibraltar, Heidi Jeffries, spoke next and shared her journey into breast cancer advocacy after a health scare at the age of 34.

She said the theme “definitely goes with our charity”.

“We give, but our gain is not financial,” she said.

“Our gain is self-confidence and knowing that you've done that little bit for somebody, which maybe for you is not a big thing, but for that person it's knowing that you've made a meaningful and positive difference in somebody's life.”

Ms Jeffries described finding a lump in her breast at 34 and the anxiety of waiting for results.

She said that with the help of Breast Cancer Support she later received confirmation that it was a cyst, and told the audience that since its inception the charity had donated “over £640,000 to the GHA.”

As she ended her speech, she urged everyone to follow TLC.

“Touch your breasts. Look. And then if you see anything which is not right in your body, get it checked.”

Lieutenant Commander Lauren Webber, the Commanding Officer of HMS Cutlass and soon to become the first female Commanding Officer of Gibraltar Squadron, spoke about leadership, gender and parenthood in the military.

After outlining the ranks she had held and was set to hold, she reflected on the experiences behind those achievements.

She spoke about sexual assault at the age of nine, a physically abusive relationship at 17 and a decade-long relationship “marked by infidelity” that ended in two miscarriages.

“When you see me, you see me standing in this uniform, you see an officer. You see a Lieutenant Commander who commands a patrol boat, and soon an entire squadron,” she said.

“What you don't see is the woman who had to rebuild her life whilst learning to navigate the warship.”

Describing the demands of leadership at sea and single motherhood, she said balancing the two was “one of the greatest challenges of my life”.

But she said those experiences had reshaped her understanding of command.

“Leadership isn't about the gold on your shoulder,” she said.

“It's about the safety and the growth of those in your care, whether that's a four-year old or the squadron of sailors.”

She also spoke about pressure on women in uniform to mirror “masculine energy” and questioned why the military should not embrace qualities more associated with feminine leadership.

Samantha Grimes, a partner at Isolas, urged attendees to think differently about work, communication and stress.

Originally from the UK, she has lived in Gibraltar for 22 years.

She said that when she arrived, the legal profession was “very, very male dominated”, but added that “things have changed over the years”, with more women entering the field.

Ms Grimes said the Covid-19 pandemic had proved a turning point for the law firm by showing that “we could work from home”.

“We all need a bit of flexibility,” she said.

She added that her talk was “about how to be the best version of yourself at work, and also looking at how we can be a little bit happier”.

That, she said, included honest self-reflection, clearer expectations and better communication.

On handling stress, she said: “Remember that the stress doesn't control you. It's you that controls the stress.”

Stephanie Yeo, from Care Link, said she had agreed to speak despite not liking public speaking because of the “Give to Gain” theme and her Christian faith.

Care Link, founded in 2018, supports families in need with baby essentials from conception to the age of five.

Ms Yeo said she had spent most of her working life in administration within the MoD before helping to start the charity.

She said the charity aimed to give women choices around motherhood, particularly when social and financial pressures suggested delaying or avoiding having children.

She added that some women may not want a career and may simply wish to be “a stay at home mom, and you know what? That's okay too”.

She said the charity is run entirely by volunteers and that while the work is physically and emotionally demanding, the reward is “priceless.”

The final speaker was Gibraltar Defence Police officer Angela Traverso, who began her new career at the age of 53.

“This year's International Women's Day theme Give to Gain, speaks to something that I have learned again through lived experience,” she said.

“When we give courage, opportunity and belief, we don't diminish ourselves, we expand what's possible.”

Drawing on eight years as captain of the forces ladies’ netball team, she recalled welcoming women who were “far from home and far from their usual support network.”

She said that as she entered her 50s, “when society often expects women to step quietly, aside, I chose to step forward.”

Finally, she said: “I am the mother to a remarkable teenage girl living with type one diabetes.”

“Watching her navigate life with courage reminds me daily why access, equity and opportunity matter.

“I want a world where every girl is empowered to believe the same, regardless of health, circumstance or background.”

“Give to Gain is not just a theme, it's a call to action.”

“When we give women opportunity, justice, belief and representation at every age and every stage of life, we create a lasting change, because when women thrive at five, at 15, at 50 and beyond, we all rise.”