Sunday 8 March is International Women’s Day – a time to celebrate women’s achievements and focus on advancing gender equality through collective action and support.
To mark this important day, P&O Cruises and our Carnival UK charity partner, Saints Foundation, invited 43 Southampton secondary school girls on board Iona for an inspiring and eye-opening event. Led by P&O Cruises, Carnival UK, and staff from Saints Foundation, the event was designed to showcase the fun and fulfilling career paths available on board and on shore, from sport to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
The girls, aged 14 to 16, were from Saints Foundation Community Champions and Changemakers projects. They were treated to an action-packed day that included inspirational talks and workshops with P&O Cruises, a motivating speech from a football icon, the opportunity to talk with Carnival UK colleagues from DTO and Maritime, plus an exclusive theatre performance and a tasty lunch on board.
Not only did the event give them the opportunity to build relationships with industry professionals, but they got to meet some local football heroes, too, including former Southampton FC women’s captain Rosie Parnell, and Marieanne Spacey-Cale MBE, a former international footballer and current Director of Women’s Football at Southampton FC. Both Rosie and Marianne are Saints Foundation Ambassadors, inspiring the next generation all year round.
“These young people are in a really interesting phase of life” said Marieanne, who gave a heartfelt speech to the girls in the theatre. “If two or three of them come out of this event and think, that’s where I want to be, that’s the importance of these events.”
The girls got to see the best of Iona, too, with a lunch in Aqua restaurant and an exclusive performance of Digital in Headliners Theatre. It was an inspirational day – and one that left a lasting impression on those in attendance.
“I found it really empowering showing that women can do anything they put their mind to, or however they feel, they can just do it” said one young guest.
The event highlighted careers in STEM for women. Here, three inspiring colleagues tell us about their career journeys…
Isabel Waterfall, Environmental Officer:
“I had no idea what I wanted to do as a teenager. I was interested in geography and the sea so I went to university and did oceanography. I got my degree, realised I didn’t want to be a scientist, then discovered there was a role on ships as an environmental officer.
Looking back to when I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do, no one told me that was OK. So I hope that if girls don’t know what they want to do, they know there are opportunities. My advice would be to follow your interests. I didn’t know my role existed three years ago, and now I’m here. It’s been a combination of luck and hard work, right time and right place to find the opportunities that were there.”
Nuala O’Donnell, First Officer:
“My role involves driving the ship for four hours at a time. I also do all the passage planning, so I plan where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. I’d never heard of this kind of career when I was growing up. When I started out, there weren’t many women doing it. However it’s becoming more popular, and more women cadets are coming through, which is really nice to see.”
Nicola Robinson, Superintendent, Riding Teams:
“It’s my job to put groups of crew members on our ships to complete maintenance projects across the fleet. They’re called riding teams because they work across different ships. It’s a big job but I love it. Maritime is a heavily male-dominated industry, and to find your path in it can be challenging. You’ve got to be headstrong, and you’ve got to own the room that you’re in, which isn’t always easy. But I’ve been incredibly well supported by Carnival UK. They’ve given me the tools, and I feel empowered in what I’m doing.
I hope girls looking ahead to their careers know their journey isn’t linear, and it doesn’t have to be. Enjoy the journey as you get there. Because I’m so driven, I’m always looking for the next step. But I wish someone had told me to enjoy it enroute because it’s pretty cool. And we often don’t give ourselves credit for what we do, especially as women.”
Thank you to all the team on Iona who supported this fantastic event.