Stories of empowerment, creativity and community this International Women's Day
Behind every classroom door at City Lit, you’ll find women rewriting their stories: trying something new, returning to long‑held dreams, or discovering talents they never knew they had. City Lit has always been powered by brilliant women – students, tutors, staff, alumni and Fellows who bring passion, creativity and resilience into everything they do.
To mark International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting some of the voices that make our community so special. In these mini interviews, women share their reflections on empowerment, education and the role models who inspire them.
To celebrate and recognise this day, we are shining a light on a few of our many inspirational students and tutors at City Lit. In this article, they share what this day means to them, how City Lit helps them feel empowered as women, and we also find out who their female role models are.
Francine Cronin
Originally from Belgium but a Londoner for more than fifty years, Francine Cronin has made City Lit a constant companion in her lifelong learning journey. With over a hundred courses under her belt, spanning literature, the humanities, and music, she continues to find inspiration in the sheer breadth of subjects on offer. What she treasures most is the chance to meet others who share her curiosity and enthusiasm, discovering a community of learners as passionate and open‑minded as she is.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It is a celebration of women’s struggles and achievements over the years. It is a reminder of our mothers’ and grandmothers’ courage in gradually gaining the right to a university education, to equal pay at work, to the same jobs as men and to having their children cared for so they can get some spare time to cultivate their hobbies and creative skills.
How has your time at City Lit empowered you?
Although I had discovered City Lit while I was still active professionally and travelling frequently as a conference interpreter, access to a multitude of daytime, evening and online courses in retirement meant I could at last focus on what I really love: music and foreign languages. From being an amateur pianist, I was able to improve sight-reading, and theory, enjoy music appreciation, and discover new composers. Over the years, I have been motivated to work harder by joining group workshops with other amateur pianists and benefitted from tuition by several different, but all excellent, teachers.
Who are your female role models?
My hard-working mother managed a household which included my father who had lost his job for reasons beyond his control, my four younger siblings, and my grandfather who had dementia. She would have been capable of studying but had to interrupt her secondary education due to World War II.
My great-aunt Amanda, recently qualified as a primary school teacher after her mother’s death, chose to travel to Russia before the Revolution, and became a governess, teaching French to a wealthy family’s children. Back home, she so loved teaching that she continued to teach local children well into her eighties.
At City Lit, there is Katy Hamilton, a researcher, writer and presenter on music. I discovered Katy during the Covid pandemic when I attended her year-long music history course on “The long 19th century” and was amazed to find out that she is also an accomplished pianist, teacher and polyglot.
Ayanna Van Der Maten
Ayanna van der Maten, one of the 2025–26 Malorie Blackman Unheard Voices Scholars, has been writing fiction since she was thirteen, developing the characters and ideas that now shape her novel Pit, which has earned shortlistings for both the Penguin #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize and the Future Worlds Prize. She joined City Lit to take her craft more seriously and find the guidance that will help her push her work further, and through the scholarship she hopes to join the fiction masterclass and gain the support of fellow writers as she moves into editing and rewriting her novel, building momentum for the next stage of her writing journey.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
I think if you'd asked me a couple of years ago I might have disregarded it as a marketing tactic, or an easy way for companies to pay lip service to gender equality movements without doing much behind closed doors. More and more I think we need moments to reflect and consider how we treat women and girls in society: how we position and represent women culturally, how we talk about women we know, what we do to protect women and girls from gender-based exploitation and dehumanisation. I think of International Women's Day as a moment to have these conversations, reflect on women in history who had unique and interesting lives, and dream up a future that supports a younger generation.
How has your time at City Lit empowered you?
I was so frightened on my first day in the fiction Masterclass. I wasn’t sure I belonged with the other writers, if my feedback would be useful or if anyone would think my work was any good. The story I'd been working on felt so personal to me at one point in my life, I wasn’t sure how I would feel receiving feedback and commentary on it. But with every workshop session on my work I've gotten more and more confident. My classmates always give very insightful and supportive feedback. It is definitely challenging, but I've also found it extremely affirming. I'm trying a lot of new things in my writing now that I might not have dared in the past. I've also discovered how much fun it is to share work with others.
Who are your female role models?
My Oma was an artist and housewife. She didn't have the same opportunities I had to study, but she was an extremely skilled craftswoman in knitting, sewing, beading and ceramics as well as others. I was her only granddaughter and I believe she was very proud of me for being independent, going to university and pursuing my interests. In turn, I was also very proud of her. It was lovely to grow up around an artist, and I have always been in awe of the items and artworks she crafted.
Linda Osborne
Linda Osborne has been part of City Lit for almost three decades, steadily building her skills across performing arts, languages, and a wide range of other subjects. What keeps her returning is the combination of high‑quality teaching and the satisfaction of discovering she can achieve more than she expected. Her studies have boosted her confidence at key moments in her career and continue to enrich her life today, inspiring new goals such as developing her writing and exploring her family story through memoir.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
It’s a day for reflecting on how things have changed in my lifetime, and for thinking about what progress still needs to be made. I attended a girls’ secondary modern school that normally only allowed pupils to study two science subjects beyond age 14 as it was thought that science was difficult for girls. In the 2000s, I was in the minority as a female manager in my field but by the 2020s, there were far more women in leadership roles. However today there is still a gender pay gap issue.
I also remember my Chinese grandmother and her sister for their wartime sacrifices in China so that my relatives could survive. I see International Women’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and fortitude of my female relatives, and of all women who have pushed boundaries since my school days.
How has your time at City Lit empowered you?
City Lit has made a huge difference to my life. When I first attended, I was in a low-level role, and frustrated that promotions went to people with less experience and lower qualifications. Performing Arts courses helped me to develop the skills I needed to succeed at interviews, progress in my career, and deal with difficult people. Yoga classes not only improved my flexibility, they also helped me to remain calm under pressure. Studying Chinese has strengthened my mind and boosted my confidence, and speaking it on a recent trip to China was a real highlight.
Who are your female role models?
In my 20s, I would have given you a list, but now it is hard to name a person. I think people have been partial role models and I’ve tried to copy the best things about them. The women I’ve admired the most have been writers with deep insights who make me think and question ways of seeing the world. I like those who are aware of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, and recognise that a person can have multiple belongings.
Charmaine Moss
Charmaine Moss has been a cornerstone of the City Lit community for over 20 years, supporting staff, students, and colleagues with unwavering warmth, a smile, and good humour. In her role as a senior interpreter, Charmaine delivers interpreting services at the highest level. Beyond that, she is always available to offer advice on effective communication with Deaf colleagues and on working collaboratively with interpreters. She is a tireless advocate for those whose voices are too often unheard.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women's Day is a chance to pause and reflect on what it means to be a woman in 2026. The expectations and pressures put upon us both from the outside world and within our own minds. In the last century, women were called upon to fulfil the roles of men who had gone off to fight in the war, then were put back in their place when the men returned. Ninety-eight years ago, 15 million women over the age of 21 were able to vote (the same voting rights as men). Women have come a long way in the last 100 years – I want to show my daughters that they can be anything they want to be, so days like this give us an opportunity to discuss and reflect on who and what they want to be in the future!
What advice would you give to women aspiring to enter your field of expertise?
Believe in yourself! There are many interpreters out there with imposter syndrome, so be confident in your abilities, you have earned your TSLI or RSLI badge because you have worked hard and have the appropriate skills and knowledge. When peers and colleagues give you feedback, take it on board and use it to develop your skills further.
Who are your female role models?
The women around me – my mum, sister, aunts, cousins, friends and colleagues! Celebrities do nothing but make women feel bad about themselves for not being pretty enough, slim enough, rich enough, talented enough. The women in my life have been there for me in moments when I needed them most and celebrated me when things have gone well. Among my friends are other interpreters, teachers, solicitors, business owners, midwives and strategic planners – I also have family makers, caregivers, cancer survivors and cat mums! Without these women, my life would be incredibly dull and unfulfilling!
Chaachi Deane
Chaachi has rekindled her passion for performance at City Lit, balancing her busy life as a teacher and mum. Studying at City Lit has provided her with the flexibility to pursue her interests while managing multiple responsibilities. She has found joy and empowerment through the various performing arts courses offered, allowing her to reconnect with her love for the arts.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Day, for me, is a time to pause and reflect on how the lives of women have evolved since the days of our mothers and grandmothers. It's important to celebrate the freedoms we now enjoy compared to the past, but also to acknowledge that there is still a significant amount of work to be done.
What advice would you give to women aspiring to enter your field of expertise?
Studying at City Lit has allowed me to reconnect with my passion for performance while fitting into my busy schedule as a teacher and mum. Women often juggle many responsibilities, and it is usually their own interests that are the first to fall by the wayside. The flexibility of the courses at City Lit helps me carve out a little slice of time for myself each week.
Who are your female role models?
As a singer, it's truly inspiring to look up to legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, and Billie Holiday. Despite the immense hardships and prejudice they faced, their resilience and talent allowed them to deliver some of the most iconic performances in music history. Their legacy continues to influence and shape the world of jazz, reminding us of the power of music to transcend adversity.
Deirdre Kashdan
Deirdre Kashdan is an artist, campaigner, and connector whose work explores how art can heal, reveal, and bring people together. Working across photography, collage, printmaking, and performance, she creates participatory projects centred on conversation and storytelling, including her most significant work, The Missing Project, shaped by a life touched by suicide and severe mental illness. Deirdre completed City Lit’s Contemporary Practice Personal Project course in 2024 and went on to win a Wellbeing Award at the City Lit Awards the same year.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
On International Women’s Day I am reminded of the concept of sisterhood - of protecting, encouraging, and advocating for one another; of standing together rather than competing; of lifting each other up rather than diminishing, and of honouring each other’s growth as well as our differences. In times of such global hostility, suffering and terror, with the chief protagonists and aggressors being male, a society based on these sisterly values would be a much safer place – one in which far more people would thrive. I am proud to be a member of the female sex, and proud to have so many inspirational women in my life.
How has your time at City Lit empowered you?
As an artist and mother of a man who has lived with severe mental illness for three decades, I knew it was time to use my work to reflect these experiences and connect with other women facing similar challenges. This is a largely hidden community, still silenced by stigma. I came to City Lit to find a new direction, and nine months of intensive study helped me shape the idea that became my most important work: the Missing Project.
The project has since been exhibited at The Beaney Museum in Canterbury, attracting 23,000 visitors, and now involves 330 women across the UK and beyond. Live events have brought together music, poetry, and imagery from participants and the wider community, raising awareness and giving voice to mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives who have long been overlooked.
My studies at City Lit helped me build what has become a new sisterhood.
Who are your female role models?
When I think about my female role models, I look to the women in my own family who shaped me and encouraged me to be myself, even when that meant going against expectation. My mother, who never had the chance of a full education, was determined that I would, a gift that has given me independence, choice, and fulfilment. My sister Angela, who died during the COVID pandemic, showed remarkable dignity, endurance, generosity, and humour; even in hospital, she made everyone laugh. My grandmother Alice was hardworking and endlessly loving, offering safety and refuge until her death from cancer in her early fifties. And my friend Margaret has stood beside me for thirty years of my son’s illness, always ready to listen and understand.
I am who I am because of these women, my sisterhood, and it is to them, and to all women who stand together through the hardest times, that I dedicate the Missing Project.
Celebrating Women Through Courses, Talks and Lectures
City Lit is honouring International Women’s Day not only on Sunday 8th March 2026, but throughout the year with a diverse programme of courses, talks and lectures.
Our courses aim to put the spotlight on remarkable women across arts, culture, and social history. Tutors will take every opportunity to promote and celebrate the achievements of women throughout our programmes.
We hope that you’ll join us in celebrating the achievements of women in the UK and across the world through our courses and activities.
International Women's Day at City Lit
Over the coming months, we are offering an exciting range of in-person and online courses and talks that explore and celebrate the significant contributions made by women to life, society, and culture. Topics will include art, politics, philosophy, and literature.
