Having it all – dispelling the myths about work and motherhood

Thursday 8 March saw worldwide celebrations for International Women’s Day, one of which was held at Stanmore College. The College linked into a live stream of the UCL lunch hour lecture titled ‘Having it all – dispelling the myths about work and motherhood’ which was delivered by Dr Anne McMunn (UCL Department of Epidemiology & Public Health).

Dr McMunn presented fascinating data which indicated that there are significant behavioral differences between daughters of mothers who work and those who stay at home; the behavior of those whose mothers go out to work being more positive. Interestingly, the significance was not as high with regard to sons. Data was also provided to show that the BMI (body mass index) for mothers who work tends to be healthier than for those who remain at home.

Watch the full lunch hour lecture below

A large number of Stanmore College staff (mainly female although males had also been invited!) turned out to enjoy a buffet lunch and watch the engaging live lecture stream on this controversial topic. External guests included local Harrow councillors and associates of the College.

The event was a huge hit. It was featured in the local Harrow newspaper and feedback has indicated that attendees are keen to look out for further captivating lectures from UCL.

Review by Attracta Rafter, Head of Executive Support, Marketing and Communications at Stanmore College