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8th Mar 2026
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating some of the women who shape our college community every day - from leaders to lecturers and business support staff. Through their expertise and dedication, they support one another and help create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.
As well as celebrating the achievements of women, the day aims to educate and raise awareness for women’s equality. This year's theme, Give To Gain, calls for us to break down systemic barriers, challenge biases, and take decisive steps toward gender equality in leadership and beyond. So below we hear from some of our female staff working in areas traditionally seen as male-dominated, where their professionalism and passion continue to challenge perceptions and inspire others.
Karen Bellcourt, our Student Health and Safety Advisor at the College has been an on-call fire fighter for over 4 years. She lives in Abingdon and responds directly from her job at the College, forming part of a first all-female fire crew in Oxfordshire in 20 years.
“Being able to respond from my primary employment at Abingdon & Witney College makes being an on-call firefighter achievable for me. The flexibility of my employer means I can support my local community when I’m needed.
I’m incredibly proud to serve as an on-call firefighter and to stand side by side with such strong, capable women. Crewing alongside my female colleagues as part of the wider Abingdon team is both an honour and a privilege. Through supporting our community and one another, we truly live the spirit of Give To Gain - proving that when women step forward and give, we all grow stronger together.”
Shaping the future of Construction: From surveying to sustainability
Nyomi Rowsell, Retrofit and Sustainability Lecturer
Nyomi teaches hands-on courses in Retrofit, Sustainability, and Carbon Literacy. When she was younger she was steered towards architecture and practical construction roles were never presented as an option, despite her natural hands-on mindset. “I was always 3D rather than 2D,” she reflects,“I learned by doing and making”. Even at architecture school, translating 3D ideas into technical drawings felt less intuitive than physically building something.
Her turning point came when, as a passionate cyclist, she rode from Cairo to Cape Town, documenting traditional architecture along the way. To prepare, she worked in a bike shop, learning to fix and maintain her own equipment - a skillset that sparked her confidence in practical work. Travelling through Africa opened her eyes to communities building their own homes with local materials, driven by collaboration and resourcefulness.
Nyomi at ClayFest in 2025
She later spent six years in Malawi working on rammed earth construction projects. There, cultural roles were clearly defined, where women plastered and carried water; and men built structures. Nyomi took on thatching and construction work, and encouraged other women to join her in what were traditionally seen as “men’s jobs”.
One of her toughest challenges came when a site manager struggled to accept being led by a woman. Rather than retreat, she invested time in building mutual respect; cycling together in the mornings to strengthen their working relationship. It was a powerful lesson in resilience and the value of human connection.
Her advice to young women considering construction is rooted in her cycling background: “Never give up on a hill.” Challenges will come - some may be gender-based, others simply part of the profession - but self-belief and determination are key “Be yourself. Crack on. Be headstrong when you need to be.”
Atieh brings a strong background in civil and geotechnical engineering alongside hands-on industry experience: “I thrive in roles that require collaboration, critical thinking and a deep understanding of the built environment.”
Her journey into construction began with a love of mathematics. She recognised early on that construction offered a space where logical reasoning and numerical precision could be transformed into something tangible - strong, durable and sustainable structures that stand the test of time. “Communication and teamwork are also essential in construction,” she says.
Through her experience teaching at university, Atieh has observed that many women underestimate their potential within construction - often because the industry is narrowly associated with physical site work. She is passionate about challenging that perception. Construction, she emphasises, is broad and multidisciplinary, spanning surveying, planning, digital modelling, project management and off-site manufacturing. Modern technologies and machinery have also significantly changed the nature of the work.
Her advice to young women is simple but powerful: "Do not underestimate yourself." With knowledge, confidence and determination, women can play a vital role in delivering innovative and meaningful projects.
Atieh believes representation in construction is essential because the built environment serves everyone. When the workforce reflects society’s diversity, design decisions become more inclusive, problem-solving improves and innovation thrives. When young women see people like themselves succeeding in construction, it inspires others and reinforces a sense of belonging.
Leading the way: Mel Coleman-Clements, Head of Faculty, Creative Industries
Stepping into leadership at just 27 at Moulton College, Mel’s career has been driven by a desire to coach others and influence positive change. She believes strongly in the importance of female representation in leadership. “Women make up at least half the population - and a large proportion of the education workforce - yet senior leadership hasn’t always reflected that.” She thinks that women often bring a different energy to leadership teams, including empathy, collaboration and a coaching approach, and that the best teams have a range of skills, experiences, and traits.
While she has seen positive change, challenges remain, particularly around motherhood, career progression and lingering assumptions about age and gender. Early in her career, she encountered situations where she felt overlooked for being young and female, and even faced assumptions that a manager “must be a man.” Learning to confidently assert herself was key.
Her advice to aspiring female leaders is clear: “Never apologise for being ambitious. Apply for jobs like a man - research shows that women will wait until they meet 100% of a person specification for jobs before applying, men apply when they hit around 60%. Put yourself out there and apply for the role you want; you never know who might give you an opportunity.”
For Mel, the skills and qualities that are important for future female leaders are the skills many women already have - emotional intelligence, empathy and collaboration; and the future of leadership lies in creating psychologically safe environments where people feel part of a shared vision.
We would like to celebrate all the women at Abingdon & Witney College who excel all year round by shaping lives, supporting each other, and being our extraordinary selves. Thanks to Karen, Atieh, Nyomi and Mel for contributing to this article. You can find out more about International Women’s Day here.
The College is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Have a look at our Work for Us pages to find out about our current vacancies and more about working at the College.
