Women Empowering Defence brings together hundreds of delegates to inspire the future

Hundreds of delegates from across defence have come together for the Women Empowering Defence conference in London for an inspiring session on leadership.

The inaugural event attracted 650 delegates, mostly women, from the public and private sectors to discuss leadership and the Armed Forces.

"The energy and enthusiasm in the room were truly inspiring," said Jodie Evans and Natalie Maddox-Hussain, the co-founders of WED.

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The theme of the one-day conference was 'Unleashing the Power of Leadership: Breaking Barriers and Empowering Change'.

The two co-founders, who set up the specialist network less than a year ago, said: "The discussions and sessions highlighted not only the challenges but also the immense opportunities for women in the defence sector.

"By working together and supporting each other, we can drive significant change and innovation."

During the event, notable speakers included Lieutenant Colonel Vanessa McDermott, Commanding Officer of the 3rd (UK) Division Signal Regiment, Yvonne Harrison, CEO of Women in Football, Anthony Holmes, principal security strategist at Amazon Web Services, and Lieutenant Danny Cairns, co-chair of the Royal Navy's LGBTQ+ Network.