Fourth Floor’s COO Catherine Cheetham is very proud to stand with, and show her solidarity for, this year’s BreakTheBias theme for International Women’s Day.

**Catherine has been Fourth Floor’s COO for over three years.**

Every day I’m reminded of the resilience women have shown, and continue to show. I wholeheartedly honour them, for what they have done and are doing for future generations.

I know the path that opened for me was a result of decades of tireless dedication to social change and personal sacrifice. I know I have been incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from many amazing women. To learn the importance of self-belief, and saying, ‘Yes I can!’

This probably started at an early age, and from a surprising source: an authoritarian and sometimes tyrannical Headmistress. I would have never thought I would write this, but the experience of standing many hours in the ‘Stone Hall’, waiting to hear her daily words shaped me in ways I only now realise, giving me a rock solid belief that women can achieve and that the world is full of opportunity.

Since then there have been many other women who have inspired me and helped me see my path.

My first job was working for a woman CTO. In those days, that was a very rare thing, and it gave me my first opportunity in technology and to be coached into a career path which I have loved.

I also reflect on the many working mothers I have met along the way, some of whom have become dear friends, as we have all rushed between nursery and school drop-offs. It is often said – and I have been told directly – that you can’t have it all. You can’t have a family, be a good mum, and also have a successful career. Well, in my opinion and experience you can. I’m not the mum who is all over school administration. I am the boss who must leave a meeting at 4pm to collect my children. We make different choices, and that’s okay. Can you have ‘it all’? Yes you can!

What ‘it all’ means changes over time and with context. During the unprecedented times of COVID-19, I have seen my counterparts - friends who own and lead businesses - adapt their propositions to support their clients. And in lots of cases, also take struggling team members under their wings without a second thought. But I have seen humanity shine through, and people over and over again take the unbiased action of doing the right thing. The consequences are being felt now, but the interconnectedness of community, and the resilience of many, has been truly astonishing to witness.

At the time of writing this, we are seeing terrible and shocking scenes of despair, huge anxiety and destruction of basic human rights. This is most obvious in the illegal war in Ukraine, but women all over the world continue to battle the atrocities of political regimes. Their paths are not full of opportunity, but they continue to fight oppression through bravery and resilience. They deserve more.

Finally, the woman who has shaped me the most is my mother. She has shown boundless love and support, and been there to pick up the many pieces that I have shattered into along the way, always putting me back together onto the path of opportunity.

Looking forward, I want Fourth Floor to be a company that says ‘Yes you can!’ It is my time to help BreakTheBias, and stand on the shoulders of others’ to support a world that is inclusive, equitable, and truly stands for diversity.

There have been many occasions where obstructions have been put in my path, encouraging me to be ‘nice’ and to to compromise my values. I have tried to be humble, and consider that not everything I want might be deserved. Knowing what I know today, I may have questioned more or asked for feedback when presented with those situations, but I honestly don’t think I would have got the truth.

I have worked hard to be who I am today. I may have taken many paths, and each opportunity I have taken - whether I have succeeded or failed – I reflect positively on. I hope that path can inspire others, if not to specifically follow it, but to realise that on any of their own terms, yes, they can!

I have the most amazing opportunity at Fourth Floor to be part of building a company which has equality at its heart. We have two women on our Board, and 38% of the company are female. We’ve introduced a flexible working policy, providing our teams with the autonomy to own how best they work whilst recognising every employee has different working practices, routines, personal needs, and requirements. We’ve worked on our recruitment policy, to make it more equitable, ensuring we take action to provide everyone with the same opportunities. And we continually seek feedback, listening, learning, and iterating our ways of working, making them more equitable, and providing additional paths and opportunities for all.

I speak out today to recognise women, raise awareness of continued inequality, and support BreakTheBias. In a world that has so much turmoil and unrest, I want to say ‘thank you’ to those who have gone before me, and speak out for those who continue to feel oppression. And to those who I can directly support, I want to say to them all, ‘Yes you can!’