IT is widely recognised that diversity matters and should be a commercial imperative in every industry.

This month, Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, an expert on the subject, will be giving a talk on how women can make a change in and out of the workplace.

"In the critical era of the advancement of women, it's time for women to take their rightful place and demand, not ask for the same opportunity, legitimacy, recognition and credit men get," she said.

"Women won't get this by waiting their turn or suffering in silence.

"They must create opportunities where there are none and bring their folding chair to sit at the table where no extra chairs exist.

"Collective responsibility can only take us so far – individual responsibility for your representation (be it gender, race, sex) is critical to making diversity matter," she added.

On Saturday, February 24, wire wool events will be bringing Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu to speak at The Railway Inn in Winchester.

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a New York attorney and solicitor in the UK, an author, a public speaker and a political and women’s rights activist. She teaches intersectional feminism to female refugees and asylum seekers; scrutinises government policies; and co-organises women's marches (including the Women's March London) and social campaigns.

She founded Women in Leadership publication and established She@Law to promote women and BAME ( black, Asian and minority ethnic) leadership in the legal profession. She is also the co-chair of the American Bar Association Africa committee.

In this 45-minute talk, she will urge her listeners to stop talking and start doing.

The talk will be followed by an opportunity for an audience discussion.

Wire wool events was founded in 2017 with a view of bringing female-centric literary and spoken word events to Hampshire, placing an emphasis on women speakers and getting female voices heard.

"Inspirational speakers tend not to stray far from London and the major cities, so I wanted to invite these thinkers to my area and to create an opportunity for like-minded people to hear what they had to say," said wire wool events founder Amy Brown.

"We live in a technological age where face-to-face interaction is often a secondary form of communication, especially in terms of how information is learnt and opinions are formed.

I think it is so important to get people in a situation where they can discuss in person what they have heard from a speaker. This is how knowledge is created, perspectives are widened and horizons broadened."

* £8 tickets are on sale now: https://www.railwayinn.pub/show/wire-wool-presents-make-your-diversity-count-a-talk-by-shola-mos-shogbamimu/