Pride and Prejudice and being a Mum

Mel Clarke – on redefining the traditional roles of parenting and navigating prejudice at the school gate

Mel Clarke is a force to be reckoned with!  Recently awarded an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list for her services to women (among other things), Mel is the definition of a powerful woman.  Mum to three, Mel took on the role of main breadwinner when her husband was made redundant and went from strength to strength in her career at National Highways. Not one to shy away from a difficult conversation, she challenged her bosses when she was overlooked for promotion and succeeded in getting them to stop, think and change their approach to working mums. Now as Director of Health, Safety and Wellbeing, she is in a position to shape the experience of thousands of women below her.  Her legacy has been setting up the Women’s Network which now has over 1000 members.

But this journey hasn’t been without it’s challenges.  From prejudice at school, to mum guilt, to her husband feeling isolated, Mel talks with honesty and openness about the highs and lows of their experiences and how their unusual family dynamic has impacted on her children. She also talks really positively about how she now pays this forward in the way that she champions women of all ages and stages at work.  This podcast is a must for any mum who is holding down a big job and who sometimes feels that they are not achieving the balance they had hoped for.  It’s also for the women out there who are taking on the less traditional role of the main earner in their family and how to navigate this with dignity.