Silverstone Museum Announces #GirlsWill 2024 Updates to Celebrate International Women’s Day

The Museum revealed it is expanding its 2024 #GirlsWill initiative, aimed at driving greater diversity in motorsport, by inspiring girls and women to explore career opportunities in the industry.

The Museum marked IWD, on March 8, by unveiling a series of pop-up panellist events planned for this October. The events will feature female sports stars as part of the month-long celebration of motorsport’s growing legion of female fans.

There will be a range of education and career workshops taking place throughout the month of October. The Museum also announced that guest appearances by acclaimed authors and researchers will form part of the events scheduled to ensure #GirlsWill is another roaring success.

Silverstone Museum Chief Executive Phil Lawrie said: “We are thrilled to reveal initial details for our #GirlsWill campaign for 2024. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, it’s fitting to announce we’re re-affirming our commitment to #GirlsWill and women in STEM roles with news that the Museum will be hosting numerous exclusive, exciting events this October.

“Our wide-reaching campaign last year, held initially during October and extended due to its incredible popularity, was a phenomenal success. Our drive is to ensure this year’s initiative will be even bigger and better, inspiring women to consider careers in the motorsport industry.”

Silverstone Museum is gearing up for a momentous month-long campaign bringing together researchers from across the globe and key sporting stars from the world of motorsport in its bid to help steer people pursuing careers within the fast-paced industry.

The Museum’s inaugural #GirlsWill campaign was backed by an array of famous faces who pledged their support in a star-studded promotional video which included Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE, George Russell, Jessica Hawkins, Judy Murray OBE, Rebecca Adlington OBE, David Coulthard MBE, Chloe Chong, Jill Scott MBE, Katie Zelem, Chloe Grant, Abbi Pulling and Claire Williams OBE.

This year’s campaign will be extended to include an array of panel speaker events, pop-up education and career workshops with guest appearances by sporting stars. A prestigious research forum will be hosted by the Museum, with keynote speaker Jean Williams, a professor in sport history and author specialising in women’s history and motorsport.

Motorsport authors Rachel Harris-Gardiner and Jon Saltinstall will make a guest appearance alongside Christine Lezotte PhD, and Estelle Clapham, founder of the Collective Drive and the Female Drive, who will be joined by Dr Barbara Horley.

There will also be assorted activities, supported by More than Equal and Girls on Track,

throughout October, in recognition of the rapidly rising number of female followers of motorsport. The majority of the planned events will be included in the entry cost.

The drive to encourage more females to consider careers in motorsport is essential, as a recent report by More than Equal highlighted how no woman has raced in F1 since the 1970s and female participation represents only 10% across all levels of competitive motorsport.

Formula 1’s most recent gender pay gap report, published in 2023, also revealed that just 31% of its workforce is female.

Based at the entrance to the world-famous Silverstone racing circuit, home of the British Grand Prix, the Museum showcases the best of British motor racing, inspiring visitors with the stories of the sport and the contribution it has on technology, innovation and society.