Each year on 8 March, millions around the world mark International Women’s Day - a moment to honour women’s achievements, amplify women’s voices, and continue the collective push toward equality.
This year, St Luke’s Hospice is proudly celebrating the women who make up 79% of its workforce, recognising their compassion, leadership and impact across the organisation.
Katie Weller, St Luke’s Director of People and Wellbeing said: “We’re proud to shine a light on several inspiring women across our hospice who embody this spirit every day. This year’s theme, “Give to Gain”, reminds us that when we lift others, we rise together. Through their compassion, leadership, and resilience, they help us all gain a stronger, kinder community.”
Among these leaders is Jo Lenton, who became St Luke’s first female Chief Executive in 2024 after joining the charity in 2008 as a Community Specialist Palliative Care Nurse. Reflecting on her leadership journey, she said:
“As a female Chief Executive, I hope I lead with clarity, courage, empathy and emotional intelligence - shaping a culture where people, families and staff feel heard, valued and respected. Compassionate leadership in a hospice means leading with humanity and emotional courage at a time when people may be facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives.”
Jo’s experience echoes that of many women at St Luke’s, including Emma Baldwin, Executive Lead for Care, who began her career at the charity as a Physiotherapist. She credits the women around her for shaping her as a leader:
“I’ve looked up to many women - colleagues, managers, family members - all influencing me in different ways,” she said. “My inspiration for working in end of life care, came from caring for a very important and influential family member during their own cancer journey.”
“The experience made me want to give something back and I felt driven to support others and to play a part in making people’s end of life experiences as compassionate and dignified as possible.”
“Each patient I treated and every team I worked with taught me something different, shaping my career along the way.”
Lynsey Bates, Lead for St Luke’s In Patient Centre, believes women offer a powerful combination of emotional intelligence, warmth, and communication skills - qualities that allow them to connect deeply with patients and families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
“Women naturally look at the whole person - beyond symptoms, considering emotional, social and family needs too,” she said. Over the years, she’s also seen a marked increase in women’s visibility within the sector:
“Women now truly have a seat at the table in terms of senior leadership - trustees, executives, Chief Executives. That visibility is inspiring, especially as a woman with a young family.”
With women often making up a large part of the hospice workforce, Lynsey also highlights greater understanding of women’s needs - from family commitments to navigating menopause.
Lynsey recalls a moment with the wife of a patient who said hospice care allowed her to “be a wife again, not just a carer.” It’s a reminder, she says, of the deep emotional work that women in hospice care often champion:
“Helping people reconnect as husbands, wives, daughters or sons - not just carers - is often the greatest gift we can give.”
That sense of holistic care is shared by Rachel Booker, Deputy Community Team Manager, who believes women naturally take a broader view of a patient’s needs.
“We see beyond symptoms,” she said. “We consider the family, the tiny details, the emotional needs - especially of children and partners.”
Having worked in hospice care for more than 20 years, Rachel has seen women’s contributions increasingly recognised.
“Hospice care has always relied heavily on women, but now we are seeing more women in leadership roles - consultants, directors, researchers - and palliative nursing is increasingly recognised as a specialist academic discipline.”
She still carries with her the example set by the nurses who trained her at 23: “They showed compassion, expertise and a love for nursing - something I’ve carried with me and hope to pass on to the next generation of women in palliative care.”
That next generation is also on the mind of Rachel Whelan, Clinical Facilitator at St Luke’s, who offers advice shaped by her own journey.
“Learn to nurture yourself first,” she said. “Understanding your own emotions allows you to offer truly heart‑led care. And speak up - your voice matters more than you realise.”
When looking ahead to the next decade, Rachel wants to challenge outdated models of leadership: “Women don’t need to lead with dominance. Softness, assertiveness, and healthy boundaries build trust and psychological safety. We never forget leaders who made us feel inspired. When women role-model authenticity and accountability, they create the leaders of tomorrow."