WHEN it comes to the running of Bradford Council, two powerful females are at the top, making it an empowering sight for girls and women across the district.

Whatever your political beliefs may be, council chief Kersten England and council leader Susan Hinchcliffe are living examples of two women who broke through the glass ceiling.

Kersten England, who identifies as a proud Bradfordian despite the Edinburgh accent, has worked in the voluntary sector, higher education, central government and spent the past 26 years in local government.

She has lived and worked in Bradford for most of her adult life and raised her children in the city.

The T&A invited the council chief to take part in its special International Women's Day Q&A series, marking this year's theme Each For Equal.

Q: What makes the women of Bradford special?

A: It’s a privilege to work with so many amazing Bradfordian women. What marks them out for me is their gutsy tenacity, ingenuity and generous spirit.

Bradford women have often been pioneers charting new ground e.g. Margaret McMillan establishing Early Years Education and Florence White’s campaign for equality for single women in the early 20th century, through to Fiona Broadfoot campaigning to change the law to decriminalize women who were groomed into the sex industry and Syima Aslam establishing a world renowned literature festival in the city.

Q: What does International Womens Day mean to you?

A: IWD is a chance to celebrate how far we’ve come in terms of equality for women and to renew our commitment to tackle the inequalities that still remain.

Q: What needs to change?

A: We’ve come a long way in terms of legislative equality and equality of opportunity in terms of education and employment. But the truth is too many women are still excluded from opportunity, struggling to make ends meet and experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse. We need to change that.

Q: Advice to your younger self?

A: Silence your inner critic, get yourself some allies, keep putting one foot in front of the other and don’t give up on your dreams.