Julianna Glasse is a singer-songwriter, inspirational speaker, podcast host, author, founder, and CEO of the non-profit – This is What Happens When Women Read.
Glasse recently announced the launch of a new scholarship, enabling a woman to pursue an MBA at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. The scholarship will fully fund the cost of fees for the MBA. For the next five years, one scholar will be selected each year for this prestigious and life changing award. The scholarship will be awarded to a woman who has faced economic or personal hardship and has had to overcome significant challenges to access education.
Reflecting on the scholarship Julianna said: “Every woman who has earned her place at the University of Oxford is the hero of her own story. She has envisioned her potential, believed in her self-worth and abilities, and taken every step to achieve her goals. Women around the world possess the power to rethink, reclaim, and restore their lives through literature and education. However, not every woman has the necessary resources.”
“The This Is What Happens When Women Read scholarship aims to bring the next brilliant feminist to Saïd Business School to pursue her MBA. These women will serve as ambassadors for every young girl and woman in their nations, demonstrating what is possible when women read. When women read, we recognize systems of oppression. When women read, we can name, challenge, and change those systems. When women read, we apply for the job, demand the raise, run for office, and ignite the liberation of women everywhere! Courage inspires courage, and liberation sparks liberation. This is what happens when women read.’’
Glasse is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and proud alumna of Saïd Business School. She fondly recalls her time spent at Oxford University and credits the exposure she gained whilst engaging with the vibrant international community at Saïd Business School as integral in formulating her global perspective and in challenging her deeply ingrained Western American perspective.
Glasse’s own story of liberation is a triumphant tale of tenacity. Raised and indoctrinated into evangelicalism, religious ideology permeated every aspect of her life and dictated matters as diverse as personal values to political beliefs.
Glasse shared that through reading and exploring literature, she underwent a profound and lasting shift in her views. In 2019 she took a decisive break from organised religion. Her upcoming book, aptly titled, ‘This is What Happens When Women Read’, will be a candid documentation of her own personal journey to attain true autonomy.
University of Oxford is internationally recognised as an epicentre of academic excellence. Saïd Business School boasts an illustrious tradition of educating global leaders.
Securing a scholarship to pursue an MBA will open a world of opportunities for the winner. The scholar will benefit from gaining a world-class education, developing a solid foundation in key business principles and being equipped with invaluable skills needed to lead organisations and inspire change.
The scholarship winner will have an unrivalled opportunity to realise her true potential and blossom intellectually. She will have the opportunity to attend lectures by distinguished leaders, forge connections with pioneering researchers, and network with leaders in diverse spheres who are undertaking impactful research, to walk in the storied halls of Oxford and relish the picturesque beauty of the city.
The scholarship seeks to nurture the next generation of female leaders and changemakers, who can act as catalysts for change in their nations, advancing and advocating, campaigning and championing women’s rights.
This scholarship is about more than merely gaining an MBA, it is the genesis of a feminist movement which empowers women to be the authors of a new script, one that rewrites and emancipates them from the deeply entrenched patriarchal narrative. Education empowers, equips, and emboldens women to recognise and challenge systemic barriers imposed upon them and embark on their journey of attaining self-actualisation and true autonomy.
The aims of Glasse’s scholarship align harmoniously with Saïd Business School’s motto of ‘change from within’ which strives to make the world a better place by educating leaders who then transform societies with their actions.
Women’s rights is the zeitgeist of our times and this scholarship transcends an individual gaining an Oxford education. It has the power to uplift and transform societies as women galvanise to challenge regimented ideas and unlock their destinies, attaining true autonomy from the shackles of subjugation.
In her work, Glasse expresses heartfelt acknowledgement of the myriad obstacles that women face in their journey towards liberation. She views reading as indispensable to gaining insight and fostering intellectual curiosity, allowing women to reimagine a brighter future for themselves.
This is What Happens When Women Read seeks to sow seeds of support and solidarity by collecting stories of women’s personal experiences of attaining liberation thereby forming a global community which finds strength in sisterhood.
This is What Happens When Women Read recognises that women are frequently oppressed, suppressed and repressed often on the basis of religious pretext.
Curtailing women’s access to education is a classic tool in the theocratic playbook, such as gender apartheid unleashed in Afghanistan by the Taliban imposing draconian restrictions on women.
Despite remarkable progress, gender disparities still endure in education enrolment, with the UN estimating that in 2023, 130 million women were still denied access to education. Gender equality remains an elusive goal, with the UN secretary general recognising the magnitude of the challenge by stating that, based on UN forecasts, it will take 300 years to attain gender equality.
Education is an elixir against the pathology of patriarchy. Glasse’s generosity, visionary nature and candour are testament to her deep commitment to leveraging education as a means to liberate women.
This will undoubtedly be an invaluable addition to the landscape of scholarships in Oxford and illustrates the power of philanthropy in propelling the fight for women’s rights on a global platform.