UK Supreme Court marks International Women’s Day

This year marks the 115th time International Women’s Day has been marked. In 1911, when IWD began, it would take another 8 years before the Sex Disqualification Removal Act (1919) allowed women to practice law, sit on juries, or become civil servants. By 2019, women made up 51% of solicitors across England and Wales.

For this International Women’s Day, three colleagues from around the Court have reflected on a woman (past or present) who has inspired them to Give to Gain:

Women in Education

When asked to write about my favourite historic woman in law/education I found it difficult to think of one particular woman. Rather, what comes to my mind is the high percentage (75%) of women who make up our teachers in the UK. Female educators can be powerful role models for students, who benefit from seeing empowered women in leadership positions within their educational settings, inspiring confidence and ambition and encouraging them to pursue their aspirations. In 1840, 60% of women were illiterate, then only in 1878, the University of London decided to grant women access to its degrees and it was only in 1944, after the Education Act, that married women were legally allowed to become teachers.

The first woman to become a law professor in the UK was Claire Palley in 1970. Throughout her life she showed a commitment to human rights and the rule of law. When delivering the Hamlyn Lectures in 1990, she put forward a strong argument for widespread education in human rights devoting her professional expertise and energy. 

It is important to remember and highlight the impact and success that women have had in education- not just in the classroom but in creating policy, shaping curriculum and mentoring future generations. This links well with this year’s International Women’s Day theme- give to gain. In particular, women who give so much to the education system whilst balancing competing priorities such as raising a family. And how much is gained in our society with women in leadership positions serving as powerful symbols of progress and empowerment, helping to challenge existing gender norms and stereotypes.

Women in Journalism

Yousra Elbagir was born in 1992 in Khartoum, Sudan. She is a Sudanese British Africa Correspondent reporter, for Sky News. She was recently awarded Network Television Journalist of the Year for her work reporting in conflict areas of Sudan. Her mother was a businesswoman and publisher, and her father was a politician and journalist. From the ages of 8-15 she lived in Sudan and returned to London at the age of 16 to gain her A Levels.

I had the tv on as background while getting ready for work one morning. What caught my interest was “who was the reporter?”. At that time war in Ukraine had taken up most of the media attention so I thought [the story] was from somewhere in Ukraine. I was shocked to hear it was in Africa.

What drew me in was her passion [for the story]. You could hear the sheer emotion and heart break in her voice as she was doing her reporting. She was reporting on the war in Sudan the place of her birth. One of the many places of conflict she visited while reporting was the place where she grew up. She had returned to Sudan after two years of fighting to see that the home where she lived had been ransacked. There were bullets in walls, rooms burnt out, various photo albums scattered around the house plus family portraits torn up.

It was something that will stay with me.

Women of Firsts

Around the building, there are representations of ‘women of firsts’ in the legal profession: Dame Rose Heilbron, Cornelia Sarabji, Lady Hale and Dame Margaret Kidd.

In December 2024, Dame Janice Pereira, the first female Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court came to sit with us. She spent time taking part in ‘Ask a Justice’, giving her time to allow students to access her knowledge and experience.

We are also in a privileged position to see many of the future ‘women of firsts’ of the legal profession come through the doors of the Court every day.

I found it very difficult to select one ‘woman of firsts’ for this article, but would encourage you to learn more about the following:

• Jeannie Senior – The first woman to be appointed as a Civil Servant beyond the Post Office. In 1873 she was appointed as the first female inspector of the education of girls in pauper schools and workhouses.

• Gwyneth Bebb, Maud Crofts, Karin Costelloe and Lucy Nettlefold – Bebb v The Law Society [1913] sought admission to the Law Society’s preliminary exams. They were unsuccessful.

• Dame Rose Heilbron – featured in legacy, a trailblazer in the legal profession.

• Patricia Scotland, The Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC – the first female Secretary General of the Commonwealth.

Shifting away from women in law, I gained a lot through learning about women like Gertrude Bell and Agatha Christie Mallowan, both of whom were prominent in archaeology and conservation during the 20th Century. If you’re interested in finding out more about their lives and work, I would recommend the book ‘Come Tell Me How You Live’.

The women above remind us of the importance of dreaming big and pursuing possibility. Through giving time, resources, and allyship, we can all support women to achieve first, seconds, thirds and thirtieths. Each one is significant when it comes to equal representation.

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