About

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Business professional, amateur detective.

This project brings together my love of history and my passion for equality. I want to read more books, watch more documentaries and see more exhibitions where the commercial achievements of women are given their due.

The Victorian Age may have been glorious and prosperous for some but for women it was, in the words of Ethel Wood, ‘the dark night of their soul’. When Queen Victoria ascended the throne, women were domestic drudges at home, industrial drudges in the factories, had barely any legal rights and were excluded from most professions and all public offices. The women born during this period who had the guts, gall and gumption to carve a path through this harsh terrain deserve much greater recognition. We all benefit from a rounder, fuller understanding of our national story and I want to make my own contribution.

Why does this matter?
This project is not just about the past. In the world of work today:

• Only 86 women make it onto the first rung of the leadership ladder for every 100 men
• We still have only ten women running FTSE 100 companies (updated Feb 2024)
• Although women hold 42% of board positions in FTSE-100 companies, the majority are non-executive roles
• We still have a gender pay gap, with women paid 90p for every £1 that men earn, even in jobs where women are in the majority.
• Gender stereotypes also hinder the careers of men. Only 6% of business support professionals and 11% of registered nurses in the UK are male

Some of the causes of this lie deep in the past. Looking back and understanding more about why women did or did not succeed in the past can help us find better solutions for the future.

Spreading the word
I have written articles based on my research for The Sunday Times, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Good Housekeeping, Boundless, Perspective Magazine and The Wildean. I have contributed to the catalogue accompanying the National Portrait Gallery exhibition, Yevonde: Life and Colour and to its ongoing project, Reframing Narratives, with features on trailblazing Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs. I give talks to organisations and schools about my research and its relevance today.

Contact me using the form below if you are considering a feature or event where I can contribute. Many of the issues that women were dealing with 100 years ago are still relevant today so if you are interested in organisational culture and workplace inclusion today, you can follow me on Linked In.