To mark International
Women’s Day next Tuesday, we look at four British women who made history in
their respective fields. A three-minute, fantastic females-themed read.
They may not be household names, but these four pioneering British
women deserve our admiration and respect.
Helen Sharman – Britain’s first astronaut
The Sheffield-born chemist was working at Mars (the makers of
those chocolate bars) when she responded to an advert for volunteers to embark
on a space mission.
After a rigorous selection process, Sharman was chosen from
13,000 candidates to spend 18 months training with cosmonauts in Russia to
prepare for the mission.
And in 1991, she lifted off, spending eight days in space and
visiting the Mir space station. After returning to Earth, Sharman dedicated her
life to science education.
Madge Easton Anderson – Legal pioneer
In 1920, Madge Easton Anderson became the first woman to work
professionally as a lawyer in the UK.
The daughter of a bookseller and a cutlery salesman, Easton
Anderson studied law at the University of Glasgow. However, it wasn’t until
1919, when the law changed to enable women to join the profession, that she
could officially qualify as a solicitor in Scotland – and so she did a year
later.
In 1937, Easton Anderson passed her English law exams and became
the first female qualified solicitor in England and Scotland.
Nicole Cooke – Cycling star
The tenacious Welshwoman made history twice in 2008. She was the
first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal in cycling (she took the road race
in Beijing).
That year, Cooke also won gold at the World Championships – the
first rider to ever achieve such a double in the space of 12 months.
Cooke battled a fair amount of sexism during her career, but her
success raised the profile of women’s cycling and paved the way for future GB
cyclists.
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson – Britain’s first
woman to qualify as a doctor
Inspired by the early women’s rights movement, London-born
Garrett Anderson dreamt of becoming a doctor. But when British medical schools
refused to admit her, she had to find another way in.
She studied nursing and chemistry before sitting exams with the
Society of Apothecaries in 1865 and securing a licence to practise medicine. (This
loophole was quickly closed to prevent other female students from following
suit.)
Garrett Anderson later established a dispensary for women and
the first teaching hospital to train women doctors in Britain.
Who are your #IWD inspirations?