At Francis Holland Regent’s Park, International Women’s Day provides a meaningful opportunity for pupils to reflect on the achievements of women across history and consider the work that still lies ahead in the pursuit of equality.
This year, members of the school’s Feminist Society led a thought-provoking assembly focusing on Women in Medicine. Through carefully researched presentations, pupils explored the lives and contributions of several pioneering figures whose work has transformed healthcare around the world.
Pupils highlighted the extraordinary achievements of Dame Sarah Gilbert, whose work developing the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID‑19 vaccine saved millions of lives during the global pandemic. Pupils reflected on the decades of research behind this breakthrough, noting that her success was built upon more than 25 years of developing vaccine technologies.
They also spoke about Dr Jane C. Wright, often referred to as the “Mother of Chemotherapy.” Her groundbreaking research helped transform chemotherapy from an experimental last resort into a widely used clinical treatment, all while navigating significant racial and gender discrimination during her career.
The assembly also looked at more contemporary innovators, including Samantha Payne, founder of Open Bionics. Her company’s work developing advanced, affordable bionic limbs has received international recognition, including the prestigious James Dyson Award for engineering innovation and approval by Disney to use their characters on their prosthetics.
Alongside celebrating these achievements, pupils also examined important challenges within healthcare today. They discussed the ‘Gender Pain Gap’, reflecting on how women’s symptoms are sometimes dismissed or misinterpreted in medical settings, and explored issues such as the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials, the historic lack of funding for reproductive health research, and the misdiagnosis of heart attacks in women.
Providing opportunities for pupils to research, present and debate issues that matter to them is central to our ethos. While moments such as International Women’s Day offer a natural focus, encouraging pupils to use their voices, develop intellectual curiosity and engage critically with the world around them is something that takes place every day. By creating spaces where pupils feel heard and respected, we aim to nurture emotional maturity, intellectual confidence and a lifelong love of learning.
The day continued with a joyful sense of community as pupils enjoyed cupcakes at breaktime and took part in an own-clothes day, raising donations for the Lady Garden Foundation – a charity which carries out vital work raising awareness and funding for gynaecological cancers, making it a fitting cause to support as we celebrated the achievements and health of women around the world.
