08/03/2023
International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It’s a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
At Reddie & Grose we reflect on the inspiring women in our lives.
Ex-colleague – Francesca Piana, Technical Assistant
The person that led me to pursue my PhD and my career in science. She used to be my boss and trainer during my fantastic time at Promega Biosciences LLC (USA), where I spent four months as R&D Scientist intern.
It is more than ten years ago – time really flies! – but I still treasure that time and experience. She is an excellent chemist and she really managed to show me the power of science and how rewarding and fun it can be … So much that I came back from that experience determined to make science my everyday work routine, passing from research to pharmaceutical manufacturing and now IP.
The everyday women – Justine Sibbons, Senior Co-ordinator
From Boudica to Queen Elizabeth II, Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire to Jess Phillips, Nina Simone to Adele or Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks to Mala Yousafzai, women throughout time have spoken up, taken action, done their duty, expressed their talent and fought injustice. Few of us will have the impact these people had or will have, so the real strength of women, especially working mothers and single working mothers, is to do what they do every day, often without praise or recognition, because it has to be done. Ultimately we have to inspire our own lives and those around us.
Kate Bingham – Jan Vleck, Executive Partner
For the work done as chair of UK’s Vaccine Taskforce. The taskforce was set up to manage the path towards the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK and its global distribution.
Malala Yousafzai – Catherine Nursaw, Associate
For her extraordinary courage and her work to empower girls through education.
Her Excellency Judge Joanna Korner CMG, QC – Alice Findlay, Chairman
For her work in Bosnia and Herzegovina and also because, even post Brexit when it was feared English Judges might be shunned. In 2019, Korner was nominated to be the United Kingdom’s candidate for the 2020 judicial elections of the International Criminal Court based in The Hague, Netherlands. In December 2020, Judge Korner was elected to serve as a Judge of the International Criminal Court, for the term 2021-2030. She was elected in the first round.
In March 2021, Korner was officially sworn in as a Judge of the International Criminal Court.
Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist once explained, “The story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any one organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights”. So here at Reddie & Grose we are making International Women’s Day our day to do what we can to truly make a positive difference for women.
