Take It From Her

We speak to Catherine Arnold OBE, Master of St Edmund's College, Cambridge. She is the first woman to ever hold this post. Catherine has been a consultant, journalist and diplomat, most recently serving as the British Ambassador to Mongolia. 

The issue Catherine thinks we should all be thinking about is how men are responding to new opportunities for women and what this means for feminist movements

Two weeks ago we spoke to Professor Christi Deaton, head of Cambridge’s Clinical Nursing Research Group since 2013, and the Florence Nightingale Foundation Professor of Clinical Nursing Research. As our doctors and nurses work around the clock to tackle the corona virus, Christi talks about women on the front line, and how expectations are changing when it comes to families and careers.

The issue Christi thinks we should all be thinking about is expectations of gender roles, our children and ourselves.

We speak to Professor Mary Beard, one of Britain's best-known classicists. She has been Professor of Classics at Cambridge since 2004, edits the blog “A Don’s Life”, has written a litany of books including 'Women and Power', and is also well known for presenting several BBC history programmes. 

The issue Mary thinks we should all be speaking about is how misogyny is conveyed through language.

Jess O'Brian is the Disabled Student's Officer at Cambridge University Students' Union. In her role, she advocates for disabled students at the University, and strives to make Cambridge more accessible. Jess is a law student and aspiring barrister, taking a sabbatical year in her elected position, and will return to finish her final year in September. 

The issue Jess thinks we should all be thinking about is the intersection between disability and gender, and how feminist spaces can cater for disabilities. 

This week’s guest is Dr Rachael Padman, a Senior Lecturer in Physics at the University of Cambridge. In 2017, Rachael was awarded the Gay Times honour for Excellence in STEM.  She has spoken openly about her own transition journey, and has had a profound impact on what it means for LGBT+ people to live openly and freely in modern Britain.

The issue Rachel thinks we should all be thinking about is the abuse of women in politics.

On our inaugural episode, Take It From Her speaks to Dr Lucy Delap. She is a historian of modern Britain, and her work explores the history of feminism, disability and religion. She recently co-curated “Rising Tide” with Dr. Ben Griffin, an exhibition at the University Library celebrating 150 years of women at Cambridge.

The issue that Lucy thinks we should all be thinking about is religious fundamentalism, and why fundamentalists are so obsessed with women's bodies...