International Women's Day 2024

On International Women's Day, we share how women from the global Leeds community are inspiring others across the world.

Join the celebration of social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. From jaw-dropping record breakers to award-winning musicians, we share eight stories from over the last year.

When Hatty Carder (English 2017) was asked to organise a rowing team to race across the Atlantic, she never imagined stepping into the boat herself – let alone setting a new world record.

For an individual who admits to being “a nervous person”, and who first tried their hand at the sport just two years before, the World’s Toughest Row seems impossible. Teams must race 3,000 mile from La Gomera, Spain to Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua in an eight-meter rowing boat. It has had fewer finishers than there have been successful summits of Mount Everest.  

Yet Hatty and her crewmates Katherine Antrobus and Bobbie Mellor completed the challenge in 40 days, 10 hours and 51 minutes, setting a new world record time for the fastest female trio. 

They fundraised over £87,000 for WWF and UNHCR’s Climate Crisis Fund, with all donations being matched by the Vodafone Foundation – Hatty’s employer, who initially tasked her with organising a crew for the race to raise money and inspire colleagues.

Read more in an inspiring tale of sleep deprivation, mountainous waves and threats from the depths

Earlier this year BBC journalist Naga Munchetty (English Literature and Language 1997) stepped into the unknown. For two decades she had told other people’s stories, but on her Radio 5 Live show she finally told her own.

At the start of her show, Naga addressed her listeners. “Right now as I sit here talking to you, I am in pain. Constant, nagging pain.” Naga went on to describe her lifelong struggle with a condition affecting her uterus called adenomyosis. It went undiagnosed for years, with Naga frequently being told by doctors “you’re just unlucky”.

“I was putting myself out there and was very nervous,” she said. “But the fact is, I have a platform. It wasn’t about me. If I’m not getting answers, as someone who pushes and questions everything my gynaecologist says – and doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer – then what about everybody else?”

Naga is now using her national platform as a journalist to campaign for a change in the way women’s health is treated. And she first discovered her passion for journalism while studying at Leeds.

Read more in our recent Leeds magazine feature with Naga

Anna May experienced loss from an early age. She used her experiences and knowledge to set up the Student Grief Network, which aims to soften the impact of bereavement in universities across the UK.

Anna May (English Literature and Sociology 2020) was just 10 when her brother died. It was her first experience of loss, and one that would change everything. “A loss like that can really shatter someone’s world and lead to a whole host of challenges,” Anna said. “It often feels easier to shut it all out. I didn’t want to be the girl whose brother had died, I just wanted to be normal.”

Anna’s experiences motivated her to form the nationwide Student Grief Network (SGN), a social enterprise which creates an ecosystem of support across the UK universities – and provides advice for those suffering with loss, and those supporting them.

Find out more about how Anna is helping those experiencing grief

Third year maths student Natasha Pickard won a national award for her academic success while living with mental illness.

Following an interrupted school education, Natasha came to Leeds after the birth of her son Oscar. Though still a new mum juggling part-time work, Natasha's commitment saw her achieve outstanding academic results.

She gained a place on the Laidlaw Scholarship Programme, enabling her to join a research programme while still an undergraduate. Natasha also joined the Plus Programme which supports students from backgrounds underrepresented at university.

And now, she has been presented with a Social Mobility Award by the charity upReach, which works with universities and employers to help disadvantaged students realise their potential.

Read more about Natasha's story of exceptional talent and hard work

Award-winning horror writer Tananarive Due (MA English Literature 1988) knows how to scare. She's been a leading voice in Black speculative fiction for more than 20 years.

An American Book Award, a National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People Image Award, a British Fantasy Award – the list of accolades is impressive. On the release of her new book, The Reformatory, we celebrated Tananarive's career.

Tananarive is an expert in Black Horror, and teaches Black Horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. It’s a label which can mean many things, and means Tananarive plays an important role in society.

Read more, as we asked Tananarive what attracts us to the genre, how she creates horror, and how her time at Leeds led to her success

Ten years after she first began studying in her home country, Syrian refugee Loubna El Saboni (Medicine 2023) finally graduated as a doctor with the University of Leeds this year.

Loubna began her medical degree in 2012, but had to abandon her studies as she and her family fled Syria for their safety. She was later accepted to continue her studies at Leeds, while raising her daughter, who is now three.

Louise Gazeley, Academic Sub-Dean and Clinical Lecturer at the School of Medicine, said: “Loubna is a fantastic example of a student showing determination and perseverance to achieve her dream, overcoming so many obstacles that came her way during the already challenging experience of medical school.

“Her story is truly inspirational and we’re so proud that she’s a part of our University of Leeds community.”

Read about Loubna's journey to graduation

Singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae (English 2000; Hon DMus 2011) took her soulful R&B in a new and defiant direction this year, shaped by skills she learned at Leeds.

After graduating from Leeds, Corinne Bailey Rae (English 2000; Hon DMus 2011) lived the life of a struggling musician, gigging whenever she could, while working at the Clock Café in Hyde Park. "One evening some of my old teachers came in,” she recalls. “I felt slightly humbled as they'd had high hopes for me.”

Those hopes were eventually realised, as her self-titled 2006 album reached number one in the UK, almost all its songs received heavy airplay and the single Put Your Records On was nominated for two Grammy Awards. The album remained in the US Billboard 200 for more than 18 months and was followed by critically acclaimed studio albums The Sea (2010) and The Heart Speaks in Whispers (2016).

In this year's Leeds magazine, we found out how Leeds helped Corinne to become a music icon, and discovered the inspiration behind her defiant new album

You can also watch back, as Corinne returned to campus in November to talk about her life and work and perform extracts from her new album.

Anita Rani (Broadcasting 1999) has progressed from being a part-time broadcaster on Leeds Student Radio to presenting BBC TV shows such as Countryfile.

This year, she was recognised with an honorary degree from the University for her outstanding achievements and contributions.

A regular presenter of Countryfile, Anita has also reported on topics varying from destigmatising refugee camps to recycling and is an outspoken proponent of diversity and inclusion in the creative arts.

Anita is an Ambassador for the Scout Association. She speaks widely of the transformative power of enabling children to access the outdoors and to help them connect with the creation of the food we eat and its impact on our health.

Watch, as Anita talks about her time as a student at Leeds, and offers her advice to those following in her footsteps.