International Women's Day 2018 - Extraordinary Women

For the third in our series of International Women's Day events this year we are delighted to be joined by a wide-range of incredible speakers to explore very different perspectives on feminism, political experience, campaigning and intersectionality.

In 2018 the theme of International Women's Day is #PressForProgress. At Garden Court Chambers we are doing just that and this year has been particularly special for us. Of the 32 women barristers being appointed QCs at the end of February, four are our own extraordinary women. This year only 27% of new appointments are women, but we hope that their success will inspire others. Read more about them in the popular Guardian article: 'I began my career as a single mum': female QCs changing the face of law.

Speakers:

Mais Haddadin Finn, founder and director of Finnaddin Limited

Mais is passionate about inspiring nations, bridging need with expertise and delivering impact. She has developed a proven reputation as a thought leader with a wide cultural understanding and global network which she has used to drive entrepreneurship, innovation, economic growth and development. Mais is a board member and advisor to charities and social enterprises across UK, Europe and the Middle East including RESET Communities and Refugees, SINGA UK and the Anglo Jordanian Society. Mais worked on the establishment of various programmes to address the current refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East. The programmes were focused on economically empowering youth and refugees by providing them with the knowledge, skills, pathways and tools to either set up and launch businesses or enroll in employment.

Nathalie McDermott, founder of On Road Media

Nathalie is a former broadcast journalist and in 2008 she founded the charity On Road Media which improves media coverage of communities that are misrepresented. She oversees a number of projects that bring about positive social change by supporting activists with lived experience to collaborate with influential media professionals, including Angles, A Different Take on Sexual and Domestic Abuse and the award-winning All About Trans project which has leveraged over £5.5 million in positive programming in the UK. On Road was winner in the “Small Charity, Big Achiever” category of the Third Sector Awards in 2017.

Marti Leimbach, author, speaker and writing tutor

Marti Leimbach is the author of seven novels, including New York Times bestseller Dying Young, which was made into a movie starring Julia Roberts, and Daniel Isn’t Talking. Widely translated, and published worldwide, Marti is a core tutor at Oxford University's Creative Writing Program, where she teaches on the Master's program. Her latest novel, Age Of Consent, was published in July 2016 by Penguin Random House in the USA and Fourth Estate in the UK.

Winnie M Li, author of DARK CHAPTER and Co-Founder of Clear Lines Festival

Winnie is an author and activist. Her debut novel, DARK CHAPTER, is winner of The Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize 2017 and will be translated into eight languages worldwide.  Partly inspired by her own assault, it explores a rape from the perspective of both victim and perpetrator.  A Harvard graduate,  Winnie is now Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Clear Lines Festival, the UK’s first-ever festival addressing sexual assault and consent through the arts and discussion. She is also a PhD researcher at the London School of Economics, researching the uses of social media by rape survivors to share their experiences and form a community. Winnie has appeared in The Guardian, The Mail on Sunday, The Times, The Independent, The Irish Times, BBC World News, BBC Woman’s Hour, and RTE Radio One, among other media outlets.

Stephanie Harrison QC, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers (Chair)

Stephanie practises predominantly in public and administrative law with a strong emphasis on civil liberties and anti-discrimination. She has expertise in all areas of immigration and asylum law and practice. She is committed to maintaining an appellate practice in hearings before the Adjudicator and the Immigration Appeal Tribunal and has extensive experience of judicial review and the Higher Courts including as junior counsel in the House of Lords in Shah and Islam (women as a social group) and Salem (asylum seekers and entitlement to benefits) Adan and Auitseguer (Germany as a safe third country).

Following the event we welcome you to join us for a drinks reception and canapés. 

Bookings

Please fill out the booking form below to request a place. If you have any queries please contact us at seminars@gclaw.co.uk