WHY ELIZABETH?

The first woman to become a qualified doctor in Britain. The country’s first female mayor. The first woman to start a medical school for women, and the first woman to be accepted into the British Medical Association. It was all Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was a woman of firsts. This is why she remains a pioneering feminist. However, much of the adversity she faced throughout her life is untold. From male-dominated medical schools and restrictive legislature, to family disapproval and being forced by society to choose between a life as a wife or as a doctor: Elizabeth forged her path through it all.

Her unsung, complex life story illuminates how far society has come since 1865. But it also challenges us to keep pushing forward: Elizabeth helps us to remember the successes of yesterday and imagine the victories of tomorrow. She shows us how far we still have to go.