First Women presents female pioneers at St George's Hall

Portraits of 100 inspiring women who have achieved something first in their field have gone on show at St George’s Hall.

First Women has been a decade in the making, and is being showcased in Liverpool as part of the city’s 2019 RISE programme which celebrates the achievements of remarkable women.

All the featured subjects have been captured on camera by photographer Anita Corbin.

They include Dewsbury-born Baroness Boothroyd, the first woman speaker of the House of Commons; Dame Stella Rimington, the first female director of MI5; Liverpool’s Janice Long who was the first woman presenter on Top of the Pops; Nicola Adams, the first female boxer in the world to win an Olympic gold medal, and Carolynn Sells, the first woman to win the Manx Grand Prix TT motorcycle race.

Liverpool writer Carla Lane

The aim of the exhibition - which comes to Liverpool as part of a tour of the UK - is to provide inspiration and insight for a new generation of women, helping them gain an understanding and what can be achieved – regardless of gender.

Anita Corbin said: “I wanted to create an impressive visual archive documenting female ability and achievement, fantastic role models, in order to celebrate the impact women have had on our society over the last 100 years.”

And Cllr Wendy Simon, Liverpool Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for culture, tourism and events, added: “We’re hugely proud to be hosting this important and influential showcase.

“Through our RISE programme, we aim to shine a spotlight on the debate around gender and equality, and celebrate those women who have broken the mould and now lead the charge for future generations.”

First Women runs from June 19 to August 31 and is free. For more information about the RISE programme visit the website HERE