Established in 1987, Women’s History Month has been celebrated internationally as a time to commemorate the lives and achievements of women that may have otherwise gone overlooked. From scientists to Olympians, writers to politicians, our university lays claim to a considerable amount of impressive alumni, many of whom identify as women!  With many events taking place in the present (see the SU website), there is surely no better time to look back on our past and spotlight the stories of the women of UEA. 

Baroness Valerie Amos- Leader of the House of Lords (2003-2007) 

Born in Guyana, Amos moved to the UK with her family in 1963. After studying for an undergraduate and postgraduate elsewhere, she received an ARE in education at UEA. It was after this that she began working in the charity sector in London, eventually becoming Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission in 1989. From here her career flourished, with her advising the South African government on human rights. In 1997 she became a member of the House of Lords where she spoke on Women’s issues and social security. Her time in the Houses of Parliament also saw her become the first BAME woman to serve as a cabinet minister (Secretary of State for International Development). After a hugely successful career Amos was appointed as a Lady Companion of the Order of the Garter (equivalent of a Knighthood) in 2022. Aged 70 in 2025, she continues her work in the House of Lords whilst enjoying her passion for cricket!   

Joanna Coles- Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire (2006-2012) and Cosmopolitan (2012-2016) 

Graduating from UEA with a BA in English and American Literature, Coles began her career in journalism at The Spectator working on Fleet Street, the former heart of journalism in London. Moving to New York in 1997 she continued her career with The Guardian and The Times,  before joining Hearst ( a media company specialising in fashion and lifestyle magazines) in 2006 as Editor-In-Chief of Marie Claire. After many years of hard work, she became Editor-In-Chief of the Cosmopolitan before she was made chief content officer of the company in 2016. Coles’ talents were not just limited to journalism, but saw her branch out into television, with her roles as executive producer on So Cosmo and The Bold Type. Today she continues to live in New York City and hosts a podcast on politics and pop culture (The Daily Beast) with Samantha Bee. 

Dame Emily Lawson- Head of the NHS COVID-19 Vaccine Programme  

Dame Sarah Gilbert- Co-creator of the Oxford- AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine 

It is no over-exaggeration to say that the COVID-19 pandemic may have looked very different if it had not been for UEA alumni Dame Emily Lawson and Dame Sarah Gilbert.  

Completing her molecular genetics doctorate at the John Innes Centre at UEA in 1993, Emily Lawson went on to study for a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. After a varied career in business and management, Lawson started at NHS England as National Director for Transformation and Corporate Operations. By November 2020 she was promoted to Senior Responsible Officer for the NHS COVID-19 vaccine deployment programme, which involved her managing the initial distribution. Her goal was to ensure easy access to the vaccine across all communities. In March 2025 Lawson stood down from her leadership position in the NHS and it is of yet unclear what she will now turn her attentions to.  

After studying for a BSc in Biological Sciences at UEA, Sarah Gilbert went on to obtain a doctoral degree at the University of Hull where she explored the genetics and biochemistry of a particular type of yeast. From here she held a range of positions including postdoctoral researcher at the Brewing Industry Research Foundation before going back to academia in order to study malaria. She continued her work with viruses and was eventually brought in to work on a vaccine against the coronavirus as Oxford project lead. Under this leadership, the Oxford- AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine was created and was the first vaccine rolled-out outside of a trial in the UK. Gilbert has received plenty of recognition for her achievement including Mattel creating a Barbie doll in her honour, a standing ovation at the Wimbledon 2021 and an honorary doctorate from the UEA. 

Anne Enright- First Laureate for Irish Fiction and winner of the Man Booker Prize 2007 

After reading English and Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin, Enright won the Chevening Scholarship to study for an MA in Creative Writing at UEA. Her first novel, The Wig My Father Wore was published in 1995 and, like many of the novels Enright would go on to write, dealt with such themes as motherhood and the Roman Catholic Church. However, it was Enright’s fourth novel, The Gathering, that would win the Man Booker Prize in 2007 due to its ‘dark’ and ‘evocative’ nature and ‘tough and striking language’. In 2015, Enright was selected as the first Laureate for Irish Fiction, a position she held until 2018 and utilised to encourage interest in Irish literature through her public lectures. Now Enright is a professor of fiction at University College Dublin and consistently writes for the ‘Books’ section of The Guardian. 

These five women have contributed enormously to the society that we live in today and deserve praise and recognition for their achievements and their ability to lead in a system that does not promote female leadership. However, it has to be noted that they are just a small selection of wonderful women who leave this university and go on to make a positive difference in the world around them, international acclaim or not!