For centuries, Oxford was a place of learning, yet women were excluded. That began to change in 1879 with the first women’s halls, but it took over 40 years before they were awarded full degrees.

From Annie Rogers, a top scholar denied her degree for years, to Dr Merze Tate, the first Black woman to study at Oxford, and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, women have fought tirelessly for their place here.

Today, their legacy lives on. This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women who continue to lead, teach, and inspire. In this video, Max, Manon, and Aliyyah, undergraduate students at Univ, reflect on the legacy of these inspiring women and the path they paved for future generations.

Published: 7 March 2025

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