Women in Law: It’s Hard to Be What You Can’t See

In 2018 the School of Law commissioned a new artwork exhibition for the School as part of its ongoing commitment to the Athena SWAN Charter and its recognition of the importance of celebrating the successes of women. This project, titled ‘Women in Law: It’s Hard to Be What You Can’t See’ was created by local artist Susie Rea and coincided the centenary of women’s suffrage and of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919, which sought to ensure against the disqualification of women.

The brief was to create original artwork to visualise and celebrate women working in all aspects of the law in Northern Ireland, including future generations. The inspiration behind the title of the project – It’s hard to be what you can’t see – was coined by female lawyer and civil rights activist, Marian Wright Edelman, the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi bar.

Working with SWAN Champion, Dr Kathryn McNeilly, Susie Rea asked a number of senior women lawyers, judges, policy makers and academics to write letters to their younger selves, to give advice and encouragement based on their career experiences over the years.  Among those included in the installation – and featured in the accompanying publication – are letters from the Hon. Mrs Justice Keegan, one of the first women appointed to the High Court in Northern Ireland; The Hon. Ms Justice Doherty, CBE, former Judge of the High Court and Court of Appeal of Sierra Leone and Professor Monica McWilliams, former Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

The exhibition also features current undergraduate and postgraduate law students who penned letters to their future selves and are photographed in the exhibition as part of the ‘Women in Law’ student group.

You can visit the art exhibition on Level 2 of the School of Law, outside the Moot Court.