"What happens when women refuse to be quiet?"
Plus:🔬Women in science 🩸Promising new research 🗺️ Reporting from war
What happens when you grow up in a time and place where women are treated as second-class citizens? For BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson, it meant becoming aware of gender injustice from a very young age - and carrying that understanding into everything she creates.
In our latest piece, Kathryn reflects on why Irish women are furious, why women everywhere have reason to be, and what happens when that anger is finally heard. From reclaiming narratives to questioning who really controls art once it’s released into the world, Kathryn’s work invites us to listen differently. Because once you start paying attention to women’s stories, it changes how you hear every one that follows…
In this issue of Take The Lead, you can look forward to some positive news for women from the past few weeks and a spotlight on smart, problem-solving inventions marking International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent for The Sunday Times, also joins The Female Lead for In Her Words, reflecting on three decades as a war correspondent reporting from the world’s most dangerous conflict zones and her lifelong commitment to telling the stories of women so often erased by war.
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The Female Lead Team
We’re talking about…
🏉 History made at the six nations - Hollie Davidson became the first woman ever to referee a men’s Six Nations game when she took charge of Ireland v Italy at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, marking a major milestone for women in rugby officiating and drawing praise for her professionalism and the door she’s opening for more female referees at the highest level of the sport.
🩸 A promising new way to spot cervical cancer – A study published in the British Medical Journal suggests testing menstrual blood collected on a simple pad for the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes most cases of cervical cancer could be a convenient, non-invasive alternative to traditional smear tests, with early evidence showing similar accuracy and the potential for at-home use that might make screening easier and more accessible for many people.
Inspire me…
For International Day of Women and Girls In Science, The Female Lead showcased eight amazing women and girls who have used science to solve real-life problems.
From a solar-powered blanket supporting people experiencing homelessness, to a glove that translates sign language, these women and girls are applying science in ways that directly impact lives.
When Kathryn Ferguson’s first drama short Nostalgie (2025) was shortlisted for a BAFTA, it marked a new chapter in a career already defined by fearless storytelling, feminist conviction and emotional precision.
Known for her award-winning documentary Nothing Compares, the definitive portrait of Sinéad O’Connor which premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2022, Kathryn’s move into drama feels less like a pivot and more like an expansion to answer the same questions: who controls stories, whose voices are amplified, and what happens when women refuse to be quiet?
“I’m always putting women front and centre,” Kathryn tells The Female Lead without hesitation. “That’s been the through-line of my work for the last 15 years.”
Read more in the full article here
Final thought…
“People will always say there has been rape in war, which is true. What I’ve seen is that sexual violence is increasingly being used deliberately as a weapon. I cannot think of a single war where this has not been the case.”
Christina Lamb is one of the world’s most respected war correspondents and Chief Foreign Correspondent for The Sunday Times. Her story is one you won’t forget.
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