THE next talk at Rawdon Library will be on Tuesday, March 12 at 2pm.

Professor Malcolm Levene will speak about ‘Women in Medicine: Breaking the Reinforced Glass Ceiling’.

Women were legally excluded from studying medicine, as well as professional nursing, until the mid-part of the eighteenth century. They grudgingly became accepted, first by subterfuge and then by the efforts of some indefatigable pioneers. The male doctors defended their perceived rights to dominate the profession and only when they were faced by the formidable twin assaults of English female doctors who had qualified abroad and Florence Nightingale and her colleagues were they forced to reluctantly concede their empire.

Earlier there were well-documented cases of women disguised as men who embarked on covert but successful medical careers and their stories are little-known and very interesting. Malcolm's talk will tell a variety of historical anecdotes on how a small group of determined women succeeded in breaking men’s stranglehold on the profession.

Malcolm was Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health for 25 years at Leeds University and the Leeds General Infirmary and since retiring he has developed an interest in the history of medicine and has written extensively about this.

Malcolm says: “When I started medicine in 1969 there were only 10 female students in my year out of 110 in all, but by the time I left the NHS, over 60% of qualifying doctors are women. I have tried in a small way to break down barriers and encourage women into the profession.”

Tickets are £5 (£3 for students) - buy from the library in advance, or arrive in good time, as these talks are very popular. Your ticket includes refreshments. The library has a ramp at the entrance and an accessible toilet.