Students Engage in University-Led Research Project on Women in Medieval History

On Monday, 19 January, the History Department was delighted to welcome Professor Jonathan Phillips and Dr Natasha Hodgson to the College for the launch of an exciting new research initiative.

Speaking to 95 students, Professor Phillips and Dr Hodgson introduced a project designed to address the significant underrepresentation of women in the history curriculum. Currently, women feature in only 6% of GCSE and A Level examination questions, highlighting a clear gap in historical study.

The project offers students access to a wide range of textual and physical sources, enabling them to investigate evidence that medieval women held power and played influential roles within society. Through independent research and critical analysis, students are challenging traditional narratives and developing a deeper understanding of women’s contributions to medieval history.

Students’ findings will be showcased at the College’s first History Festival this spring, supporting the department’s ongoing commitment to developing a more inclusive and representative curriculum.