When it comes to female role models, history isn’t too generous; there seem to be a set few celebrated for monumental achievements, think Emmeline Pankhurst or Rosa Parks. In comparison to male icons, women are neglected in history books.
So, I have to thank Cathy Newman’s brilliant book ‘Bloody Brilliant Women: The Pioneers, Revolutionaries and Geniuses Your History Teacher Forgot to Mention’ for drawing my attention to the wonderfully ambitious Dorothy Lawrence.
As far as we know, Lawrence was the only English female soldier to be in the trenches during World War One. At only eighteen-years-old, she set off for the front line disguised as Dennis Smith, having bulked her shoulders out and grazed her face to emulate a shaving rash, all in the name of becoming a war correspondent. As a relatively successful journalist, Lawrence had gone knocking along Fleet Street, where editors refused to send a female to complete such a dangerous task. So, she took matters into her own hands.
Dorothy Lawrence was an English reporter, who secretly posed as a man to become a soldier during World War I. pic.twitter.com/dxeNQpEDUc
— Marina Amaral (@marinamaral2) March 6, 2019
“The industry appears cut-throat, male-dominated and inaccessible”
Writing from France, she said: “I’ll see what an ordinary English girl, without credentials or money can accomplish. I’ll see what I can manage as a war correspondent!”
Despite only living on the front line for a few weeks before being discovered, you cannot fault Dorothy Lawrence’s bravery and ambition. As a female journalist myself, the industry appears cut-throat, male-dominated and inaccessible. I look to Lawrence’s story for the courage to assert myself in the journalism world, take bold actions, be brave and fight for my goals.
Matilda Head
Feature image courtesy of Arlington Research on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
Matilda Head
Matilda is 20 years old and a Psychology student at the University of Cambridge. If not writing for her University papers or Empoword, she'll be reading, listening to a musical theatre soundtrack or playing with one (of many) of her pets. You can find her on TikTok @matildasnewsroom.