Karrie Lui, Eisha Arif and Filippo Giannoni
International Women’s Day (IWD) this year falls on Sunday 8 March, with a theme of Give to Gain.
As part of our IWD 2026 celebrations, we are shining a spotlight on the incredible contributions of our Sussex researchers and their male allies. These talented individuals are pushing boundaries in their fields, advancing knowledge, and driving positive change.
An exhibition featuring 26 photographic portraits of inspirational women and male allies from across our Faculties will open in the Library Corner Gallery (ground floor, after the Service Desk) on 6 March and remain open until the end of March. The portraits are accompanied by summaries of the research they are working on and encouraging comments from women and men researchers to inspire our staff and students. You can also take a look at the 2026 Padlet featuring inspirational quotes from Sussex researchers. Make sure you visit the Library this March if you can!
More information about the exhibition
This is the third IWD exhibition that Dr Elizabeth Rendon-Morales has curated in the Library, this year in partnership with Dr Laura Blackburn, with support from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team, the Library Operations team, the Internal Communications team and our University photographer Stuart Robinson.
Previous years' exhibitions invited women and early career researchers from across our staff community to participate and have their portrait taken along with an encouraging comment from them for other women. A full collection of portraits taken in 2023, 2024 and 2025 is now part of our Women at Sussex webpage, as we continue to celebrate the achievements of women, past and present, who have shaped Sussex. The full set of photos and supportive comments from Sussex's women researchers are available via the Women at Sussex webpage.