Bletchley Park international women's Day Symposium

8 March 2026

I was delighted to be invited to speak at Bletchley Park's 'Women Who Write' symposium celebrating International Women's Day. Women such as the 'real' Miss Moneypenny, Kathleen Pettigrew, a trailblazing woman in MI6's history, worked on the first floor of the mansion at the start of the war. MI6 women at Bletchley Park have not always received the recognition they deserve, in part due to the secrecy surrounding their work. I worked hard to ensure Kathleen's story and that of many others did not remain in the shadows. Many thanks to the team at Bletchley Park for giving me the opportunity to highlight their ground-breaking work once again.

Interviewed by Erica Munro, Dr Chris Smith (Coventry University) and I explored the stereotypes that exist around women in intelligence in history and popular culture (fiction, TV and film). We took a deep dive into the reality of women's roles in wartime intelligence, highlighting the impact on wider public understanding of Bletchley Park, MI5 and MI6. I am pleased to report several myths were debunked during a rip roaring conversation.

Throughout the day, attendees were treated to inspirational stories about Rena Stewart, a Bletchley Park codebreaker and translator (speaker and biographer Victoria Walsh), as well as Dame Katherine Trefusis-Forbes, founder of the Emergency Services and the first director of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (speaker and PhD student Sophy Higgins). Dr Helen Fry and Dr Kate Vigurs concluded the day with a discussion about the SOE women who 'set Europe ablaze'.