Engagement

International Women’s Day

Each year, queen Mary marks International Women’s Day with a programme of events, spotlighting women’s achievement and galvanising allyship across the university. Through panels, talks and resources—from the Faculty of Science & Engineering to university-wide activities—the university builds inclusive networks that amplify women’s voices in research and leadership.

Rise Up

Rise Up is Queen Mary's outreach programme for female students in Years 10–12, designed to encourage greater participation in business, economics and finance, where women remain underrepresented. The programme provides participants with an introduction to studying these subjects at university through academic taster sessions, careers insights and talks from Queen Mary alumni, current students and student societies. By connecting participants with female role models and showcasing pathways into higher education and professional careers, Rise Up helps build confidence, raise aspirations and support the next generation of women leaders in business and finance.

Girls Into Physics Summer School

Queen Mary's Girls into Physics Summer School is a free three-day programme designed to increase female participation in physics and STEM subjects. Open to Year 10 girls from schools across London, the programme provides university-style lectures, practical laboratory sessions, observatory tours and workshops exploring STEM careers and gender stereotypes in science. Participants engage directly with female physicists and researchers, helping to challenge perceptions about who belongs in STEM and build confidence in pursuing further study. Since its launch in 2021, the programme has engaged more than 200 participants from over 20 schools across London, creating pathways for young women to explore physics and STEM-related careers.

Girls in Maths 

Queen Mary is committed to increasing the participation of women in mathematics and supporting their success in higher education. Our Girls in Maths taster event in 2024 invited young women interested in studying maths to campus to take part in lectures, interactive activities, student-led sessions and campus tours, providing insight into studying mathematics at university and helping challenge gender imbalances in the discipline.

Girls into Tech

Queen Mary's Girls into Tech  summer taster day encourages female-identifying and non-binary students to explore higher education and careers in technology through interactive sessions with industry professionals, current students and academic staff. Delivered on campus, the programme provides hands-on insight into technology-related subjects and career pathways, helping address gender underrepresentation in the tech sector and supporting a more diverse future workforce.

Women Who SOAR competition 

Women Who Soar was a prize competition and outreach initiative designed to encourage more girls to consider studies and careers in aerospace engineering, a field where women remain underrepresented. Run in June 2025, the programme gave female school pupils the opportunity to learn about aerospace engineering through hands-on activities and competitions, while engaging directly with Queen Mary undergraduate students, academic staff and engineers from industry. By providing access to role models, peer networks and information about higher education and engineering careers, the initiative helped to build confidence, challenge stereotypes and support greater participation of women in engineering.

The Link-up – Free conference for Women and Girls in STEM 

Organised by an Engineering student at QMUL, The Link Up was a free virtual conference for women and girls held in 2024. It featured panels on AI, aerospace, leadership in STEM and interactive networking with industry professionals. By connecting early-stage female students with role models, real-world STEM careers and supportive networks, the event encouraged applications into subjects where women are under-represented.

Levelling Up – Maths for Engineering 

Levelling Up – Maths for Engineering is an outreach programme for Year 12 girls studying A-Level Mathematics who are considering engineering degrees. Through practical tutorials delivered by female engineering undergraduates, participants explore how mathematical concepts are applied in engineering challenges such as structural design and renewable-energy systems. By providing academic support, female role models and insight into engineering study and careers, the programme aims to increase both attainment and confidence, helping address the underrepresentation of women in engineering and related STEM disciplines.

Queen Mary Bar Society 

Queen Mary Bar is a student-run society working to increase diversity at the Bar by offering women and under-represented students networking, mentoring, and work-shadowing opportunities in legal professions. to increase diversity and representation at the Bar by supporting women and other underrepresented groups pursuing legal careers. By reducing barriers to entry and providing access to role models and career opportunities, the society supports greater participation of women in the legal sector.

Pathways to Law 

Pathways to Law is a two-year widening participation programme delivered by Queen Mary University of London in partnership with The Sutton Trust and The Legal Education Foundation. Designed for academically able students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds, the programme provides participants with university experiences, legal masterclasses, employability workshops, networking opportunities and work placements with leading legal organisations. Activities include visits to the Royal Courts of Justice, mentoring, public speaking and mooting workshops, and placements with legal employers including Hogan Lovells, Sharpe Pritchard and 39 Essex Chambers. By connecting young people with higher education and legal professions, the programme helps widen access to careers in law and increase participation among groups that remain underrepresented within the sector.