International Women’s Day 2026 takes place today 8th March.
Events around the world will highlight the growing yet still underrepresented role of women in surgery, with a focus on mentorship and breaking barriers.
Despite women making up over 50% of UK doctors, only 17% of consultants are female, prompting calls for greater representation.
In 2025, for the first time ever, the UK had more female than male doctors.
Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery is a new exhibition opening at the Hunterian Museum, housed inside the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) in London and will mark International Women’s Month.
The exhibition shines a spotlight on women in surgery working across the UK today, offering an intimate and contemporary look at surgical life.
Open throughout March and beyond, the exhibition brings together women in surgery from different surgical specialities, career stages, and regions across the UK.
The exhibition also lays bare the contrast between progress and persistent inequality. While women now make up over half of doctors, only about 17% of consultant surgeons in the UK are female, and 36% of doctors in surgical training are women.
All of the surgeons featured in the collection are members of the Women in Surgery Network (WinS), a national initiative dedicated to encouraging, enabling and inspiring women to fulfil their surgical career ambitions.
The portraits are set in environments reflective of their work and were taken by NHS trust staff, including specialist clinical photographers and, in one case, a fellow surgeon.
The exhibition’s curator, Alice Watkinson-Deane, said: ‘This exhibition peers into a world of quiet operating theatres and busy on-calls, helping us to better understand what it is like to be a surgeon working in the UK today.
‘The surgeons chose how they wished to be portrayed, and their photographs add greater breadth to the rich history of portraiture here at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.’
On the significance of the exhibition, Professor Felicity Meyer, Chair of the Women in Surgery Forum (WinS) at RCS England, and Consultant Vascular Surgeon, said:
‘A career in surgery is very fulfilling, but there are still so many barriers to women who want to make it their profession. The exhibition showcases brilliant surgical colleagues who have challenged stereotypes and stigma against women in surgery and persevered to change lives. WinS continues to platform the importance of diversity across the workforce and challenge the government and the NHS to prioritise flexible, supportive and inclusive training and working practices.’
Through portrait photography and first-person reflection, the exhibition explores the personal motivations and experiences that shape surgical careers today.
Manuela Cresswell, consultant ear nose and throat (ENT) Surgeon at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said: ‘As a teenager, I witnessed a road traffic accident with multiple casualties and fatalities. My parents, both doctors, were first at the scene, and watching their calm triage, teamwork, and difficult decision-making left a lasting impression on me. I realised I wanted the skills to help in moments of crisis.’
Manuela Cresswell, consultant ear nose and throat (ENT) Surgeon
Olivia Howe, core surgical trainee at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: ‘I have always been half deaf and was told by a doctor growing up that they doubted I could cope with all the background noise in hospitals, so I knew I was going to prove them wrong.’
Olivia Howe, core surgical trainee
Jennifer Lane, academic clinical lecturer in Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery at Queen Mary University of London: ‘Surgical culture is not changing quickly enough, and we all need to be responsible for leading this change. If we can bring our diverse heritages and lived experiences to work, we have the chance to truly care the best we can for our patients.”
Panchali Sarmah, Post-CTT Senior Clinical Fellow in General Surgery at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘It’s the surprise on people’s faces when I repeat that yes, I, this short Asian female, am a surgeon.’
Chloe Paylor, Registrar in Trauma and Orthopaedics, at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: ‘It is possible to succeed as a woman in a male-dominated field, it is possible to be a surgeon and enjoy a life outside of work, it is possible to be a surgeon and a mother. I hope my two young daughters see this exhibition and know that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.’
Other events include the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) England IWD Reception on March 10, 2026 and RACS celebrations in Australia/New Zealand
Insight: Portraits of Women in Surgery is free to attend and will be open until 18 April 2026.
