Oxford law firm sponsors women’s rights talk

Women’s rights will take centre stage for an evening of talks sponsored by leading Oxford law firm Blake Morgan.

The firm is helping to host the evening at Oxford’s Mansfield College on Thursday, February 23, which will include a speech from Helena Kennedy, one of Britain’s most distinguished lawyers and a well-known advocate for social justice.

The talk is part of the firm’s association with Lawyers Against Poverty, a groundbreaking scheme that aims to fight against social injustice.

Several Blake Morgan lawyers have joined the scheme, which is run by Oxford-based Oxfam and supports legal projects to give the poorest people in the world access to justice and greater knowledge of their rights.

The group has organised a series of seminars in Oxford to discuss the most important legal issues for poor people in the developing world. The women’s rights talk is the next important event.

Helping to organise the event is Louise Lewis, a wills and tax specialist solicitor based at Blake Morgan’s Oxford office.

Louise, who leads the Oxford branch of Lawyers Against Poverty, said: “Blake Morgan is very proud to be sponsoring the talks at this prestigious college and to be welcoming one of the country’s most prominent advocates for social justice.

“Every woman has the right to a standard of living that is adequate for health and well-being.

“Unfortunately, we still live in a world where women are not treated equally and are often exploited, particularly in developing countries.

“The statistics remain deeply worrying, such as one in 10 girls worldwide having experienced sexual violence at some point in their lives, and women globally earning between 60 and 75 per cent less than men.

“Women around the world can benefit from the rule of law to help lift them out of poverty and persecution and this is one of the main focuses of Lawyers Against Poverty.”

Chairing the event will be Christine Plews, a Partner in the Family Law team at Blake Morgan in Oxford.

Dr Fenella Porter, trustee for women’s rights group Womankind, will also be speaking at the event.