ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr Rebecca Mason
University of Glasgow
The project built on doctoral research to establish a greater understanding of women’s access to justice in early modern Scotland, as evidenced in the ways in which their legal status and property rights were negotiated before the courts. The project sought to develop networks with legal practitioners, policymakers and third sector services to show how understanding women’s legal agency and rights in the past can help us make better decisions when encountering similar problems before the courts today.
Department:
School of Law
Mentor:
Professor Jane Mair
Cohort:
2020/2021
Project title:
Women, Marriage and Law in Scotland: Historical and Legal Perspectives
Fellowship accomplishments / highlights:
The fellowship gave an excellent opportunity to disseminate the results of the research to an audience beyond history and academia, as well as engage policy makers and members of the public in conversations around the importance of uncovering Scottish women’s legal history to properly understand women’s legal position in Scotland today. During the fellowship I developed and fostered a keen interest in feminist lawmaking and gender mainstreaming in policymaking. After a brief stint in the Scottish Parliament as a researcher I accepted a position at The Young Women’s Movement as their Research and Policy Lead. In my current role I’m developing our research and policy hub through an intersectional feminist lens to ensure young women’s voices are meaningfully heard to influence policy and challenge systemic inequality.
Advice for future fellows:
Reach out to people beyond your usual bubble, and allow yourself to be comfortable with feeling out of your comfort zone– a chance meeting could transform your career trajectory. Also, don’t be too hard on yourself – you can’t do everything!
