Child sexual exploitation is an appalling crime that devastates lives, and the legal system in this country has a crucial role in protecting children from such abuse by bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The legal process can also be important in helping victims of child sexual exploitation to recover from...

As a child growing up in my grandmother's house in Liverpool, there was one name that always made my grandmother excited: Rose Heilbron. Rose was an advocate, and when she was arguing a case before a jury at the Liverpool Assizes my grandmother would follow her cases avidly, sometimes even...

Back in the 70s, when I was looking for my first job in the law, it was hard to be taken seriously as a woman lawyer. It was commonplace for women candidates to be told, "we don't take women" or "we've already got a woman", comments that would be unthinkable...

For Marion, the challenge of starting her own business was not lack of initiative - she had plenty - but rather dearth of start-up capital. At 20 years old, Marion dropped out of school because she didn't have sufficient school fees. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where she lives, this...

The beauty of modern technology is that it has vastly speeded up communication and the transmission of information, helping businesses to become more efficient and productive. But this acceleration poses a real challenge for many small business owners who can get left behind if they aren't "up to speed". It's...

All over the world, the infrastructure of justice is failing women. In some cases, it is the laws themselves that legitimise discrimination - whether on property rights, freedom of movement or women's control over their own bodies. In many more societies, however, the problems stem from a justice system which...

I was an early reader and by the age of 10 I had read every book in my local children's lending library in Liverpool, and was given a special dispensation by the head librarian to gain entry to the adult library.

That love of books has stayed with me and...

Writing from New York where I have been lucky enough to attend both the UN General Assembly and the Clinton Global Initiative, I have been struck by the mainstreaming of issues relating to women and girls at both events.

I have been fortunate enough to work with the Clinton...

It used to be said that behind every successful man was a woman. They meant, of course, a wife. It was a clumsy way of recognising women's contribution within marriage and the part this sacrifice played in helping husbands advance in their careers.

But as we celebrate International Women's Day,...

It's over 100 years since the women's rights movement was born, but some predict it will be another 100 years before women executives in the UK finally achieve equal pay.

The UK of course is not the only country where this problem still exists. A sizeable pay gap between...