International Women’s Day could be one of my favourite commemorative days of the year. Not that there should only be one day allocated to celebrating women, but because it serves as a platform to reflect and celebrate the extraordinary achievements and progress made by women globally, whilst also understanding the ongoing fight for gender equality. In every field, whether history, politics, science, art, sport, or business, women make incredible contributions to the wider society.
This year, I would like to honour researcher and nurse embryologist Jean Purdy. Her extensive, progressive, and inspirational laboratory research in reproductive science has been historically overlooked, despite her contributions to changing the lives of future women and science forever.
Discovering Jean through film
The recent 2024 British film Joy is what first drew me towards Purdy. Starring Bill Nighy and James Norton (as Professor Sir Robert Edwards and surgeon Patrick Steptoe), and Thomasin McKenzie as Jean, the film sparked a reading ‘rabbit hole’ into the history of IVF, during which I noticed a bold absence of recognition for Purdy’s role. This seemed odd to me because the film portrayed Jean as one of the key figures in the creation process alongside her peers. To be clear, both Edwards and Steptoe advocated for Purdy to be equally acknowledged. When the initial commemorating plaque, placed at Oldham General Hospital in 2010, was made public, Purdy’s name was absent despite protests from her ex-colleagues and other supporters. The plaque was eventually changed in 2015, thirty-seven years after the birth of the first IVF baby, Louise Brown.
Naturally, I began researching Jean’s overlooked achievements. How could such an intelligent, influential, and passionate individual be overshadowed in the history books for so long?
Background and achievements
Becoming a qualified nurse at 23, Jean met Edwards in 1968 when she applied for research assistant in the early stages of what is now known as IVF treatment. The team were provided with a lab space in Oldham, at Kershaw’s Cottage Hospital to continue their research, with Jean being responsible for managing the laboratory, being involved in preparations, recording data and, importantly, supporting the hundreds of women who volunteered their eggs as part of the study. After the successful birth of Louise Brown in 1978 and the birth of Alastair MacDonald in the following year, NHS funding was withdrawn for IVF, leading Purdy to find and establish the world’s first IVF clinic, Bourn Hall. This achievement is why Purdy is often referred to as the ‘Mother of IVF’.
Sadly, Jean passed away from cancer in 1985, making her just 39 years old. Her passing so young could be one of the reasons why Purdy’s name was forgotten in the development of IVF - she was robbed of the opportunity to produce her research in books or other public spheres. Or perhaps Jean’s gender impacted her recognition? Science was and is still now very much a male-dominated field, and maybe being a female lab partner was seen as less important than their male counterparts - at least in journalist reports.
Moving in the right direction
One of the things I love about history is its ability to right historical wrongs. In recent years, Jean Purdy has finally received recognition for her role in IVF. Jean Purdy was a fantastic pioneer, a woman who showed resilience. Her work has provided hope and inspiration not only in the world of medicine but also for women around the world. Now, we will remember Jean Purdy.