International Women’s Day 2025: A breakfast with Georgina Cook  

On Thursday 6 March, Mourant welcomed guests to an International Women’s Day breakfast at The Pavilion café, in the heart of St Helier. The informal setting was the perfect backdrop to discuss pathways to gender equality and how to create a bias-free, inclusive world, through the lens of a legal and professional services provider. Guests were treated to a Q&A with Georgina Cook, Counsel in the Jersey Property practice, who alongside a successful legal career, has made her mark in the world of social media due to her authentic take on life as a middle-aged woman.

Carla Benest, Partner and Head of Jersey Employment practice at Mourant led the Q&A, exploring important themes including supporting women and girls, and building resilience and confidence to facilitate equality for all.

Georgina, otherwise known as 'awomancalledgeorge' on social platforms, started her journey as a social media personality after feeling overlooked as she approached mid-life. Her posts and videos have sparked many important conversations, garnering support from women and men around the world, and leading to features in The Times, The Telegraph, the Wall Street Journal and a weekly column in My Weekly magazine.

Here are the key highlights and topics covered in the Q&A with George:

Barriers starting out in the professional services industry

As a young, ambitious woman balancing family and a career, I could see the barriers I was facing but didn't feel empowered to challenge them. I often felt 'other' because I was the only woman in the room. For example, business networking often involved drinking, golf, or rugby; traditionally male-dominated pastimes where I found it difficult to fit in. I tried to play the corporate game well, but it did eventually take its toll, both personally and professionally.

Working environments can be improved

We (including men) must speak up when we see unacceptable behaviour. Often women who do this are called 'strident' or in my case 'militant', so we need to alter this language to allow us to be assertive without prejudice. This isn't just an issue for women, it rests on men to call out poor behaviour too. Flexible working arrangements would also help women with caring responsibilities advance their careers. Presenteeism remains an issue and women shouldn’t miss out on opportunities because they do not work from the office, or work part-time. Plus, implementing more flexibility may also encourage men to step-up their parenting and/or caring responsibilities.

The importance of finding your voice

I have always had a voice, but felt that it had to be toned down to 'get on' as a professional career woman. Therapy gave me the courage to start speaking openly and authentically about my experiences and this has been validated by the overwhelming support I have had from my followers on social media. The feedback has been extraordinary, and I went from feeling like an outsider to finding the support of millions of women who feel exactly the same way as me. Never underestimate the power of a community! I’m encouraged that in my experience, the younger generation seem more empowered and equipped to use their voice and express themselves, they seem more prepared to have the hard or uncomfortable conversations and much better than I was at setting boundaries. This gives me hope that positive change will occur in the future, but there is still work to do now. 

The impact of social media

Finding a community of like-minded people on social media has been life changing. I imagine my outspokenness may have put a few people off me, but those were not the sort of people I want to be aligned with anyway. Just in the same way as my followers are very loyal, I have found my client relationships are similar and they have become more meaningful and enjoyable as a result.

Parting advice for International Women’s Day

Have the confidence to be yourself. Women play so many roles and true fulfilment comes when you drop the personas and be authentically yourself. You're the best version of you there is, and that should be embraced! 

Looking ahead

George's insights serve as a powerful reminder that progress toward gender equality starts with open conversations, self-belief, and collective action. By challenging outdated norms, creating inclusive workplaces, and amplifying diverse voices, we can effect lasting change.

At Mourant, we remain committed to supporting meaningful discussions and initiatives that drive equality and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. For further information about how we help organisations navigate these important issues, find out more on our website. Together, we can work towards a more equitable future.