Last month, Dame Antonia Romeo was appointed as the first female Cabinet Secretary. To mark International Women’s Day, she has written about the first photographs that she put up in her office after being appointed. 2017 UK Civil Service Female Permanent Secretaries Portrait
Almost nine years ago, I was appointed to my first Permanent Secretary role, at the Department for International Trade (now the Department for Business and Trade). I was the 35th female Permanent Secretary ever to be appointed.
The first female Permanent Secretary was Baroness Evelyn Sharp. She was appointed in 1955, at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. Remarkably, it took 62 years to appoint 35 female permanent secretaries. As of 2026, there have been 61 women appointed Permanent Secretary - that’s 26 in 9 years alone.
The Civil Service is a remarkable institution, which I love. After 25 years in the service, to be appointed last month as the first female Cabinet Secretary and to lead the half a million civil servants across the UK and around the globe is the unrivalled privilege of my career.
One of the first things I did when I moved into the Cabinet Secretary’s office in 70 Whitehall was put two photos on the wall. Both show (almost) all the living female permanent secretaries at the time they were taken. One in 2017 when I had just been appointed, and the other in 2024.
2024 UK Civil Service Female Permanent Secretaries ProtraitLeft to right from top row: Clara Swinson CB, Anne Keast-Butler, Jo Shanmugalingam, Jessica de Mounteney (Next Row) Beth Russell CB, Dr Jo Farrar CB OBE, Susannah Storey CB, (NR) Sarah Munby, Sam Beckett CB, Susanah McGibbon, Susan Acland-Hood , (NR) Tricia Hayes CB, Tamara Finkelstein CBAngela MacDonald CBE, Sarah Healey CB CVO (NR) Madeleine Alessandri CMG, Leslie Evans, Dame Bernadette Kelly DCB, Dame Shona Dunn CB (NR) Dame Shan Morgan DCMG, Dame Clare Moriarty DCB, Dame Elizabeth Gardiner DCB KC, Dame Jil Matheson DCB FAcSS (NR) Dame Una O'Brien DCB, Moira Wallace OBE, Cat Little CB, Dame Antonia Romeo DCB, Dame Ursula Brennan DCB, Dame Sue Owen DCB (Front Row) Dame Karen Dunnell DCS FAcSS, Dame Sue Street DCB, Dame Valerie Strachan DCB, Dame Stella Rimington DCB.On International Women’s Day, these photos tell a story of how far we have come, and remind us how far we have to go. They also highlight that progress doesn't just happen by accident. It happens because people in institutions choose to change them, including the pioneering female Civil Servants of previous decades.
Leadership is about people, and creating the conditions for them to thrive. If we want to draw on the talents of the widest possible range of people, we need the Service to be a model for a workplace where merit counts.
I want the Civil Service to be known for excellence in delivery. I want us to serve the government with purpose, and with the pride that comes from high performance. And I want us to build an inspiring, dynamic, can-do Civil Service - one that draws on the talent of everyone in the country.
https://civilservice.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/08/from-35-to-61-a-story-of-progress/
seen at 09:46, 8 March in Civil Service.