President June Bould welcomed 50 members and guests to their event to mark International Women’s Day 2019. President June explained that after women gained the right to vote in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. In 1975 the UN began celebrating the day as a way of recognising women’s achievements and since then celebrations of IWD on March 8th each year have spread globally, becoming a rallying call for support for women’s participation in politics and economics.
This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is Balance for Better and we can all work to build a gender-balanced world. Gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive; it is needed in boardrooms, in government, in wealth, sports – everywhere. Everyone enjoyed striking the pose of #BalanceforBetter – an excellent way of reminding us of the need for balance.
Soroptimist Dr Janis Lomas, historian and author spoke about some of the women who, a hundred years ago, did so much to change OUR lives and to begin to move our society towards being gender balanced. Her talk was entitled: “Rabble rousers and genteel ladies: the petticoat pioneers who won the vote”. She showed pictures and talked about the incredible things done by women such as Millicent Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel, Sylvia and Adela; Vera Holme; Kitty Marion – and so many more. Over 1,000 members of the Suffragette movement were arrested for their actions and put in prison when they refused to pay their fines. This could be for something we might now regard as fairly minor – but a woman continuously shouting out a slogan demanding Votes for Women in the 1900s was not something that went down well! Being arrested brought a lot of publicity and being sent to Holloway brought even more. The Suffragettes began to stage hunger strikes which initially had good results as they were released early – but then force feeding began. It involved strapping them down, forcing a tube through their nostril or down their throat into their stomachs – truly awful.
Everyone listened enthralled – humbled by all that these women had done to defy age-old traditions; most women present wondered if they would have been brave enough to stand up to such punishment in order to get the right to vote. In her vote of thanks, Pam McGauley praised the wonderful Suffragettes but also club member and speaker Janis who demonstrated her knowledge of and passion for the subject matter – these genteel ladies who became rabble rousers to win the vote for women.
Photos . l to r, June Bould, President SI Cannock & District; Soroptimist Dr Janis Lomas, historian & author striking the pose – Balance for Better
Group of Soroptimists and guests – Balance for Better