International Women's Day 2023

Emmeline Pankhurst

Emeline founded the Women’s social & political union (WSPU) in 1903.
As a child Emeline was very intellectual, whilst she slept one night she heard her father say "What a pity she wasn't born a lad." through her experiences she learnt a lot about the treatment of women in the workplace, she didn’t accept it.

Her extreme protest ways landed her in jail many times, and stirred up much controversy but ultimately Emeline’s movement helped women win the right to vote.

It’s a bittersweet story because Emeline never lived to see her dream become reality, she died 3 weeks before the law for equal votes was passed.

Read Emeline’s story here: Emmeline Pankhurst - Wikipedia



Harriet Tubman

An American abolitionist and social activist. Harriet was born into slavery in the 1820’s, she was beaten and whipped from a young age. At the age of 5-6 she was hired out to a woman to care for her baby and rock the cradle as it slept. If the baby woke up and cried, she was whipped. These scars she carried for the rest of her life.

At 12, she accidentally received a traumatic blow to the head that caused issues throughout her life. It was after this injury that she experienced vivid dreams and strange visions - she called these premonitions from god. 

In 1849, she managed to escape and following this she would risk her own life to rescue over 300 enslaved people. In her later life she established a home for the needy, and joined forces with other abolitionists and suffragists.

She died in 1913 and was buried with military honors. She is known as an American hero and an icon of freedom.

Read Harriet’s story here: Harriet Tubman - Wikipedia

Rosa Parks

In the late 19th Century a set of laws were introduced in the United States that claimed to provide African Americans ‘separate but equal’ status. The ‘Jim Crow laws’ were created by white authorities that enforced racial segregation, they believed black people's lives didn’t matter as much as theirs. The goal was to make sure black and white citizens led very separate lives.

Rosa and her husband Raymond joined the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) , an association formed to put a stop to this awful treatment.

On 1st December 1955, Rosa boarded the bus home and took a seat at the front of the bus - an area reserved for white passengers.

When the bus was full and a white man boarded, Rosa was told to give up her seat along with other black passengers. All but Rosa obeyed and she was arrested and fined for breaking segregation laws. She refused the fine. She said it was the law that was wrong, not her behaviour!

News of Rosa’s arrest spread and the black citizens of Montgomery planned a boycott of the city’s buses in protest. The boycott lasted 381 days. With 70% of bus users African American, the transport service struggled financially and violence broke out from members of the white population.

On the 13th November 1956, the supreme court ruled that the racial segregation laws were ‘unconstitutional’ - making them no longer valid or recognised. Rosa became known as ‘the mother of the civil rights movement.’ 

Read Rosa’s story here: Rosa Parks - Wikipedia

Dr. Temple Grandin

Diagnosed with Autism as a child, Dr. Temple Grandin went on to pursue a career in psychology and animal science.

For nearly 3 decades she has been working to improve animal welfare in the livestock industry. Livestock handling facilities she designed are used worldwide and she’s also influenced industry standards when it comes to the slaughter process.

“I think we can eat meat ethically,” she said, “but we’ve got to give animals a good life.”

She spent 30 years looking at the beef industry through the eyes of a cow, experiencing the dire conditions for herself. By doing this she found small ways to treat the cattle more humanely, making a big difference to their lives. 

Temple says she thinks in pictures (She has Asperger’s Syndrome) she believes this has helped her empathise with the experience of animals.

She’s not only improved the lives of livestock, but also helped deepen our understanding of what autism is, as a spokesperson and advocate for others like her. 

Read Dr. Temple Grandin’s story here:
Temple Grandin - Wikipedia 

These are just four inspiring women who have contributed to the world we experience today. There are millions more.

Because women have stood up to what’s important, we are able to live a freedom that the women before us couldn’t.

They are proof, what we do matters.

We all help shape the world in our own way - our own mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunties, daughters, cousins, friends, bosses and colleagues have contributed hugely to my own life.

My mother taught me how to love and be compassionate.

My grandmother taught me the importance of family. 

My aunt taught me strength and resilience. 

My friends taught me how to enjoy life and support others. 
My colleagues taught me new skills and how to collaborate. 

My female bosses taught me anything is possible.

Today, I share my thanks to all of them. 

I’m fiercely proud to be one of them.