In respect to Millicent Fawcett
In Respect to Millicent Fawcett
For one hundred and sixty two years the Fawcett Society has been a home for dedicated, principled, pioneering women. First, in the fight for the vote, and ever since, in the cause of women’s equality in a country still dominated by men.
Each generation brings something new to the fight for equality. It is inspiring to see young women today take feminism forward in their own way. I want to talk about some of these women now.
Behind every great city is a sign that women will not put up with our work being ignored any longer. I commend our Mayor, Sadiq Khan, for putting the achievements of women front and centre. Women have always made London what it is. Yet the favour has not always been repaid.
I think of my sisters who came here from the Caribbean as part of the Windrush generation. These women brought growth and prosperity to post-war London. It is a joy to see them remembered in an exhibition at the Guildhall in the square mile. At last, they are getting their due.
Yet all the art exhibitions and celebrations have not stopped the very same people being targeted by heavy handed immigration enforcement. We have all seen the stories of Windrush Britons sent back to countries they haven’t seen in decades. What a way to mark 100 years of some women winning the vote, 70 years of the NHS and of Windrush itself.
It is a reminder to us all that equality won’t go forward unless we come together and make it happen.
On the one hand we are lucky to live at a time when women’s equality is taking centre stage. On the other, our rights are under threat from reactionary forces in the UK and across the world.
In these times, every action matters. From big policy changes to a single woman speaking up. I salute those who share their stories, both on small platforms and huge stages. We must continue to bring our stories to life, especially when you walk along a street- have you noticed that the majority of the streets, roads and squares are named after men?
In our own city there are thousands of people who have seen injustices and made changes to make them right. These are not women who thought of themselves as heroes. We can leave that sort of self-indulgence to the men. They are women who, in the course of their every day lives, hit the buffers of our unequal society
Moving away from the icons like Baroness Lawrence, the Hon. Dame Linda Dobbs, and Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu; Karen Harrison worked hard to prove herself, becoming the first female train driver; Anne Marie Imafidon of Waltham Forest recognised that STEM subjects were not reaching out to girls, so started Stemettes to do just that; Jessica Huie couldn’t find greetings cards that reflected her or her community so started the company ‘Colour Blind Cards’.
They were not stifled. They may have been afraid, but did not let it stop them. They found a way forwards that opened another chink in the armour of patriarchy.
#behindeverygreatcity is not just about big actions, it’s about small steps that ultimately lead to big actions. One example of this is Dr Leyla Hussein from my constituency in Waltham Forest. Leyla is a survivor of FGM. At the birth of her first child she was asked by a midwife about this and gently challenged about her own attitudes towards FGM. This started her out on a road.
What Leyla has done is inspirational, but is has come from small steps that has lead to a huge difference in the lives of many people. She has used her experience to raise up the position of women within her community, helping girls to fight against the threat of FGM.
There is one other group of women I want to pay tribute to tonight. We say behind every great city, but these women really are behind the scenes here in the City of London. From bars, to the bar, to the banks, an army of cleaners, cooks and caretakers keeps it ticking over.
And in part because they are doing “women’s work”, their value is not recognised in spirit, or in their pay packet. I applaud the 75 city firms that pay the London Living Wage. I say to the rest of them – what are you waiting for? Women were hardest hit by Poverty wages when Millicent Fawcett was around and they are now too. The living wage campaign started here in the city, because ordinary women refused to work for a wage that didn’t cover the basics. We won’t wait another 162 years. Pay the real living wage now!
London has always been shaped by women. In our every day activities, by our resilience, ingenuity and care. So I’ll finish by saying that every small action counts. Together it adds up to a pressure that politicians and powerful people can’t resist. Keep going, and we won’t just be behind great cities, but at the front, leading, on the equal footing we have fought for and deserve.
We want better, not just for ourselves, but for each other, for our daughters, granddaughters, mothers, sisters and friends.
The #behindeverygreatcity campaign is a reminder that women have changed the world and we can too- I’ll leave you with the rallying cry of the leader of the suffragists, Millicent Fawcett: “Courage calls to courage everywhere.”