Report out now

Our report on women-led activism in East London is out now.

Get the report here

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The report covers nearly 150 years of women-led activism in East London, from the Matchgirls in 1888 to Sisters Uncut in 2016. It has been compiled following extensive archive research and oral history interviews. While these stories have existed in various locations, this is the first time they have been pulled together in a concise form.

The report complements the app and exhibition, which both launched this month. It provides a more indepth look at these women, with a wider collection of stories.

Get the report here

The report was made possible by the support and dedication of our team of volunteers, to whom we’re very grateful, and funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

App launched – download it now

Our app – In Our Footsteps – is now available to download.

> Download it for iPhone here

> Download it for Android here

The app takes you on a tour of 150 years of women-led activism, featuring photos and personal testimonies from those who were there. And those of you who don’t live near East London can still enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.

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The app was launched earlier this month at Gnome House, coinciding with the private view of our exhibition, which will be at the community centre for the whole of September.

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It was a difficult task trying to edit down the huge number of stories we’d collected as part of this story. Leaving any out seemed a crime. We’ve tried to capture as many as we could across the app and exhibition, and encourage you to explore both if you can.

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It has been a delight and a privilege to work on this under reported part of history. I hope you will download the free app to learn and spread the word about the amazing women.

Our exhibition is back

After the success at Walthamstow Garden Party, we’re delighted to announce that our women activists of East London exhibition is back for a second run, this time at Gnome House in Walthamstow.

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The exhibition celebrates 150 years of women-led activism, and features photography from award winning photographer, Elizabeth Dalziel. Featuring 16 individual stories, it portrays women in a way rarely seen in other media – powerful, inspiring and leaders in change.

The exhibition opens on 1st September, and will run until the end of the month. You can see a sneak preview of some of the exhibition here.

Exhibition opens this weekend

Our exhibition celebrating 150 years of women-led activism in East London, opens this weekend at the Walthamstow Garden Party, a free festival run by the Barbican. It features 16 inspiring stories, and portraits from award winning photographer, Elizabeth Dalziel.

The exhibition shows women in a way rarely seen in traditional media – powerful, determined and leaders in social change. It has to be seen in person to get the full effect, but below are a few images to whet your appetite.

Minnie Lansbury
In 1921, five women, and 25 Labour councillors went to prison for refusing to collect local taxes they felt discriminated against the poor. Among them was Minnie Lansbury (pictured), who contracted pneumonia while inside, and died the following year. The actions of the Poplar Rebel Councillors led to non co-operation from other local authorities, and a change in law to bring more equality to the local taxation systems.

Minnie Lansbury heading to Holloway Prison


Alice Model
A pioneer in maternal and infant health, Alice Model changed the lives of hundreds of the poorest families in East London. Her work in setting up home help systems, and providing free health checks to under fives, pathed the way for the NHS and welfare state.

Alice Model


Beattie Orwell
In 1936, over 10,000 anti-fascist protesters faced off Oswald Mosley and Blackshirts in what has become known as The Battle of Cable Street. This now infamous event in Eastend history is well documented, but often told from a male perspective. But women like Beattie, who was 19 at the time, prove women were there, often taking greater personal risks than the men.

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Hibo Wardere

Born in Somali, Hibo was a victim of female genital mutilation as a child. She didn’t speak of what happened to her for over 40 years. After opening up to the Head teacher at the school where she worked, she found she couldn’t stop. She now goes from school to school, talking to both teachers and students, leaving audiences speechless in their admiration for her courage and passion to end this brutal practice.

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Sabeha Miah
As a single mother suffering from post natal depression, Sabeha started volunteering with the Boundary Women’s Group as a way of breaking her isolation. Within a  few years she was running the group, helping to to build confidence in others. Despite the huge numbers of lives she’s changed through her work, Sabeha never considered herself an activist. Yet this “gentle activism” can be just as powerful as any placard waving.

Sabeha Miah, Boundary Women's Group (Elizabeth Dalziel)

Women activists: thanks for sharing

One of the biggest problems with gaining recognition for the incredible work of women activists, is getting their stories heard and shared. Over spring/summer 2016, we held three community events to share the heritage and gather more stories. Thanks to everyone who turned up and got involved – the enthusiasm and passion from you all has been incredible.

Craftivism
In April we were guided by a team of craftivists in making mini protest banners dedicated to women of the past.

Craftivists make mini protest banners

Cross-cultural picnic
Also in April we held a cross-cultural picnic at St Hilda’s Community East in Tower Hamlets, sharing food and stories of inspirational women.

Cross cultural picnic at St Hilda's

Women on Wikipedia
In May we held a Women on Wikipedia-a-thon. This resulted in a dozen new stories about women activists being uploaded to the online encyclopedia.

Wikipedia editing event

Women and wikipedia-athon

We can edit wikipediaThe gender bias on Wikipedia is well documented. The fact there are so many more entries about men may be to do with only around 10% of Wikipedia editors being women. In addition, when women are written about the content can be reductive and patronising, as this Buzzfeed article illustrates beautifully.

To address this imbalance we are organising a Women on Wikipedia-athon on Saturday 14th May (2-5pm) at The Mill in Walthamstow.

Some of the stories we’ve uncovered are on Wikipedia, although the content tends to be thin. Others are missing completely. Considering the contribution, courage and dedication of these women, we feel this is wrong.

We invite you to join us for our Wikipedia-athon. You don’t have to have any previous Wikipedia editing experience as we’ll show you the ropes. All you need to do is turn up any time between 2-5pm on Saturday 14th May and we’ll give you a computer, a login and a story to upload. Stay for the full three hours, or just a short while – it’s up to you.

Men and women both welcome.

Where are the white working class activists?

East London used to be a hotbed of white working class women activists. So where are they now?

Match Girls strikers

Up until WW2, East London was thriving with working class women activists, most of whom were white. From the Matchgirls to MillyWiktop and Sarah Wesker, they campaigned against the things that impacted directly on their lives, such as labour rights and housing.

Many of these women were Jewish, most coming from the Russian Empire. In the 70s they passed the mantle to the Bengali community. To this day Bengali women are challenging inequality and fighting to improve their lives and communities.

But what happened to the white working classes?

Our research revealed little about their activities post WW2. Our oral history collection features several interviews with people from working class families, but they have had enough social mobility to no longer campaign on issues that impact them directly. They have a general sense of injustice at the inequalities in the world, and fight for issues not on their doorstep, such as climate change, peace and FGM.

Is it that the Jews moved out, and gentrification moved in, leaving very few white working classes in East London? Or is it, as Paul Mason suggests in The Guardian, white working class culture has been destroyed, and gone with it are its radical thinkers and activists?

There are elements of it in other boroughs – Focus E15 in Newham for example. But in the three boroughs we explored – Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest – we found virtually nothing.

Class is enormously important as it underpins everything. If you’re a woman, you’ll face inequality, but it will be doubled if you’re a working class; if you’re black you’ll face inequality; but it will be doubled if you are working class. Yet while they’re selling This Is What A feminist Looks Like t-shirts in Whistles, I think we’ll be waiting a while for the This Is What A Socialist Looks Like version.

 

If you think there are white working class women’s groups we’ve missed in these boroughs we’d love to know. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

 

Help us design our app

We’re looking for up to 15 girls to help us design a brand new walking tour app, due for release in the Apple and Android stores this summer.

Girls codingThis May (14th and 15th) we’re running a two day workshop for girls aged 10 + years around app design. We want them to come up with some real life concepts for our walking tour app, telling us what it should look like, how it should function and how to make it fun for other young people.

>> Book a place today

As part of the two-day course they’ll get to analyse existing apps, learn about user experience, get to experiment with app design tools and develop their problem solving skills. And of course learn about a fascinating part of local women’s history.

The workshop runs from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May at The Limes in Walthamstow. A place on the course can be secured by paying a £5, which is refundable when you turn up to the event.

>> Book a place on the course today

Cross cultural picnic at St Hilda’s

Battle of Cable Street murialOn 11th April we’re running a cross cultural picnic at St Hilda’s East Community Centre. We’d like you to join us.

During our research into women-led activism, one of the things that stood out most is the incredible impact migrant groups have made to East London. The different communities have often fought against the same issues, although often two or three generations apart.

In 1930s it was predominantly Eastend Jews who took on the fascist Black Shirts, which culminated in the Battle of Cable Street. A two generations later, through groups like Women Unite Against Racism, Bengali women were fighting the BNP. And both in the 30s and 70s, migrants campaigned for better housing rights. Notably women were at the forefront of these these protests.

Unfortunately history does a bad job at remembering these women. Even feminist narratives often overlook them, focusing on white middle class activists, like Emmeline Pankhurst. Yet these migrant women have been both brave and successful, and deserve to be recognised.

To help rediscover these hidden stories, we’re teaming up with the Boundary Women’s Group at St Hilda’s. We’re running a cross cultural picnic, to share stories of protest amongst generations and communities. If you represent a group of women, know women who might be interested, or would simply like to come yourself, please get in touch.

The picnic is free, but we’re asking everyone to bring a dish from their community to share. We’ll also ask people to bring along a story of how they have changed their community, or one of someone else who has inspired them.

Let’s not keep the stories of these incredible women hidden any longer!

 

Photo: Reading Tom

Craftivism: come make a mini protest banner

Betty Ford Blommers bannerCraft and protest have been long linked. From the beautifully embroidered suffragette and trade union banners, to the provocative Craftivist Collective. And it’s something that women have always been at the centre of.

On Saturday 2nd April we’ll be at The Mill in Walthamstow getting people to make a mini protest banner, inspired by the stories of women activists we’ve collected so far. The banners will be hung at the site of activism, like an alternative blue plaque, while others will be used in our exhibition this summer.

We’ll be using a fairly simple design, so that people of all ages and experiences can join in. We’d particularly welcome young people – boys and girls – so they can learn about the history, and understand where some of their rights and privileges have come from.

We also hope people will come along with stories of their own. We know there are so many incredible women doing amazing work out there. We want to shine a light on as many of them as possible.

Places are free, but limited. For more information, and to book a place, visit our Eventbrite page.