To mark International Women’s Day this weekend, on Friday Reverend Atkins gave a powerful and impassioned chapel address about the historic struggle for women’s rights. Mr O’Connor followed this up in Line this morning with a presentation on the life and importance of Milicent Fawcett – a hugely important figure in the Votes for Women campaign in the early twentieth century whose vital contribution has often been overshadowed by the confrontational strategies used by the Pankhursts. “Millicent Fawcett was born in 1847, at a time when women in Britain had very few rights. Women could not vote in elections, had limited access to higher education, and were often expected to stay at home rather than participate in public life. Unlike some campaigners who used protest or disruption, She believed in peaceful and lawful campaigning. In 1897 she became the leader of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). Under her leadership, the organisation grew to include more than 50,000 members across Britain. Millicent Fawcett may not always be the most famous name in history books, but her determination helped transform British democracy. Millions of women today are able to vote because of the quiet, persistent work she and her supporters carried out.” From Head’s Line