Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
ELIZABETH GARRETT ANDERSON was born in the summer of 1836 in Whitechapel, east London. A proud and active suffragette, she would, sadly, die just one year before her sex achieved the vote here in Britain.
One of her greatest achievements still exists in London. Her New Hospital for Women, renamed the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in 1918, still serves women as University College Hospital Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing.
Her original hospital is now part of the national headquarters of Unison. The HQ has a gallery that pays tribute to and tells the story of this remarkable woman.
As peers prepare to debate reform of the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act, Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi leads a bid to end the criminalisation of women who end pregnancies at home. LYNNE WALSH reports
Held at a last-minute undisclosed venue amid fear of disruption, a Women’s Rights Network event brought together authors and activists, offering a day of debate on feminism’s past, present and future. JADE MIDDLETON reports
LYNNE WALSH reports from the Women’s Declaration International conference on feminist struggles from Britain to the Far East
Mary Kom’s fists made history in the boxing world. Malak Mesleh’s never got the chance. One story ends in glory, the other in grief — but both highlight the defiance of women who dare to fight, writes JOHN WIGHT


