Women in Lincolnshire have been shattering the glass ceiling for centuries, and show no signs of slowing down. In a social climate where women continue to suffer from injustice, ladies of the county refuse to be subdued by the harsh hand of the patriarchy.
At Lincoln’s Drill Hall this November, a 40-strong cast reproduced an important chapter of the county’s history in the production, The World at Her Feet. When female munition workers broke precedent and began playing football during The Great War, they overcame adversity and attracted crowds in their tens of thousands, kick-starting an era of opportunity for sportswomen thereon.
Steve Gillard, the writer of the play said: “We are attempting to add some much needed balance to the situation. The women were strong, they weren’t victims and they would never have thought of themselves as such.”
He added: “These women didn’t fight so hard so that we could all just give it up now.”
Following the success of The Lincoln Mystery Plays’ production, it’s about time took a look at the inspirational women of Lincolnshire, paving the way for girls with ambition.
In: Politics
No matter your personal opinion on Margaret Thatcher, the Lincolnshire lady’s rise to become first British female Prime Minister is an undeniable victory for women. Fast forward to today, and Karen Lee represents the constituency of Lincoln in the Houses of Parliament where just 32% of representatives are female.
After being branded a Blair Babe following Labours landslide victory in 1997, Gillian Merron spent three consecutive terms as Lincoln’s MP between 1997 and 2010. She generally voted for equal gay rights, measures to prevent climate change and mostly for a wholly elected House of Lords (Source: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/10430/gillian_merron/lincoln/votes).
In: Female support and empowerment
Women in Work was founded by Olivia Whitworth, a student at the University of Lincoln who completed an internship within the Engineering Industry. Feeling inspired by her female colleagues Olivia set up a network, spurring students to break gender, ethnic and socio-economic barriers within their prospective industries.
Eleanor Preece, vice president of the society, said: “We believe that there’s an issue in certain industries where there is an evident male dominance”. She added: “Through speaker conferences and professional networking events, we hope to inspire young professionals in building their future, successful careers.”
They will also be offering workshops and mentoring schemes to students from women with experience in a wide range of industries.
You can get a free ticket to the official launch party, here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-in-work-the-launch-party-tickets-52321560195
Following the start of the academic year this September, people began to receive Facebook invites to a group named Lincoln Girl Gang Chat. The brainchild of Amber Marshall, a student at the University of Lincoln, the group aims to unite girls across campus in a safe place to make friends, share announcements and generally offer a helping hand, wherever needed.
The group is now made up of over 2,500 members, and is growing every day.
In: Arts
Bea Wood from Lincolnshire currently holds the crown as Miss Transgender UK 2017/18. She has spoken publicly about her journey, prejudice that she’s faced and even founded the BeaYourself project; an LGBT support group “offering safe places in accessible areas where people can meet, talk, and receive help, advice and support in every aspect of their lives.”
Women In The Arts (WITA) is a community of creatives that support each other through networking events and gigs throughout Lincolnshire, raising the profile of female artists and campaigning for equality in the industry.