In my search for women’s organisations with a significant past, I decided to visit The Fawcett Society.
On its website, I read that
‘The Fawcett Society has an unrivalled weight of history behind it. We trace our roots all the way back to 1866 when Millicent Fawcett began her life’s work leading the peaceful campaign for women’s votes. Her determination and courage inspired her fellow campaigners, and was finally rewarded when she saw women achieving the vote 60 years later’.
Today it is still active campaigning on women’s issues and operates from tiny unpretentious offices in Clerkenwell where I met with one of their very few paid officials.
But although small in this sense, Fawcett, as it is now generally known, has a large number of volunteers and members and it was fascinating to hear how the organisation ran and whether it felt it operated in any way differently to any other charity.
The visit sparked various thoughts for me. One – for girls interested in gender issues, this is a really good place to start. Fawcett takes on interns and it would be a fantastic opportunity for someone wanting some experience in the political lobbying world. Two – something of Millicent Fawcett’s methods still prevails. Fawcett is in it for the long term, not working at any of the short fixes that those involved in the political world can find attractive, but recognising that changing society’s way of thinking about gender is a very long term process if it is to stick. Those working for Fawcett see themselves as committed personally to the goals and would be unlikely to see working in the charity sector as a career choice as such. They are not interested in a competitive career route but very committed to working with others to achieve shared goals.
Three – Fawcett operates a very flat management structure because they want everyone to feel equally valued – but perhaps that is easy and possible with a small number of paid employees.
Four – I was sent after my visit an excellent piece of research on fundraising for women’s organisations which may help me in our work raising money for KEHS bursaries.
I asked what schools should be doing to support young women today. Learn about feminist history was something not surprisingly that was seen as a priority. Also develop girls’ confidence so they can feel able to challenge inequalities and injustice. We agreed on the need to remind girls of the positive role models around for them and on the rather depressing profusion of high profile women who send out a message that it is not cool to be intelligent. I assured them that this not the case at KEHS!
About Me
Sarah Evans is Principal of King Edward VI High School for Girls. She is taking a sabbatical from her school summer 2011 to explore other organisations. Sarah has been at KEHS for 15 years. She is a governor of other schools, chairs ISCtip, the independent sector's teacher induction arm, and acts as a trustee for a number of local charities. Sarah is married with one son, taking A Levels summer 2011!Recent Tweets
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I thought I would add a mention of Millicent Fawcett’s daughter Philippa, who studied mathematics at Newnham College, and is another excellent role model. Newnham’s Fawcett Building is named jointly in Philippa’s and Millicent’s honour.
In those days, women students – who of course were not permitted to receive degrees – would be told where they would be placed in the order in terms such as “between the twentieth and twenty-first” or “equal to the thirtieth”. Philippa Fawcett was placed “Above the Senior Wrangler” in her examinations – i.e. she was the top mathematician in her year. She went on to contribute to education and school development in the UK and Africa, as well as producing mathematical research papers.
Philippa has remained both an inspiration and a reproach to those of us who endeavoured (but failed!) to follow in her footsteps since.