Women who made a difference: Slavery, Suffrage, Poverty: Guided Walk

8 March is International Women's Day. We will celebrate the lives of women in the past who campaigned for equality: women's suffrage, slavery abolition and mother and child well-being. All are associated with the Winckley Square Quarter.

When people hear the stories of these real women, they are often astonished, shocked, incredulous or just plain resigned to the fact that back then life wasn't 'fair'. When we learned in school that life was unequal, we understood it as part of the broad sweep of history. However, come and meet the actual women affected by it, stand where they stood, hear how they firstly resisted the status quo and then drove change. Understand better how the norms of the time were designed to keep them 'out' of the world of male comfort and hear how they were pioneers in breaking down structural barriers and paving the way for others to claim their rightful place as equals. Susan Douglass and Patricia Harrison will introduce you to the lives of women who were 'female firsts' in Preston, Meet in the centre of the gardens 2pm

FoWS are working hard to address the paucity of blue plaques celebrating the lives of Women in Preston. On 2nd November a Plaque to Avice Pimblett was unveiled. On 8 March a second will be unveiled. People attending this walk may also want to be present at the unveiling by Mayor Neil Darby of a blue plaque commemorating the life of Beatrice Todd earlier in the day at 12.30 outside 13 Starkie Street.