I’ve always been terrible at maths. Mostly I’d spend class adding numbers together to make funny words if you turned the calculator upside down. I was definitely more interested in history, or being a story writer. Funnily enough, so was Maryam Mirzakhani – the first and only woman to have won the prestigious Field’s Medal for Mathematics.
Each month, the Herstory Club curates a selection of films that complement our monthly theme. This collection will be female-focused – both in front of the camera and ideally behind too – and range from fiction to biopics of real women in history. The films we’ll be recommending aim to both entertain and educate, showcasing … Continue reading Herstory on Film
This is the story of how a working class girl from London’s East End migrant community turned her talent for maths into a career as an expert in aerodynamics. It is also the story of how I found her story.
by Jenny Rowan Since the start of the Space Race in 1957, almost 600 people have been to space to date. Of those, only 67 have been women. Only five have been their mission’s commander. The first to be assigned to that coveted crew position was Eileen Collins, an Air Force test pilot who also … Continue reading Eileen Collins: The First Female Spaceflight Commander
By DM Testa How far would you go to stop the graves of your family, including your mother, from being disturbed? When Kansas City officials decided the weathered tombstones of a Native American burial ground had to go, Eliza (Lyda), Ida, and Helena (Lena) Conley vowed to protect the two-acre plot where their forebearers were … Continue reading So Long as Grass Grows and Water Runs – The Conley Sisters
By Holley Snaith “A woman is free if she lives by her own standards and creates her own destiny, if she prizes her individuality and puts no boundaries on her hopes for tomorrow.” Mary McLeod Bethune In the early 1880s, a young African American girl would often accompany her mother, a former enslaved person, to … Continue reading “The First Lady of the Struggle”: The Remarkable Mary McLeod Bethune
Each month, the Herstory Club curates a selection of films that complement our monthly theme. This collection will be female-focused – both in front of the camera and ideally behind too – and range from fiction to biopics of real women in history. The films we’ll be recommending aim to both entertain and educate, showcasing … Continue reading Herstory on Film
by Mike Esbester On 30 September 1922, railway carriage cleaner Mary Watson suffered a life-changing accident. Working at Queen Street Station in Glasgow, by 3.20pm she was just under 2 hours into her 8 hour shift. As part of a team, her role was to sweep out the carriage compartments and corridors between passenger services. … Continue reading #HeForShe – Women, work & accidents on Britain’s railways
by Becky Laxton-Bass Founded in 1863, serving over a billion customers annually, with 270 stations across 11 lines, the London Underground is the oldest and one of the most impressive transport networks in the world. However, it took until October 1978 for the London Underground to get its first female driver, Hannah Dadds. Hannah was … Continue reading London Underground’s First Female Driver: Hannah Dadds
by Louise Quick Where to start with Josephine Baker? She was a glitzy 1920s star, a World War Two spy, and the only woman to speak during the March on Washington. Let’s begin where she did, with dancing! The performer Google ‘Josephine Baker’ and you’ll quickly find images of her wearing little more than a … Continue reading Josephine Baker: Flapper, war hero, civil rights activist
