Talk on 'remarkable' South Thoresby woman

Jean Howard will be speaking in St Andrew’s Church in South Thoresby (LN12 0AS); her talk is titled: No Other Way – a Local Woman’s Bid for Equality.Sara Jessie Stephenson (1873-1966) was born into a world where the view of a woman’s place in society was sharply traditional. A woman’s sphere of influence was seen as the home and her purpose was the raising of children. They were seen as inferior to men.Women could not stand as candidates for parliament and it was felt that women could not be trusted to vote rationally, so were not allowed to vote. They had few legal rights, especially once married, when all possessions became her husband’s. Violent abuse of women within the home was commonplace and widely seen as acceptable.Stephenson became a prominent member of the British suffragette movement. Estranged from her family and imprisoned, she continued to strive through these adversities to gain equality for women. A cause for which even in our 21st Century some women still loose their lives. Examples include Masha Armini in 2022 and Armita Geravand in 2023. Both killed in Iran for wearing a head scarf inappropriately.The blue memorial plaque will be placed in South Thoresby commemorating Stephenson and her achievements.

Tickets for the talk cost £5 and are available from 07929 467204.