International Women’s Day 8th of March

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Choose To Challenge” #ChooseToChallenge  #IWD2021

We all take responsibility for our own thoughts an actions. We can choose to challenge inequality wherever we see it. Today is the day to call out gender inequality. So visit the International Women’s Day Website and hold your hand up high to show you are in.

Amelia Earhart. “Women must try to do things as men have tried”.

Here are 3 of the inspirational women of the West Midlands:

Mary Macarthur 1880-1921 ( pictured)

In her short life, her activism and leadership was responsible for raising awareness of women’s poor working conditions and encouraging them to speak out against the injustice and inequality they faced.

Mary Macarthur is perhaps best known for the leading part that she played in the Women Chain Makers’ Strike in Cradley Heath, Staffordshire in 1910.

This heroic dispute ended with the women receiving the minimum wage that was theirs by right. It was a triumph but by no means an isolated one.

Mary as leader of the country’s all female general trade union, the National Federation of Women Workers, travelled the length and breadth of this country making sure that women gained strength by receiving better pay, working conditions and union membership.

Denise Lewis OBE (born 27 August 1972)

Denise Lewis OBE, hails from West Bromwich, and is a retired English track and field athlete, who won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

The former Birchfield Harrier received her OBE in the 2000 New Year Honours. Since retiring, she has become a regular athletics pundit for BBC, including the London 2012 Olympics.

Lewis was also runner-up in the 2004 Strictly Come Dancing series.

Ellie Simmonds OBE (born 11 November 1994)

Born in Walsall, Ellie grew up in the Metropolitan Walsall Borough of Aldridge. She completed her primary education at Cooper and Jordan CofE Primary before attending Aldridge School and later Olchfa School in Swansea. Simmonds, who has achondroplasia, became interested in swimming at the age of five.

British Paralympian swimmer competing in S6 events. She came to national attention when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, winning two gold medals for Great Britain, despite being the youngest member of the team, at the age of 13.