INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2019 HISTORICAL WALK, A TRIBUTE TO ALICE HAWKINS

It was International Women's Day on Friday so I decided to go on a historical walk which was about Alice Hawkins.

I will go into a bit more detail about the history of International Women's Day followed by Alice Hawkins as I learned quite a lot and how women are very strong and have fought for many things in life such peace and equality.

History of International Women's Day

International Women's Day is celebrated worldwide every year on 8th March. Some countries have even set this day as a public holiday. Other countries have not set this as a public holiday. It is a day that celebrates women and their movement towards women's rights.

America organised this event by the Socialist Party in New York on February 28th and a year later it they decided that this day should be celebrated annually. IWD was originally celebrated by the socialist movement until the feminist movement in 1967.
This day celebrates women's achievement and for international peace.

Alice Hawkins (Women's Right to Vote)


Alice Hawkins 1863-1946 worked in factory creating boots and shoes. She had five children to her husband Alfred Hawkins and was originally from Stafford. Alice had joined the Independent Labour party in 1894 and set up WSPU in Leicester with Mary Gawthorpe and Sylvia Pankhurst who she met through the ILP.

Alice demonstrated a march on Parliament and was sent to jail in Holloway Prison February 1907. She returned back to Leicester after two weeks and set up the WSPU branch. Alice was sent to jail again in 1909 during Winston Churchill's speech in Leicester. This was because she tried to force entry. Instead Alfred volunteered to ask Churchill why women did not have a vote.

The picture shows a couple of the landmarks which are based in Leicester. The picture on the bottom left is the shoe factory which is where she originally worked. These have been converted into student accommodation. The central picture is of Alice Hawkins and the image on the top right is the statue of Alice Hawkins based in Market Square in Leicester City.

Alice Hawkin's Bail Letter

Women have come a long way and there is still a lot to achieve. Not only is it for women but for equality for the rest of the world and how we should all embrace one other with our cultures and beliefs. Instead of creating war we should create peace and tranquility. Learn other people's culture's, offer education. Alice was a true inspiration and it just shows how far women have come to achieve the goals they set out to achieve. Not only is this just to embrace women but also gender equality around the world and how we should all respect one another internationally. The motto for 2019 is balance for better

#balanceforbetter #alicehawkins #internationalwomensday2019