TODAY is International Women's Day, I met with nine inspiring women to talk about the challenges they have faced and their hopes for a more equitable society.
This national day is to celebrate the achievements of women, raise awareness against bias, and take action for equality.
Georgia Helme - farmer and BBC reporter
GEORGIA Helme, 23, is a woman squashing the stereotypes of gender roles with her farming and reporting escapades.
Her family have been running their farm in Leominster for five generations, but she has also been working as a BBC young climate reporter and studying journalism at university.
Her work has raised awareness for the regressive state of Herefordshire’s rivers.
As part of BBC News for last year’s COP26 climate conference coverage, she investigated how pollution is affecting Herefordshire.
She also looked at the impact Covid had on rural mental health as the country battled the pandemic.
“We are so fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world, but agricultural work is isolating and success is often dependent on factors outside of a farmer’s control,” she said.
“Growing up in the countryside, I rarely saw people with lifestyles that I recognised on television.”
She said working on television programmes had given her the opportunity to make sure rural voices were heard.
She also believes the benefits for including everyone regardless of gender identity are immeasurable.
“I love Herefordshire, it might not be as ‘forward-thinking’ on equality issues as other counties with a more diverse population but it’s definitely one that is ‘thinking’ about these things,” Ms Helme added.
Lin Mathias - Activist
ACTIVIST and Herefordshire Women’s Equality Group member Linda Mathias is trying to bring the community together to fight for equal rights.
Alongside Clare Wichbold, she has organised a re-enactment of a Suffragette poster parade to share Herefordshire’s feminist heritage.
The march will see women of Herefordshire walk through High Town from Hereford Cathedral.
She says this will allow people to feel connected to the wider community, and help everyone see the bigger picture of women’s rights, she said.
Ms Mathias, 72, hopes her work can allow people to be aware of each others issues and work to improve health and wellbeing.
“Together we can make changes,” she said, adding she was a member of the equality group which strives for all genders to be treated the same.
She said that Herefordshire is forward thinking when it comes to equality, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
She added: “We can always do more.
"I listen and share what I think is wrong and knock-on appropriate doors to get answers.
"I have a voice and I use it.”
She loves how she feels lives can be changed as outdated opinions are dismissed by speaking up.
“I do believe too many people are complacent and we need to keep ‘banging on’,” she said, also have raised thousands of pounds for charity.
Jo Hilditch - High Sheriff
JO Hilditch has actively taken on her role as Herefordshire’s High Sheriff as well as working as a farmer and entrepreneur.
She starred in BBC Two series Dragon’s Den to ask for an investment to expand her business White Heron Drinks, which makes British Cassis on her farm in Lyonshall.
In 2020 she publicly shared how she thinks there is still sexism within the business community.
She previously said she still gets a sinking feeling when walking into a room full of businessmen, despite her position as chief executive.
Ms Hilditch said for any other women looking at going into business must be brave, bold and go the extra mile.
“I think my generation of women are still learning to ensure they are heard without feeling embarrassed about the power of their voice,” she said.
“Gone are the days when a farmer will look over my shoulder in a networking event and say, “So, where’s your husband then? What does he do?” They know me better than that!”
Since she became High Sheriff of Herefordshire in March 2021, she has been working to educate people on what is going on in the county.
This includes starting a podcast series representing parts of Herefordshire which some people not have heard from before.
In her final weeks as High Sheriff, she says she is able to look back on a successful 12-month stint.
Sacha Bitenyo-Jones - student and activist
SACHA Bitenyo-Jones, 18, has been fighting for awareness around spiking and sexual assault through her campaign Hereford Night In, all while she studies for her A-levels at Hereford Sixth Form College.
She believes it is an opportunity to start changing the way that mainly women are being treated in pubs and clubs.
Recently, Miss BitenyoJones has been working with Hereford police and the government-funded Safer Streets campaign.
It stemmed from the Sarah Everard case – who was murdered in London on her way home in 2020 – to stop violence against women and girls.
But when the campaign appeared to die down nationally, they wanted to continue to educate on Instagram.
The Instagram page is not her and her friend’s main objective as they also plan to hold talks in Herefordshire schools in sex education classes.
She wants everyone to meet to succeed, regardless of gender or sex.
“Being a feminist is a part of my personality.
"It doesn’t mean that I will shout at others that don’t agree with me but I will do my best to understand there point of view because the most interesting conversations I have are with people that have opposite beliefs to me,” she said.
She said “micro-aggressions” which marginalised genders face are so deeply rooted in society that they can go unrecognised.
Clare Wichbold - writer and activist
CLARE Wichbold says she is an accidental feminist after her curious mind led her to the unearthed history of Herefordshire’s suffragette movement.
This history has inspired her to strive for equality in the county today by re-enacting a suffragette poster parade to march from the cathedral – where it all began – and through the city.
She organised for women from across the county to join forces, dressed up as suffragettes, to march through the city centre and to hear speeches from inspiring women.
Her disability has forced her to recognise the need for diversity throughout her life and now, as a 58 year-old woman, she wants to inspire the county.
Her research led her to write a book which delved into the history of where the movement for women’s rights started in Herefordshire to how we got to where we are today.
The award-winning book Hard Work but Glorious is the first book devoted to exploring the story of the suffragettes in Herefordshire.
Her work has led her to lead talks for the older generation in particular – which she says is to keep the movement going.
“My grandmother told me I always had to vote and this has stuck with me,” she said, adding the county still has a long way to go.
“When I can walk through High Town at 3am then there is equality. Calling local people out is still as important as it was years ago.”
Lindsay McGlone - activist and producer of burlesque and cabaret show
BURLESQUE dancer, producer, public speaker, activist and social media influencer Lindsay McGlone, 24, is producing shows to create an inclusive space for Herefordshire’s people.
“My activism gives me a voice and allows others to be heard,” she said.
Producing burlesque and cabaret shows allows her to create entertainment to educate and liberate people.
“I feel it conveys a message and has diversity and inclusion the forefront.”
She creates a space for those who do not quite feel they can be 100 per cent themselves yet.
“This is a safe place for them to explore and obviously enjoy the show,” she said.
Feminism to her is the equality for all genders, saying: “Those who misunderstand feminism believe that we are trying to completely debunk men when in reality we just want women and femmes to be treated with the same calibre as a man.
“Equal opportunities, not creating further divide,” said Ms McGlone.
She believes being vocal in Hereford about the need for celebration of diversity is a enormous step.
She said: “In a small city where everyone knows everyone and with deep rooted opinions and traditions to wave your hand and say maybe that’s not okay anymore is massive.
"There is so many that are trying to champion this.”
Her show Reclaimed will be at the Richmond Club, Edgar Street, on March 19.
Rachel Quinn and Alison Wells
RACHEL Quinn, 43, and Ali Wells, 57, were inspired by their children and Hereford Pride to start their own business to support the LGBTQIA+ community in Herefordshire.
The pair got involved with the pride event at The Courtyard in October and were asked to speak on the panel of guests.
This is where they recognised a need for educational services and began to work with the Hereford Pride organisers.
So now the pair provides educational training on gender identity and diversity in the workplace, hold support groups and oneto-one sessions for people aged 16 and over.
“I witnessed the inequality she experienced daily, particularly in the male dominated work environment and the bias in favour to men regarding pay,” said Ms Quinn.
“I want all of my children to live without discrimination and for my daughters not to have to experience the gender bias and discrimination that I have witnessed over the years.”
For Ms Wells, she first experienced and acknowledged discrimination when she was in her early 20s when it was deemed appropriate to ask a woman at a job interview if she was intending to have children, something she thinks men have never been asked.
Through Rally Training and Support they also work with several trans women, with Ms Wells saying there had been a lack of support previously.
Yolande Watson - Councillor
YOLANDE Watson has been paving the way for equality in her position as a Herefordshire councillor, as she believes everyone deserves the right to be politically educated.
In one word she would describe herself as an equalist rather than a feminist as she wants everyone in the community to feel like they fit in to the culture that surrounds them.
As a councillor she is pushing for more diversity in Herefordshire Council and local parish councils – for gender, age, and race.
Independents for Herefordshire councillor Yolande Watson is also pushing for these statistics to be made public.
She also wants the pay for council staff to be raised so everyone can have the opportunity to stand.
She believes this will create an open dialogue with the county, inspire others and create the change Herefordshire needs to see.
Farming has consistantly been a part of her life, since her birth in Yorkshire, her childhood in New Zealand and her adult life in Hereford.
She said the societal values and gender roles she grew up with pushed her to strive for a community that supported all.
“Culture creates the norms, and it is tough for those that feel like they don’t fit into them,” Coun Watson said, who represents the Kerne Bridge ward, near Ross-on-Wye.
She hopes her work will reinforce opportunity, equality, and respect.
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