Let’s Do ‘Deeds Not Words’

My interest in women’s history started after reading ‘The Weaker Vessel’ by Antonia Fraser – in her introduction she talks about asking a historian why no one writes about women in the 1600s with the answer being ‘There weren’t any!’

This started me on a path of discovery which eventually led me much closer to home to Manchester, in particular Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia who set up the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) with the motto “Deeds Not Words.” This group ‘The Daily Mail’ christened ‘The Suffragettes’.

So what is it about this group that has inspired me so much?

• “Deeds Not Words” – in itself is inspirational. To me it speaks to the very core of who I am and the way I approach my work. I am all about letting my work speak for me and quite often in meetings I can be quiet whilst I reflect and think. In addition, for me it is important that the deeds are meaningful and make a difference – one of my favourite sayings is ‘Do stuff that matters’.
• Expect the Unexpected – One of the reasons the Suffragettes campaign was so impactful was that their methods were unexpected particularly at a time when women were closely associated with the ‘home and hearth’ Whilst I think everyone will be relieved to hear I am not breaking windows, heckling and chaining myself to railings I do like to think about the art of the possible. The key question for me is always what could we do to make it the best it can be. And that leads directly to my next point…
• Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere – This is from Millicent Fawcett who founded the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies in 1987 (pre the WSPU). To do things differently – we have to be courageous and have a strong belief in ourselves to take that critical first step. Whether that be suggesting a new initiative or trying something different I’m always happy to give it a go.
• A Movement Started in The Home – The Suffragette movement was started around a dining table which you can still see at The Pankhurst Centre in Manchester today. In the pandamic and beyond many of us have been doing extraordinary things from home including my fab colleagues at Strategi Solutions. Sometimes all we need is a spark of an idea to get started and some of my best come when making tea or washing up.
• Having Clear Objectives – There was one clear objective for the Suffragettes and that was for women to have the vote. Anyone who has worked with me will know that if I have something to do I always have lots of questions which help me to establish where activities sit within my objectives so I have clarity about what I need to achieve and by when. 
• Thinking Longer Term – Emmeline Pankhurst died shortly before women were given full voting rights however she was still campaigning to become an MP in the weeks beforehand. Sometimes it is not about us –  it is about what comes after us. A lot of my roles have been fixed term and in those I have focused on developing Leadership programmes designed to  run and exist without me. I am always sad to see them go  but proud that they continue to support leaders to be the best that they can be. 

Some of you know I am emotionally connected to Manchester and often I will go and visit Emmeline’s statue in St Peter’s Square and I am not the only one. It is important we remember the work of all the women who have come before us to enable us to be the women we are today. Let’s do ‘Deeds Not Words’