Meetings & Events

The Group aims to meet on the 4th Thursday of each month (except December) at 7pm at the Phoenix Café Bar in Leicester city centre, where we get together to discuss issues of interest and plan our activities and events.  If you would like to join the Group, you can come along to one of our meetings, contact us using the form on this site, or email us at leicestershirefawcettgroup@gmail.com.

Our next group meeting is on ….

Thursday 28 April 2016, 7pm at Phoenix Café Bar

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RECENT EVENTS

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2016
We partnered with Phoenix cinema to screen He Named Me Malala, on Monday 7 March – the eve of International Women’s Day. This film documentary tell the incredible story of Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 and has since gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The screening was preceded by a performance from renowned local poet Jess Green.

THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2015
Getting your voice heard in Parliament
Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE 1 1WB
This was a free workshop, open to all, with Clare Mullin of the Houses of Parliament outreach service.

THURSDAY 25 JUNE 2015
Domestic Violence Provision and the Austerity Agenda
Secular Hall, Leicester, LE1 1WB
This free public event considered the future of domestic violence services in Leicester and Leicestershire in an era of austerity.  Speaker: Gill Taylor, Chair of Trustees, Women’s Aid Leicestershire.

SATURDAY 2 MAY 2015
May Day march to celebrate International Workers’ Day
It’s vital that working people have a voice in this time of austerity, under a Government of the rich for the rich. Organised by the Leicester and District Trades Union Council.

MONDAY 30 MARCH 2015
Equal pay, the living wage and discrimination in employment
Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE 1 1WB
This public meeting was organised by the Leicester and District Trades Union Council.  Speakers: Jane Nellist (NUT Coventry), Iris Lightfoote (TREC, Leicester).  Chaired by Anne Blair (NUT Leicester and Leicestershire Fawcett Group).

SATURDAY 7 MARCH 2015
International Women’s Day 2015
The Donkey, Welford Road, Leicester LE2 6BHWe celebrated International Women’s Day with music and poetry at The Donkey. All proceeds went to Women’s Aid Leicestershire.  Performers: Mellow Baku, Ola Szmidt, Meri Everitt, Jess Green and Anita Sivakumeran.

SUNDAY 8 MARCH 2015
International Women’s Day event – Education and Muslim Girls
Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE 1 1WB
A joint event with Leicester Secular Society, attended by 57 people. Dr Saeeda Shah of Leicester University discussed girls’ education in Pakistan and in the Muslim community in the UK in light of the attack on Malala Yousafzai.

SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2015
Dance-Drum-Rise for V-Day
Orton Square, Leicester
A global event, taking place at the same time around the world. We were accompanied by Sambando drummers as we aimed to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. Learn the ‘Break the Chain’ dance at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEfxjIez8r0

TUESDAY 2 DECEMBER 2014
A joint event with Leicester Soroptimists and DMU to mark UN International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
The keynote speaker was Anne Read, Anti-Trafficking Response Co-ordinator, The Salvation Army. Panel members were Simon Cole (Chief Constable of Leicestershire), Iris Lightfoote (CEO, The Race Equality Council).

THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER 2014
Why do we still need feminism in the 21st Century?
Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE 1 1WB
This was our AGM. Speaker: Belinda Phipps, Chair of The Fawcett Society

SATURDAY 14 JUNE 2014
Angels Tea Party – fundraiser for Women’s Aid Leicestershire
Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE 1 1WB
We served afternoon tea at the Secular Hall and raised just over £200 for Women’s Aid Leicestershire to help save their refuges in the face of massive funding cuts. Donate regularly to Women’s Aid by becoming an Angel now.

MONDAY 5 MARCH 2014
May Day March
We took part in this event alongside local union members, community and voluntary groups, assembling on Victoria Park, Leicester for the march to the clock tower in the city centre to protest about austerity measures which are leaving many women and their families in poverty.

SATURDAY 8 MARCH 2014
International Women’s Day celebration – Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Phoenix, 4 Midland Street, Leicester LE1 1TG

Around 130 women and men gathered at Phoenix to watch a special screening of the multi-award winning film documentary Pray The Devil Back to Hell, which tells the amazing, inspirational story of the thousands of ordinary women who came together in peaceful yet powerful protest to demand an end to the bloody Liberian civil war and helped shape the future of their nation.

There were also stalls promoting local women’s groups; Red Leicester Choir entertained diners in the cafe bar; and poets Alison Dunne, Lydia Towsey and Jean Binta Breeze MBE gave us a preview of their brand new show  ‘Three the Hard Way’.

This was a joint event supported by Soroptimists International of Leicester,  Leicester and District Trades Union Council, Women’s Aid Leicester & Leicestershire, Shama Women’s Centre, LeicestHERday, and members of Leicestershire Women’s Forum.

SUNDAY 2 MARCH 2014
Female Genital Mutilation – end the abuse now!
Secular Hall, 75 Humberstone Gate, Leicester LE1 1WB
This was a joint event with the Leicester Secular Society for International Women’s Day.  Speakers were Sadiyo Said from EVA Organization for Women and DI Mark Parish from Leicestershire Police domestic abuse team.  A lively discussion session followed the speakers’ presentations, highlighting the need for tougher action against this ‘hidden’ abuse.

SIGN THE E-PETITION NOW to stop FGM in the UK.

THURSDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2013
Local impacts of recession and welfare reform – the rise of the food bank
Leicester Secular Hall,  75 Humberstone Gate LE1 1WB

Baroness Ruth Lister

At our annual autumn event we heard from speakers how the recent welfare reforms and continuing austerity measures are impacting on women across Leicester and Leicestershire, and what is being done to mitigate the effects.

Local speakers Helen Child, City Operations Director, LeicesterShire CAB; Kate Huszar, Leicester City Council; and Heather Roythorne Finch, Voluntary Action Leicestershire spoke about local initiatives and statistics, and  Baroness Ruth Lister rounded off the evening, relating local matters to the wider, national context.  The MP for Leicester South Jon Ashworth (Labour) was also part of the line-up but was unfortunately unable to attend at the last minute.

A rather bleak picture was painted by our excellent speakers, but there was brisk discussion and networking between representatives of the various organisations attending the event.

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PREVIOUS EVENTS

Launch of LeicesterShire Women’s Forum
Thursday 18 April 2013
Individuals and representatives from women’s groups across the city and county came together to launch the new LeicesterShire Women’s Forum.  Participants engaged in discussion about the aims of the Forum and how it should be developed to become a strong voice for women.  Organisations taking part included Leicestershire Fawcett Group, the LeicestHERday Trust, Sharma Women’s Centre, Soroptimists International (Leicester branch), WEA and Diversity Hub: New Dawn New Day and Women’s Aid (Leicester) have also now joined the Forum.

International Women’s Day
Friday 8 March 2013
Today,  a billion women – one in every three women on Earth – will be raped or beaten in her lifetime.  That’s ONE BILLION mothers , daughters, sisters, partners and friends violated, which means you probably know someone who has been a victim.  Violence has no place in the 21st Century and it’s time to rise up – men and women – and take action.

We held a ‘BREAK THE CHAIN’ action outside Curve at 7pm on Friday 8 March to celebrate International Women’s Day and shine a spotlight on this shocking statistic.

Around 30 women and men from across the county took part in our ‘dance action’, watched by many more who were attending shows at the Curve and Athena that night.  We distributed hundreds of leaflets and almost 50 people signed our letter to the Prime Minister asking the Government to introduce compulsory education in secondary schools addressing gender and abuse in relationships in an effort to stop violence against women and girls before it starts.

Annual General Meeting
Thursday 29 November 2012
We met in the Phoenix Cafe Bar at 7pm for refreshments and informal discussion, before moving through to a private room for our AGM.  We heard reports from the Co-ordinator and Treasurer, plus a round up of our activities in 2012, before electing the committee for 2013 and setting the group’s priorities for the coming year.  We also welcomed two new members, who had travelled down from Loughborough for the meeting.

Protecting Women from Public Spending Cuts
Thursday 18 October 2012
Vital services are being hard hit by drastic cuts to public spending.  Fewer than 30% of Leicester City Councillors and only 20% of Leicestershire County Councillors are women so decisions which impact on women’s lives are being made with few women round the table.  So how is the provision of services for women & families being affected by today’s challenging economic climate and what is being done to protect them?  We invited cross party representatives from the City and County Councils, and had additional representation from those at grass roots level who work within the sector.

We heard presentations from Cllr Sarah Russell, Assistant City Mayor, Leicester City Council; Sara Swire, Chief Executive, New Dawn New Day; Tricia Reynolds, Policy Officer, VAL; and enjoyed a special performance from renowned local poet Lydia Towsey.  A lively Q&A session followed the presentations, and attendees had the opportunity to network.  You can see footage of the event on YouTube and Facebook.

Group members talk with visitors to our stall at Leicester Volunteers’ Fair, 31 May 2012

Leicester Volunteers’ Week Fair
Thursday 31 May 2012
We were pleased to be invited to take part in the Volunteers’ Week fair in Leicester city centre on Thursday 31st May and welcomed lots of interested visitors to our stall.  We shared information about our Group, signed up some new members and had numerous discussions on issues which are currently affecting women and their families.  Thank you to everyone who came to meet us – including the city’s elected Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby – and we look forward to welcoming you to our future meetings and public events.

How do we get more women into local and national government?
9 November 2011
Around 70% of the drastic cuts outlined in the Government’s emergency budget would come from women’s pockets; just 1 in 5 Westminster MPs are women; and fewer than 30% of Leicester City Councillors are women.  Is this really what we mean by gender equality?
The absence of women in government fosters a culture of gender blindness – decisions which impact on women’s lives are being made with too few women round the table.  So the question is, just how do we get more women into local and national government?
Speakers at the Group’s inaugural event were Nan Sloane, Director of the Centre for Women and Democracy; and Daisy Sands, Policy Officer from The Fawcett Society.  We also enjoyed a special appearance by renowned poet and performer, Lydia Towsey.