From suffragette protests to SlutWalks, London has long been a battleground for women's rights.
The struggles and successes of women of the past are celebrated across the capital, from the collections in the Feminist Library to the walking tours about town.
Over the years, the city has seen a number of pivotal moments in women's history, from equal pay marches of the 50s to the first female speaker in the House of Commons in 1992, and continues to do so today.
To mark International Women's Day, we've rounded up our pick of London's most interesting spots to learn more of women's history.
The Feminist Library
This spot is home to the largest collection of women’s liberation literature in London – in particular, second-wave materials dating from the late 1960s to the 90s. Since its establishment in 1975, the library has been committed to supporting activist research and community projects, and volunteers have kept it going strong for 45 years. It's open to everyone and is incredibly accessible with no registration or membership required. Take your time in the bookshop, which boasts both new and second-hand books as well as periodicals and zines. It's also currently running a crowdfunding campaign to help its move to Peckham this spring.
5 Westminster Bridge Rd, SE1 7XW, feministlibrary.co.uk
National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery is home to a variety of paintings that commemorate inspiring women from British history. Visitors can find portraits of female trailblazers from the worlds of arts, literature, politics and more, with the likes of Emmeline Pankhurst hanging in the gallery's permanent collection as well as Florence Nightingale and Jane Austen lining the walls elsewhere. It's also the spot to learn about influential women in art history — later in 2019 it's set to host an exhibition titled Pre-Raphaelite Sisters. The show will explore the untold stories of female artists, models, and muses and how they contributed to the famous art movement. Definitely one to get in the diary.
St. Martin's Place, WC2H 0HE, npg.org.uk
Museum of London
The Museum of London’s Votes for Women exhibition may be closing its doors this month, but there’s still time to catch the final few days of the show. It features a number of standout objects from the museum’s extensive Suffragette collection, including Emmeline Pankhurst's hunger strike medal and jewellery from Kitty Marshall and Louise Eates. Those that don't have time to head to the show before it closes will still be able to soak up the long-term Suffragette display in the museum's People's City gallery, which features banners, news clippings, letters, medals and more.
150 London Wall, EC2Y 5HN, museumoflondon.org.uk
The Women's Library at LSE
The Women’s Library started out in a converted pub on Marsham Street in Westminster, and now has 60,000 books and pamphlets detailing key moments in women's history. The library, which can be found at LSE, features more than 50 artefacts including suffrage campaign banners, photographs, posters, ceramics, tickets, badges, textiles and more. The largest collection on the women's movement in Britain, it focuses mainly on UK history spanning from the late 19th century to the present day. It’s made up of seven key threads: women’s suffrage, prostitution and trafficking, women in the workplace, women in public life, women in the church, women’s liberation movement of the 1970s and peace campaigns — so there's plenty to get stuck into.
Houghton St, WC2A 2AE, lse.ac.uk
Historical walking tours
If you’re partial to a little walk around the capital, try one of these. The London Town Walks are particularly good, boasting a suffragette walk starting at Embankment Underground station and finishing at the Emmeline Pankhurst memorial next to the Houses of Parliament. For something a little more dramatic, opt for Women on the Walk — a theatrical walking tour based in central London, which explores tales of women living in the city during pivotal times in history. Elsewhere, Black History Walks host regular ventures detailing African history in the capital and Beyond the Streets offer an alternative Jack the Ripper tour, focusing on the hidden history of East End women.
Across London
East End Women's Museum
It may not be officially open yet but that hasn’t stopped the East End Women’s museum hosting events and exhibitions across the city. Set to open its doors in Barking in 2020, this will be the first museum in the capital solely dedicated to women's history. Past projects include an exhibition at Hackney Museum on 100 years of women’s activism as well as a pop-up show on women's political efforts in east London, which was hosted at Whitechapel Idea Store. While it looks like the team are taking a break from events before their new launch, they're currently looking for local residents with a passion for women's history to bring ideas for the new museum. Updates on the venue opening can be found on the official website.
Events held across London, for more information visit eastendwomensmuseum.org
