Rebel Women

What got you through lockdown? Was it the Zoom calls with your relatives, the What’s App groups for your street? For me it was being able to order copious amounts of craft materials through Amazon, to fill those endless hours at home with my daughter.So imagine what it was like in 1918 when they had none of these things? How did they ever get through it? Well the truth is a lot of them didn’t, because a lot of them simply died.This is the last episode of our current series on women and pandemics. If you are looking for more stories, visit our website at www.beyondmedicine.org.ukThis current series of Rebel Women is part of Beyond Medicine: a social history of women and pandemics. Visit our online exhibition at www.beyondmedicine.org.uk You may also like to watch our short film about women and pandemic on You Tube.Special thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this episode.Main theme by Dano Songs. Incidental music by Purple Planet Music.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

During lockdown Averil Pooten Watan organised pop up clinics for undocumented migrants, many of whom were working with older and other vulnerable people. She illustrates the huge impact community volunteers can have. By reaching out to the most marginalised, she not only saved lives, but stopped the spread of Covid-19.In this fifth series of Rebel Women, we’re resetting a little. Because the women we’re featuring this time were definitely not our usual “troublemakers”. Some of them may have been in their previous lives, but in the spring of 2020 they were the ones holding everything together.This current series of Rebel Women is part of Beyond Medicine: a social history of women and pandemics. Visit our online exhibition at www.beyondmedicine.org.uk You may also like to watch our short film about women and pandemic on You Tube.Find us on Facebook, You Tube, Tik Tok, Instagram or Twitter,Special thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this episode.

Chrys Christy works with community groups and the police in one of East London’s most deprived areas. When lockdown struck she had one major concern – how would people get food. She knew the community would need help.In this fifth series of Rebel Women, we’re resetting a little. Because the women we’re featuring this time were definitely not our usual “troublemakers”. Some of them may have been in their previous lives, but in the spring of 2020 they were the ones holding everything together.This current series of Rebel Women is part of Beyond Medicine: a social history of women and pandemics. Visit our online exhibition at www.beyondmedicine.org.uk You may also like to watch our short film about women and pandemic on You Tube.Find us on Facebook, You Tube, Tik Tok, Instagram or Twitter,Special thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this episode.Main theme by Dano Songs. Incidental music by Purple Planet Music.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In March 2020, Tracey Rogers was working at Leyton Sixth Form College. As they shut the college gates for the last time, Tracey decided she was going to spend her time in lockdown redecorating the house. Three years later the paints and wallpaper are still sitting in a cupboard unused. Although she never got the decorating done, she would go on to do something far more extraordinary, which changed people’s lives.In this fifth series of Rebel Women, we’re resetting a little. Because the women we’re featuring this time were definitely not our usual “troublemakers”. Some of them may have been in their previous lives, but in the spring of 2020 they were the ones holding everything together.For further stories about Lockdown Legends, and other pandemic heroes, visit our website beyondmedicine.org.uk Or find us on Facebook, You Tube, Tik Tok, Instagram or Twitter,This current series of Rebel Women is part of Beyond Medicine: a social history of women and pandemics. Between 20th June and 16th July you can visit our exhibition at The Mill in Walthamstow, East London. You may also like to watch our short film about women and pandemic on You Tube.Special thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this episode.Main theme by Dano Songs. Incidental music by Purple Planet Music.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Guen Murroni was a member of Sister’s Uncut, an organisation fighting cuts to domestic violence services. She was involved in media campaigns and direct actions to bring attention to the numbers of women who die every day at the hands of their partners. Then in March 2020, a conversation with one of the Sisters took her on a different journey.In this fifth series of Rebel Women, we’re resetting a little. Because the women we’re featuring this time were definitely not our usual “troublemakers”. Some of them may have been in their previous lives, but in the spring of 2020 they were the ones holding everything together.For further stories about Lockdown Legends, and other pandemic heroes, visit our website beyondmedicine.org.uk Or find us on Facebook, You Tube, Tik Tok, Instagram or Twitter,This current series of Rebel Women is part of Beyond Medicine: a social history of women and pandemics. Between 20th June and 16th July you can visit our exhibition at The Mill in Walthamstow, East London. You may also like to watch our short film about women and pandemic on You Tube.Special thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this episode.Main theme by Dano Songs. Incidental music by Purple Planet Music.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

During the 2020 Covid Crisis, Jennie Caminada was part of a group of ordinary people who saved lives. Yet none set foot in a hospital, and all but one were women.In this fifth series of Rebel Women, we’re resetting a little. Because the women we’re featuring this time were definitely not our usual “troublemakers”. Some of them may have been in their previous lives, but in the spring of 2020 they were the ones holding everything together.For further stories about Lockdown Legends, and other pandemic heroes, visit our website beyondmedicine.org.uk Or find us on Facebook, You Tube, Tik Tok, Instagram or Twitter,This current series of Rebel Women is part of Beyond Medicine: a social history of women and pandemics. Between 20th June and 16th July you can visit our exhibition at The Mill in Walthamstow, East London. You may also like to watch our short film about women and pandemic on You Tube.Special thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding this episode.Main theme by Dano Songs. Incidental music by Purple Planet Music.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the final episode in this current series, and we’re trying something a little different.You may have heard some of your favourite podcasts doing live shows. This episode is our attempt at that although we did it a bit back to front. We ran the event – Where next for the women’s movement? - then decided to turn it into a podcast, so more people can hear it.We invited along two speakers – Julie Begum from Women Unite Against Racism; and Jane Conor from Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners.You can hear Jane’s story in episode 3 of this series: https://eastlondonwomen.org.uk/podcast/You can discover Julie’s story on our website: https://eastlondonwomen.org.uk/This episode features the full debate from the event, including discussions on challenging male dominated platforms, building confidence in women, burn out, ally-ship and much more. You can also hear from Period Power activists and the Women’s Chainmakers Festival organisers, amongst others.For more information about Julie’s forthcoming Bengali cultural heritage project, visit https://www.fourcornersfilm.co.uk/whats-on/bengali-photography-archiveFor further tales about East London women visit our website eastlondonwomen.org.uk Or find us on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Instagram or Pinterest.Rebel Women is part of the Women Activists of East London project, which has been developed by Share UK, a non profit community group based in London. This podcast series is part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, showcasing the range of heritage and arts projects we’ve run over the past decade.Special thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund for funding today’s episode.Main theme by Dano Songs. Incidental music by Purple Planet Music.See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Resistance was in Ziggy Melamed’s DNA, as both her parents were highly political. So it was no surprise she joined the Socialist Workers’ Party as a teenager. But she was restless, frustrated with the organisation's hierarchical structures. Then a protest in 1996 changed everything.In this fourth series of Rebel Women, we have partnered with the Museum of Youth Culture to bring you stories of rebellious of youth through the ages. Each episode will tell previously unheard stories of women who changed society.If you would like to learn more about the history of Reclaim the Streets, mentioned in this episode, see Greenham Common Part 3 (From Greenham to Reclaim the Streets) in series 3.For further tales about East London women visit our website eastlondonwomen.org.uk Or find us on Twitter, Facebook, You Tube, Instagram or Pinterest.If you would like to submit a story about growing up in Britain to the Museum of Youth Culture, visit their website at https://museumofyouthculture.com/submit/Rebel Women is part of the Women Activists of East London project, which has been developed by Share UK, a non profit community group based in London. This podcast series is part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, showcasing the range of heritage and arts projects we’ve run over the past decade.