A trio of trailblazers Tickets and Dates

A trio of trailblazers

In celebration of Women's History Month, join us for a trio of stories showcasing some little-known women who acted as trailblazers for future generations.

Caroline Norton's husband, MP for Guildford, accused her of having an affair with the then Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. Unable to obtain a divorce and denied access to her children, Caroline campaigned to secure justice for women faced with the break-down of a marriage.

We all know that Lady Nancy Astor was the first woman to speak in the House of Commons in 1919, or was she? Actually, Margaret Travers-Symons pre-dated her by a decade. On 13 October 1908, Margaret gained access to the Commons Chamber and in front of about 40 MPs shouted, "Leave off discussing the children's question, and turn your attention to the women first." She was immediately carried out of the House by an attendant but her words and actions, although not her name, are recorded in Hansard.

Despite a long history of women fighting for equal pay, the Ford Dagenham Sewing Machinists Strike in 1968 resulted in more than a call to have jobs regraded, it became a catalyst for change. The strike led to the Equal Pay Act which received Royal Assent in 1970 eventually becoming law in 1975.

In this 45-minute talk, these three stories are presented individually by our award-winning guides. At the end of the talk, 15 minutes are available for you to ask questions.

This is an online event and will be hosted on Microsoft Teams Live Events which you can access through web browsers like Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge. Safari is not currently supported. You do not need a Microsoft account to join the event. We will send full details of how to join the event online following registration.