Page 38 - BPW-UK ANNUAL REVIEW 2023-2024

Alas, not everyone was pleased and I had a few strong arguments with one or two of my
female friends on the subject of civic duty etc.” Maureen Craig

As we reminded ourselves, though much has been achieved, there is still much to do and
we all need to play our part.

Looking towards the future:

• Providing inspiring speakers
• Changing our ways to entice younger members
• Showing that there still is a need to lobby and advocate for change
• Increasing membership

The question was asked how and why did you become a member of BPW?

“I was dragged along to swell numbers and had no wish to join, but such was the power of
Ruth Tomlinson’s presentation that I became one of the 117 founder members! Thank good-
ness for that because beforehand I was tongue-tied with strangers and could never have spo-
ken in public. Now I never shut up!!!
The instigators were members of Leicester Junior BPW Club whose membership ceased at the
age of 40 and, as a body, those about to reach that age, decided that Leicester Club was too
full of old fuddy-duddies so they would start a new one. Leicester members were probably
twenty plus years younger than I am now and I don't count myself to be an old fuddy-duddy
but heaven knows what younger people think and best I don't know!!!!“ Sheila Scott

At SYNE we are very proud of BPW‘s past achievements,
however we intend in future, to put the focus more firm-
ly in the present. This will be done by including snippets
from our monthly meetings in our next yearly report.

At our recent January meeting the topic of reliance on
the past was brought up for discussion. This led to look-
ing at the interface between history and the present. We
looked at attitudes past and present to slavery. Also
there was an acknowledgment that in the past, people
were ‘of their time’. Women in the past who advocated
for equality were ‘ahead’ of their time in that respect.

However, that could be qualified in the sense that some women did not believe the principle
should extend to certain groups of women. For example, early coerced sterilisation of indige-
nous women legislation was supported by some early Canadian advocates of equality.

One thing always leads to another and we looked to defining the difference between the
terms “sex” and “gender”.

The topic for the next meeting will be artificial intelligence (AI), in terms of how it might ben-
efit or threaten the common good.

So, in modern parlance…….watch this space.

BPW SYNE
Contributors; Sue Ashmore, Jennifer Barrett, Maureen Craig,
Margo Davidson-Wood, Sheila Scott and Hilarie Tucknott.

BP W U K - AN N U A L R E VIEW 2 0 2 3 ~ 2 0 2 4