Patchwork Blankets and Woolly Dolls

Within the first half hour, several women had stopped by the church hall to lend a helping hand: moving chairs, buttering scones, providing family treasures for display, and encouraging other women to join in. I was struck by everyone’s generosity; how much time they were willing to give, how keen they were for our workshop to be a success. The day only continued to get better.

We listened to the funny and quite extraordinary reminiscences of Lesley Robinson, a farmer’s wife and mother of 10, whose children were out milking cows as soon as they could walk. We saw beautiful homespun quilts and heard the remarkable stories of their creation; we were moved by the intimacy and flowing devotion expressed in letters between young lovers during the Second World War; we looked at many intriguing old photographs and heard the histories and memories of many wonderful women from around Wigtown. A giggly gaggle of young girls attended the workshop in the afternoon, entertaining us with their cartoons, poems, and descriptions of their best friends and favourite grown-ups. By the end of the day, I was full to the brim with coffee, Reading Lasses’s delicious cakes, and everyone’s affecting stories.

Pinpointing Heroines on the Map of Scotland

As we packed up and reflected on our short trip, Morag and I discussed the benefits of living in the countryside as opposed to the city: the fresh air, the starry skies, the overwhelming sense of community spirit, the silence and the space needed to think and work… And driving back home to polluted, rambunctious Glasgow, a golden eagle soared magnificently above us – thanks Wigtown, but we really didn’t need another sign!

Thank you to Renita, Nanette, Gerrie and Bex from Reading Lasses, Ailsa, Wigtown Baptist Church, and everyone who came along and made it such a fantastic day.

25th November: Anniversary of the assassination of the Mirabel Sisters

In 1960 three Dominican women were executed by the dictator Rafael Trujillo. The Mirabel sisters fiercely opposed Trujillo as a consequence they were imprisoned, tortured, and eventually killed. Six months later, Trujillo himself was assassinated, and the Mirabel sisters were acknowledged as national heroines. Latin Americans commemorated the women on the anniversary of their death, and used the day to bring attention to violence against women as of global concern.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
In 19th October 1999, a representative of the Dominican Republic came to the United Nations to ask for global recognition of 25th November as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The UN General Assembly agreed to “invite worldwide organisation of activities on that day to raise awareness of the problem of violence against women.”

1st December: World AIDS Day

Since 1988, World AIDS Day has raised awareness about HIV and AIDS across the globe.

From the UN AIDS website: “The effects of gender inequality leave women and girls more at risk of exposure to HIV. Less access to education and economic opportunity results in women being more dependent on men in their relationships, and many who have no means of support must resort to bartering or selling sex to support themselves and their children. Where women can’t own property and lack legal protections, their dependence within their families is even greater.”

6th December: Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre

In 1989, fourteen women at the École Polytechnique in Montreal were shot and killed, and several others wounded. Marc Lépine was a lone gunman who expressed his hatred of feminists before releasing fire. The massacre only stopped when Lépine shot himself in the head. Many view the tragedy as a symbol of male violence against women. Canadians commemorate the tragedy on 6th December every year, and the White Ribbon Campaign was founded by men in 1991 in response. There is also a UK branch of the White Ribbon Campaign, and in some countries 25th November is known as White Ribbon Day.

10th December: International Human Rights Day

10th December marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

The Scotsman, 10^th October 1909

A week after the Gude Cause re-enactment march that we took part in last weekend, I had a look online for reports from that amazing day. A Scotsman article was one of the first to pop up; apart from the slightly old-fashioned language, I though it seemed fairly accurate. Large crowd? Check. Women pipe and drum bands? Check. Women in historical costume? Check. Police force hovering nearby? Check. Collections buckets? Check.

It was only when I read “Punctually at four o’clock, Mrs Pankhurst and the other members of the platform party took their places” instead of “Punctually at four o’clock, Fiona Hyslop MSP and the other members of the platform party took their places” did I notice the date of the article. (The substitution of speakers is perhaps a clue to why ‘Noisy dissent towards current parliament’ remained unchecked.)

So on the 10^th October of this year, the streets of Edinburgh were ablaze with purple, white, and green once again: so many beautiful banners held high; so many long skirts, rosettes, and feathered hats flapping in the breeze. Demonstrators were varied and united: Women’s Aid groups across Scotland, Engender, Protest in Harmony, WEA: Women @ Work, Women in Black, Socialist and Labour political parties, Women’s History groups, Women Artists Scotland, Women’s Engineering Society, Women HIV Solidarity, Environmental groups, Educational groups, Feminists, families – individuals from a spectrum of ages, ethnicities, attitudes and activism experience.

Many people had dressed for the event, most wearing outfits from the early 1900s, though we did see the odd sixties feminist and even one Rosie the Riveter! There was something quite surreal about seeing a parade of suffragettes walking past the weekend shoppers, which, judging by the looks on their faces, was a shared impression. We walked through the city and up to Calton Hill, former site of Calton Jail, where Ethel Moorhead and other dangerous women were imprisoned. (Interestingly, stories are told about witches dancing upon the hill in ancient times; and various historical and mythological rituals and festivals continue there to this day.) The march ended here, and the members of the platform party took their places…

After the speeches, Protest in Harmony sang for a Gude Cause. Their harmonies were beautiful, but unfortunately the top of a hill does not provide good acoustics. It made me realise one thing that seemed to be missing, and that was the lack of a roaring chorus – chants or songs. The suffragettes gave us so many catchy chants, like “What’s guid for John is guid for Janet”; “Cry all together, that’s the way to be served”; “The langest day has an end”; and “Daffin does naething”. The Gude Cause organisers with Protest in Harmony gave us the words and music to so many catchy songs, as mentioned in Part 1 of this blog. So why could we not raise our voices together, to blare through the streets? Whether it was the Edinburgh wind (a few megaphones would have gone a long way), or a rather un-suffragette display of ladylike restraint, I wonder if we were a little too polite for a protest.

Even so, it is hard to describe how exhilarated I felt that day…almost as if the spirit of the suffragettes’ conviction possessed us as we marched through Edinburgh. Our collective body pulsed with a visceral energy, the political heart of Scotland throbbing as drum beats echoed our footsteps, tribal reminders that our foremothers had marched through these streets before us. (Although they weren’t diverted by tram-works!)

Thank you Gude Cause organisers, not only for making me feel part of history, but for making me feel part of a national sisterhood, and reminding me that we Have done and Can do and Will do!

Speakers take their places on the platform...

What the press of 2009 had to say about the march:

Gude Cause: Press Releases
BBC News Website
Scotland on Sunday
SNP
The Scottish Herald

Coverage of the march on the F Word blog, 18th November 2009

Pictures and Videos from the march:

The Library’s photos of the march on Flickr
Other photos and videos (found via womensgrid):
fskillen’s Gude Cause Flickr set
sufragista2009′s photostream on Flickr
The Gude Cause 2009 Flickr Pool
Scottish Socialist Party Gude Cause photo gallery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAwvPwLAu4E&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBrMMLim8Fg&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35SFqyKVCno

Exhibition celebrating the Women’s Suffrage Movement:

Edinburgh City Council: Votes for Women

In the weeks leading up to this exciting re-enactment there are events taking place across Scotland in honour of the Gude Cause. At Glasgow Women’s Library we have had two main activities: Banner Making and Singing for a Gude Cause, both of which I have had the great pleasure of attending.

Our One-Mile volunteer Loraine, who is also a talented craftswoman, ran a 3 week Banner Making course at the Library. Now as anyone who has ever been to a march (or seen pictures) will know, banners are an essential part of proceedings. A good banner can make a brilliant visual impact – if you can’t hear us, we will make sure that you can see us!

Loraine and her diverse team of interested and inspired women spent one session evaluating slogans; VOTE TODAY TO CHANGE TOMORROW was the consensus. 2 of our Chinese learners suggested a beautiful phrase in Mandarin to complement the English words, which translates roughly as WOMEN ARE THE STUFF OF HEROES. The image decided on was a conflation of the GWL logo with the iconic Votes for Women poster.

The next 2 weeks were spent thinking, printing, cutting, pinning, stitching, drawing, bonda-webbing, fabric painting, and rosette crafting. Loraine expertly delegated tasks so that regardless of skill or experience everyone was included – what had initially seemed like it might become chaos instead became carefree autumn afternoons. By the end, I felt as pleased with the team effort and shared sense of accomplishment, as with the banner itself!

Songs provide a different dimension to marches, utilising the rousing qualities of music to unite and uplift demonstrators, whilst simultaneously proclaiming the (gude) cause in question. The Singing for a Gude Cause sessions were jointly organised by GWL and WEA, and led by the enlivening Penny, who taught us various marching songs including ‘Bella Ciao’, ‘Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round’, ‘It’s a Gude Cause’, and the gloriously titled ‘Nana Was a Suffragette’.

Penny would sing a song for the group making the words sound soulful and the tunes melodically simple. Then we would try to copy her, and realise that the words were tongue-twisters and the tunes erratically tricky (or was that just me?). But with patience and a tuner, we were swept away with the spirit of the songs, singing perfect harmonies with sisterly pride.

But as much fun as I have had over the last couple of weeks, it has all been for a Gude Cause – not just a march, but a social and political movement through time. The issues we are marching for are not restricted to Scottish women, nor are they remnants of the past; they are universal, current, and will not be quashed! So with banners and voices at the ready, all we need now are authentic period costumes and sturdy marching boots; the courage to continue the fight our fore-mothers started and the perseverance to make them proud.

Our Beautiful Banner

A snapshot of women’s history walks activities in GWL just now: A tailored version of our West End Tour is heading out tomorrow evening for the gratification of Hillhead’s International Women’s Group, and on Sunday Kirsty will lead out the knockout Merchant City Women’s Heritage Tour (weather permitting – the first launch culminated in an impromptu session at GWL as we gave up in the face of comedy-style, inside-out-brolly storm conditions).

Meantime a fabulous hard copy of the West End walk is being crafted for a launch during the West End Festival (check back to the website for details of this and the two free walks we will be undertaking for the Festival). Work continues steadily in researching the hidden heroines of the Necropolis and we are at the very early stages of crafting a new walk for the Paths To Health networking event this summer that is likely to be a new wee gem capturing something of the rich history of women in Garnethill.

The core group of Women Make History are making headway with their recruiting tour guides dvd – we are still looking for actors to fill some key roles if you have the inclination…

And finally, I am heading off tomorrow to network with other walking group fanatics and facilitators at the Walk Glasgow Community Network Event.

Big thanks to all the marvellous women who have taken the small steps, bracing walks and giant leaps with this one.

The first is Women’s Self Defence Classes being held at Urban Oasis in Ruthven Lane on 22 or 29 April from 6pm to 8pm (both dates). If you are interested in finding out more then click on this link: Self Defence for Women Workshops. While you’re on there check out the other events they have going on – there is a wide variety so you might find something that tickles your fancy!

Or if you fancy getting out and about now that Spring has sprung…well, the clocks have changed and there is more sun – even if it is still freezing most days…then why not try one of the Necropolis Tours and learn a little about Glasgow’s History. If you are interested then click this link to go to their website and book on: Friends of the Necropolis

Happy Spring time to everyone and bring on the Summer