The North East has been home to countless inspirational women over the years – but how many do you know from Teesside?
From a groundbreaking MP in the 1920s to a Paralympic champion and remarkable footballer, Teesside has been home to many remarkable women both past and present.
International Women’s Day is on Tuesday, March 8, where people all over the world will have chance to celebrate the inspirational women in their lives and in the public sphere.
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International Women’s Day (IWD) was first commemorated as early as 1909 in America, with the date of March 8 being cemented after a wartime strike by Russian women in March 1917 – with Vladamir Lenin making it a national holiday under the Soviet Union.
Ever since the second wave of feminism in the 1970s and 80s, International Women’s Day has been celebrated regularly around the world and is as important in 2022 as it’s ever been.
So, which inspirational women are from Teesside? Here’s a few you may know, and a few you might not!
Ellen Wilkinson
Although Manchester born and bred, Ellen Wilkinson found her political roots in the North East.
After being elected as Labour MP of Middlesbrough East in 1924, she joined only four other women in Parliament.
With her small stature, bright red hair and colourful clothing she certainly made an impression in the House of Commons, she informed fellow MPs: “I happen to represent in this House one of the heaviest iron and steel producing areas in the world – I know I do not look like it, but I do.”
After serving Middlesbrough East until 1931, Wilkinson became the MP for Jarrow in 1936, where she famously lead the Jarrow March with local workers to London to lobby the Prime Minister as a result of mass unemployment in the town.
Still remembered as a trailblazer 75 years on from her death in 1947, ‘Red Ellen’ was described at the time as ‘vigorous, uncompromising feminist and an exceedingly tenacious, forcible and hard-headed politician”.
Ellen Wilkinson MP leading the Jarrow March to London in 1936
(Image: UGC TNE)
Tanni Grey-Thompson
Originally from Wales, sporting trailblazer Tanni Grey-Thompson is now settled in Eaglescliffe.
Over her career she won a total of 16 Paralympic medals, including 11 golds, held over 30 world records and won the London Marathon six times between 1992 and 2002.
She was awarded an MBE in 2000 for ‘services to sport’, in 2019 she was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award and is now a member of the House of Lords.
Tanni Grey-Thompson celebrating during the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney
(Image: PA)
Winnie McKenna
Beth Mead and Jordan Nobbs are two Teessiders currently trailblazing the women’s football world, but do you know of one of the first football pioneers was also a local lass?
Winnie McKenna grew up on Bessemer Street in Grangetown and began playing Bolckow Vaughan ladies team during the First World War – and was one of the first women footballers ever to play at international level.
A star of football when women were also campaigning for suffrage, Winnie was one of the first ever females to play at an international level and played in front of thousands every week, as well as working as a ‘Munitionette’ in a factory during the First World War.
Like many of her counterparts, Winnie’s career was cut short in 1921 hen the FA effectively banned women from playing football by not allowing them access to its grounds – the ban lasted 50 years.
Winnie McKenna (centre) and Bolckow Vaughan Ladies
(Image: Doug Moody Photography)
Steph McGovern
A well known face on many Teessider’s TVs, Steph McGovern was brought up in Middlesbrough and after studying Science Communication and Policy at University College London she bagged work experience on BBC’s Tomorrow’s World.
Since then she became a regular delivering business news on BBC Breakfast, co-presented Shop Well For Less and after leaving BBC in 2019, she joined Channel 4 and launched Steph’s Packed Lunch from her kitchen during the first covid lockdown in March 2020.
Despite living away from Teesside, she always champions the area at any opportunity she can, and became patron of South Bank based charity Rubies in 2019 who run workshops for local year 6 girls to help them find their confidence and believe in themselves.
Steph McGovern on set of Steph’s Packed Lunch
(Image: Channel 4)
Alice Schofield
Born in Cleveland in 1881, Alice Schofield was inspired to campaign for women’s suffrage after meeting Emmeline Pankhurst in Manchester.
In 1907, to distance from herself from the extreme militant actions of some suffragettes, Alice joined the Women’s Freedom League – which was still militant but objected to extreme measures.
1919 saw Alice become the first female councillor in Middlesbrough, representing the Ayresome ward, and was a stalwart in campaigning for women to have the right of equal pay.
Her campaigning became a reality in 1970, Alice passing away in 1975 after a long career of campaigning for women’s causes.
(Image: Evening Gazette)
Teesside’s Olympic heroes
Teesside has also had its fair share of female Olympic success over the years, including paralympic legend Tanni Grey-Thompson.
Ingleby Barwick’s Kat Copeland won a famous gold medal at London 2012 alongside her double scull rowing partner Sophie Hoskings. She became the first Teesside Olympic gold medallist in a century since Willie Applegarth of Guisborough in 1912.
Middlesbrough born swimmer Aimee Willmott won a string of European Championship and Commonwealth medals during her glittering career, also she was a finalist in the 2016 Rio Olympics. After her third Olympics in Tokyo, Aimee retired in 2021 after finishing seventh in the 400m individual relay.
Former Prior Pursglove student Jade Jones-Hall trained under Tanni Grey-Thompson as a teenager. As a wheelchair athlete she competed in numerous championships, Commonwealth Games and qualified for Team GB at both London 2012 and Rio 2016’s Olympic games.
Ingleby Barwick’s Kat Copeland with her London 2012 gold medal
(Image: PA)
Mo Mowlam
Originally from Hertfordshire, Mo Mowlam became Labour MP for Redcar in 1987 and became Labour spokesperson for Northern Ireland the same year as The Troubles raged on.
She was the first woman to become Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 1997 after her re-election as Redcar’s MP and oversaw the negotiations which led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which brought peace to Ireland.
After her death in August 2005, tributes poured in for Redcar’s much loved member of Parliament.
A mosaic was revealed in tribute to Mowlam in 2009 which illustrated her life and interests; which can still be found at Redcar’s Boating Lake.
Former Redcar MP Mo Mowlam speaking at the 1997 Labour Party Conference
(Image: PA)
These nine women are just a small cross section of female trailblazers both past and present who have made a huge impact across Teesside whether through politics, sport or other avenues.
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