International Women’s Day 2021 (what would Libby do?)
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #ChooseToChallenge and we couldn’t be more excited about it. The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the situation of many women who have frequently bearing the brunt of lockdown restrictions and school closures. For this reason, it has never been more important to take the time to celebrate women’s achievements. We are so privileged to work with many incredible women and we will take any and every opportunity to shout about them from the rooftops. Before we get to that, there is one special woman who has been our inspiration from day one and that is our very own Dr Rosie’s late grandmother – Dr Libby Wilson.
Dr Libby Wilson was a pioneer of choice in women’s reproductive health. Setting up the infamous 408 Clinic in Sheffield she attracted immediate controversy for having the audacity to offer contraception, sexual health, and abortion advice to all women, even (and you’re going to have to get your pearls here ladies) unmarried ones! Did Libby worry about that? Nope…
It was the best publicity I could have hoped for, before then we had been relatively quiet, after the furore women were queuing around the block
Resolute and undeterred she next hit Glasgow winning over trust with her straight-talking, no-nonsense approach. She visited women from some of the most deprived areas of the city and gave them advice and support on family planning, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases, if you want to read some of her more colourful memories she even wrote an autobiography – Sex on the Rates. During her time in Africa she helped young women to escape forced Female Genital Mutilation.
I mean, we could go on because she was such an absolute legend, but I think it’s enough to say for now that Libby’s dedication, and achievements, when it came to the right to personal choice, is the basis for everything that we do. How lucky we are that whenever we hit a rocky patch, or we’re not sure of what we should do next, we can reach for the four magic words:
Our connection with Glasgow is still so special to us, particularly as the seeds of our #FormulaIsFood campaign were sowed with the support of the volunteers at Springburn. Since then we’ve had the honour of running an inquiry with Dannii at Abernecessities. We find ourselves continually in awe of the commitment shown by all of the baby and food bank volunteers that we have come across along the way. While we dream of a future where food/baby banks aren’t necessary, at the moment they are all providing a crucial front-line service and they must be celebrated and supported for as long as they continue.
Of course #FormulaIsFood is just one of many avenues that we are exploring in our mission to bring compassion and science to infant feeding support and policy. We also have the pleasure of working with so many outstanding women who bring positivity and energy to the infant feeding arena of women’s reproductive health. From academics like Dr Vicky Fallon, to those women heading up third sector organisations who share many of our goals like Clare Murphy and Katherine O’Brien at BPAS, or the team at The National AIDS Trust. Our very own trustees to whom we are enormously grateful for their time and expertise, and the women who have supported us by sharing their own experiences so kindly and openly.
So here is to International Women’s Day 2021 and here’s to all the women - the ones who inspire us, the ones who need us, and all the unsung heroes of 2020. We see you, we support you and we will celebrate your achievements. Most of all, just remember that whatever 2021 throws at you, we strongly recommend the '“what would Libby do?” approach.
Dr Elizabeth Wilson (Libby), 3 June 1926 – 29 March 2016
