Taking Action in November

 


In 1844, Thomas Hood didn’t think too much of November when he wrote:

No sun - no moon! 

No morn - no noon - 

No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day. 

No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease, 

No comfortable feel in any member - 

No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, 

No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! - 

November!

Well, perhaps. Sometimes. But November 2025 hasn’t quite reflected Thomas Hood’s experience. For one thing we’ve had mild temperatures - up to mid November anyway - and gardens, though sodden, remained colourful for longer. Birds still cheerfully sing as the streetlights create a false dawn for them, and the occasional bee pushes itself to its limits to get to the last of the nectar. It is all a bit weird and worrying and if you are becoming increasingly concerned about climate change, the evidence is right there in your back garden.

As you have no doubt observed, this blog is focusing on November. It’s being posted a little earlier in the month than usual, partly because of events, anniversaries and important women associated with the month. They are all all interesting to write about, but there is one key date – November 25 – which offers the opportunity for us all to reflect, participate and take some action. We’ll come back to this a little later.

Before we reach that date though, there are a couple of others that are worth noting, for very different reasons, though both linked to women’s equality.

A Moment of Victory!

This November, at the Royal Festival Hall, Marin Alsop, the great conductor and feminist, is conducting a concert performance of an opera with the rather explosive title of Balls.

The topic of the opera is a tennis match, played in 1973 between Billie Jean King and retired champion Bobby Riggs. Riggs had earlier challenged Margaret Court, the Australian former world number 1, to a match, which she accepted. At the beginning of that match Margaret Court curtsied to Riggs and then went on to lose badly. Billie Jean King was incensed and challenged Riggs (who said that women belonged in the kitchen and the bedroom) to a match. 

The match, which became known as the Battle of the Sexes, was a huge spectacle - King was carried on to the court on a golden throne and she handed a piglet to Riggs before the match. Many male spectators wore t-shirts proclaiming themselves as male chauvinists.

Billie Jean King won in straight sets. Of course she did. Afterwards she said: I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match. It would ruin the women’s tour and affect all women’s self-esteem.

Speaking about the opera, Marin Alsop said: ‘This piece feels more timely now, almost than it did in 1973’ and it seems nicely fitting that the date of this month’s performance of ‘Balls’ is also very close to BJK’s November birthday.

On A Less cheerful Note.....

In 2025, November 22 has been calculated as Equal Pay Day. The National Fawcett Society explains that it: ‘marks the point in the calendar when, because of the gender pay gap, women start working for free compared to men. We calculate it each year using data from the Office for National Statistics.’

Equal pay has been a legal requirement since 1970, but the gender pay gap (the average difference in hourly pay between all women and all men) is still shaped by the inequalities affecting women in society.

Equal pay is a ‘Flagship Campaign’ of the Fawcett Society, who will be highlighting the impact of unequal pay and campaigning for policy change. As the Fawcett website says: ‘These are not just statistics. It is about women’s lives. Our independence. Our choices. We are being harmed by unequal and unfair pay.’

November 25, Ending Violence against Women and Girls

Every year, on 25 November the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women marks the start of 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. It was launched in 2008 by the United Nations Secretary General, with a signature colour of orange and a campaign message, Orange the World, to symbolise a future that is brighter and free from violence. White Ribbon Day, which also takes place on November 25 in the UK, interconnects with the global movement and the 16 days of action. The White Ribbon Campaign is committed to engaging with men and boys to pledge to ‘never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women.’ The theme for this year’s campaign is ‘We Speak Up.’

The two campaigns are closely linked and have the same aim - ending violence against women and girls.

Join The Action

Events to support both campaigns take place on November 25 as well as during the 16 Days of Activism. If you are based in or around Milton Keynes why not visit the Orange the World Craftivism Exhibition in Midsummer Arcade, which will be launched by the Milton Keynes Mayor at 5.30pm on November 25 (and will be in place until December 10). Following the opening of the exhibition there will be a procession to The MK Rose at 5.45 for the Torchlight Vigil, which will include readings, reflections, and the tying of a white ribbon around the whole of the MK Rose.

Lots To Remember

November really is quite an extraordinary month for memorable dates. As well as Billie Jean King, women born in November include Marie Curie, Georgia O’Keefe, Martha Gellhorn, George Eliot, Louisa May Alcott and Shirley Chisholm. Also, apparently, Minnie Mouse.

And of course, All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos, Diwali, Hannukah, the Gunpowder Plot, the Russian Revolution and the Armistice are all associated with November. As, perhaps rather less importantly, are National Square Dancing Day and Odd Socks Day. And if you want to take a stand, remember that November 28 is Buy Nothing Day – the antidote to Black Friday.

Too many dates? Then just focus for the moment on November 25 and support the campaign for eliminating violence against women and girls. It’s so important. 

NOVEMBER UPDATE ON THE MK FAWCETT CAMPAIGN FOR A SAFER, HEALTHIER, FAIRER MILTON KEYNES

  • The latest Evidence Paper, a compilation of data relating to Milton Keynes and our Safer, Healthier and Fairer manifesto, will be ready to disseminate shortly.
  • Members have worked with partners to mark the Day of the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls on 25th November, the start of the UN 16 Days of Action. There will be a series of events including a torchlight vigil at The Rose in CMK. A photographic exhibition in Middleton Hall will showcase a ‘craftivism’ response to the scourge of VAWG. Details of events HERE 
  • We met with Emily Darlington our MP for Milton Keynes Central in October for an extensive exchange of information. We are appreciative of her time. 
  • We have submitted a response to the second consultation on the draft MKCC  Domestic Abuse strategy 
  • MK Fawcett was represented at the inaugural conference of the OU’s Centre for Protecting Women Online, held on 10-11 September . The two days offered a highly varied programme, stimulating and challenging, allowing participants to share ideas and strategies on preventing online violence against women and girls. It was also good to meet up with Penny East, CEO of the Fawcett Society. More information HERE
  • We welcomed the CEO of Healthwatch MK to our October meeting to speak about the NHS 10-year plan and women’s health, as well as what the demise of Healthwatch could mean for the city
  • We were also represented at the MK ACT conference on 4 November, held to celebrate MK ACT's work over the past 50 years. The conference provided a thought-provoking programme that enabled researchers, practitioners, advocates and survivors to learn from each other, sharing positive and sometimes challenging experiences of supporting survivors of domestic abuse in what is often a difficult financial climate. The conference reminded us of the invaluable and, indeed, inspirational work of MK ACT in Milton Keynes, in supporting local families and helping people to rebuild their lives
  • We are now regularly attending and reporting on the stakeholder events arranged by the BLMK Women’s Health Network to better understand what advances in service provision are being made to address inequality in women’s health
  • We met with the MK Youth Council earlier in October for a stimulating discussion about Voting at 16. 
  • We will continue to promote the manifesto campaign and encourage people to become more involved with the political process 
  • We have contributed to the planning of the annual Fawcett Society conference, to take place in February 2026
  • MKF now has a LinkedIn presence as well as being on BlueSky. Please follow us on these platforms as well as at www.fawcettmk.org.uk

Location: Milton Keynes, UK

Popular posts from this blog

The Darkling Plain

Image
The Darkling Plain A new year begins Well, here we are. About a couple of weeks into 2025. As we reached the Quarter Century out came the fireworks. Hurray! Auld Lang Syne, Peace and Goodwill, ring out the bells and all that. An opportunity to listen calmly to wise words from highly regarded world leaders offering us hope and optimism for the future and reassuring us that we are safe under their watch. Oh, sorry. No chance of any of that. Whatever were you thinking? Racing to the bottom Listen instead to the grating sound of people yelling and screaming and twittering at each other. Look at the rich, entitled and powerful who are taking offence at the smallest perceived slight as they desperately seek attention. Watch as people leap onto bandwagons and make pompous and abusive statements about things that they know nothing about and care even less. And notice how addressing the suffering in Gaza, in Ukraine, in Sudan and elsewhere is now much less important than the priorities of vario...
Read more

Determined Young Women

Image
Museum revelations In the shadow of Salisbury Cathedral there is a fascinating museum, where a visitor can explore all kinds of exhibits from Neolithic burial sites to a representation of the town sewage works. Tucked away in a corner, displayed within a glass case, is a small, beautifully embroidered cape in the purple and silver colours of the early suffrage movement . It is unfinished, with a caption explaining that it once belonged to Millicent Fawcett, who lived in Salisbury for a while. It is probably too small for Millicent herself to have worn but perhaps it was intended as a gift for a child – a mini-Suffragist perhaps. Whatever its actual history, it triggers a poignant reminder of how young Millicent herself was when she became committed to the cause of women’s suffrage. By the age of 19, for example, she was collecting signatures to support a petition to parliament that she was actually too young to sign herself. Museums are wonderful for revealing fascinating and unexpecte...
Read more

The Seeping Stench of Violence

Image
The Seeping Stench of Violence November 25th is White Ribbon Day. Each year this date signals the start of 16 days of international activism to combat violence against women and girls. Its profile has grown during recent years and many organisations are gaining White Ribbon accreditation. Politicians are more involved; the media are reporting White Ribbon events, and and people are increasingly standing together to campaign against the insidious rise of violence. But the scale of it is almost impossible to absorb. Look at this dreadful statistic. EVERY ELEVEN MINUTES, ACROSS THE WORLD, A WOMAN OR GIRL IS KILLED IN HER OWN HOME. Unfortunately, much of this month’s blog makes grim reading. But it is so important to keep remembering that women are not safe, and that violence and domestic abuse are a terrible stain on humanity. Attention must be paid. So, before the Christmas jollifications begin, and before waves of sentimentality obscure and distort the reality, please, please, pause for...
Read more