International Women’s Day: spotlighting leading ladies of the North-East

The Northeast is rich in history and is the birthplace of our favourite bakery: Greggs. However, the Northeast does not get enough credit for those who come from here and have become national treasures, as International Women’s Day is arriving on the 8^th of March let us shine the spotlight on these northern leading ladies. 

Ladies from the Past

One Northern woman who fought against gender norms before feminism was even a coined term was Mary Astell. The author and philosopher, whose powerful arguments concerning women being just as rational as men made her become known as the ‘first English feminist’. This legendary lady was born in 1666 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, so it is quite right that we should celebrate her as a legacy of the Northeast. 

Another female powerhouse from the past was Dr Ruth Nicholson. Born in Newcastle in 1884 and graduating from Durham University as the only woman in her class in 1909, she became a principal surgeon at a military hospital in France during WW1. To learn more about her, head to the Discovery Museum, where her story is told in more depth. 

Women of Charity and Suffrage

Both Kathleen Brown and Emily Wilding Davidson were tenacious suffragettes who acted as key figures in women’s fight for the vote. A heritage plaque is on display along Grey Street, where suffragettes congregated to celebrate Kathleen’s release from prison in 1909, and a statue of Davidson can be found in Morpeth’s Carlisle Park, which was unveiled in 2018, over a century after she was tragically killed in 1913. Why not make a feminist inspired scavenger hunt using these sights as locations? 

The People’s Kitchen is a Newcastle-based charity that offers assistance for vulnerable people and was set up on Dean Street in 1985 by Alison Kay, who has since been honoured with a bronze plaque in the pavement of the Quayside, alongside around 30 celebrated men and women from the Northeast. 

Loved Lassies

As the rise of fame through media came into play in the 20^th and 21^st centuries lassies from up North became recognisable through their Geordie charm. One Geordie icon is the British girl group phenomenon: Cheryl Tweedy, known as Cheryl Cole. The TV personality is known for never turning her back on her Northern roots, with her Geordie twang still present in interviews. Another loved lassie is the stand-up comedian Sarah Millican, who was born and raised in South Shields, and has dominated the male-dominated sphere of comedy through her unfiltered approach.  

Working Women

Now to finish off, here are a few businesses owned by women to visit in the Northeast, as we remember and support the females of ‘Toon’. 

For all things vintage, check out Friday Vintage in Old Eldon Square, which was established in 2023 by Laura Jackson. If in Ouseburn, why not check out Flaura Rose, a pink, popular lifestyle shop selling a collection of items by female small business owners. Lastly, fancy a beverage? Pure Knead, with locations on Grey Street and Whitley Bay, has drinks and pastries and was started by Paula Watson at Tynemouth Market.