Unite's Inspirational Women

Dr. Mary Murdoch

Submitted by Karen Daniels, Branch Secretary and Senior Rep

In 1888 she began her studies at the London School of Medicine and got her qualifications in Scotland. Then she went to Brighton to learn how to be a midwife and worked in a number of hospitals before she came to Hull in 1893, where she became the house-surgeon at the Victoria Hospital for Children, Park Street.

In 1895, she left Hull for the Tottenham Fever Hospital where she became experienced in diagnosing infectious diseases. She came back to Hull in 1896 and became the first woman to practise medicine here. As well as being senior physician at the Victoria Children’s Hospital, she set up a private practice at 102 Beverley Road.

From 1900 to 1906 her partner in private practice was Louisa Martindale. Together, they started a Hull’s Women’s Suffrage Society and campaigned for votes for women. Mary became an important figure in the civic life of Hull. She promoted infant welfare, founded the first crèche and a school for mothers, and she encouraged the dock workers to take an active part in bringing up their children, encouraging them to hold their babies for 2 hours on a Sunday, to give their wives a break.

In 1905, Mary founded a Branch of the National Union of Women workers because she was so concerned about the conditions of working women and poor standards of housing and welfare, particularly in Hull. She was the first woman in Hull to own a car – and she drove it at speed!

 

She had to be incredibly brave, her campaign was not received well by the Hull Corporation (Council) because they felt it cast Hull in a bad light. I chose her because she is not as well known in Hull as she should be, she should be on a par with Amy Johnson. She improved the lives of women and children in this city immeasurably. She inspires me because she never gave up, she epitomises the benefit of dogged determination.

- Karen Daniels 

Karen Reay

Submitted by Debbie Wilkinson, Regional Officer

Karen is our regional secretary and was, I believe one of the first Female Regional Secretaries within Unite. She was also my National officer when I was a rep in Health and was on the Health National Industrial Sector Committee, so we have always worked closely together. 

She has always worked hard to increase the contingent of female officers within the region and highlight female reps, members and women's issues. This has also led recently to a female officers group so we can help and support each other within our roles and within the region.

 

I believe Karen is a role model for female officers in the union and inspired me to think that I could be an officer and ultimately maybe one day, more than that.
When I first started at Sheffield office as an officer, there was only one female officer and now there are 3 of us out of 9 - so a third, which is a big step forward.
So, I am doing the nomination on behalf of myself and my 2 fellow officers at Sheffield - Jess Honess & Jess Sangha.

- Debbie Wilkinson

Julie Varley 

Submitted by Heather Blakey, Regional Women and Equalties Officer

Born in 1871, Julia was a textile worker at Manningham Mills in Bradford. She was a trade union organiser with the Bradford Weavers and Textile Workers Union from the age of 15, the first woman to join the Bradford Trades Council, and a working class suffragette who was imprisoned for her actions. She later moved to Birmingham, where she was involved with the Chainmakers Strike of 1910, and sat on the General Council of the TUC.

Over her life, she was involved with many unions and many disputes, including founding a Domestic Servants Union, issuing a charter demanding adequate time off, minimum wage, your own bedroom and (amazing for this to be needed!) that your employer should use your proper name! She was the Chief Women's Officer of the T&G from 1929 to 1936. In 1935 she joined an international delegation to the League of Nations in Geneva, addressing women's demands for equality around the world. She was awarded an OBE for public service in 1931.

 

Julia Varley is from my city - I've lived in the houses built for Manningham Mill workers, and know how hard her life must have been. But neither this, nor poor health and eventual blindness, or the limits placed on working class women, deterred her from being a powerful force for justice and equality. She walked the walk - aged 24 she chose to live as a tramp for 6 weeks, to see what it was like to live on Poor Law handouts. At every point in her life, wherever she encountered injustice, she took a stand. And made a difference.

- Heather Blakey

Heather Crowther

Submitted by Stephanie Crowther, Workplace Representative

My mother - Heather is a remarkable and truly inspirational woman. Throughout her years as a nurse, she dedicated her life to serving others with compassion, patience, and unwavering commitment. She cared for people in their moments of greatest need, offering not only medical expertise but also kindness, comfort, and dignity.
Her generosity of spirit extended far beyond her profession. She opened her heart and home to foster children, providing love, stability, and hope to those who needed it most. This selfless devotion reflects the depth of her character and the strength of her empathy.

 

As a mother, she has been endlessly loving and supportive. As a wife, she has been loyal and devoted. Her life is a testament to service, sacrifice, and unconditional love. I am profoundly grateful for her example and deeply honored to call her my mother.

- Stephanie Crowther

Florence "Nellie" Covell

Submitted by Sarah Covell, Branch Secretary

Florence is my mother, who died when I was 9 years old, and in reality I don't remember a great deal about her. I couldn't tell you her favourite colour, food or even what political party she supported but I do remember being comprehensively lectured on the evils of Apartheid from an early age.

"We we don't buy those oranges Sarah" (She was obviously boycotting Outspan) and the whoop of delight and her jumping up from her chair when in 1970 the cricket and rugby tours were cancelled and it was on the news. Those tiny remembered snippets from when I was a child have stuck with me all through my life. Was she an activist? I have no idea, had she had an experience that had influenced her? I haven't a clue. But Mum clearly had a strong set of values by which she lived her life and as well as inheriting her looks, I'd like to think I have inherited and live by at least one of them.

Actually, it's two because I never ever make butties during a meal. "If I had wanted you to eat sandwiches Sarah I would have made you sandwiches" rings in my ear if I ever consider rustling up a chip butty when eating fish and chips.

 

I don't know if my mum knew she was dying, but I am minded to think she did. I can hand on heart say that her belief in equality was very deep rooted indeed and she went to great lengths to make sure her daughter understood that all people and races were equal. She tried her best in a very simple way to try and ensure her daughter inherited her values and had an opportunity to live in a multicultural society and value people by their actions, not by the colour of their skin. I am 64 now. 

- Sarah Covell

Olga Walkowicz

Submitted by Beata Walkowicz, Workplace Representative

The woman who inspired me most in my life was my mum. She was not a famous person and she never held a high position, but she was the strongest woman I have ever known. She raised me in Poland with very simple but powerful values: respect, kindness, honesty, and courage. She believed that no one should ever feel alone or treated as less than others.

My mum always helped people. It did not matter who they were or where they came from. If someone needed support, she was there. She listened, she comforted, and she defended those who were treated unfairly. She showed me that real strength is not in power, but in kindness and standing up for what is right.

She taught me that when we see injustice, we must not stay silent. Even small actions can change someone’s life. She believed that good always comes back when you give good to others.

Sadly, my mum passed away 25 years ago. Losing her changed my life forever, but her words and values stayed with me. They guide me every day. I moved to England over 20 years ago. Life was not easy in a new country, but I carried my mum’s lessons in my heart. When I saw people being treated unfairly at work, I knew I had to act. That is why I became a workplace representative – to protect others, to give them a voice, and to fight for fairness."

 

She inspires me because her courage and kindness live in me and give me strength to stand up for others every day.

- Olga Walkowicz

Ann Hardy (Wilson)

Submitted by Joanne Wilson, [insert position here]

Ann is the older sister of two younger sisters. She's been a nurse for 40+ years, although retired still works as a bank nurse. During the eighties and nineties she made sure that her grandfather got to every council meeting as he was a Labour councillor for Coundon and Leeholme. All of this while studying, and looking after her family. She's always shown up for anyone and everyone who's needed or needs her still

 

When Ann first started on her journey of becoming a nurse, she and her sisters lost their Mam to cancer. Ann took on the responsibility of looking after her sisters, her youngest one in particular as she was only 8yrs old at the time, as well as working hard for the career she had dreamed of. As that youngest sister she inspires me every day to be the person I am today, that if you want to do what's right you can despite any obstacles that may be in your path.

- Joanne Wilson

Ellen Wilkinson

Submitted by Chris Robson, Chair of Regional CPPT Committee

She was MP for Middlesbrough from 1921 to 1934 and co leader of the Jarrow Crusade. She set up the Spanish Medical Aid Committee during the Spanish Civil War and was a tireless antifascist, banned from Nazi Germany pre WW2, but who was the first person to report on Hitlers remilitarisation of the Rhineland despite her status as persona non grata.

She was a trade union organiser for the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies and was a key figure in the campaigns pre WW1, helping organise the Suffrage Pilgrimage in 1913. She campaigned against WW1 as nothing but an attack on workers, but also set up the Women's Emergency Corps helping women carry out voluntary work during the war. She moved onto the amalgamated union of cooperative employees after that and mostly organised and fought for female members and equal pay leading many strikes over this issue.

During the 1920s she met many leaders of the communist party in Moscow and helped found the Red International of Labour Unions, whose goal was the end the capitalist system through coordinated industrial action before eventually becoming the MP for Middlesbrough. She was the first female minister for education and increased school leaving age to 15, ordered children have free school milk, tried to give working class students better access to university, passed a bill to allow women to join the police and helped to set up UNESCO.

 

I find her life incredibly inspirational because she was so damn effective at what she did! She led a life absolutely rooted in working class power and betterment and an entire raft of British social policy is a direct result of her. She saw fascism for the naked attack on the working class that it was and still is and fought tirelessly to roll back what successes it had made and had the sense to know that also sometimes included in armed conflicts, across Europe. She was one of us and she was incredibly successfull.

- Chris Robson 

Sarah Chapman

Submitted by Janine Lee, Workplace Representative

Sarah Chapman was a match worker at the Bryant & May factory in Bow, East London, where hundreds of women and girls laboured long hours for very low pay. The work was dangerous. Exposure to white phosphorus caused serious illness, including the disfiguring and often fatal condition known as “phossy jaw.” Workers were also subjected to harsh fines, strict discipline, and constant fear of dismissal.

In 1888, when several workers were sacked for challenging these conditions, Sarah Chapman emerged as one of the key leaders of what became known as the Matchgirls’ Strike. Alongside her fellow workers, she helped organise meetings, encouraged women to stand together, and spoke publicly about their treatment, something that took enormous courage at the time.

The strike lasted just over two weeks and ended in a significant victory. The women won improvements in pay and conditions, an end to unfair fines, and, most importantly, the formation of the Union of Women Match Makers. Sarah Chapman served on the union’s committee, helping to give working-class women a collective voice in an era when they were expected to remain silent.

Sarah Chapman’s leadership helped spark a new phase in the trade union movement, showing that young, low-paid women could organise, take action, and win. Her legacy lives on in every woman who stands up at work and demands dignity, safety, and respect.

 

Sarah Chapman inspires me because she was an ordinary working-class woman who decided to take a stand, even though it meant risking her job, her health, and her safety. She became a powerful voice for others, speaking out for her colleagues when most expected women like her to stay silent. Her courage, determination, and commitment to justice-especially in a time when women had so little power—reminds me that leadership is not about status or position, but about doing what is right. She motivates me to speak up, support others, and keep fighting for fairness and dignity in our workplaces today. 

- Janine Lee

Sinead O'Connor

Submitted by Tracey Wadwell, Deputy Convener

Sinead O'connor was an Irish singer/writer who was born in 1966. She suffered abuse from her parents has a child and was sent to an asylum of forced labour when she was 15. When she left there she concentrated on her career and released her first album in 1987. This transformed her into a household name and people started to listen to her. She always had strong political and religious beliefs and constantly fought for women's rights, even if it caused her to get on the wrong side of people.

When she tore up a picture of the pope in protest of child abuse in the catholic church people started to dislike her but her allegations were later proven. Sinead would never conform to the media's feminine imagery she always was true to herself and inspired people to stand up for their beliefs. Sadly Sinead O'connor died at a relatively young age of 56 years old in 2023 from natural causes but her music, legacy and beliefs live on.

 

Sinead O'connor inspired me from a very young age. Her voice and music were beautiful, emotional and the topics she sang and wrote about resonated with me. I didn't have a very good childhood myself and the fact she still had the fight in her gave me the courage to stand and fight for what i believe in so much so I named my youngest daughter Sinead with the hope that she would grow into a very strong independent women (she did).

- Tracey Wadwell

Evelyn Carter

Submitted by Anne-Frances Hayes, Equalities Representative

Evelyn Carter, my nan, was born in Sheffield in 1911 and raised in desperate poverty. Influenced by her dad, a lifelong socialist, Evelyn fought inequality throughout her life, both personally and as a Labour Party supporter, trade union member and activist.

In late middle age, circumstances meant Evelyn had to foster me and my two sisters. In the 1960s/70s, gender roles were strictly defined, and men didn't share the parenting role as they do now. Our arrival therefore, changed Evelyn’s life completely. She had to give up her job and concentrate on raising us full time.

In those days, coming from (what was referred to as) a ‘broken home’ was considered a huge stigma, and by necessity, Evelyn took on a school system and a wider society that discriminated against us.

Being of the pre-war generation, Evelyn had witnessed at first hand the struggles that ordinary people went through before the formation of the welfare state. She instilled in me a lifelong respect and gratitude for post war socialist governments that brought so many benefits for the working class.

Whilst circumstances at home curtailed Evelyn's activism, she continued to support the Labour movement, attending marches, pickets (for the steelworkers) and helping Labour candidates during campaigns - always with me and at least one other of my sisters in tow. It made me realise that it's not only the big successes that matter in our movement, but that little acts of solidarity can do so much.

 

Evelyn is my constant inspiration because, whilst the financial, emotional and mental sacrifices she made to raise me were monumental, she never showed it. I later learned she suffered from severe depression and anxiety, and that some days just getting up and out of bed was an act of absolute bravery.

I admire and respect the the level of selfless dedication she showed us. If not for her, me and my sisters' lives could have turned out very differently.

Whenever I feel nervous or stressed in everyday life, I think of Evelyn, and her shining example sees me through.

- Anne-Frances Hayes

Anne Scargill

Submitted by Lynn Gibson, Workplace Representative

Anne Scargill was a pioneering working-class activist who transformed personal conviction into collective power. Born and raised in Barnsley, she started out as a miner’s wife and Co-op clerk living what she once called “a very boring life.” That changed in 1984, when the National Coal Board announced widespread mine closures. Alongside other miners’ wives, Anne co-founded Women Against Pit Closures (WAPC), a grassroots movement that gave voice to thousands of women during the miners’ strike.

Her leadership saw the organisation grow from local support groups into a national force for social justice. Under her guidance, the Barnsley WAPC organised the first national women’s rally in May 1984, drawing 10,000 women to the streets, followed by an even larger demonstration in London that same summer. Anne’s activism continued for decades – from chaining herself to railings in protest at further pit closures in the 1990s to undertaking a five-day underground sit-in at Parkside colliery at the age of 51.

Anne’s campaigning spirit extended far beyond mining, encompassing solidarity with asylum seekers, opposition to nuclear weapons, and the fight for equality and workers’ rights. She believed in empowering ordinary women to take the microphone, speak truth to power, and see themselves as agents of change. Fierce, witty, and compassionate, Anne Scargill helped reshape the story of Britain’s labour movement – proving that working-class women were not just witnesses to history, but its makers.

 

Anne Scargill inspires me because she showed what courage looks like in everyday life. Knowing her personally, I saw how her warmth and humour made activism feel accessible, even joyful. She turned quiet, self-doubting women into confident campaigners, teaching that leadership isn’t about status but solidarity. As secretary of Women Against Pit Closures after her passing, I feel her influence daily – in every meeting, every rally, every act of defiance. Anne proved that ordinary women could change history, and that the struggle for justice, once begun, must always be carried forward.

- Lynn Gibson

Betty Cook

Submitted by Lynn Gibson, Workplace Representative

Betty Cook is a working-class hero from Woolley, near Wakefield, whose tireless activism during the 1984-85 miners' strike epitomises the power of women in the labour movement. As a founding member of National Women Against Pit Closures (NWAPC), Betty transformed from a miner's wife into a formidable campaigner who helped sustain entire communities through one of Britain's most brutal industrial disputes.

Betty was instrumental in establishing the Woolley support group, organising soup kitchens that fed striking miners and their families throughout the year-long strike. Her kitchen became a hub of resistance, serving hundreds of meals weekly whilst raising funds and coordinating picket line support. She travelled the country speaking at rallies, won support from unlikely allies, and helped build a national network of women's groups that would outlast the strike itself. Her activism didn't begin or end with the strike.

Betty has been a lifelong advocate for her community, fighting pit closures, campaigning for miners' compensation, and keeping the memory and lessons of working-class struggle alive. She's appeared in documentaries, theatre productions like Red Ladder's work, and continues to share her story with new generations. What makes Betty exceptional is her unshakeable dignity and humour in the face of hardship. What makes Betty exceptional is her unshakeable dignity and humour in the face of hardship. She faced poverty, intimidation, and the full force of state power, yet never wavered.

 

Betty inspires me because she demonstrates that you don't need a title or position to make history – you just need courage and conviction. She showed that working-class women are not victims but powerful agents of change. Her ability to speak truth to power, and to maintain hope through the darkest times is truly remarkable. Betty's story reminds me that solidarity isn't abstract – it's made real through daily acts of courage, generosity, and defiance. She embodies the principle that an injury to one is an injury to all, and her legacy continues to inspire new generations of activists.

- Lynn Gibson

Heather Wood

Submitted by Lynn Gibson, Workplace Representative

Heather Wood a woman whose life embodies the very best of working-class solidarity feminist activism and unwavering commitment to social justice.

Heather's story begins in Easington Colliery, where as a miner's daughter she learnt from a young age the values of community collective action and standing up for what is right. At just seventeen working as a unit clerk she organised her first walkout against forced overtime, making her first public speech and securing trade union representation for her fellow workers. This was merely the opening chapter of a lifetime dedicated to fighting for others.

It was during the 1984/85 miners' strike that Heather's leadership truly blazed. As chair and co-founder of Save Easington Area Mines she established the first Women's Support Group in the United Kingdom, going on to organise thirteen more across the Easington district. When the miners walked out, Heather, her mother Myrtle MacPherson, and a dozen pitmen's wives created a free café feeding up to 500 people at a time, rising to 900 during school holidays. They provided not just meals but hope, community, and solidarity when families needed it most.

 

Heather Wood represents the best of what education, in its truest sense, can achieve. Though her classroom was the streets, the meeting halls, and the community centres of County Durham, she has taught generations about courage, solidarity, and the power of ordinary people to create extraordinary change. Her life's work reminds us that genuine scholarship exists not only within universities, but in the lived experience and collective wisdom of working-class communities across our region.

- Lynn Gibson

Ann Ming

Submitted by Stacey Ord, Branch Treasurer

Ann Ming is a campaigner from Billingham in Teesside. She fought for changes to the ‘double jeopardy’ law, after her daughter was murdered. Her daughter’s murderer was tried twice, and later 

confessed, but the law at the time meant he could not be tried a third time. Ann never gave up. She lobbied politicians and campaigned for a change of law, so that retrials could be allowed where there was compelling new evidence, and a retrial was believed to be in the public interest. 

In 2003, the law was changed, and in 2006 her daughter’s killer received a life sentence.Ann was awarded an MBE in 2007, for services to the criminal justice system.

 

 

She was one woman alone, fighting as a mother would for her daughter! She made her voice heard against the most powerful in the Houses of Parliament – and won! 

Her story affects me personally, as I have also had someone close to me murdered. Ann inspires me because she never gave up. She made a difference.

- Stacey Ord

Charlotte Wilson and Fran Taylor

Submitted by Chris Rawlinson, Regional Officer

Charlotte and Fran are intensive care nurses and Unite reps working for Doncaster & Bassetlaw NHS Trust on Bassetlaw ITU.

Charlotte and Fran organised their colleagues to fight back against the threat of Fire & Rehire, increasing membership from zero to 90% density. They are now leading a dispute against the Trust in response to the Trust's threats.

Charlotte, Fran and their colleagues, the vast majority of whom are women, have taken strike action for the first time in their lives, and have shown incredible resilience in the face of disgraceful union-busting tactics by their employer.

 

Charlotte and Fran have worked tirelessly to organise their colleagues with Unite, build up their colleagues' confidence, and to ensure a strong collective response to attacks on their terms and conditions - all whilst continuing to work 13-hour shifts as intensive care nurses. If it hadn't been for Fran and Charlotte, the Trust would have implemented their proposed changes in September 2024. Now, 18 months on, they're still fighting alongside their colleagues to protect their terms and conditions despite union-busting, threats, and bullying tactics from their employer.

- Chris Rawlinson

Siohban Endean

Submitted by Angela Duerden, Executive Council Member for Women

Siobhan Endean inspires me because she turns equality into action, not just as an idea, but as a lived commitment for real people at work. Through her leadership with Unite the union, she has fought for low-paid, outsourced, migrant and women workers, helping them organise, win dignity, and challenge unequal treatment.

Her connection to County Durham resonates deeply for me as someone born and raised in County Durham because it roots her work in a region with a proud history of solidarity and collective struggle. As the current Unite Executive Council member for women, I have been fortunate to have Siobhan’s full support throughout my union journey, guiding, mentoring and empowering me to speak up, support others and push for systemic change that is inclusive and intersectional, and which makes a real difference for all women members.

At the national level Siobhan’s role in shaping Unite’s equality strategy has influenced campaigns across the whole UK – from securing better rights for precarious workers to pushing back against discrimination in all its forms.

 

Siobhan’s example inspires me because she leads with empathy, knowledge and courage. She has shown that her local roots, national leadership, and collective action can combine to create real positive change – and she has supported me every step of the way to follow that path.

Siobhan Endean has inspired me to stand up, speak out, and act in solidarity for equality, showing that even small actions can create real change.

- Angela Duerden