This famous hall was once the home of the London County Council. And at its first election in 1889, two women Lady Margaret Sandhurst and Jane Cobden took advantage of a loophole in wording, stood for election, and became councillors.
But legal challenges prevented them from taking their seats. Their supporters would form the Women’s Local Government Society, whose campaigning led to the 1907 Qualification of Women Act.
Women who took Council seats after that helped bring about important changes such as better streets, parks, and council housing, as well as pioneering education and welfare work.
So it feels fitting that we’re in the rooms where these women worked to tackle the issues of their age. We’re here to talk about how we promote and develop women to address the challenges of our age one of which, for me, is cyber-security.
I want to talk to you about the work Ofcom is doing…
