Annie Lennox, profile: Singer who marched with Dr Helen Pankhurst for an International Women’s Day demonstration

She also spoke outside City Hall about the state of women’s rights

Annie Lennox (Getty)

Singing a different tune

The soul singer took to a different stage this Mother’s Day, as part of an International Women’s Day demonstration. The 61-year-old marched alongside the Dr Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of suffragette Emmeline, the campaign group Care International and crowds of supporters to tell the country that the fight for worldwide gender equality is far from over. She also spoke outside City Hall about the state of women’s rights.

Why Mother’s Day?

Mrs Lennox has two daughters, Tali and Lola, and said that this relationship made her realise she has “such a privileged life” and must “stand in solidarity.”

She added: “Please remember there are women delivering babies today – those girls have no access to healthcare, to reproductive health protection … have a moment to reflect on that.”

Wow. Did she say anything else?

Yes. She spoke about how far women have come in our country, but that it is all too easy to forget what our predecessors did to get us here.

“The problem is in our country we have amnesia. We forget that people sacrifice so much to give us the things we take for granted.”

Mrs Lennox called for everyone to continue what the Suffragettes began. She said that we need to “keep this fire burning, this flame to illuminate the disparity”.

What sparked this?

Mrs Lennox has been campaigning for years about problems such as HIV in Africa. She even met her husband Dr Mitch Besser, a South African gynaecologist who founded the charity Mothers2Mothers, while doing campaign work. She also started The Circle, a charity with the aim of empowering women around the world, helping them to harness their skills and creativity.

What next?

The rally marked the start of marked the start of the Walk In Her Shoes campaign, which is encouraging people in the UK to raise money for the Care International by getting sponsorship for walking 10,000 steps a day for one week in March.