Rebel Women

Welcome to Rebel Women, a podcast about the history of troublemakers in East London. This corner of Britain's capital has seen multiple waves of migration, poverty and persecution. Sometimes feared, always looked down upon, the residents have struggled.

But out of these struggles rose up some of history's greatest radicals leaders - leaders of movements that have changed both the local landscape, and wider society too. Many of them were women. And most you will have never heard about, despite their huge achievements.

Esther Freeman has spent five years poking around in archives and conducting oral history interviews, pulling together a collection of East London's hidden histories. These women shaped our society, they fought on when nobody thought they could win. There is so much we can achieve by honouring their memories and learning their lessons.

Our first series features nine stories. We will introduce you to lesbian suffragettes; the socialist socialite Daisy Greville; and the Dagenham Ford Machinists, a group of working class women who ushered in the 1970 Equal Pay Act.

Subscribe to our weekly podcast and discover more at eastlondonwomen.org.uk.