Jalna Hanmer

[IwantToRetire]

Its possible that some women will not have heard of Jalna Hanmer who has died 2 days short of her 92nd birthday.

She was an activist during the early days of Women's Liberation and was one of the women whose work and campaigning held ensure that the issue of violence against women became a political issue.

Short bio here https://www.bl.uk/people/jalna-hanmer and some personal memories from Julie Bindel here https://twitter.com/bindelj/status/1661790122071785491

For anyone on facebook and knew here her son has suggested anyone who knew her and / or her work write on her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jalna.hanmer.5/

Thank you for posting this

Oh what sad news, she was a force ☹️

Thanks for noting Jalna’s achievements here and also her death.

I did not know of her, so thank you for posting.

I am hoping someone will do a proper obituary as I didn't know her but knew of her.

She seems to have been part of forming a number of women's groups and women's studies programmes.

Also connected to Finrage https://www.finrrage.org/ and the Brighton 1996 ‘International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Women's Citizenship’ https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/men-need-to-be-held-accountable-for

I am sure there is more but she doesn't even have a wikipedia page. Not that I am saying wikipedia is that reliable, but illustrates how women's history, made up of the individual histories of individual women isn't really online at all.

RIP Jalna Hanmer - and all the other women who helped build women's liberation and whose passing had not been acknowledged.

FiLiA have included her in their latest email newsletter:

RIP Jalna Hanmer
A feminist of seventy years, Jalna was responsible for bringing Women's Studies to UK academia and was a founder of the National Women's Aid Federation. She spoke at FiLiA 2022 and was due to speak at FiLiA 2023.

Jalna organised the Brighton 1996 International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Women's Citizenship. We will be holding an exhibition at FiLiA this year, looking back at this renowned event.

'There will be Women all over the world who are grieving now, but also celebrating a life well lived - one that was utterly dedicated to the Women's Liberation Movement. Jalna loved FiLiA ... she was supposed to be speaking this year. Let's celebrate her Feminist life,' Lisa-Marie Taylor FiLiA CEO.

'So proud and privileged to have known her. Her work has made women safer and will continue to make a difference. What a legacy,' Sally Jackson FiLiA.

The Guardian has published an obituary, written by Julie Bindel which covers some of the many feminist initiatives she was part of.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/22/jalna-hanmer-obituary

Thank you for this thread. RIP Jalna.

The Times has published an obituary today.

A bit late, but at least an acknowledgement

Hanmer herself reflected later in life: “We thought we were the first women to discover violence against women. Then, when we learnt something about women’s history, the questions became ‘How did we forget?’, ‘Will we forget again?’ ”

Jalna Hanmer, feminist activist and scholar, was born on May 29, 1931. She died of heart failure on May 25, 2023, aged 91

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jalna-hanmer-obituary-pc927glfb

Also available at https://archive.ph/hLc7R

Thank you for this .. Jalner was my tutor at University, a very inspirational woman. I met her just after her DS died in a tragic accident. I never forget her dignity and strength.
RIP Jalner.

I was privileged to spend some time with her many years ago.
She was fantastic and relentless, and she did so much for women. What a legacy she left us all, and yet so many don't know her name.

A celebration of Jalna Hanmer ...and six decades of the Women’s Liberation Movement Sat, 11 Nov 2023 18:00 - 21:00 London

Join us on a journey through feminism from 1970 to the present day, as told through the life and work of Professor Jalna Hanmer who died in May 2023 aged 91.

Hear from Jalna herself via archive film and audio, from feminist friends and collaborators, fellow academics and activists, and from family and friends. They tell the story of Jalna’s extraordinary life and discuss the many feminist causes she fought for, in particular her ground-breaking work on male violence towards women and girls – work that helped change the world.

The evening will include speakers covering many of the numerous feminist projects that Jalna set up and was involved in throughout her life. We begin with the campaign against the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and move on through the fight for the inclusion of women within sociology; raising awareness around domestic violence and abuse and challenging the failures of policing; reproductive technology and the damage done by harmful medical interventions, including surrogacy and IVF; rape and sexual assault and the necessity for improvement within the criminal justice system; the need to focus on perpetrators and the invisibility of the male perpetrator; and last but not least prostitution and trafficking. Speakers will bring Jalna's work and voice alive by telling stories of her involvement in these crucial battles.

This event will be of interest to anyone involved in feminism; those that wish to learn about the history and present state of the Women's Liberation Movement (in particular the campaigns to end male violence towards women); anyone interested in the work of Jalna Hanmer; and of course the numerous women and men that had a personal connection with her over the many decades that she was politically active, both in the UK and internationally.

Ticket price (£15) includes a complimentary alcoholic or soft drink on arrival, following which there will be a cash bar. Snacks & sandwiches will be available.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-celebration-of-jalna-hanmer-tickets-722933101367?aff=oddtdtcreator

Thank you for posting this, unfortunately I won't be able to attend but it sounds like a very interesting evening. I'd have loved to be there.

I'd have loved to be there.

I wonder if they are going to record it? Maybe contact the organiser via the eventbrite page?

If you are on facebook you could maybe ask a question here https://www.facebook.com/jalna.hanmer.5/posts/pfbid02Dz1Y4YKfggp8GE86K3Tu261dELBqa7R3zsgkn4WcpnC4bKUY5UX3LYGo5cvVrxpFl

Thank you - that's a great suggestion- are you planning to go?

I wont be able to decide until closer to the date. But am really interested to find out who will be speaking.

Obviously given her work it or rather then will reflect the issues that she focused on rather than covering WLM as a whole.

But that makes me think I hope they do video it, because the more in person narrations we have the better, rather than just relying on someone who says I went to the Library read this that and the other, and then think they can say what was going on at the time.

Have just seen a post on facebook that says the memorial event in November has been postponed. It may happen in February.

https://www.facebook.com/jalna.hanmer.5/posts/pfbid0Duf29BW4r2Xe5fTSqypADj2U5wYAYVcHAKqnFfFAVjyvQ25RvjH6H2PNgw8nzK4wl

Thank you Iwant ... I appreciate you updating this thread. A February date would suit me, I would really like to go.

I've just re-read Jalna's obituary from the Guardian and was reminded of how we were encouraged to do practical work to support women as part of our studies ... I distinctly remember a very wet weekend taking a group of women and children from a local refuge camping ... I think we ended up sleeping on Jalna's floor! More successful was fund raising and buying a small terraced house as a refuge.

we were encouraged to do practical work to support women as part of our studies

I think that is one of the biggest missing elements in today's feminism

Theories and beliefs can be very engrossing but if you cant enact them then what purpose do they serve?

Totally agree Iwant .. you see this in lots of areas of so called 'activism' ... for example I volunteer with our local Food Bank and whilst so many people bleat on about how important FBs are etc etc .. very few actually get stuck in and do all the lugging around, supermarket collecting, fund raising etc ... (ie: the 'non glamorous' side ... easy to write a newspaper or online article instead ).

Did you personally know Jalna, were you at Bradford Uni?

Did you personally know Jalna, were you at Bradford Uni?

No I didn't know her, nor was I at any university. But I was very aware of her, and others, doing academic work. And in fact it is only now reading remembrances of her that I find out she did so much that was practical.

At that time I was like you describe at your food bank. Always seem to be packing boxes for stalls or jumble sales. Getting leaflets printed.

It was amazing how many "ordinary" women would without hesitation come and talk be interested (often with sneering husbands in tow!).

By chance I have seen this. Not sure if this is in place of a celebration but at the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize and CWJ Award Ceremony 2023/24 it will include:

At this year’s event we will also be celebrating and remembering Jalna Hamner, a life-long feminist activist and academic who died earlier this year aged 91. Her activism spanned the 50 year history of the women’s liberation movement. We will be remembering and celebrating that history through her remarkable contribution to feminist theory and practice: the founding of the Women’s Aid Federation, the international tribunal on crimes against women, the concept of repeat victimisation, Leeds women’s campaign for Justice for Women, Trouble and Strife magazine, the earliest Women’s Studies programmes in the UK, the first International conference on violence against women, the Kerb Crawlers rehabilitation scheme – and much more.

https://emmahumphreys.org/2023/12/15/early-bird-tickets-now-on-sale-emma-humphreys-memorial-prize-and-cwj-award-ceremony-2023-24/