No Women's Right Campaigners in New Year's Honours List

[IwantToRetire]

I downloaded the spreadsheet version of the New Year's Honours list and cant find any honours for campaigners for women's rights.

But according to AI these are women who have been honoured for their contribution to their area of work.

The New Year Honours List 2026, released on December 29, 2025, recognizes several leaders and supporters of women's charities and advocacy organizations.

Key Women's Charity Figures & Leaders

• Carla Cressy (OBE): Founder and CEO of The Endometriosis Foundation. She was honored for her services to charity and to women's health.
• Tracy Foster (OBE) & Angela Salt (OBE): Respectively the Chief Guide (most senior volunteer) and former Chief Executive of Girlguiding. They were recognized for their decades of service in supporting girls and young women.
• Dr. Carol Ann Homden (DBE): Chief Executive of the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children (Coram), honored for her services to children and families.
• Meera Syal (DBE): The actor and writer was awarded a Damehood for services to literature, drama, and charity, including her extensive advocacy work.
• Sarah Lilian Anderson (DBE): Founder and Trustee of The Listening Place, recognized for services to mental health and suicide prevention.

Sports & Advocacy Recognitions

The 2026 list also prominently features women’s sports figures who have championed female representation and inclusion:

• Sarina Wiegman (Honorary Dame): Head Coach of the England Women’s Football team (Lionesses), honored for her historic success in the game.
• Leah Williamson (CBE): Captain of the Lionesses, along with teammates Alex Greenwood, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway, and Ella Toone (MBEs).
• Simone Pound (MBE): Director of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion at the PFA, recognized for her work in striving for a game free from discrimination.
• Marlie Packer (OBE) & Zoe Aldcroft (OBE): Key players in England's victorious Women’s Rugby World Cup squad, recognized alongside teammates Megan Jones, Sadia Kabeya, and Ellie Kildunne (MBEs).

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-year-honours-list-2026

I am not begrudging these women being honoured, but most years some women from smaller support groups for women are recognised.

• Tracy Foster (OBE) & Angela Salt (OBE): Respectively the Chief Guide (most senior volunteer) and former Chief Executive of Girlguiding. They were recognized for their decades of service in supporting girls and young women.

Does that service include pushing genderism in Girlguiding?

Nice to see Meera Syal get a damehood. Always annoys me a bit that sportspeople get OBEs/MBEs etc five minutes after playing a match whereas anyone else has to hew at something for years to get anything at all. The whole system is messed up.
And yet I never see anyone discussing what would happen to the "honours" system if we abolished the monarchy as many would like to.

You think republics don't have an honours system? Think again.

One of the reasons I would vote to get rid of the monarchy is if we also got rid of all the titles, honour's, house of lords etc. I dare say the elite would come up with another system to pat themselves on the back, and the politicians will always need a way to thank their funders but at least they wouldn't have access to the state decision making progress. There's not much point in a second house if every political party gets to overload it with people who will do their bidding.

• Sarah Lilian Anderson (DBE): Founder and Trustee of The Listening Place, recognized for services to mental health and suicide prevention.

I know, or rather knew, Sarah Anderson. She was an incredible force of nature, responsible (among many other things) for setting up The Listening Place as a tiny charity 10 years ago and helping it grow from a handful of volunteers to be a significant organisation, helping to support people for whom life feels not worth living. Her compassion and energy and commitment to making the world a better and kinder place were outstanding.

i don’t like the honours system because, for all it recognises success, it misses many equally-deserving but less well-known successes, but I am pleased to see Sarah’s amazing achievements and commitment to humanity recognised. She will be much missed.

listeningplace.org.uk/sarah-anderson-inspirational-founder-of-tlp-dies-aged-69/

Lucy Whitehouse, founder and chief executive of Fumble, for services to teenage education awarded CBE.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq8d8zvpnejo

Fumble promotes gender ideology:

"Before we get started, let’s quickly talk about the difference between sex and gender:

Sex refers to your anatomy and biological characteristics – i.e. your chromosomes, hormones and genitalia

Gender relates to how you identify – how you feel in your heart and your head. It’s not what’s in your pants!"

Followed by the genderbread person.

https://fumble.org.uk/gender-non-conforming-ally/

"Another massive misconception is that trans men only transition so they can benefit from male privilege. Let’s call that out right now. Trans men are men. They just happened to be born into a body with biological traits (e.g. vagina and vulva) typically associated with being female."

https://fumble.org.uk/trans-men/

"One person I spoke to had their cervical screening done at the same time as their testosterone injection. This meant they had something more affirming in the same appointment. If you use hormones you can ask if this can be done for you too!"

https://fumble.org.uk/making-cervical-screening-easier-if-trans/

"There are many different genders to identify with, and just as many ways you might choose to express yourself. For some people, transition may begin and end with socially transitioning, but for others this might look a little different. For example, they may medically transition too."

https://fumble.org.uk/what-is-social-transitioning/

"What are TERFs?
You might have heard of the acronym TERF, which stands for ‘trans exclusionary-radical feminist’. TERFs exclude trans people (especially trans women) from the women’s rights movement, claiming that ‘real’ women are being sidelined once again in favour of ‘men’ who say they identify as women. They argue trans women can never understand what it is like to grow up as a cisgender woman, as they have never faced the same set of oppressions – because they’ve had the privilege of being seen as a ‘man’ within society.

It’s true that trans women have not grown up knowing what it’s like to be treated by society as a woman from birth. However, this DOES NOT mean they have lived their life with male privilege. It means they have faced a separate set of difficulties and different forms of discrimination called trans-misogyny.

Both cisgender women and transgender women suffer under the patriarchy. Just because one person’s fight is not exactly the same as your fight, does not make your fight less valid. This is something TERF groups need to learn. TERFs fighting against trans women is not going to help dismantle the patriarchy. All women, regardless of their gender assigned at birth, may face additional and interconnected oppressions in society, such as racism and ableism. We all need to work to be intersectional."

"Some people argue being trans is unnatural, or that it’s not the way we should live. They believe that biology dictates men are men, and women are women. It’s the same reasons a lot of these groups are homophobic. The bottom line is that trans people exist, therefore it is natural. Gay, lesbian, bi and pan people exist, therefore it is natural. Non-binary people exist, therefore – you guessed it – it’s natural."

"Trans rights and trans activism is important because trans people face an immense amount of discrimination, prejudice and hate in the form of transphobic language, attitudes, actions and laws – just because their gender is different to the one society assigned them."

https://fumble.org.uk/transphobia-what-is-it-how-to-challenge-it/

I'd rather Barry Chuckle than Sandy Kemp be awarded something in the Honours list..........I'd also rather we got Barry Chuckle making decisions in employment tribunals in Scotland 😂

The second house is still currently functioning as it should. Despite the efforts of Michael Cashman and a few others, there have been several occasions in recent years where the Lords have blocked or pushed amendments onto laws that the government were trying to push through. The system is far from perfect, but I absolutely do not want it removed.

Then the HoL is the only part of our dysfunctional state that is. If we went the Republican route we would undoubtable have a second house, perhaps something like the USA (100 senators) or France (350 ish) instead of our incredible 830 ish, nearly all of whom are 'cash for peerages' in some way or another.

Quite.

Starmer et al have been working for years on stuffing the HoL with cronies to further their agenda and fuck up actual democracy: the normal people in there are the only remaining thing that interrupts and prevents total totalitarianism.

If anything should go in the HoL it's anyone who has ever worked in parliament or the Civil Service.

Whilst I was / am glad more women in sports have been recognised, it sort of felt like this list was as much about thinking what will the public like.

In previous years, there has nearly always been at least one if not two local women's groups recognised.

And whether intentional or not all seemed to be of the be kind variety.

Not saying this was intentional, but within the context of current Government posturing, feels that way.

But without subscribing to the Honours system itself do think it is good when a small group like the listening place as described by PP is good.

But am shocked about Fumble. Although I shouldn't be by now. At a time when the education system is meant not to be promoting trans idealogy, how can they give an award to one that is.

Let alone GG.

Looks like the new year will continue in much the same way as the old year.

Or maybe this is our fault not able to keep pace with the well oiled trans torrent.

Seems we should be nominating!

https://www.gov.uk/honours

But can take up to 18 months.

Agree about Meera Syal.

And if we didn't have a monarchy there would still be an honours system.

They have one in the US as do Russia.

Not sure I would feel it more acceptable to get an honour from the "state".

But back to my first thoughts about this, particularly as the Government has made a lot of statements (if no actions) about violence against women.

See these awards from 2025
https://www.womensgrid.org.uk/?p=27261
https://www.womensgrid.org.uk/?p=26253

Normally you would expect someone like Dr Hillary Cass to be awarded an honour.

Well she did get a peerage so I would say that her contribution has been recognised.

It isn't just Labour who role out an honours list each year.
We should abolish the automatic right to enter the Lords and for lifetime membership. Trouble is, we'd then have a situation where we'd be voting for them as well as MPs, although it be worth a try. It should definitely be massively scaled back. And so should the honours lists.

For anyone who might have thought that Starmer et al support women’s rights, have a good look at his actions

Agreed. So many more bills would get through without the sort of scrutiny they deserve it it wasn't for the Lords.

It is getting more and more difficult to get anybody to step up and do the voluntary roles that make a real difference in a quiet way to how our society functions. Even 30+ years ago it was hard to persuade most of the parents attending the baby and toddler group I was involved with to do the absolute minimum of agreeing to open and lock up once every few months. An honours system that recognises the people who did step up and put themselves out to give something back to society and make a positive difference to the world is a good thing and I support it.

Perhaps we should have a concerted campaign here to nominate various women who've worked incredibly hard to try to counter the relentless rise of gender ideology. Off the top of my head, Maya Forstater and Helen Joyce from Sex Matters, the FWS founders Susan Smith, Marion Calder and Trina Budge, Rosie Duffield, Nicola Williams from Fair Play for Women, Stephanie Davies-Arai from Transgender Trend (she has a BEM which is about the lowest honour the system can award, she deserves far more) and Professor Alice Sullivan who managed to get the ONS to change the census question in England and Wales through a legal challenge. J. K. Rowling already has a great many honours and has refused more, I believe.

Actors shouldn’t be getting Damehoods/Knighthoods.

Did she? Didn't realise.

That could well date back to the time when there were travelling troupes of actors or King's Players...who provided enterrtainment for the monarch.

I do think that some actors can represent national values and come to take on an iconic image in the public perception.

@IwantToRetire what rights are Women missing?

I am not convinced talent at a sport should by itself be worthy of OBEs and MBEs - that is what medals are for. But no high achieving sports person just turns up to a match without years of training.