TALK ‘Am I not a Woman and a Sister’ The Norfolk Women Abolitionists

This talk will reveal the pre-eminent role played by citizens of Norfolk and Norwich, and specifically by its women in the campaign to Abolish Slavery in the British Empire - the first ever mass campaign for human rights.

"My previous talks have been about one of the main leaders of the Abolitionist movement, Norfolk’s Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton. As I researched the life of this amazing man, I came to realise that there were many Norfolk and Norwich women who also played a powerful role in the movement. Amelia Opie, Harriet Martineau and Elizabeth Fry are the most famous but there were many others. The vital role played by these women in the campaign to abolish slavery is all the more remarkable, because they themselves lacked even the right to vote." Alison Dow

Dr Alison Dow, formerly a GP in Mile Cross, Norwich, was born and brought up in Northern Rhodesian and has a special interest in colonial and African history, and is happy to play her part by researching the life of local historical figures whose role in history has been much overlooked.

Host or Publisher The Norwich Society