International Women's Day Poem by Paula Glynn

From the year 1908 Edith Morley
To become the first woman professor
A woman who'd been a smart dresser
England gaining an educational star
Edith having been an assistant lecturer
University College in Reading hers surely
Students attending lectures in droves
English a subject Edith did fully know
Having been a legend that did go far.

From the year 1928 women able
To vote in parliamentary elections
Choosing governments as their selections
Women now equal to men to vote
Women no longer thought pretentious
Men in government caught by the throat
Laws now leaving female equality stable
Equal Franchise Act rightfully passed
The suffragettes work successful.

The Aviation industry to meet Amy Johnson
A woman to successfully fly solo
A journey taking her from England to Australia
A pilot never a social or political failure
And a woman an innovative professional
Showing women can achieve as much as any man
That the women of the world do rise and stand
Never bowing down to any dominate man
A woman looking equally as smart with a tailor.

1970 the year Equal Pay Act instated
The rights of women to be ultimately fated
Where new laws are reluctantly stated
The British government forced by being slated
The female British public wanting freedom
And the ability to think for themselves:
Not just obtain wealth that destroys health
And women act with thoughtful impulse and stealth
The working world needing women's intelligence.

Women in science: namely Rosalind Franklin
Taking photo 51: for science progress begun
The year 1952 showing the helical structure of DNA
Knowledge that moves science to find rules to obey
Knowledge that unfortunately did not result
In the 1962 Nobel prize in Physiology
Three men involved in the research awarded it instead
But it was a woman that paid for their butter and bread
A woman underrated and not given enough credit.

1985 the year the art world very much alive
Art that does continually thrive and survive
The Guerrilla Girls wearing gorilla masks
Challenging prejudices against women in the art world
Where art should be for every woman and girl
Announcing 'Do women have to get naked
To get into the Met Museum? '
A statement so profound never forgotten
The 21st century art world remembering their lesson.

Women's Prize For Fiction
1996 meeting no unnecessary friction
Women literary achievements accepted with praise
Being told you've won leaving one in a daze
Honoring female fiction writers for their contributions
To the world of English language literature
Women working together rather than competing
Every manuscript needing completing
And submitted to a talent-spotting publisher.

The British government to date from 2024
Employing the qualified Rachel Reeves
To be first female Chancellor of the exchequer
And no one could do better: the woman a trendsetter
The 21st century having women with the power
Never struggling with worries at the night hour
Many other women in parliament working hard
Their ambitions for a better world paramount
Their voices in the houses of parliament to almost shout.

Young women leaders of the climate change movement
To be the most famous Greta Thunberg
Starting out protesting and refusing to go to school
Making the Swedish National Parliament fools
A new act created 'Fridays For Future'
Helped spreading the word via the computer
The Internet changing the future
Women spreading the immortal word
And their voices will never be silent: always be heard.