Jalna Hanmer

The feminist that changed the course of my life

Jalna, Spain, 2021

Jalna Hanmer was a political activist all her adult life. She died four days before her 92nd birthday. I first met her when I was 19 years old, in 1981, in a feminist group in Leeds. Jalna was scary and formidable, and I so wanted her to like me. But she was too busy to take any notice of a rookie feminist more than 30 years younger than her. But we became feminist colleagues in the campaign to end male violence, and, when I began working with her (on my day job) at Bradford University in 1996 to help organise what was to be (and remains) the largest feminist conference on male violence against women and girls (held in Brighton in November 1996) we became firm friends.

This woman changed the course of my life. It’s hard to describe how, but she did. And I am not the only feminist activist to say this.

I loved her, and I miss her, as do many, many others. We owe Jalna a debt of gratitude.

Jalna, Brighton, 1996

My obituary for the Guardian, published on the 22nd June, 2023

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