St John's College

In this provocative talk that celebrates women past, present and future, Clare Shine explores what it will take for women to overcome the ties that still hold them back—and lead. The Lady White Lecture 2014 at St Johns College. 100 years ago the Great War changed the fate of a generation of women—and all those to come. It “found them serfs and left them free” as women en masse left the kitchen, entered the work place and tasted the delights of greater economic and political freedom. In richer countries, today’s generation of women have never done better at school, have vastly broader choices open to them and are set to live longer than any cohort in history. So why does business-as-usual still dominate the public sphere and why do so many women mute their voices? Can we get beyond contortionist antics of “having it all”? Should we “lie back”, “lean in” or rally women and men to launch a new movement for radical change? Clare Shine has never quite found a way to fit within the box. One of the earliest alumnae