Inaugural Wollstonecraft Society Lecture

2021

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen delivered the inaugural Wollstonecraft Society Lecture on 28 April 2021, celebrating the enduring legacy of Enlightenment thinker Mary Wollstonecraft—pioneer of human rights, education, and equality.

The event was chaired by writer and Wollstonecraft Society Chair Bee Rowlatt, alongside LSE anthropologist Alpa Shah, and reflected on justice, optimism, and community in a post-COVID world.

Presented by the LSE International Inequalities Institute and the Wollstonecraft Society.

Watch the full event online here.

Wollstonecraft Society Lecture 2023

Award-winning writer Angela Saini delivered on 24 May 2023 Wollstonecraft Society Lecture, sharing insights from her critically acclaimed book The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule.

In this powerful talk, Saini explored the deep roots of gendered oppression, tracing how patriarchy took shape across different societies throughout history. Drawing on research from ancient human settlements to modern political systems, she challenged universal theories and revealed how the story of male domination is far more varied and complex than often assumed.

The event was chaired by writer and Wollstonecraft Society Chair Bee Rowlatt, with LSE Professor of Anthropology Alpa Shah joining the discussion.

Presented by the LSE International Inequalities Institute and the Wollstonecraft Society.

Watch the recording on here.

Wollstonecraft Society Lecture 2024

On 07 May 2024, we were honoured to welcome Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, renowned British human rights lawyer, to discuss her latest book Human Rights: The Case for the Defence. She was joined in conversation by Professor Conor Gearty and writer Bee Rowlatt, Chair of the Wollstonecraft Society.

The event was chaired by Professor Alpa Shah of LSE, a long-standing supporter of the Society and author of a new book exploring global inequalities.

Presented by the LSE International Inequalities Institute and the Wollstonecraft Society.

Watch the full event online here.

Wollstonecraft Society Lecture 2025

On 28 April 2025, the University of Westminster hosted the annual Wollstonecraft Society Lecture at the Regent Street Cinema, focusing on the pressing issue of online misogyny and extremism. The event featured best-selling author and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, Laura Bates, in conversation with award-winning broadcaster and women's rights advocate, Gemma Cairney. The lecture delved into the rise of the 'manosphere' and its detrimental impact on human rights and equality.

The event was opened by the University’s Chancellor, Natalie Campbell, and Bee Rowlatt, Chair of the Wollstonecraft Society, emphasized the significance of this partnership in advancing Wollstonecraft’s legacy.

Watch the full event here and you can read more about it here.