Dorothy Byrne was a great fit for our theme of hearing from inspiring women when she joined 172 members on the 10th May. She has just stood down as Editor at Large at Channel 4 Television having joined this profession in the 1980s when it was rare to be a woman in a man’s world. A former World In Action producer and editor of ITV’s The Big Story. she also produced arts programmes and executive produced history series for the channel before joining Channel 4 and has been recognised by her peers with numerous awards and C4 News and current affairs has also received many awards under her tenure.

Dorothy began her talk by recognising the WI as a campaigning force. She said she has always tried to champion women’s issues and described how one of her first ideas for a programme was on rape within marriage. This wasn’t considered suitable for a night time programme that usually discussed international issues or nuclear power. No one had ever made a programme about such a subject but Dorothy carried out the first survey on rape in marriage ever carried out in Britain and over 10% of women responded that they had been coerced, sometimes with the use of physical violence, into having sex without permission. That programme contributed to the law on rape in marriage changing. But Dorothy said we still have a way to go as women in the last year have had to campaign for it to be made a serious offence for a man to try to strangle a woman. Dorothy recognised the importance of the campaigning of the WI against the whole subject of violence against women.

 

 

Dorothy felt this type of programme is absolute evidence as to why we need older women working in television and in all walks of life because this type of film would not have been commissioned but for the fact that Dorothy was head of C4 News and Current Affairs and she was suffering with the menopause. Dorothy said that even though she has stood down from her role she still intends to make programmes and is proud to call herself an old lady. A vast percentage of women have the same problems as her and she is able to make programmes about that subject matter without it being patronising. She encourages everyone as they get older to remain active in all spheres of life.

Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause’
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Dorothy then told us how she began her career on Granada Force working with Richard and Judy and Tony Wilson. She was shocked how rude viewers would be about Judy’s appearance. Jenny Murray had also told Dorothy that people told her she shouldn’t be working as a pregnant woman as she looked ‘horrible’ and was taking the job of a man. Although it seems like we have come a long way, actually, today so many younger women who appear on television have endless plastic surgery and Botox to look as young as possible or as slim as possible which has tragically led to the deaths of a couple of young presenters who had eating disorders. Dorothy said the victimisation of women on television over their personal appearance and the constant remarks in tabloid newspapers should stop as it damages not just the women concerned but everybody.

After her time on Granada Force she moved onto World in Action, where up to that point there hadn’t been many programmes affecting women. She worked on a programme called 9 out of 10 women which covered the fear dominating women’s lives with them being scared to go out of night.

Other subjects Dorothy has worked on are Elder Abuse, the whole issue of pregnancy loss; Dorothy commissioned a programme about Still Births and as a result C4 is one of the few companies to have a policy on Pregnancy loss. At the heart of the policy is simply talking about the problem, as if it’s not spoken about no help can be offered. Some of the ideas of the programmes are to help people talk about the problems.

Dorothy talked about sexual harassment in television and how although people knew about it nothing was done about it. Dorothy herself told how she was sexually assaulted when she first started, but couldn’t complain as her female boss had told her to expect it. More women working and more older women working should mean these issues become less over time.

The whole issue of women having babies is another one that Dorothy has advised on. Not on how not to get pregnant but how to get pregnant as a major problem is that women are putting off having children so late that they find they are unable to have children Her advice to younger women is to plan their careers and their family. Another campaign close to Dorothy’s heart is the right to have maternity leave as a freelancer especially as so many women are working as freelancers and find they have no right to any maternity benefits at all.

Dorothy praised the bravery of all the women who have appeared on her programmes over the years speaking of rape and still birth and other difficult issues and feels she should speak up on issues wherever she can.

Many questions followed and Dorothy reiterated the need to have older women in all spheres of life and especially in parliament to highlight issues that are important to them.

Subjects that came up were favourite programmes. care homes, cancel culture, moral behaviour, and the importance of reporting unacceptable behaviour. Giant Cell Arthritis and Dessert Island discs.

Dorothy said the WI are pioneers in its campaigning and has had its own problems with male journalists who know nothing at all about it putting the WI down but said they cannot put ‘old ladies’ down as we will outlive them!

What did our members think?

‘What a coup! I’m a fan of Dorothy’s and she didn’t disappoint!

Amazing speaker, thank you for organising these events. So enlightening. Dorothy was so good I’m glad I didn’t miss this one.

Fascinating talk. Thank you all.

Thank you Dorothy I could have listened to you all evening. A truly inspirational woman.

Thank you, Dorothy, – a super evening, such great discussion points and it’s wonderful to know so many are “fighting” for women’s rights!!

Amazing lady…a fabulous evening. What a champion for all women. Thank you Dorothy ….another amazing WI event thank you.

Thank you all for an exceptional evening.

Thank you Alia and Wendy. Another great meeting giving food for thought as usual

If you missed the evening, you may find these links of interest

Dorothy Byrne Dessert Island Discs https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000fx1k

Link to Dorothy Byrne MacTaggart interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XIEFKEw4co