Philippa Strachey

Philippa Strachey, CBE (19 April 1872 – 23 August 1968) was a British suffragist. She organised major suffrage demonstrations and went on to lead the Fawcett Society.

Life Pippa was born in Knightsbridge as the fifth child of the large Strachey family born to Sir Richard Strachey, colonial administrator and Jane Maria Strachey, writer and suffragist. She was the sister of Pernel, Lytton and Oliver, among others. She was educated partly at home, and partly in Fontainebleau and at Allenswood Boarding Academy in Wimbledon. On leaving school, she largely spent her time on leisure activities, particularly playing the violin.

In 1900, Strachey visited India, and the experience of independence made her decide to seek her own career. She became a teacher at Allenswood for a few years, but then met the feminist Emily Davies, who encouraged her to join the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). so it was relatively easy for Pippa to become a committee member, then in 1907 to become secretary of the organisation. One of her first tasks was the organisation of the "Mud March"; this was deemed so successful, that she thereafter planned all the group's demonstrations.

Strachey supported World War I, but was unable to work in field hospitals due to her health. She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1951, and finally retired that year as secretary of the Fawcett Society. She remained close to women's activism, being on the first page of 80,000 signatories of the 'Equal Pay in the public services' petition presented on behalf of the Equal Pay Campaign Committee to Parliament on 9 March 1954. She spent her remaining years working through family papers. and died on 23 August 1968 in London. Wentzel talked about Pippa’s speaking style, ability to mix with all social classes, and her old age.