The Fawcett Society is an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns for women's rights. The organisation's roots date back to 1866 when Millicent Garrett Fawcett dedicated her life to the peaceful campaign for women's suffrage.
It is a charity registered with the Charity Commission. Previously known as the London and National Society for Women’s Service and originally the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies, the organisation was renamed in 1953 as the Fawcett Society, in honour of founder Millicent Fawcett who led the peaceful suffragist movement.
The organisation states that it campaigns on "women’s representation in politics and public life; pay, pensions and poverty; valuing caring work; and the treatment of women in the justice system".[1]
The Fawcett Society recently filed papers with the High Court seeking a Judicial Review of the government's recent budget, contending that the Treasury did not fully assess the impact that budget cuts would affect different groups, as is required by law. An analysis of the budget found that women would supposedly be paying around £5.8 billion of the £8 billion of savings planned. Their judicial review was denied.[2]
The library and archives of the Society, formerly the Fawcett Library, are now part of the Women's Library at London Metropolitan University.
The Society has been criticised by business groups for comparing average pay for full-time men with average-pay for part-time women to highlight the disparity,[3] and a lack of transparency in making their methodology clear.[4] The Fawcett Society contend that the comparison is a valid one.