In 1995, just prior to the UN Conference on Women in China, I stood on stage at London’s South Bank and asked a question that seemed both simple and radical: What do women want? Backed by incredible women including Anita Roddick, Sinead O’Connor, Germaine Greer and a host of activists and volunteers, this simple question sparked a groundbreaking, national campaign, plus reports, books and discussions. We asked women to submit their answers on postcards, and the thousands of responses we received were both powerful and deeply personal.
‘Freedom to be who I truly am.’
‘To walk without fear.’
‘Great sex with gorgeous lovers.’
‘Childcare as a right, not a luxury.’
‘Equality, creativity, peace, safety, joy.’
Thirty years later, we’re asking the same question again – not because nothing has changed, but because everything has. And the answers matter now more than ever.
On 18 June 2025, I returned to the House of Commons, this time to relaunch the campaign for a new generation. I was surrounded by an extraordinary sisterhood: original campaigners and new changemakers, Members of Parliament and spiritual leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, artists and friends. Among them were women I’ve walked this road with for decades and others I met for the first time that day – all gathered to say, ‘We’re still here, and we’re still asking.’
And this time, Good Housekeeping is with us, too.
I was moved by GH managing director Liz Moseley’s speech that morning. She reminded us of the magazine’s roots in the aftermath of WWI, when women refused to return to lives of domestic servitude – and of how GH has always stood at the intersection of kitchen table and political table. A place for ‘recipes and revolutionaries’, as she put it, where readers could learn to bake a cake and also read Virginia Woolf and Millicent Fawcett.
It couldn’t be more aligned with the spirit of What Women Want.
Our new campaign, launching at whatwomenwantnow.co.uk, is an open invitation for women and girls to speak their truth in a world that too often silences them. Whether you’re 15 or 85, your voice matters. Whether you’re leading change in your community, raising a family, running a business or simply surviving, your perspective counts.
If you’re a Good Housekeeping reader – someone who has likely juggled a million roles and held a household, a workplace or a family together – then this question is for you:
What do you really want now: for yourself, your daughters – and your sons – your community and the world?
Because today’s challenges are real. Women’s rights are being rolled back in places we never expected. Inequalities remain stubbornly in place. Violence against women and girls is at epidemic levels. AI is embedding sexist bias. The digital and real-world gender gaps persist. And we are still too often invisible – in boardrooms, in history books and at the decision-making table.
And yet, I have never been more hopeful. Why? Because I’ve seen what happens when women come together. I’ve seen what happens when women speak and others truly listen. I’ve seen how change begins – with honesty, with courage and with community.
That’s why we’re not just relaunching a campaign; we’re creating a platform, a space, a movement. We’re also honouring the legacy of three extraordinary women we lost since our first campaign: Anita Roddick, Sinead O’Connor and Glenys Kinnock. Later this year, we’ll be giving out Changemaker Awards in their names, to recognise women creating a better future in business, music, politics and beyond.
So, I’m asking you – GH readers, the heart of this country – to take part. Go to the website. Answer the question. Share it with a friend, a daughter, a neighbour. Let’s ensure the world hears us our wants, our wisdom and our will for change.
We’ve waited long enough. It’s time again.
Because, as I’ve learned over the past 30 years, the most radical act any of us can take is to ask the question – and then really listen to the answer.
