International Women’s Day: The 89-year-old cycling around Britain to support gender equality

Ursula Jones, 89, has taken to her bike to help disadvantaged girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa

(Brass for Africa)

In the spirit of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore, another of Britain’s great senior citizens is taking on an endurance challenge to support a cause dear to her heart. 

Ursula Jones, 89, is cycling around London as she takes part in the Race for Equality, a challenge led by the charity Brass for Africa, supporting gender equality through music education and life-skills training for extremely disadvantaged girls and young women in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Ursula Jones OBE co- founded the English Chamber Orchestra, and as the widow of the eminent trumpet player Philip Jones CBE, she has devoted much of her life to promoting young musicians, especially those playing brass instruments. When Ursula discovered that she could be a part of addressing gender imbalance through music she signed up to cycle 100km and approached friends to sponsor her. 

In the East African country of Uganda, the economic impact of COVID-19, a soaring rate of out-of-school girls and an escalating rise in female unemployment, has resulted in an even greater disparity in opportunities offered to girls and young women compared to those offered to their male counterparts. 

Even before the pandemic the UN estimated that only 60% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete secondary school. The LSE found that 74% of women in the region are unemployed and with one in four teenage girls becoming mothers, and almost two thirds of women experiencing gender-based violence in the region, the UK registered charity Brass for Africa is addressing the gender equality issue through music. 

Sumayya with her tuba in Uganda (Brass for Africa)

Working with impoverished communities, ex-street children, orphans, refugees, and over 500 girls and young women, the charity has seen first-hand how the opportunity to learn and play music has a profound and empowering impact on the lives of girls and young women.

By ensuring girls have the opportunity to play in brass bands together alongside boys, they learn to compete equally and work together. Through music education, young women and girls learn essential life-skills such as self-confidence, communication skills, teamwork and resilience. These are skills that they can use to overcome other challenges in their lives. Playing an instrument and taking part in performances and marches through the slum communities they live in gives the girls visibility, a voice, a platform and encourages their communities to engage with them and give them opportunities to develop skills and attend school.

Brass for Africa is 95% African-led, and actively trains and employs local young women as Music and Life-Skills teachers, promoting positive female role models to inspire and encourage the girls and young women of tomorrow. 

“My goal is to raise £3,500 which is enough to support at least 10 girls with music and life-skills education for a whole year” says Ursula. 

March 8th is International Women’s Day, and the entire month is dedicated globally to highlighting and supporting the rights of women to take their equal place in society. This year’s call to arms for IWD is #ChooseToChallenge, which is exactly what Ursula Jones is doing. 

To support Ursula Jones click here.