Women's Centre

In the early 1980’s the Oxford Women's Centre opened on 35-36 Cowley Road.

The Centre provided support services for women in the community. These included: a workers’ support group; the new student lesbian group; a lesbian mothers’ group; the women's archive; a women’s homelessness group; and the claimant's union women's group. Support phone lines included Rape Crisis, Lesbian Line and Oxford Friend. Other activities run at the Centre included assertiveness training, bicycle repair workshops, a crèche, a healing room, and a café.

A women's night bus service also ran for a while on Friday and Saturday nights. The Oxford Women's magazine, Lilith, was established in 1982, and eventually had an office at the Women's Centre, which was also used as a postal address for a number of other queer, left-wing and radical projects in the city. 

The Centre was forced to close in 1991 due to lack of funding. Next time you pass by, look under your feet - a small tile, with an image of a raised fist, is embedded in the pavement to commemorate it.