When you hear the phrase ‘Essex Girl’ you may think of the classic 80’s version of her – blonde hair, revealing clothing, and white stilettos. Or perhaps you think of the more modern TOWIE version with the fake tan, coiffed hair, and a penchant for materialistic things.  But what if it goes back much further than that, to a time when women were persecuted for being witches?  And why did Essex have so many cases of witchcraft?

This is a real definition, featured in the Penguin Dictionary from 2007….

Essex Girl (noun) a young woman from Essex… vulgar, empty headed and promiscuous.

This feature documentary will explore the origins of the term, its relevance in today’s society, and the roots of Essex women being labelled as ‘outspoken’.  The film will explore the on-going commitment of various groups of women to challenge the established narrative of what an ‘Essex Girl’ is.  One of these groups is the The Essex Girls Liberation Front (EGLF), which is a collective of women who work to challenge and redefine the negative stereotype of the term “Essex girl”. Founded by writer and activist Syd Moore, the EGLF aims to combat the stereotype by advocating for a more accurate and positive understanding of women from Essex, to re-define the term in dictionaries and beyond, and the future of Essex women reclaiming their pride in their county of birth.

Other groups include Black And Being Essex (aka BABE), The Essex Witch Museum, Girls Can Build and the new project by the University of Essex, ‘Accent Essex’, which works with school age girls to promote pride in their natural Essex accents. For decades those with a strong and identifiable estuary accent have been ridiculed and encouraged to neutralise it, in order to excel and for fear of being labelled ‘common’.

Right image – Syd Moore from EGLF being interviewed by Natalie Scarsbrook of Blatella Films

Essex is an ancient county, standing on the banks of the river Thames and shoulder to shoulder with London. Essex’s historical importance lies not only in its proximity to London, but in how women from the area repeatedly shaped political thought, economic life, and movements for equality well beyond the county’s borders.

Throughout history Essex has been the scene of many pivotal moments in British history, for example Boudica’s sacking of the Roman forces in Colchester in 61CE, Queen Elizabeth I’s speech at Tilbury rallying her navy against the Spanish Armada…

“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king..”

And many suffragettes hailed from within its borders. During the witch trials (between 1500 and 1800) Essex had more accused witches than even Salem, Massachusetts.

Since time immemorial, Essex and the women in it have been active participants in shaping history and British society, so why must we continue to be plagued by this outdated and insufferable stereotype?