The University of Birmingham hosted the 2017 WHN conference, entitled ’Women and the Wider World’. For those delegates who arrived early enough on Thursday night, a heritage walking tour of campus was provided. For those arriving at the University Station a little later, a slow stroll to the accommodation offered a sample of the picturesque campus.  Over the two days, discussions focussed on women’s presence in the wider world and also their interconnectedness, networks and friendships. We learnt from Penny Tinkler that the interwar magazine Miss Modern encouraged friendships, whilst those discussing women Quakers expressed the importance of networks to help fight injustice. Indeed, whilst the battle for women’s rights permeated many of the discussions, perhaps more prevalent was women’s fight for social justice for all. The themes ranged far beyond politicking too, as Adam McKie offered a view of women and citizenship through the history of women’s cricket.