Annie Lennox: Trump has been 'catalyst' for women's movement

Popstar Annie Lennox has suggested that President Donald Trump has helped the cause of women's rights.

The 62-year-old Eurythmics singer said his "locker room talk" had been like a "catalyst" for many women, as she prepared to take part in the March 4 Women in London, ahead of International Women's Day.

In a leaked video from 2005, Mr Trump bragged about assaulting women, which made global headlines during the US presidential campaign.

Lennox told the Press Association: "In a weird kind of way that kind of event that happened actually catalysed the issue for a lot of girls and women in a particular way that became very strong.

"All of a sudden there were a lot of people putting on pink pussy hats and saying no.

"It actually became very real for them, because when someone says 'It's just locker room talk', actually don't we think it's time that we should address that particularly if they're the leading representative of one of the biggest most influential countries in the world?"

Lennox is among a host of campaigners at the CARE International rally and march, which has been created to highlight inequality faced by women and girls around the world.

Annie Lennox with Bianca Jagger and London Mayor Sadiq Khan Credit: PA

Dr Helen Pankhurst, the great-granddaughter of suffragette Emmeline, said having someone like Trump in a position of power is a "major problem".

She told the Press Association: "I feel right now the world is so much more polarised between those who believe in going backwards and those who believe in going forwards.

"I just hope, on balance and on reflection, as we continue to explain why we still need to have change, that the world will continue to progress."

Helen Pankhurst, pictured at a demo last year. Credit: PA

Asked what her ancestor would make of today's world, Dr Pankhurst said the famous suffragette would say "let's celebrate your successes" but not take anything for granted.

"The type of misogyny that she experienced - that the suffragettes experienced - still presents itself today," she said. "It presents itself through things like social media, so it's changing, it's morphing, but it's still very much there."

She added: "And she'd be saying 'Get out there, get out there on the streets, use modern technology', so use those same methods of social media that can be used against you, use them in terms of getting that voice of change and keep doing what's needed so that we can get to equality."