 Outside her political duties Bessie , a keen fan of boxing , accepted the honorary presidency of the Professional Boxers ' Association , and was a passionate defender of the sport . Her enthusiasm arose in part from her experiences as a juvenile court magistrate ; she believed that the sport fostered character and mutual respect . She was frequently at odds with her parliamentary colleague Edith Summerskill , a medical doctor who wrote the anti @-@ boxing tract The Ignoble Art , and campaigned for the sport 's abolition . 
