Women's Lib

Question 1

Is the accepted view about social activism from the 40s to 60s correct?

Answer 1

No, historians such as Beaumont have proved it is definitely not true.

Question 2

Name two traditional women’s organisations?

Answer 2

Women’s institute, towns women’s guild

Question 3

What does the women’s live movement of the 70s do to the actions of the women’s organisations?

Answer 3

Overshadow it

Question 4

What is the main social issue with the women’s lib movement?

Answer 4

Was trying to change the entire mind set of the public and could not happen overnight

Question 5

What did women’s organisations predominantly allow women to do?

Answer 5

Get their voices heard in a society in which they were under represented and also to engage them in radical socio-political agendas

Question 6

What did the family allowance victory of 1944 show?

Answer 6

Often underestimated power of the women’s organisations

Question 7

When was the family allowance benefit announced?

Answer 7

1944

Question 8

What happened with the family allowances benefit?.

Answer 8

It announced it was to be paid to the Fathers and WO’s campaigned for it to be paid to the mother as were worried about absent or untrustworthy husbands, felt women knew better what to do with the money. Publicly shamed decision and lobbied government extensively alarmed by such strong response gov changed the benefit

Question 9

What does family allowances show about movement during 40s and 50s and 60?

Answer 9

They were far from sedentary over women’s rights were fighting small battles to improve women’s day to day life.
And the power they had over government and their decisions

Question 10

What did the women’s organisations relationship with government rely on?

Answer 10

Them not acting radically

Question 11

Which women’s organisation acted radically?

Answer 11

British housewives league

Question 12

In what way were the progresses that the women’s organisations made regressive?

Answer 12

Often made in the context of the stereotypical roles of women as wives and mothers

Question 13

What can be said in defence of WO’s representing women as wives and mothers?

Answer 13

Most women were wives and mothers and they were also more likely to get success packaging measures in a way that kept women in their normal place

Question 14

Why was the Equal Pay Campaign Committee (EPCC) set up in 1944?

Answer 14

Increasing numbers of women had entered the work force and were demanding equal pay

Question 15

When was the EPCC set up?

Answer 15

1944

Question 16

How many women’s groups affiliated themselves with the EPCC? Can you name some?

Answer 16

Over 70 including women’s institutes and the national council of women, whose members ooh included members of the mothers union.

Question 17

Which WO did not support the EPCC and why?

Answer 17

Towns women’s guilds - Deemed it too political an issue, but did report its memebership were split 50-50 on question of equal pay showing they were discussing it

Question 18

What did WO’s inc women’s institutes do in 1944 to do with equal pay?

Answer 18

Gave evidence with the EPCC to the Royal commission on equal pay and all three groups defended the right of women and men doing similar work to earn the same wage.

Question 19

When did the EPCC continue its work until with the support of WO’s?

Answer 19

1950s

Question 20

What tactics did they take up with the EPCC?

Answer 20

Writing to mps, organising mass meetings, marches, demonstrations

Question 21

What did the Conservative party do on 1955 about EPCC

Answer 21

Adopt the issue of equal pay and to finally legislate the gradual implementation of equal pay in the civil service from 1955.

Question 22

What happened to the EPCC after the 1955 victory?

Answer 22

It disbanded

Question 23

When did the Equal pay act finally outlaw discrimination in pay between men and women in private sector?

Answer 23

1970, due to fighting of women’s lib movement

Question 24

Were the WO’s involved in any other equal pay campaigning after 1955?

Answer 24

Not that we are aware of.

Question 25

The post 1955 equal pay campaign focused on what and what did this mean for the WO's?

Answer 25

Working class women in the industrial and service sectors which WO did not represent in their membership

Question 26

What kind of bias can then be seen in the mainstream WO's?

Answer 26

Class bias, more willing to be outspoken on issues which reflect their middle class following

Question 27

What can be said in defence of women's organisations dropping these issue after 1955?

Answer 27

First act already a massive change, without this first step, and the fact this law had been in place for so long women's lib would have found it harder. Paved the way for more radical groups that followed?

Question 28

What else did WO's offer other than their campaigning work and legal successes?

Answer 28

Brought women together in a comfortable setting and encouraged them to share experiences and express discontents.

Question 29

What did the connections made through WO's mean for women's lib movement?

Answer 29

Previously formed alliances and mass group to call upon should they need to networks already formed.

Question 30

What did WO's allow women to do in terms of teaching them about their voice?

Answer 30

Gave large numbers of women opp to learn about the democractic processes and proceeded and provided them with vocabulary to discuss concepts such as political participation and social rights.

Question 31

What was the primary reason the women's lib movement of the late 60s 70s was so much more successful?

Answer 31

Much wider social change happening at the time, emergence of other civil rights movements gay liberation and rights movements. A precedent had been set for social change and an atmosphere of counterculture established.

Question 32

What did this atmosphere of counter culture and social change mean for activists?

Answer 32

It was easier for them to achieve change and their aims

Question 33

What was the new left?

Answer 33

A political movement in 1960 and 70s of educators agitators and others who sought to implement a broad range of reforms on issues such as gay rights, abortion genders roles and drugs

Question 34

Why was the new left significant?

Answer 34

Gave women a political force to believe in and to help their cause

Question 35

Why is is unfair to compare the women's lib movement with the 40s and 50s?

Answer 35

The difference in outlooks of their times was so vast that it is unfair to compare the two.

Question 36

Where did caitronia Beaumont write and when?

Answer 36

Women in twentieth century Britain (2001)

Question 37

What did woman's own magazine encourage?

Answer 37

Marraige as the ultimate career choice for women throughout 40s and 50s

Question 38

What did catrionia Beaumont argue?

Answer 38

30s,40s,50s are often underestimated as a period where feminist groups went into decline, this is wrong.

Question 39

What is the orthodox view of historians about feminist activism during the 40s - 60s?

Answer 39

That there was little or no activism during this period and that there was a definite decline compared to the suffragette movement once everyone achieved the vote in 1928.

Question 40

What did the welfare state do for women?

Answer 40

Improved health

Question 41

What does catrionia Beaumont say about overstating 30s-50s?

Answer 41

Don't do it. Many gender inequalities remained and no women's org had yet challenged the traditional assumption women had a primary duty to care for their husbands and young children.

Question 42

When did Harold smith write about?

Answer 42

60s to 2000s

Question 43

What did the WLM want that was different from earlier movements?

Answer 43

Wished to change the male-dominated social structures which it considered the source of women's oppression

Question 44

What did the 1960s movements culminate in?

Answer 44

The most important burst of legislation affecting women's legal position since the 1920s

Question 45

What was the fawcett society?

Answer 45

Most important pre WLM feminist group, membership small and London based but it's influence on equal legislation was massive

Question 46

What did the fawcett society achieve?

Answer 46

Involved in drafting anti-sex discrimination bill in left ideology and has participated in anti Vietnam war demonstrations some had been active in campaign for nuclear disarmament.

Question 47

What provided a key catalyst for formation of WLM groups in 1968?

Answer 47

The fiftieth anniversary of women's suffrage

Question 48

What did the WLM members view themselves as?

Answer 48

Descendants of the militant suffragettes and engaged in direct action to achieve their goals

Question 49

WLM supported equality legislation but what did they place more emphasis on?

Answer 49

Personal and sexual issues

Question 50

What was the singly most important issue in politicising women since 1960?

Answer 50

The struggle to secure and maintain right to a legal abortion

Question 51

What did the abortion law reform association achieve after three decades?

Answer 51

196 abortion act but physicians and doctors stop had ultimate decision two doctors had to agree still not the women's decision

Question 52

What happened to the abortion act during the 70s?

Answer 52

Repeated attempts to restrict the abortion rights that the act established and feminists tried to protect it.

Question 53

What did WLM organises in 1975 as a reaction to a private members bill?

Answer 53

National abortion campaign

Question 54

The anti abortion movements main success was when?

Answer 54

1990 when Margaret thatcher reduced limit to 24 weeks.

Question 55

What did feminist generated publicity bring about in 1976?

Answer 55

Domestic violence and proceedings act which meant a wife could obtain an injunction to prevent her husband from assaulting her.

Question 56

Reclaim the night demonstrations in 77 were in support of what.

Answer 56

Allowing women to be able to walk the streets at night

Question 57

What was a contributing political factor to burst of legislation 1965 to 1975?

Answer 57

Neither party had a solid majority, both conservative and labour increasingly concerned with attracting female voters

Question 58

The 1970-74 conservative gov introduced several measures including....

Answer 58

Matrimonial proceedings and property act, attachment of earnings act,guardianship act

Question 59

Was thatchers selection as first woman to head country a good thing for WLM groups?

Answer 59

No more of a personal triumph, displayed little interest in helping other women advance made anti-feminist statements and distanced herself from the movement

Question 60

What catalysed the Equal OPportunities COmmission to become one of the most important forces for gender reform whilst cons in office?

Answer 60

Joanna fosters appointment in 1988 led by someone with a background in women's movement, changed from being information agenda to taking active role

Question 61

What did the changing nature of the EOC result in?

Answer 61

1983 - equal pay amendment regulations and 1986 sex discriminations act

Question 62

What does smith conclude about 60s-2000s?

Answer 62

Women's movement revival contributed to fundamental changes in law relating to women

Question 63

What have the 60s-2000s legal changes not done though?

Answer 63

Eradicated gender equality most female workers in low paid low status jobs continue to be women,

Question 64

What is a negative effect of the WLM movement?

Answer 64

Smith argues less support for women especially lone mothers since 1976 welfare changes