General Notes - Women's Liberation Movement

Women's Liberation Movement

Even though women were expected to be home makers, there were two main progressions in the latter half of the twentieth century: Modern Marriage, and an increasing number of married women going to work (starting to take on a double burden: paid work and domestic work. Earlier feminist movements: WPPA (Women's Publicity Planning Association) and WFL - Women's Freedom League - leading political feminist groups around the second world war. These, like the Women's Liberation Movement, began because women were fed up of being regarded as second class social citizens. WLM = more noisy campaigns than more reserved ones of the 50s. e.g Street demonstrations of women protesters. 

Origins of WLM

Traced to the New Left movements. (a political movement in the 60s and 70s – people sought to implement a broad range of reforms on issues such as gay rights, abortion, gender roles, and drugs). And other reform campaign groups e.g Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Student Movements (lots more women were involved in Student Movements and New Left politics). WLM started in the US - women largely protesting against the Miss America beauty pageant - burned their feminine clothing as a symbol of 'freedom' - a rebellion against a manufactured ideal of feminine beauty which generated its own legend. Women in PoliticsIn 1972 only 7 out of 26 members of the National executive committee of Labour Party were women. 9 women out of 60 members of the Conservative Party were women.Women held very little political power. In the general elections of 1945 only 24 women out of 600 MPs were elected. This only rose very slightly by 1966, where there were 26 women MPs. Women politicians stood a better chance if they had a wealthy husband who could support them - showing they were at least middle class. 

WLM Origins

Women in work- Still marginalised- number of strikes for equal pay - most famous campaign by Ford Machinists in 1968 (850 women went on strike over equal pay. Their employer could pay them less because they classed the women's work as 'unskilled'). Similar protest in 1970 - Leeds clothing workers strike - over 20 000 women from 45 factories marched in protest - again they were concerned with equality of pay- Had to strike vigorously and persistently to achieve anything. MembersFirst women to call themselves a part of these movements were from the US - New York and Chicago - particularly opposed to the Miss America beauty pageant 1968. Many of these American campaigners burned their feminist items of clothing to gain 'freedom' - mainly a publicity stunt. 

How the WLM was different to Suffragettes

Terminology- Used new language such as 'oppression' and 'liberation' rather than 'equality'- Wanted 'liberation' for women in their private roles, not just the public sphere- Believed that by acting together they hoped they could achieve their goalsOrganisation- Excluded men from their groups - women should organise themselves and make their decisions. Didn't conform to the conventional pressure group politics - didn't have men ruling their groups.- Non-hierarchical - anyone from any class - No formal structures: no membership cards, no subs- Organised wide ranging meetings and acting together - huge carefully organised marchers. - Other groups for women: reading groups, health groups

WLM theories/philosophy 

*Try learn 3*- Equal rights / Liberal feminism- defend women in terms of discrimination - could be overcome by changing the law- Radical feminism - Saw patriarchy and male supremacism as the problem and women would not be liberated until patriarchy had ended. Many radical authors wrote that women were the sex objects of men's pleasures. Women should refrain sex from men - even become lesbians?- Socialist feminism - Need to get rid of class division - class struggle and feminist struggle went hand in hand. Believed that women oppression was the sole product of capitalism. (Sheila Rowbotham challenges this - what about pre-capitalist societies? Communist societies? Female oppression is longer than the history of capitalism!)- Black feminism - Recognition of oppressions of black women and other minority groups - move away from previous feminist groups who assumed all oppressed women were whiteThrough these philosophies the second wave of feminism with the WLM differed from previous feminist movements - were more radical, vocal, and focused on broader issues of other minority groups. 

WLM Campaigns

In 1970, over 600 women met at the first national WLM Oxford conference, with a desire to discuss issues affecting women:- Equal Pay- Equal education and job opportunities - no longer legal that girls should learn needlework and boys technology- Free contraception and abortion on demand - came under the Labour Government 1974- Free 24 hour nurseries - symbolic rejection of psychologist's theories - Bowlby e.g bettie for child to have frequent care from their mother before the age of five. - Legal and financial independence for women - 1979 child benefit (changes from Family Allowances Act - now money for children was given to the primary care giver not necessarily the mother. Women wanted more financial independence, not just their husbands gaining tax-relief - which rarely benefited/affected them)- End to discrimination against lesbians - agreed in 1978 

WLM - New or old?

New:- Structure (no men, available to all classes)- Spontaneity - frequent campaigns- Determined to work and be heard as women, independent from menOld:- Determined to achieve new legislation - Continuing the battle against equality or pay, rights..Arguably the WLM did not come to an end in the 1980s. Instead of one umbrella movement, there were different branches campaigning against different issues. e.g we still have feminist groups today: such as the Women's Institute. 

Continuation..

Continuation...

Arguably the WLM did not come to an end in the 1980s. Instead of one umbrella movement, there were different branches campaigning against different issues. e.g we still have feminist groups today: such as the Women's Institute. Activism surrounding violence against women has never died awayInequality still remains today. Goddard, chief executive of the Fawcett society, a current women's group, points out that women are still paid 16.4% less than men for full time work'Object' - feminist campaigning group against lad's magazines, particularly at children's level in shopsFour decades later feminist groups are still at large - though groups today do not carry as much fervour than those of the 60s and 70s, like the WLM, movements today still have women's best interests at the top of their agenda. 

Spare Rib - 1972-93

Major feminist publication of the time, this magazine challenged the stereotyping and exploitation of women in male-dominated mainstream newspapers. In association with the WLM, this monthly magazine was for women by women; an alternative to typical women's magazine focusing on beauty, romance, and the domestic sphere. (Mainstream press restricted articles for women to a single 'Women's page'. It aimed to reach out to all women from all backgrounds to raise awareness of inequalities. The WLM ideology 'the personal is political' became central to the debates and discussions of Spare Rib. 

Changing perspectives of the WLM

Towards the end of the 1970s the social, cultural and political climate of Britain was shifting. The early optimism of the WLM gave way to fragmentation and the Movement as a coherent organised entity was now in decline. At a conference in Birmingham in 1978 there were fierce confrontations between feminists of different perspectives - signalled an ideological split in the movement. Around late 1970s and early 1980s campaigns for improvements in welfare, housing etc lost momentum. Many women's centres closed due to funding cut backs. Frustrated that any fundamental changes were yet to happen, some feminists joined more organised political parties such as the Labour Party and other left-wing groups like the Communist party. Feminists have never been a fully homogenous group all with common experiences. Yet the beginning of the WLM largely focussed on the perspective of white educated feminists. By the 1980s feminists were more fragmented, with working class women, black women, disabled women, lesbian women etc beginning to organise themselves to challenge their own form of oppression.