Sonja Tiernan outlined the very cross-class and life-changing relationship of the daughter of big Anglo-Irish landlord and the working-class Esther Roper from 1897. Eva ‘rejected her aristocratic lifestyle, moving from an opulent mansion in the beautiful countryside of Sligo to a mid-terrace property in the smog-bound quarters of industrial Manchester’. They were together for 30 years. ‘Once labelled as a pair of oddities, it is now clear that the women were open about their relationship, mixing with an eclectic group of radical gay and lesbian activists. The couple became formidable political advocates in England often organising successful and radical campaigns for social justice …
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Feminism and Critical Theory: Call for Papers
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THOUGHT CONFERENCE, UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX, JUNE 20-21, 2015 In the face of enforced austerity, rampant and increasing inequality, systemic crises of political, economic and environmental organisation, and violence and injustice on a global scale, there has been a…
The First World War: Nursing: Call for Papers
A Conference organised by the Women’s History Network, Midlands region. Saturday 21 November: University of Worcester, City Campus, Castle Street, Worcester, WR1 3AS Edith Cavell was executed by a firing squad in Brussels on 12 October 1915 and as part of…
First Ever LGBT History Festival – Women & the United Kingdom: Part 1
In 1979 when the radio announced the First Strike, American Cruise Nuclear missiles were to be based at Greenham Common USAF Airbase, Sheila Standard ‘was gripped with fear and a sense of inevitable disaster, and felt powerless to do anything. The worst bit was her mum lived near Greenham, and would “get it first!” However … [quickly], all over the country, people started to organise into anti-missile groups, and she joined Withington Against the Missiles, a local group in Manchester, and accidentally got involved in an NVDA (Non-Violent Direct Action) protest becoming one of the “Bunker 4”.Then something truly epic happened … Greenham … thousands of women discovering the power of working together, singing, being silly, the wit and repartee, fear and bravery, that goes with bringing fences crashing down, to the mockery of militarism …
Reclaiming Herstory – Affirming & Celebrating Women’s History Sites
2015 is the year to ensure that women’s records are recognised as not only a significant but a central part of US history. The Trust calls for entries, nominations and positive suggestions to recognise women in US history – from all backgrounds, all states and territories, all centuries, all fields of endeavour. The call is on for women to come to the fore, for those who care about US history and herstory, for those who recognise women as equal participants in the building of the country to act! Don’t let another year go by without ensuring the recognition of women through places, spaces, communities, buildings and sites.
Womens History Network Community History Prize 2105
Women’s History Network – Community History Prize – sponsored by the History Press This annual prize of £500 is awarded for a Community History Project by, about, or for Women in a particular locale or community which has led to the…
Strong Willed & Courageous … Margaret Schencke – A Woman of Fortitude
Margaret Schencke (Gretel in Germany, Margot in Britain) was born in 1888 in Zwickau in Saxony, Germany. She was the only child of her father’s second marriage, but she had several half-brothers and sisters from her father’s previous marriage. Margot…
Gendering the Workplace
West of England and South Wales Women’s History Network Annual Conference Sat 20th June, 2015 10am – 5pm Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 18-16 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN Keynote speaker: Selina Todd, St Hilda’s College, University of Oxford, Women, work…
Young Adult Literature – Censoring Teenage Sexual Autonomy
In the novels by Blume, Klein, et al, ‘two nice kids, in love, have sexual intercourse and no one dies.’ In both Blume’s ‘Forever’ and Klein’s ‘It’s Ok if you Don’t Love Me’, the male love interests are the ones left alone, the girls having moved on and embodied the traditionally ‘masculine’ relationship role. The young women in these books enjoy sex, and their experiences are discussed in detail. Crucially, they enjoy sex as just one component of a rounded lifestyle, as with Blume’s Sybil: ‘Sybil Davison has a genius IQ and has been laid by at least six different guys.’