Christmas is now a central festivity in Scotland, with Scots spending more on presents than the rest of the UK population- but as a Scottish festival, it has had a chequered history. The celebration of Yule is currently associated with…
Category: Blog and News
News items of interest to WHN Members
Holiday Recipes
After several weeks of snow, this Scot, at least, appreciates our ancestor’s need for festivities to bring cheer to the unrelenting cold and wet. This December brings a number of opportunities to celebrate from Al-Hijra, the Muslim New Year on…
Recognising local faces in global spaces: lessons we can learn from our Indian grandmothers, part two
Part one of this article can be found here. Participating in international women’s forums during the interwar years often made this generation aware of their marginalisation as Indian women and colonial subjects within these forums. This was brought home to…
Recognising local faces in global spaces: lessons we can learn from our Indian grandmothers, part 1.
In our evermore interconnected world transnational networks are becoming increasingly important in enabling workers, activists and academics to overcome the limitations imposed by national boundaries. Look at the success of a global research and policy network such as WIEGO (Women…
16 Days Against Violence Against Women: Lucy Faithfull (or was she Lady Faithless?) – Mother to Hundreds
An account of Lucy Faithfull’s life is a history of child care in the twentieth century. She was a passionate campaigner for children, Children’s Officer for Oxford, and the first social worker to sit in the House of Lords. In…
Sixteen Days Against Violence Against Women
Today, Thursday, 25th November 2010, sees the launch of 16 Days of Action to Eliminate Violence Against Women. Events are planned worldwide to increase awareness of this pressing problem, which continues to require immediate attention and intervention today. My own…
Legal Aid, Divorce and Lessons from History
This week the UK government has announced a cut of £350 million from the legal budget for England and Wales, leading to the withdrawal of support from all cases but those that involve life and liberty. It effectively means that…
Anna Muncaster 1885-1930
“By casual acquaintances she was regarded as somewhat cold and reserved, but her friends and patients found in her a ready sympathy – devoid of sloppiness – a staunch loyalty and a keen sense of humour.”[1] This is how in…
A Revolutionary Friendship
In 1967, in a meeting room of leftists and radicals at the University of Kent, Di Parkin met her future life-long friend and comrade Lorraine Hewitt. The political connection that drew the two young women together was immediate: Di had…