‘Those who formed the Open Door Council have for some time been viewing with increasing alarm the present tendency to legislate with the ostensible object of improving the lot of the woman worker.’ [1] So began the first report of the Open Door Council (ODC) in 1927. On the surface, legislation to improve the lot of … Read more
Constance Gore-Booth (1868-1927), a leading figure in the Irish Revolution and a prominent campaigner for women’s suffrage, was the first woman elected to Westminster. The eldest of five children, Constance came from a privileged, upper-class Irish Protestant family. Prior to embarking on her political career, Constance studied art in London and Paris. In Paris, she … Read more
‘Nicholaa, not thinking about anything womanly, defended … [Lincoln] castle manfully’[1] Nicholaa de la Haye was a medieval noblewoman who defied the social expectations of her day. She held the office of castellan[2] of Lincoln Castle, successfully defending it during the Battle of Lincoln in 1217, and jointly held the office of sheriff of Lincoln … Read more
When we think of women campaigning for the vote we tend to think of the Suffragettes, those organised by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) led by the redoubtable Emmeline Pankhurst. We may also think of the Suffragists, women who campaigned for the vote within the bounds of the law. These women were principally … Read more
Since its opening in 1886, Royal Holloway College has had many student-led societies for sport, politics and other interests. In the 1920s, the College had an active Society for Equal Citizenship, which was a feminist group affiliated with the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship (NUSEC). The organisation formerly known as the National Union … Read more
At the outbreak of the First World War the Suffragettes not only ceased their military campaign, they actively threw themselves behind the national war effort. One way in which they did this was through their work as nurses, doctors, and surgeons. There is currently a small display in the Camden Local Studies Centre about such … Read more
In this post Abbie Evans interviews Kathy Atherton, a local historian and Exhibitions Team leader at Dorking Museum, and Royal Holloway PhD researcher, Katie Broomfield, about the Citizens project upcoming short film on the Pethick Lawrences and Women’s Suffrage. Abbie: Kathy, can you start by telling our readers about Dorking Museum? Kathy: Of course, Dorking … Read more
Women’s Pioneer Housing is a unique partner of the Citizens project. Set up by women suffragists and suffragettes nearly 100 years ago, it became London’s first post-war housing service for single working women and today it continues to defend its original purpose: to cater for ‘professional and other women of moderate means who require individual … Read more
