3.19 British Culture and Society in the 1970s (Feminism) Flashcards
When did the first Women’s Liberation meeting take place?
1970
What did radical separatists want?
Demanded feminism based on lesbian relationships
When was the first Gay Pride March?
1971
What did most feminists want?
Equality with family life and in relationships
What did the social feminists focus on?
They identified a clearer class dimension and campaigned on issues that would allow women to achieve financial independence
What happened at the 1970 Miss World Contest?
- Disrupted as they felt it objectified women
- Bob Hope was heckled
- Protesters threw stink bombs on the stage
What did the 1971 demonstrations, organised by Women’s Lib, focus on?
Equal pay for nurses and free 24 hour nurseries
What two magazines were set up supporting the liberation movement?
The Shrew
Spare Rib
When did Cosmopolitan magazine arrive from the USA?
1972
What topics did Cosmopolitan deal with?
Abortion, sexuality, and contraception
Who did Cosmopolitan appeal to?
The mainstream with fashion and style too
Who was Cosmopolitan not popular with?
Militant feminists
What opened at universities that dealt with feminism?
Departments of Women’s Studies
Which research subjects took on feminist approaches?
Language, literature, anthropology, and history
When was birth control available for women in the UK?
1961 - for married women only
When did the pill become available on the NHS?
1971
When was the The Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act passed?
1976
What did the The Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act do?
- Made it easier for women to gain protection from violent husbands
How many women had applied for injunctions in 1972?
300
By 1973, how many women had applied for injunctions?
3,000
When did the first rape crisis centre open?
1973 in London
What event was held in response to the Yorkshire Ripper murders?
Reclaim the Night marches
When were the Reclaim the Night marches?
1977
How many people thought that marriage was not old fashioned an obselete?
77%
How many people preferred living together to marriage?
1 out of 10
How many would marry if it was necessary in order to live together?
8 out of 10
The divorce rate rose slowly, what did that suggest?
It was not a destruction of marriage
When did the Equal Pay Act become operative?
1975
What did the Equal Pay Act do?
Made it illegal to discriminate between men and women in most areas of unemployment
When did Chiswick’s Women’s refuge open?
1971
Who set up the Chiswick’s Women’s Refuge?
Erin Pizzey
What did the Chiswick’s Women’s Refuge do?
Provided protection for women who were being abused by their husbands
In 1974, what were women’s refuges consolidated under?
Women’s Aid
What was published for the first time in 1972?
Spare Rib
Who was Spare Rib published by?
Sue O’Sullivan and Amanda Sebestyen
What kind of articles did Spare Rib publish?
Women’s experiences of education, family, health, and domestic violence
When was the Night Cleaner’s Strike?
1972
What was the Night Cleaner’s Strike?
The Women’s Liberation Movement wanted to unionise night cleaners
Resulted in greater awareness of their working conditions
When was the rape crisis centre opened up in Scotland?
1976 Glasgow
1978 Edinburgh
What did the rape crisis organisation do?
Provided coordination and support to member groups to raise awareness of the issues of sexual violence
When was Virago formed?
1973
Who formed Virago?
Carmen Callil
What was the purpose of Virago?
Dedicated to publishing women’s literature and was set up to ‘drag women’s writing off the sidelines’
When was the Sex Discrimination Act passed?
1975
What did the Sex Discrimination Act do?
Made it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of sex or marital status in the field of employment, or in the provision of educational facilities, housing, goods and services
It made it unlawful to discriminate in advertisements in these areas
What Commission was set up under the Sex Discrimination Act?
An Equal Opportunities Commission
Why did the Equal Opportunities Commission find it difficult?
- It was difficult to prove discrimination against sex
- Between 1976 and 1983, only 10% of discrimination claims had been successful
When was the Social Security Act passed?
1975
Who led the campaign for the Social Security Act in parliament?
Barbara Castle
What was the purpose of the Social Security Act?
State Earnings Related Pension Scheme which became more generous to women whose contributions had been limited by caring responsibilities.
When was the Employment Protection Act?
1975
What did the Employment Protection Act do?
Introduced paid maternity leave and outlawed dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy
When was the National Abortion Campaign (NAC) formed?
1975
Why was the National Abortion Campaign (NAC) formed?
To defend women’s rights to make decisions about their own bodies
What is the General Synod?
The administrative body of the Church of England
In 1975, what did the General Synod decide in terms of women?
There was ‘no fundamental objection to the ordination of women’
When was the first woman ordained in the Church of England?
1994
When were women actually allowed to be ordained in the Church of England?
1992
What did the 1976 WLM Conference discuss?
Debates over the 6th demand, class and lesbianism
When was the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act passed?
1976
What did the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act do?
Enabled married women to obtain court orders against their violent husbands without divorce
Could order a man out of the matrimonial home
What was the limitation of the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act?
It did not apply to unmarried women
When was the Grunswick Film Processing Laboratories Strike?
1976
Who was the Grunswick Film Processing Laboratories Strike led by?
Jayaben Desai
Who made up most of the strikers in the Grunswick Film Processing Laboratories Strike?
Working class Asian women
What was the Grunswick Film Processing Laboratories Strike about?
Unfair dismissals of colleagues, pay inequality, and racist company practices
What was the purpose of the Reclaim the Night marches?
To ‘demand justice for rape survivors’
Where was the 1978 National WLM Conference?
Birmingham
What demand was added to the first six at the National WLM Conference in 1978?
Freedom for all women from intimidation by the threat or use of violence or sexual coercion regardless of marital status; and an end to the laws, assumptions, and institutions which perpetuate male dominance and aggression to women.
When was the Southall Black Sisters formed?
1979
What was the purpose of the Southall Black Sisters?
To support all black and Asian women living in the UK
They provided legal advice and information, counselling and organised campaigns
What problems still persisted for women by the end of the 1970s?
- Continuance of inequality
- Trade Unions dominated by men
- The Equal Pay Act didn’t entirely work
Why did the Equal Pay Act not entirely work?
Employers got around it by making tasks slightly different and therefore not comparable.
When did the TUC publish Equality for Women Within Trade Unions?
1979
