Today [8th March] is International Women's Day. So Peace, Love, Greetings and Solidarity to all Women everywhere.
As it is the Global 100th anniversary of International Women's Day it is a good day to reflect on the achievement of Women worldwide - yet how far do many Women in under developed countries [and some so called developed countries] still have to 'travel' to achieve equality with men?
Because I am writing in the UK I wanted to reflect on the changes in Women's conditions and rights since the times of my mother, grandmothers and great grandmothers and think about how the changes in society and economic affairs, medical advances and education have changed from their generations to mine, my daughters' and my granddaughter's'. All of us have been around during the 100 years of the 'International Women's Day' celebrations. Obviously - being me - I will have to add a few political comments on how proposed present Government cuts could affect women in future...
Society:
Each of my great-grandmothers have been described at various times by various descendants as 'a strong woman' [sometimes the adjective has not been so kind as 'strong'!] But to survive in those times [last forty years of the 19th century onwards] working class women as my great grandmothers were, had to be 'strong'.
One great grandmother was widowed aged just over thirty with three children aged under five. If one could not support oneself the only 'state help' was the workhouse - so it seems as if she married a widower in an 'arrangement' in that she could look after his children and and he could support her and her children. They had one child between them who died at an early age and then the second husband died too. His children were now old enough to work to support themselves and my great grandmother married again. She outlived this husband too but at least her children were now old enough to support her. A not untypical story for the time.
My grandmothers had young children during the First World War. My English grandmother also worked in a munitions factory during the War, led a strike for better pay as the women workers [who got paid less than men, who also went on strike for more pay] could not manage on their pay even when, as in her case, she had a soldier's pay too [see http://rephidimstreet.blogspot.com/2010/08/is-political-activism-hereditary.html ] My Welsh grandmother had struggled feeding four small children when my grandfather was missing in action for many months after he was fighting in the Balkans. [He was eventually found, severely injured, in a French hospital and invalided out of the army. Happily he made a full recovery] Both grandmothers were nearly forty before they could vote despite having 'run' their families in these war years. Mind you, my grandfathers had fought for their country but couldn't vote for it until 1918 either!] My grandmothers finally got full equality with men to vote in 1928, when the Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act was passed.
My mother fought against male discrimination all her life, but still made the tea at political meetings! [Not something that anyone has ever dared ask me to do!] I am just old enough to remember when one never saw a woman clerk on bank counters etc and most doctors were men. I remember the strike of the women sewing machinists at Ford Dagenham in 1968 for equal pay [see http://rephidimstreet.blogspot.com/2010/09/real-story-of-made-in-dagenham.html ] and the Equal Pay Act 1970.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s in several big banks and insurance offices women still had to ask 'permission' of thier bosses to get married! Also in the 1970s only half of a wife's salary was taken into account when a mortgage offer was calculated. In the 1970s I was actually sacked because I was pregnant and too ill to work!
Both of my daughters are in careers with the same salary scales whether a man or woman is in the job. Both are entitled to maternity leave. [As are men of course]
However although many would celebrate the fact that the 'glass ceiling' has now been raised for women in employment there are still plenty that would claim that it is only some that have managed to get through a few 'sky lights' in that ceiling. Many women are still exploited in employment - especially in the lower paid and part time areas. But then so are many men. This is still a part of our society that needs help, regulation and support and includes men and women, young and old, fit and sick. This is an area that I fear this present government is not so keen to help or address.
Education:
According to evidence from marriage licences and census returns three of my four g.great grandmothers could all read and write. The fourth could speak English and Welsh and also ran a little business from her home so I assume all were as educated as could be for their times. They all worked so hard and although the census returns showed that they were 'at home' and not working [even the fourth one!] they all had 'little jobs' to help out with the family economy.
My grandmothers were the first generation to benefit from the Elementary Education Act of 1870 [also known as 'Forster's Education Act'] which provided a basic schooling for all children between the ages of five and twelve. They were both extremely clever women - and one cannot help but wonder if they had had more opportunities what they could have achieved education wise. Both were voracious readers - my Welsh grandmother had a memory that could trip anyone up! My English grandmother was very active politically and argued down many a male!
My mother passed 'the scholarship' but her parents could not afford the uniform or 'extras' if she went to grammar school. She had to leave school at fifteen to help with the family economic situation and always regretted the education she had 'lost'. However again she was a great reader and self educator, very active politically, holding office and eventually became a Justice of the Peace.
I went to university, first of the women in my family. Both my daughters went to university, as an expectation of this modern society. But this now seems to be slipping away and I only hope that the policies of the current government regarding tuition fees which will be unaffordable by poorer families will have been reversed by the time my granddaughters reach university entrance age and they will not face the same educational disappointment as their great grandmother.
Medical:
I have inherited a neurological condition from one of my greatgrandmothers - she had to spend [too often] three days at a time in bed to cope with it. No NHS in those days - and too expensive for the wife of an 'ordinary' working man to keep paying to see a doctor. So self-prescribed medicines and quite a miserable and painful life as she got older. I am treated by a top neurologist - who cannot cure but treats and alleviates the condition. I have also inherited [from whom is a mystery!] a rare blood condition which only became apparent mid-operation! A big thank you again to the NHS who saved my life on that occasion and made it possible for me to have any subsequent operations in safety - and more importantly so too my children who have unfortunately inherited not just my beauty [!] but my blood!
It has been shown in many reports that when the NHS was introduced in 1948 the number of working class women who would seek medical treatment had been previously underestimated. Many women had previously endured debilitating illnesses and symptoms because any spare cash for medical treatments or insurances had to be saved for the 'breadwinner' - if the man was too ill to work the whole family starved. Not only did women's health improve, but that too of their children as both pre-natal care improved and welfare clinics became more widespread.
Of course if this government manages to undermine the NHS and privatise many areas we may see a corresponding fall in the nation's health - especially amongst poorer women.
So a little personal reflection of my family women over the last 100 years. What is my conclusion? We all should celebrate International Women's Day and how far some women have travelled - but we must not sit back and congratulate ourselves. There are a lot of struggles still to undertake on behalf of the exploited everywhere in the world: women and men.
And for all those men sulking at being left out - it is Pancake Day too....
