Search Results for: Voices from the Archive

Voices from the Archive

Posted on 29th August 2018

Feminist Archive North recently received a series of ten posters produced by a researcher from Leeds Beckett University who used one of the Archive’s collections as part of her PhD study.

Helen Clarke was working towards a PG certificate in Heritage Studies, and the posters are Helen’s response to archival material on Reclaim the Night held at FAN.

In 1977, women walked in Leeds to take back their space, challenging the response to male violence which effectively imposed a curfew on women. A wave of activism followed in London and other cities, as women fought to reclaim the night.

Treasures from the Archive

Newsletter Inventory – articles on Treasures
(available on our website)

‘Treasures’ is a regular feature in the FAN Newsletter . This is a piece which describes the contents, history and significance of a particular holding, and can be a useful starting point for researchers. They can then decide if the material is relevant to their particular topic before making an appointment to come in and examine it. The list so far includes:

No.1 Summer 2007

Pavilion
Leeds City Council, Crimes Against Women Conference, 1985

No.2 Winter 2007/08

Spare Rib
Leeds Women Against Apartheid

No.3 Summer 2008

Women’s Peace Activism

No.4 Winter 2009/10

Helen John – a Life of Activism
Bolton Women’s Liberation Group Archive

No.5 Summer 2011

Voices Against Apartheid
(Leeds City Council Schools’Project)

No.6 Summer 2012

Homeworkers WorldWide
Vera Media
Women’s Studies, Carol Moss

Frequently, we showcase items from our collections. Like this pamphlet donated (among others) by Rosie Snowden.

: International Women’s Day pamphlet

While it may not seem like much, the list of women’s organisations which gathered at the historic Corn Exchange in Leeds for 1985’s International Women’s Day celebrations reads like a ‘who’s who’ of the Women’s Liberation Movement — many of whom (like Leeds Animation Workshop or the Women’s Holiday Center in Horton) are still active in the Yorkshire area today. You can download the pamphlet here.

The Corn Exchange is a beautiful old Victorian building in the centre of Leeds. Built in 1867, it was once just what the name suggests. After falling into relative ruin, it was refurbished in the 1980s, and used as a market for tiny shops full of cool things. It eventually became the centre of Goth culture in Leeds, before the council unceremoniously chucked everyone out and sold the building off to be a high-end food emporium. (As you might guess from the general tone of the economy, that hasn’t turned out too well.)

This event would most likely have taken place before the refurbishment, when the building was frequently used to house these kinds of council-supported community gatherings.

: Corn exchange circa 2005, when it was still one of the coolest sites in Leeds.

[Image from Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0* ]*

Remembering Resistance project

Posted on 14th November 2018

Remembering Resistance: a Century of Women’s Protest in the North of England is a new project from researchers at Lancaster University that aims to bring to life the history of women’s protest.

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Remembering Resistance will create a permanent archive of women’s activism to inspire future generations. To ensure that the voices of women who have been involved in protest are preserved, the project is gathering oral histories and archival accounts from women who have been active in protest or political campaigning, past and present. If you’ve been involved in protest or campaigning and want to share your experiences, they would love to hear from you.

To learn more about the project, including how to be an interviewee or to train as a citizen researcher, get in touch with Sarah Marsden at s.marsden@lancaster.ac.uk. You can learn more at www.rememberingresistance.com, and follow the project on Twitter @rememberresist.

Web Citations

Posted on 11th March 2016

Web Citations used in this Chronology:

~	Abortion Rights.org
~	Additional Personal Allowance for wife’s incapacity, from HM Customs & Revenue
~	Airs, Carole (1980) Dykes in the Granite City, Gay Left News, Vol 10, pp. 22-23
~	Anderson, Elizabeth Garret – bio, from Spartacus Educational
~	Association of Radical Midwives
~	Benyon, William– page from Oswestry Borough Council
~	Berwick Street Collective (1972-75) – Nightcleaners Part 1,from Internet Movie Database
~	Bindel, Julie (2006) Marching to FreedomThe Guardian, 22 November, 2006
~	Black Women for Wages for Housework
~	Bradford Rape Crisis
~	Bradford Women’s Aid
~	British Federation of Women Graduates
~	British Pregnancy Advisory Service
~	Byrne, Paul* (1996) The Politics of the Women’s Movement. Parliamentary Affairs 49, pp 55-70
~	Campaign for Legal and Financial Independence, AKA the Fifth Demand Group – papers of Mary McIntosh, from Genesis archive index
~	Child Benefits
~	Cliff, Tony (1984) Class Struggle and Women’s Liberation[particularly Chapter 11 – The WLM in Britain], from the Marxist Internet Archive
~	Cohen, Steve – Solidarity Not Pity, from Deletetheborder.org (Cohen defended Nasira Begum)
~	Colquhoun, Maureenbio from Wikipedia
~	Conway, Terry (2004) On Defending the 67 Abortion Act, from Socialist Unity Network
~	Coultas, Val* (1981) Feminists Must Face the Future, Feminist Review, No. 7 (Spring, 1981), pp. 35-48
~	Davin, Anna* (1980) Historian’s Notebook: The London Feminist History Group. History Workshop Journal9: 192-194
~	Documents from the Women’s Liberation Movement: An Online Archival Collection at Duke University (US)
~	E. Efe Çakmak, Juliet Mitchell, Bülent Somay (2006) There is never a psychopathology without the social context: An interview with Juliet Mitchell, from Eurozine
~	Edinburgh Women’s Aid
~	Equal Pay Act of 1970
~	Essex University: About the University
~	Fairburns, Zoe (2003) Women’s Demands in the Feminist Seventies and Now.York, UK: Raw Nerve Books
~	Fat is Still a Feminist Issue(2002) Shanghai Daily Star (Interview with Susie Orbach)
~	Feminist Archive South
~	Feminist Seventies Conferenceat the University of York, April 2002
~	Feminists and Flourbombs(2002) – a Channel 4 documentary about the Miss World protests in 1970
~	Fighting the Bill(1970) – Cinema Action documentary against the Industrial Relations Bill, info from British Film Institute Screenonline
~	Freeman, Jo (1970) The Tyranny of Structurelessness, from The Struggle Site
~	Full wording of the 1967 Abortion Actfrom Education for Choice
~	German, Lindsey (2002) Women: Give Us a Break! Socialist Review, Issue 265
~	German, Lindsey (2003) Women’s Liberation Today. International Socialism Journal, Issue 101
~	Goodman, Amy (1985) The Case Against Depo Provera, Multinational Monitor6 (2/3)
~	Graham, et al. (2003) The Feminist SeventiesYork, UK: Raw Nerve Books
~	Hamilton, Angus (nd) Crime and the Lesbian and Gay Client(on the legal ramifications of the SOA 1967)
~	Hanmer, Jalna – Making Connections: Researching Gendered Violence
~	Harriss, Kathryn* (1989) New Alliances: Socialist-Feminism in the Eighties. Feminist Review, No. 31, The Past before Us: Twenty Years of Feminism (Spring, 1989), pp. 34-54
~	Heath, Edward (1970) British Conservative Party Election Manifesto
~	History of Equal pay strikeat Trico-Folberth factory, from Trades Union Congress (TUC)
~	History of Gay Pridefrom Lesbian Life at About.com
~	History of Mastectomy Association, from Breastcancer Care
~	Hoggart, Leslie (nd) Feminist Principles meet Political Reality: the case of the National Abortion Campaign, from ProChoice Forum
~	Hudson, Anne-Murray (1983) SWAPO: Solidarity With Our SistersReview of African Political Economy– Vol. 10 No. 27/28 [abstract only]
~	Industrial Relations Bill(1971) – Short film by Conrad Aitkinson, info from Tate Museum
~	Instructional Filmsmade by the Women’s National Cancer Control Campaign
~	International Women’s Day – Global register of yearly events
~	International Women’s Day Historyfrom LeicestHERday
~	James, Selma – Women, Unions and Work (Quotes), from Livable Income
~	James, Selma (1973) Sex, Race and Classfrom Autonomy & Solidarity
~	James, Selma (2001) War: An Enemy of the Poor– Radio broadcast, from the National Radio Project[in MP3]
~	James, Selma , bio from recent lecture
~	Jeffreys, Sheila – Profile from More4
~	Johnston, Claire (1975) – The Nightcleaners (Part One): Rethinking Political Cinema. (Review) Jump Cut, no. 12/13, 1976, pp. 55-56 (reprinted from Spare Rib, No. 40, Oct. 1975)
~	Kahn, Mark* (1983) Book Review:From Sky Girl to Flight Attendant: Women and the Making of a Union, by Georgia Panter Nielsen. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Oct., 1983), pp. 126-128
~	La Leche League
~	Leeds Animation Workshop
~	Leeds United!(Film, 1974) – Internet Movie Database entry
~	Lefties: Angry Wimmin, a BBC4 Documentary on Revolutionary Feministsin Leeds
~	Lesbian Left Group
~	London Women’s Film Group, filmography from British Film Institute
~	London Women’s Liberation Campaign for Legal and Financial Independence and Rights of Women* (1979) Disaggregation Now! Another Battle for Women’s Independence. Feminist Review, No. 2 (1979), pp. 19-31
~	Louise Brown’s 25th birthday, from BBC News
~	Margaret ThatcherArchive
~	McIntosh, Mary (2001) Engendering Economic Policy: The Women’s Budget Group. Women: A Cultural Review 12 (2), pp 147 – 157
~	Mitchell, Juliet: Academic Biography, from Jesus Collegeat Cambridge University
~	National Campaign for Nursery Education
~	Northern Irish Women’s Aid
~	Onlywomen Press
~	Open Door Council
~	Orbach, Susie, bio from London School of Economics
~	O’Sullivan, Sue (2002) – Passion, Bitterness and Feminism(on publishing Spare Rib)
~	O’Sullivan, Sue* (1982) Passionate Beginnings: Ideological Politics 1969-72, Feminist Review, No. 11, Sexuality (Summer, 1982), pp. 70-86
~	Papers related to Women and Socialism conferences, from The Women’s Library Genesis Project
~	Phillips, Angela (2004) Defending Women’s Right to Choose, Socialist Worker 1926, Vol 6 November 2004
~	Pizzey, Erin, bio
~	Pizzey, Erin (1982) Prone to Violence, digital version of complete book
~	Red Ladder Theatre
~	Renn, Margaret (1997) An Act of Liberation, Socialist Review 213
~	Renn, Margaret (2004) We went into the workplaces to build for demo. Socialist Worker, Issue 1924
~	Review of the ‘Household Duties’ Test. listing from British Official Publications (BOPCRIS)
~	Roberts, Andrew: Table of Statutes(UK
~	Roche, Gertie– Leeds Garment Worker’s Strike leader – bio
~	Rowbotham, Sheila: on the 1969 Revolutionary Festival from the Essex 68website
~	Royal College of Midwives
~	Sagall, Sabby (2000) Struggles of the Past: The Car Warriors, from Socialist Review, No. 243 (on the Ford strike)
~	Scottish Women’s Aid
~	Select Committee on Violence in Marriage Report(1974-75) – publication details
~	Setch, Eve* (2002) The Face of Metropolitan Feminism: The London Women’s Liberation Workshop, 1969–79. Twentieth Century British History13(2):171-190
~	Sex Discrimination Act 1975, from the Women’s Equality Unit
~	Shelter – First UK organisation for the homeless, inspired by the 1966 film “Cathy Come Home“
~	Socialist Workers’ Party
~	Sphinx Theatre Company
~	Students of the University of Bristol (2003) – on The Abortion Act 1967
~	Students of the University of Bristol (2003) Motivations behind the Miss World Protests 1969
~	Sutcliffe, Peter– overview of the “Yorkshire Ripper” case, from the BBC
~	Tesseras, Mick, Photos of the Revolutionary Festival, February 1969
~	The Equal Pay Act 1970, from the Women and Equality Unit(UK)
~	The Nightcleaners, Part Onelisting from Lux
~	The Six Point Group
~	The Women’s Library, Catalogue of Women’s Liberation Movement resources
~	Thompson, Denise (1990) Theory and Its Difficulties
~	United Nations International Year of Womenfrom United Nations’ Womenwatch
~	Wages for Housework, from Crossroads Women’s Centre
~	Welsh Women’s Aid
~	White abortion amendment
~	Whittle, Louise (2004) Why Feminism?Worker’s Action27
~	Widgery, Dave (1977) Defending Abortion RightsLetter to Radical America, Vol.11 No.3, pp.75-77
~	Women in Action
~	Women in Politics*, Special Issue of Parliamentary Affairs, January 1996
~	Women in the House of Commons
~	Women Under Apartheid
~	Women’s Film and Video Collectives from BFI’s Screen Online
~	Women’s International NetworkNews, from Feminist.com
~	Women’s Media and Action Group
~	Women’s National Cancer Control Campaign– Contact Address
~	Women’s Studies International Quarterly
~	Women’s Aid Federation(England)
~	Working Women’s Charter, a brief description from the Trades Union Congress (TUC)
~	Yorkshire Women of the Century
~	TV Cream’s Play for Today

1975 – (3 of 3)

Posted on 11th March 1975

Journals

• Bread and Roses, Leeds

• Manchester Women’s Paper

• Red Herring, Edinburgh

• Women and Education, Manchester

• Women’s Information and Newsletter Service: WINS News:

• The Women’s Liberation Movement National Information Service , became Women’s Information, Referral and Enquiry Service (WIRES), Leeds

• Women’s Research and Resource Centre Newsletter, London

• Women Together, Harrow Weald

Bradford/Leeds

• January, Bradford refuge opens

• Bradford: Marxist/feminist reading group begins.

• Other Bradford groups: women’s health; Bradford Union of Students, Women’s Action Group (BUSWAG); Bradford Women’s Action Group.

• General Will (gay/lesbian and left theatre group) begins presenting plays. The women in that group presented many plays at conferences and events, such as ‘LesBeFriends’ and ‘All Het Up’.

• Leeds WL groups: Women’s Health, Women’s Aid, Non Sexist Kids Books Collective, Leeds Women’s Press, WWCC group, NAC local campaigns group, Bread and Roses Collective, Polytechnic women’s group, Radical lesbian group, Rambling (walking) group.

• Rally in Leeds against James White’s Abortion Amendment.

• WIRES: set up at the Manchester Women’s Liberation Conference, it opens its office in Leeds to give advice and help and to publish a fortnightly newsletter.

• Red Ladder Theatre collective moves to Leeds.

• Peter Sutcliffe (The ‘ Yorkshire Ripper’) begins to kill women in the area. The murders continue until 1980. The police only begin a full out investigation after Sutcliffe begins to murder ‘respectable’ women (i.e. not prostitutes) in the late 1970s. Sutcliffe is finally arrested in January 1981 and is tried and convicted in the summer of 1981.

External sites cited on these pages:

~ Abortion Rights
~ Bradford Women’s Aid
~ Child Benefits
~ Equal Pay Act of 1970
~ James White abortion amendment
~ Hoggart, Leslie (nd) Feminist Principles meet Political Reality: the case of the National Abortion Campaign, from ProChoice Forum
~ Pizzey, Erin (1982) Prone to Violence, digital version of complete book
~ Red Ladder Theatre
~ Northern Irish Women’s Aid
~ Sutcliffe, Peter – Comprehensive overview of the case from the BBC
~ Scottish Women’s Aid
~ Sex Discrimination Act 1975, from the Women’s Equality Unit
~ Welsh Women’s Aid
~ Women’s Aid Federation(England)
~ United Nations International Year of Women from United Nations’ Womenwatch

Additional external sites of interest:

~ Conway, Terry (2004) On Defending the 67 Abortion Act, from Socialist Unity Network
~ Renn, Margaret (1997) An Act of Liberation, Socialist Review 213

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