Women’s History Month

International Women’s Day: 8th March

‘Women and girls represent half the world's

population, and therefore also half of its
potential’
 What is Women’s History Month? Why do we need it?

● A month to recognise women's achievements in

circumstances that weren’t equal
● Discuss narratives that aren’t always shared
● Vast majority of history is about men, while women at 51%
are the majority of the UK population
● To continue the campaign for gender equality
● To celebrate the progress made towards equality
 International Women’s Day, 8th March

● In 1908, 15000 women protested through the streets

of New York
● In 1909, the first National Women’s Day was
celebrated
● In 1911, International Women’s Day was honoured
by a handful of countries around the world
● In 1975, IWD was marked for the first time by the
United Nations
 Women’s rights in the UK
How has life changed for women in the UK in the last 100 years?

In 1919, Nancy Astor

becomes the first woman to
sit in Parliament

1941 - the National Service

Act conscripts all unmarried
women between 20-30 for
war work, proving vital to
After a 50 year fight, the war effort
Women over 30 gain the
vote in 1918.
In 1928, this drops to 21.
In 1969, this drops again
to 18.
 Women’s rights in the UK
How has life changed for women in the UK in the last 100 years?

In 1967, the contraceptive

pill becomes available to all
women in the UK

1956, the law is 1964 - ‘Married Women’s

changed to say Property Act’ allowed women
female teachers and to be legal owners of the
civil servants should money they earned, and to
receive equal pay inherit property.
 Women’s rights in the UK
How has life changed for women in the UK in the last 100 years?

1968 - women at the Ford 1987 - Diane Abbot is elected

factory in Dagenham as the first black female MP
protest for equal pay, which
has a direct impact on the
1970’s Equal Pay Act.

1980 - women can apply

for a loan or credit in their
own name (without a male
guarantor)
 Women’s rights in the UK
How has life changed for women in the UK in the last 100 years?

1994 - rape in
marriage is
considered a crime

1997 - 101 labour women

MPs are elected

1990 - married women are 2016 - 29% of MP’s are

taxed separately from their women
husbands
 What still needs to be done?
● In the UK, the pay gap is currently 14.9%
● Working women must work for 54 days before they stop working for free
● Globally, it is estimated that it will take 132 years for women to achieve full
equality
● 259 million fewer women have access to the internet - for example, those
who aren’t working.
● 1 in 3 women have been the victim of physical or sexual violence in their
lifetime
● 15% of fortune 500 CEO’s are women
● Un-doing of progress, for example women's access to education being
restricted in Afghanistan
 What still needs to be done?
● If the global gender gap was closed, it would boost the economy by 28
trillion dollars
● 129 million girls out of school worldwide. Girl are 2.5 times more likely to
be out of school at secondary level than boys
● ⅔ of the world's illiterate population are women
● Women spend three times longer on unpaid care work than men -
domestic work, child care and family care
● 40% of countries worldwide limit women's property rights
● On average, women only have 75% of the legal rights afforded to men
(globally)
 How can we contribute to International Women's Day?

● Research and learn about women's contributions

● Celebrate the women in your life and their achievements

● Call out discrimination and stereotyping when you see it, and
challenge your own thoughts

● Ask, listen to and validate women about their experiences and

opinions