Tag: Women's History
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Colonialist Legacies: Forced Virginity Testing of Indian and Pakistani Women in 1970s Britain
Many South Asian women migrating to Britain during the 1970s faced inhumane examinations based on racial prejudice. Sophie Whitehead examines Britain’s austere immigration policies during the 1970s and the colonial mentality which produced them.
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Forgotten Women in History
Women’s history is a relatively recent area for historians to study. Isabelle Shaw explains why it’s such an important one.
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Kid Gloves and Cable Desks: The Challenges and Chances of Female War Correspondents
Since the late nineteenth century, female war correspondents have challenged societal barriers impeding access to the profession. Verity Limond discusses the history of women working in a position dominated by men, and the distinctly human aspect of their reporting.
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Woman’s Work: The Elusive Embroiderers of the Bayeux Tapestry
Despite remaining one of the most celebrated works of medieval art, there is little discussion of the women behind the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry. Naomi Wallace discusses the theories surrounding its origins and the needleworkers responsible for this famous masterpiece.
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The History of the Bikini: Clothing as Evidence of Female Oppression
With a history dating as far back as 5600 BC, the story of the bikini is one of liberation and resistance, although not without conservative backlash. Isabelle Shaw examines the link between changing fashions and women’s autonomy.
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Double Deviant: Criminalisation of and Attitudes Towards Female ‘Sin’ in Nineteenth Century Britain
Written by Sophie Whitehead. The history of female crime is largely dominated by stories of sex workers and infanticide. But how does the theory of female crime contribute to the history of crimes associated by women? Sophie Whitehead explores the history of women in crime literature.
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Was Anwar Sadat a Feminist?
Written by Amy Hendrie. The conflicting legacy and motivations of the Egyptian president Anwar Sadat is explored by Amy Hendrie. A complex figure, Sadat in several ways raised the position of women in his country, even if it was for his own ends.
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All’s Unfair in Marriage and Divorce
Written by Sophie Whitehead. How has gender inequality historically been expressed in marriage and divorce law? Sophie Whitehead examines how deep-seated, yet often subtle, discrepancies have evolved, and in some cases remain, in England and Wales.
Retrospect Journal 