The importance of Stories to the History of Working Women

History often celebrates grand gestures and prominent figures in the fight for women's rights. We remember the landmark legislation and the iconic names, but these milestones can obscure a crucial element: the lived experience of the average working woman.

This article by Zoe Lewis , Senior Associate here at JGA Recruitment Group and a History graduate with a passion for equality, dives into the gap between the rhetoric of progress and the everyday struggles of women in the workforce. Zoe uses "unusual examples" to shed light on the disparity between legal rights and practical realities.

Through these untold stories, Zoe argues that achieving true equality requires more than just inclusion on paper. It demands a workplace environment where women feel they genuinely belong.

Momentum in Women’s history is often marked by legal recognition or prominent historical figures. The Equality Act of 1970 or The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act of 1919 were huge steps towards achieving a more equal legal canvas for men and women. Names such as Emeline Pankhurst, Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, and Madonna are admirable examples for their representation of women across political, cultural, and social landscapes.

These were critical catalysts for change, however what is less often recognised is what this looked like for a working woman. For the women who heard of these fantastic examples of strides toward equality but struggled to see it in practice in their workplace. The individual stories of working women across history are crucial to understanding why there exists a disparity between what the movement has achieved and why the conversation needs to continue.

There are multiple examples across history that highlight the difference between Inclusion and reality. I will visit the impact of WW1 and WW2, advancements in the professional fields of law and medicine and the reality of the Equal Pay Act of 1970. I will present this using some more unusual examples you may not have heard before.

The First Major Shift: War

More than a million women joined the workforce in the UK between 1914 to 1918. The main reason for such an influx was to support the gap left by a generation of working men who had joined military efforts. Women took on positions in agriculture, medicine, and manufacturing. To encourage women’s participation in the workforce, rhetoric focused on ‘community,’ ‘heroism’ and ‘victory.’ This was the first-time women were empowered by their working roles and were directly contributing to a broader purpose than their immediate families and communities. However, whilst by 1951 the number of working women had almost returned to pre-war levels, trade unions still defended higher wages for men, despite an increase in women’s union membership.

The ‘Hello Girls’ were women who were bilingual in French and English and served as telephone switchboard operators on the Western front. They underwent physical training, observed strict military protocol, and worked very closely to the front lines. They were admired for their focus ad bravery under pressure and were, in many respects crucial to the day-to-day operations of the frontline. However, the ‘Hello Girls’ did not receive Veteran status or benefits that were afforded their male counterparts. They didn’t receive recognition until 1977.

Professional advancement

Constance Markievicz, an Irish politician, was the first female to be elected as an MP in 1918.  She rejected this in an act of protest and refused to acknowledge the authority of the British government. She became the second female cabinet Minister in Europe when she was elected Minister for Labour in the First Dail. She had been actively involved in nationalist politics in Ireland in 1908 and was a major supporter of the suffragette movement. Her role in the Manchester by-elections in 1908 was a key reason Churchill lost the election to a Conservative candidate. This was not without resistance.

Dr Ivy Williams was the first woman to be called to the Bar in England in 1922 and the first woman to receive a degree as a Doctor of Civil Law from Oxford in 1923. This was due to the Sex Disqualification Act in 1919 which removed the discriminatory policies that disqualified women from certain positions. However, Ivy Williams and her peers struggled to be accepted and survive as barristers. Williams spent most of her career as a Tutor in Jurisprudence.

Equal Pay Act?

A ford factory in Dagenham in 1968 was the theatre of a catalyst for the Equal Pay Act of 1970. 187 female workers at this factory protested their male colleagues earning 15% more than them. Median pay for all employees was 14.3% less for women than for men in April 2023.

What is clear across all such examples is a difference between the illusion of Inclusion, and the reality of the working world for women. McKinsey’s ‘Women in the Workplace’ report over the past 9 years focuses on Myth versus Reality, across perceptions of the ‘glass ceiling,’ ‘Microaggressions,’ and flexible working. Since 2015, the number of women in the C-suite has increased from 17 to 28%, but stories around Belonging for women who are not in companies with women in C-suite positions demonstrates how far parity is out of reach.

About the Author

Zoe Lewis is a Senior Associate here at JGA Recruitment Group and a History graduate with a deep commitment to gender equality.