Primary sources
What was the position and status of British women in the late 1960s?
To get a fuller picture of this period in history, you will now investigate some accounts from the time. Primary sources provide us with insight into historical events as seen by people living through them. Be aware of their origins and what they tell us about the interpretation of events by whoever has created them. As you undertake your research, you must keep a research diary. Note down the date of your work, the details of each source you use and your main findings from that source. At the end of your enquiry, you will submit your research diary to your teacher with your presentation and together they will form part of your teacher's assessment of your work.
Research the following questions using the web links to primary sources below:
- How were British women discriminated against in the 1960s and early 1970s?
- How did social class affect British women's position and status?
- What factors led to changes in the role of British women?
Links
- Photograph of the Ford sewing machinists
- Article from TUC Labour Magazine, October 1968
Covers the Trade Union Congress passing a resolution calling on the government to give an undertaking to implement equal pay legislation within two years. It urged affiliates to support unions taking industrial action in support of the equal pay principle. - Press cutting from the Financial Times newspaper 13 February 1969
The article includes a photograph of Barbara Castle drinking tea with women workers at Dagenham during the Ford equal pay strike in 1968. - Clip about a beauty contest for women workers at Heathrow Airport, 1968
- A public information film from the National Archive about jobs for young girl