How far did my bra fly?

By Helen Guinness.

The month of March and the return of IWD celebrations prompts me to think back to a time before women had the rights that they have now; and to the part that I have played in my lifetime to contribute to some of the changes, both in attitudes and laws.

My parents were adamant about equality and fairness; and believed in everyone’s right to equality. A strong foundation for me and one that fuelled my future actions. In addition, my maternal grandmother was a suffragist and an active campaigner for votes for women: a strong legacy!

Just to give this some context, The Representation of the People Act 1918 UK allowed only women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification to vote, that is only about two-thirds (8.5 million) of the total population of women in the UK.

Ten years later…the Equal Franchise Act 1928 UK allowed women over 21 to vote, and women finally achieved the same voting rights as men. This increased the number of women eligible to vote to 15 million.

But did you know that New Zealand’s women got the right to vote in parliamentary elections in 1893; that the colony of South Africa allowed women to vote and stand for election in 1895? South Australia, Sweden and Finland followed before the UK. Paradoxically, perhaps, the smallest Swiss Canton finally awarded women the vote in 1991; and perhaps less surprisingly, women in Saudi Arabia didn’t get the vote until 2015.

When I was a young woman, I could not open a bank account in my own name without permission from either my father or my husband.  I couldn’t have a mortgage in my own name until well after the Sex Discrimination Act was passed in 1975.

As a single parent in my late teens, I could not get a hospital bed unless I lied about being married and wore a wedding ring; and my child was referred to as illegitimate. This would never happen today.

By the time the Women’s Liberation Movement crossed the Atlantic in the late 1960s, I was ready for change and something that I could get my teeth into that might make a difference for the future of womankind.

The WLM was a political movement that sought to achieve equality and autonomy for women. The WLM continued its activities into the 1980s – although by that time I had embarked on my career, bringing leadership and coaching into UK organisations. Ultimately, the WLM did have a significant impact on the world, politically, intellectually and culturally. 

It was a difficult time that gave rise to militancy, massive resistance and the misrepresentation of the purpose of the movement. Women were labelled ‘man haters’ and accused of breaking up families. The following gives you a flavour of my involvement.

• I dressed, having discarded my bra, in the then ‘cool’ uniform of dungarees and Doc Martens and I threw out my make-up. Oh yeah!

• I led a group of women poets to self-publish a collection called House Plant. We sold 500 copies and donated the money to women in need.

• I ran a day nursery, set up to give mothers a break from daily childcare.

• I had articles published in two magazines of the time: Spare Rib and Nova.

• I supported Erin Pizzey who was known for her advocacy on behalf of both men’s and women’s rights, and for her work against domestic violence.

• And, yes, I camped at Greenham Common.

By this time my bra was in full flight!

Some significant changes occurred during this time. The contraceptive pill was launched in 1961, but available only to the married, until 1967.  Sexual liberation was on its way!

The 1967 Abortion Act legalised abortion in the UK, for women who were up to 24 weeks pregnant, provided that maternal health was not in danger.

So, now what?

I have successfully weathered a 40-year-plus career in a male-dominated business world and navigated the challenges therein. I continue to work in leadership development, because I believe that, ultimately, it may be the only way forward.

And yet, my bra has still not flown far enough!

Not only have we not made significant further progress, I would assert that we have fallen back. To take what is now and never should have been an issue, we still do not pay women the same amount as men in many areas of society. This must change.

Matriarchy is not the answer. We would simply be replacing one dominant culture with another, creating more blind spots, misses and mistakes.

We won’t succeed with the extremely binary women v. men, patriarchy v. matriarchy, win v. lose gender battle.

Only diversity – the representation of all genders and all people – will bring us a different result. And we all need to learn, to educate our children to live in an equal world, not a competitive, divisive one.

Leadership is the key!

Helen Guinness

hello@helenguinness.com

07775 662170

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