Birmingham’s 1980s Feminist Activism for Change

In mid-1980s Birmingham, 21-year-old Emma Woolf observed numerous issues that fueled discontent among women. Despite Margaret Thatcher serving as the UK’s first female prime minister, many women continued to experience neglect and inadequate compensation in their daily lives, leading to a collective desire for action. Ms Woolf, now 61, recalled her involvement: “I was in a group of women who went: ‘No. We’re having what we want and we will be fighting for it.’” She was among a collective of 1980s feminists in Birmingham who collaborated to organize city-wide initiatives for women, confronting allegations that these efforts constituted a “waste of money”. Researchers at Birmingham City University (BCU) have developed a new podcast, aiming to illuminate this lesser-known aspect of the city’s past for contemporary Brummies. The podcast chronicles the activities of the Women’s Committee and the Women’s Unit, which were two council bodies established in 1984 and employed women to execute pioneering projects. These initiatives encompassed a week-long women’s festival, a complimentary directory detailing women’s groups and services, and a report on low pay that brought attention to problems within the council itself—problems that continue to affect the local authority four decades later. Ms Woolf, then 23 and an aspiring activist, eagerly accepted the opportunity to manage the festival upon seeing the job advertisement. She characterized the 1980s as “a very politically active time” for female campaigners; equal pay laws were reinforced in 1984, yet legal victories remained uncommon, while a private members’ bill sought to restrict abortion. Additionally, women were instrumental in the miners’ strikes and established an anti-nuclear peace camp in Berkshire, which Ms Woolf visited. “[We were] in a series of never-ending battles,” she stated. She also mentioned encountering daily discriminations, such as advocating to be addressed as “Ms” rather than “Miss” or “Mrs”, and being questioned in job interviews about their intentions to have children. The festival, named ‘Women Celebrate’, occurred in 1987, encompassing more than 170 events throughout Birmingham. Activities included a panel debate featuring female politicians, participation in exercise sessions and theatre performances by women, and language classes specifically for migrant women. Ms Woolf, who resides in Cotteridge, commented that the festival facilitated connections among women’s groups that, in the era preceding the internet, might not have otherwise converged, thereby assisting them in becoming “part of something bigger”. Support for the festival was not universal. It drew criticism in the press, and a local councillor labeled it an “absolute disaster”. Bournville councillor Alan Blumenthal stated to the Birmingham Mail in 1988: “The women of Birmingham did not want this festival and the taxpayer has had to foot the bill for it.” Nevertheless, many Brummies supported the festival, and it was held annually until 1996. This new podcast forms part of a BCU initiative titled Gender Equality: 40 Years On!, which has established an archive documenting the Women’s Committee and the Women’s Unit. Annette Naudin, an associate professor who spearheaded the project, expressed her hope that this endeavor would guarantee that the women’s “legacy isn’t forgotten”. She further remarked: “The more I talked to people, the more I felt a lot of people in Birmingham didn’t know about [this] activism.” Ms Naudin indicated that several UK councils, including the Greater London Council, operated women’s committees during the 1980s, but their contributions had not been thoroughly documented. Ming de Nasty, a photographer, described a vibrant atmosphere within Birmingham’s women’s rights movement during the 1980s, stating that “you did feel like you could make a positive change”. Now 61, she relocated to the city in 1984, where she produced a feminist fanzine named Raw Eggs, participated in anti-nuclear protests, and photographed punk bands. She also collaborated with photographer Rhonda Wilson to develop a poster series for the Women’s Committee, intended to publicize the conclusions of its low pay report. According to a written record by Barbara Webster, who served as the head of the Women’s Unit at that time, the report’s findings were deemed “controversial” within the council because “it turned the spotlight” on the local authority itself. She noted that the report underscored pay discrepancies between manual workers in female-dominated positions, such as cleaners, and those in male-dominated roles, like refuse collectors, with the latter group receiving union-negotiated bonuses in addition to their base salary. Birmingham City Council continues to contend with equal pay issues presently; the local authority is currently facing a liability of up to £760 million to resolve claims, in addition to £1.1 billion already disbursed. The posters from the 1980s, which were exhibited in libraries and community centers, employed satirical humor. One particular poster depicted women in low-paid occupations posing as if participating in a beauty pageant. She stated that “people got really excited” about the images, which brought attention to an issue “that needed talking about”. However, the Women’s Committee, which had united activists such as Ms Woolf and Ms de Nasty, proved to be relatively brief in its existence. In 1987, after three years, the council replaced both its women’s committee and its race relations committee with a unified equalities group, prompting a protest outside its offices. Ms De Nasty expressed hope that the podcast and archive will motivate younger women to expand upon the accomplishments of the 1980s activists during that limited period, particularly as issues like equal pay, abortion rights, and violence continue to impact numerous women today. Ms de Nasty, who currently resides in Shropshire, stated: “I hope they get inspired by it and I hope they’ll go away thinking: ‘Women were doing it then, and we’ve got to carry it on.’” She added: “Take the baton, carry it on.” For further updates, follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.