International Women's Day - women throughout history

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate the achievements of women who broke down barriers throughout history to give the women of tomorrow better life opportunities. Throughout history, women have shaped the human experience and transformed our world culturally, socially and politically.  However, some stories remain less well known. To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day, this blog collates the inspiring women that our final year BA (Hons) History students have researched and written blog articles about. 

One of the blogs named, The woman who ‘left a deep impression’ on Stalin is written by a group of students whose dissertation topics focus on Britain in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. These include a range of topics such as the Black Market, children’s experiences of The Blitz, and interwar politics. Winston Churchill was the UK’s Prime Minister during these historical occasions and although he was the man in power, his wife Clementine Churchill was in fact a public figure herself and played a key role in shaping his career and helping him with his decisions. Therefore, students Megan, Joe, Beth and Jack have put together this blog to show just how important she really was. To read the blog click here.

Two students, Olivia and Emily have written their blog on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, named, A voteless people is a hopeless people. Their focus is on Amelia Boynton, who dedicated her life to fighting for civil rights in America and went to great lengths to encourage Black Americans to register to vote. Her influence is often forgotten and overshadowed by her male counterparts in History, so Olivia and Emily’s blog highlight Boynton’s activist work and how she played a crucial part in America’s racial history. To read the blog click here. 

The blog named, Making A Difference: Angela Davis is written by Iona Simpson who also focuses on the period of time during the African American Civil Rights Movement but on Angela Davis. The Black Panther Party unbeknown had a large female membership who ran the organisation. Angela Davis was one of the members, an influential black feminist who challenged racial, gender and class oppression within America.  Find out more about her in this blog, read here. 

The blog named, Jenny has gone for a soldier: cross-dressing women in the British army, is written by Grace, Bradley, Sophia and Dominic. Their blog aims to uncover some of the difficulties faced by trans/non gender conforming individuals and the treatment they received within the armed forces over the nineteenth century. To read the blog click here.

Another blog a group of students worked on is Women of Science, it takes a look into the medical milestones of the past and what part women have played in the world of science and medicine. The students, Harlan, Megan, Oliver and Sibel were inspired to research women in science due to the current pandemic and its quick vaccine turnaround. Read the blog here.

Student, Robyn Harris chose to write her blog on famed abolitionist and author Harriet Beecher Stowe (18-11-1896) which was best known for her novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, published in 1852. Her work was influential regarding portrayal of the effects of slavery and how the institutions touched all of society instigated a wave of Northern support against slavery and allegedly started the great war. Read more in this blog here.