RESEARCH: Justice for Women

https://www.justiceforwomen.org.uk

This website if for a feminist organisation which was established in 1990. This campaign supports and advocates on the behalf of women who fought back against or killed violent men.

Their website has a "news" page which shows up and coming cases, along with case updates. This shows that the campaign is constantly fighting for women's rights as they are updating and increasing awareness of ongoing cases.

The website also has a section called "current campaigns". This section shows ongoing cases, of women who were killed as a result of abusive partners. This is arguably an emotive strategy, which could influence people's views on the men involved and also men in general.

In conclusion, I found this article very interesting for the topic in current times. I am hoping to follow such cases, which I may use in my final project.

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of this page.)

RESEARCH: (Current Affairs) Lobbyist against women's rights being made a peer

https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2019/09/can-you-imagine-a-lobbyist-against-womens-rights-being-made-a-peer/ 

Article published: 12th September 2019

I decided to read this article as it is in the current news. The article was published by the Spectator on the 12th of September 2019. Because of this, I regarded the information the article was to portray as up to date.

The article is a "thought experiment", where the reader is expected to imagine the following scenario:
"A Conservative Prime Minister is dishing out peerages. Among the people given lifelong right to sit in the House of Lords and vote on new laws is a lobbyist who has conducted a long campaign to diminish women's rights under the new law.
"The lobbyist, leading an organization that describes itself as a 'professional lobbying group', has particularly target the Equality Act 2010 for change."

A "quicker primer on the law" is then given:

• The Act is the basis of most equality law and practice in the UK.
• Says that in general, "people should be treated in the same way whatever their sex, race, sexuality, age, religion, gender assignment or disability."
• Contains "expecptions" that allow organizations to restrict some services solely to people of one particular sex, and to exclude people of the other sex. (This is regarded as "discrimination" but it is legal; not all "discrimination" is bad.)

In conclusion, the post is ended with a very informal comment towards Baroness Hunt. This is considered very unprofessional, and gives me the view that the article's validity isn't strong. The bias behind this article would be. The owner of the magazine is also the owner of the Daily Telegraph. The Daily Telegraph is typically considered a Conservative source of media, which aligns with the beginning of the article, where it is clearly stated about the political party of the PM.

In regard to using this article, I may possibly use it to identify the influence from the media on the influence of politicians. I did, however, find the "quick primer on the law" very interesting as it was a summarized version of the Equality Act 2010 which I am planning to look into further, in the up coming weeks.

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of this page.)

RESEARCH: Why women have less power than you think

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46430420

Article published:10th December 2018

This article explains the social impact and stigma surrounding the power distribution between males and females.

"The discovery that more men than women hold positions of power rarely comes as a surprise. What may be more unexpected is the things are not always as they seem when women appear to have equality."

In a Slovenian courtroom, the. judge is four times more likely to be female than male.

Rwanda - six out of ten parliamentarians are now female, which puts it ahead of every country worldwide.

"The relationship between women and power is complex and it's difficult to draw strong conclusions from looking at any one side statistic - it's important to always look at the bigger picture."

In conclusion, this article was not as useful as I expected it to be, for my project. The BBC is a trusted source, so I believe the article to be credible. However, the article focuses on examples in a developing country (such as Rwanda) and a western Europe country (such as Slovenia).

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of this page.)

RESEARCH: The legal system and sexual violence towards females

https://www.devex.com/news/how-the-legal-system-is-failing-to-protect-women-and-girls-from-sexual-violence-89573

Article published: 6th March 2017

This article focuses on the legal systems around the world, and the subject of sexual violence. This would be useful for me to look at the impact and influence of other countries on the English legal system.

"How the legal system is failing to protect women and girls from sexual violence".

• The term "failed" is a very strong accusation to make against the legal system.

Below are the notes I made from reading the article:

• "The legal system is failing to protect women and girls from sexual violence in many developing countries - but also in parts of Europe, in some cases enabling rape, according to a new report by human rights organisations Equality Now".
• "The Rape Law Report which looked at laws in 82 jurisdictions from 2014 and 2015, found that a perpetrator of rape for sexual assault can escape punishment by marrying the victim in nine countries; that rape laws are only applicable in many jurisdictions if the victim can demonstrate that they were unable to resist the attack; and martial rape is expressly legal in at least 10 countries - in four of these, even if the wife is underage."
• "Worldwide, one in 10 girls have experienced rape or sexual assault by the age of twenty, and one in three women experience sexual or domestic violence during their lifetime, according to U.N. figures."
• "'The law in too many places does not protect women and girls from rape and sexual assault, not does it protect them they have been violated in terms of accessing justice and getting remedy, particularly in those countries where the law seems to promote violence through... allow[ing] rapists to marry their victims and not be punished,' said Antonia Kirkland, legal advisor at Equality Now.
• "Changing cultural attitudes towards sexual violence against women is 'the most difficult nut to crack,' said [Alejandro] Alvarez, because of prevailing patriarchal attitudes in many places, w hitch can lead men to believe 'that they are entitled to beat a woman or to kill a woman, and that it is to as bad as dong the same thing to a fellow man' he said."

In conclusion, I believe that this article is useful in the sense of understanding the laws in other countries. I will look more into their influence upon the English legal system. The article is from a recruitment and enterprise site, which questions the reliability of the article as it is not a well known organisation (named Devex).

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of this page.)

October plan

RESEARCH: Women - the beginning (Gray's Inn)

https://www.graysinn.org.uk/history/women/women-the-beginnings

Article published: 23rd June 2017

In this article, the main focus is on the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act which was passed in 1919 - this allowed women to enter the legal profession for the first time. After this, female students could become students of the Inns of Court (which is essential in the process of becoming a barrister, nowadays). When the act was passed, women were only qualified to become solicitors.

By 1919, women had been able to study law at university for forty years (as being on the same par as their male counterparts). *The article goes on to explain how women were unable to qualify as solicitors or barristers, however, they could qualify as clerks in legal office, which contradicts the previous information.*

The Inns of Court were reluctant to offer equal opportunities to women.

Key female figures include: Miss Cave and Miss Day.

In the early 20th century, women also fought for the right to qualify as a solicitor. In Scotland in 1900, Margaret Hall had failed in her appeal that she qualified as a "person" within the meaning of the 1842 Solicitors Act. (The conclusion of the courts was that only men qualified as  a "person".)

the Representation of the People Act 1918, given the Royal Assent on 6th February 1918, gave women over the age of thirty the right to vote (if they were either a member or married a member of the Local Government Register, a property owner, or a graduate voting in a University constituency). Following the end of hostilities in November 1918, the major political parties promised to commit to equality in their manifestos for the December general election. The Labour Party went furthest with this cause, branding itself "the women's party" during this election. These pledges bled through into the bills presented to Parliament in 1919, which culminated in the Sex Discrimination (Removal) Act.

The first bill introduced relating to women in the legal profession was the Barristers and Solicitors (Qualification of Women) Bill in February 1919. A second Bill, the Justices of the People (Qualification of Women) Bill, was presented to the Lords shortly afterwards.

In conclusion, I found the website interesting on a personal level, however the information and topic centres on women and the law (not women's rights explicitly). therefore, I highly doubt that I will use this information in my final project. The article was also written by Dr Daniel F. Gosling, which adds credibility to the source.

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of this page.)

RESEARCH: The extent to the advancement of women's rights over a century

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/far-have-womens-rights-advanced-century/

Article published: 6th March 2018

In this article, a Telegraph's writer (Mark Marlow) writes about how women's rights have advanced over the period of one hundred years. This article was published in 2018 as it "marks the centenary of women gaining the right to vote in Great Britain and Ireland". The article goes on to talk about how the Representation of the People Act 1918 was given Royal Assent from George V. There is also a very interesting quote from the Home Secretary, at the time, George Cave, who said "War by all classes of our countrymen has brought us nearer together, has opened men's eyes, and removed misunderstanding on all sides. It has made it, I think, impossible that ever again, at all events in the lifetime of the present generation, there should be a revival of the odd class feeling which was responsible for so much, and amount other things, the exclusion for a period, of so many of our population from the class of electors. I think I need say no more to justify this extension of the franchise". George Cave was recorded to have said this when introducing the Bill, whilst presenting a united front, after the country returning from a world war.

In 1918, women were prevented from doing (by law):

• Applying for a credit card or loan in their own name.
• Working in the legal profession and civil service.
• Inheriting and bequeathing property on the same terms as men.
• Claiming equal pay for doing the same work as men.
• Prosecuting a spouse for rape.

Suffrage pioneer, Millicent Fawcett, and suffrage leaders, the Pankhursts, are considered "pivotal". These figures laid the foundations for political, social, and economic equality.

However, a century later there are still gender issues of women facing "gender barriers and prejudice" such as the gender pay gap, the Time's Up movement, the #MeToo movement, and other everyday sexism. The Fawcett Society is still working today to reduce the gap between the sexes.

A study from the Work Economic Forum, in 2017, stated that "it could still take another 100 years before the global equality gap between men and women disappears entirely". This is an interesting fact, which I plan to incorporate into my final project (possible conclusion?).

The fight for women's suffrage

• In the 1900s, women were held inferior to men, both socially and legally.
• Prior to 1870, married women were required to relinquish all property and earnings to their husbands - effectively giving women the same legal status as an insane person or a criminal.
• It would take another 120 years before martial rape becomes a criminal offence.
• Women were excluded from being elected onto borough or county councils or as an MP.
• They were prevented from accessing higher education units 1878.
• Professor Kathryn Hughes (an expert in Victorian science) - The two sets "inhabited what Victorians thought of as 'separate spheres', only coming together at breakfast and again at dinner".

Support for the movement grows

• 1866 - the London Society for Women's Suffrage presented a petition to Parliament asking for women to be granted the vote.
• Twenty years later - between 300,000 to 500,000 activists gathered in Hyde Park, at a rally, in support of the movement.
• 1913 - Emily Davidson gave her life whilst running onto the track of the Epsom Derby. She ultimately died after being hit by George V's horse. This is the most famous act, in the suffrage history.

In the workplace

• The Sex Discrimination Act 1919 meant that women could no longer be disqualified from certain professions on the grounds of sex.
• Women were able to work in the legal profession and accountancy. Could hold civil or judicial post.

Property

• Before 1870 - women had to give up all property rights and money earned to their husbands upon marriage.
• The Married Women's Property Act gave wives control of their own possessions and meant all money earned would be treated as her own property.
• 1922 - the Law of Property Act allowed both husband and wife to inherit property equally.
• Legislation passed four years latter meant women could hold and dispose of property on the same terms as men.

Women became 'people'

• 1929 -Canadian law declares women as "persons" in their own rights.
• Emily Murphy become the first female Magistrate in the British Empire, along with four others. There is a plaque in her honour in the chamber reads: "To further the cause of woman kind these five outstanding pioneer women caused steps to be taken resulting in the recognition by the Privy Council of women as persons eligible for appointment to the Senate of Canada". (use as an example of the influence of other countries?)

Equal pay

• 1968 - strike by 187 female workers at Ford car factory, in Dagenham. This was instrumental in passing the Equal Pay Act 1970. Male workers were earning 15% more than them.
• MP Shirley Summerskill - the women played a "very significant part in the history of the struggle for equal pay".

Discrimination

• The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 made it illegal discriminate against women in education, training, and especially the workplace. Women could apply for a credit card or lona in their own name.
• The Equality Act 2010 would eventually replace the previous Act, due to the development of anti-discrimination laws.

Marital rape

• 1991 - the House of Lords made rape within marriage a criminal offence in the UK.

Women's rights today

• People still attend marches and protests today. Figures include over five million people in eighty one countries worldwide.

In conclusion of this article, I learnt how women's right developed over a century, but from a different angle. I chose this newspaper (the Telegraph) as it is a competitor of the Independent, and I was intrigued to see if there would be different views, angles, or information expressed. The article involves a timeline which I found extremely valuable. Certain female figures were also raised in the article, which I may look into.

I would consider the Telegraph a reliable source, however they may have bias. The Telegraph is considered a "newspaper of record" and is described as "one of the world's great titles". (according to the BBC ).

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of the page.)

RESEARCH: Laws that have transformed the lives of women

https://www.indy100.com/article/9-laws-transformed-lives-women-revolution-suffrage-feminist-8260921

Article published: 17th March 2018

This article focused on nine key laws, from the United Kingdom. These nine laws include:

• The right to vote - Representation of the People Act 1918
• Matrimonial Causes Act 1937
• The right to abortion - Abortion Act 1967, NHS Act 1946 and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.
• The right to contraception - NHS (Family Planning) Act 1967.
• The right to equal pay - Equal Pay Act 1970 and Equality Act 2010.
• Shared parental leave - The Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014.
• Same sex adoption - Adoption and Children Act 2002.
• Marital rape deemed unlawful - Sexual Offences Act 2003 and is shown in the case of R v R (1991) UKHL 12.
• The sex discrimination Act - Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

After reading this article, I have decided to base my research off of the basis of these nine laws. This is because the article focuses on British laws, not American (as I have found that the majority of articles tend to be based in America). The article is from a British newspaper.

I also trusted this source as the article is from the Indy 100, which is from the Independent newspaper. I consider the Independent a reliable source, however it may have elements of bias. Contradictory to this, the newspaper claims to be "free from party political bias, free from proprietorial influence" (according to this website here).

As a result of this article, I am going to make a list of laws and legislations that I want to include in my final piece. This article has really helped me, and I have founded it very useful.

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of the page.)

September Plan

This is my plan of things I intend to complete for the month of September. I will review this at the end of each month, to keep track of my progress and my project.

RESEARCH: Timeline of Women's Rights in Britain

http://www.localhistories.org/womensrightstime.html

Article published: unknown

This article broke down the key events. It also identified famous female figures which I plan to look into in the future. These female figures include:

• Matilda claims the throne of England but ends up having a civil war with another claimant called Stephen. (1135-1154) 
• Mary Tudor becomes Queen of England (first woman in her own right). (1553)
• Amye Everard Ball is the first woman to be granted a patent (for making tinctures from flowers). (1637)
• Margaret Hughes becomes the first professional, female actress. (1660)
• Mary Wollstonecraft publishes "A Vindication of Women's Rights." (1792)
• Alicia Meynell becomes the first recored female jockey. (1804)
• Isabella Bird becomes the first female member of the Royal Geographical Society. (1892)
• Lillian Lindsay becomes the first female to qualify as a dentist, in Britain. (1895) - She then would go on to become the first female President of the British Dental Association. (1946)
• Ethel Charles becomes the first female to qualify as an architect, in Britain. (1898)
• Hertha Ayrton becomes the first female member of the Institution Of Electrical Engineers. (1899)
• Elizabeth Garrett Anderson becomes the first female Mayor of a British town (Aldeburgh). (1908)
• Emily Dawson becomes the first female Magistrate, in Britain. (1913)
• Ivy Williams becomes the first female to be called to the Bar, in England and Wales. (1922)
• Ethel Mary Colman becomes the first female Lord Mayor, in Britain (of Norwich). (1923)
• Margaret Bondfield becomes the first female Cabinet Minister, in Britain. (1929)
• Barbara Mandell becomes the first female newsreader on British television. (1955)
• Rose Heilborn becomes the first female Judge, in Britain. (1956) - She then would go on to become the first female Judge at the Old Bailey. (1972)
• Mary Langdon becomes the first female fire fighter in Britain. (1976)
• Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of Britain. (1979)
• Mary Donaldson becomes the first female Lord Mayor of London. (1983)
• Pauline Clare becomes the first female Chief Constable, in Britain. (1995)

The article also mentions different key Acts of Parliament, which I found highly intriguing, especially for the nature of my topic. Upon reading this article, I then researched the mentioned Acts of Parliaments, which I compiled into the list below. I aim to investigate these legislations in more detail:

• Mine and Colliers Act 1842 - law bans women and boys under aged ten, from working underground in the mines.
• Factories Act 1847 - women and children could only work ten hours a day, in textile factories.
• Criminal Procedures Act 1853 - Act for the Better Prevention and Punishment of Aggravated Assaults Upon Women and Children is passed. Consequences of a man who beats his wife can be imprisoned for up to six months, with or without hard labour.
• Municipal Franchise Act 1869 - women are allowed to vote in local elections.
• Married Women's Property Act 1870 - married women are legally allowed to keep their own earnings.
• Matrimonial Causes Act 1878 - allows a woman to obtain a separation order from a Magistrate, if her husband is violent.
• Married Women's Property Act 1882 - allows married women to won property in their own right.
• County Councils Act 1888 - allows women to vote in county and borough elections.
• Local Government Act 1894 - allows women to vote in urban district, rural district, and parish councils.
• Representations of the People Act 1918 - allows women over thirty years of age, to vote if they meet a property qualifications.
• The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 - allows certain professionals to be open to women (e.g: solicitors, barristers, vets, and chartered accountants).
• Equal Pay Act 1970 - equal pay for all workers.
• Sex Discrimination Act 1975 - makes it illegal to discriminate against women in employment, education and training.

In conclusion, I found this article very interesting as it focused on Britain and also gave me the opportunity to research new laws/Acts of Parliament. However, the article was written by an independent author (Tim Lambert), not an organisation or a figure of authority. This made me question the reliability of the article, as the writer gave no sources to where they found the information.

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of the page.)

RESEARCH: Timeline and key dates of the Suffragettes

http://www.thesuffragettes.org/history/key-events/

Article published: unknown

This week, I began my research. I decided the best place to start was with the Suffragette movement as they hold a lot of significance in the development of women's rights. I found the article interesting as I learnt the names of key, significant women in the movement and organisation of the National Society for Women's Suffrage (NSWS) and the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). these are key organisations which I plan to research further.

This article taught me about the different dates of the Suffragette movement. I learnt about the different incidents in a brief summary. The brief summary allowed me to identify events that interest me that I could potential use in my final piece.

However, I found that this article focused on the key events and not the laws, until a brief mention of the Representation of the People's Act 1918. This is not useful to my project, but it gave me a good understanding of the movement for if the movement appears later on in my research.

I used the Suffragettes' official website, which can be accessed by the link below. This ensured validity as the organisation is registered, which makes the source more reliable of the information being portrayed. However, the website is solely for the Suffragettes and their movement and so I suspect that the site may be biased upon certain events and certain social groups, which I took into account when researching.

(In the post above, I have noted my findings for further use, all information is from the link at the top of the page.)

Aims and Objectives

My first aim/objective is to consider a range of viewpoints on the topic of women's rights from the twentieth century, on a maximum of ten laws/cases. This aim/objective will help to narrow down my topic to a specific time frame and through a set number of legislation and cases. By considering a range of viewpoints, I will be able to evaluate my entire project with different viewpoints, which could strengthen the representativeness of my overall project.

My second aim/objective is to evaluate whether the English legal system led the way to changes in women's rights, or whether the English legal system adapted due to social changes. This aim/objective will focus on the issue of social stigma and social influences. This will undoubtedly will vary from different time periods, which will be evident through the different times that the laws were written. I will chose laws that will span over the time of one century (possible one in each decade). The different laws are likely to be written around times when people will have different opinions on the topic of women's rights.

My third aim/objective is to develop personal confidence skills in presenting to larger groups. This aim/objective will be achieved at the end of my project. I hope to improve my presentation skills to both my mentor, frequently and along the way of my EPQ, and also the group at the feedback session, at the end of my EPQ.

My final aim/objective is to understand and apply dissertation writing skills and knowledge. Writing a dissertation will give me a taste into examinations at university, which is what I hope to go on to after sixth form. The skills needed to write a dissertation style are different to any style of writing I have done before. this experience will teach me new skills and knowledge.

Long term plan

Before I begin my project, I needed to make an overall plan. I aim to create more in-depth monthly plans to help with my project. My monthly plans will include clear, set targets to meet before the end of the month. This will ensure that my project adheres to any deadlines and keep me on track for the final result.

As this overall plan has been created at the start of my project, it may be subject to changes but hopefully the basis will remain the same.

I chose to try and present my plan up until the end of the year in a format considered unfamiliar to me. Here, I converted a Powerpoint slide to a video.

I did so with aid of the video below.

After trying to "preview" the video on Blogger, it does not seem to have worked. Below I will attach a screenshot of my timeline and hope that the video will work when the post is published!

Creating a title

As my title was required to be a question, I had to incorporate the two key ideas of women's rights and the English legal system into my title.

• How the English legal system aided the development of women's rights?
• How has women's rights affected the English legal system?
• How has the law been effected by women's rights movements and campaigners?

I have decided to go with the first title as it allows me to experience research between both the law and women's rights in a niche element, that will allow me to expand briefly into slightly broader topics. These topics could include: different countries and their laws and influences; patriarchy; social stigmas; social influences; the Suffragettes, and; the development of laws and their reforms.

I decided on the term "aided" as it shows that the English legal system helped women's rights to develop, and it would possibly be unable to develop without their assistance.

I could also evaluate this by if, without the English legal system, the same developement would have occured.

Initial ideas

For my initial idea, I decided to focus on women's rights and the law surrounding them. I chose this topic as I am interested in both the feminist movement, and also the subject of law. These two ideas fitted together perfectly! I opted for a question that I could investigate both to a broad extent and to a niche extent.

At first, I thought I was going to create a timeline of as many different laws that either effected or were effected by the development of women's rights. Upon reading several articles, I decided that this would be too broad. I also discovered that many laws from prior the twentieth century have been reformed and/or slightly changed. This would then mean that I would often be repeating myself in my research and final presentation. I have now decided to research approximately ten different laws, from the 1900s onwards. This would still show the development over time, but over a more concise timescale.

I also was questioned on whether the laws would only be from the English legal system or if I would include other countries. I think that, for now, I will only include English laws, however i would be open to learning about other countries and how that has affected the laws of our country in this niche area.

In conclusion, my topic has two key elements: women's rights and the English legal system. This would ultimately be presented in a dissertation.