Caption: Women volunteers at Endell Street Military Hospital, Covent Garden
About the talk: Did the Votes for Women campaign finally succeed because of the contribution of women to the Great War? Dr Naomi Paxton explores how established networks of suffragist and suffragette activists used the initiative, independence and creativity they had developed through their political agitation to not only keep campaigning in wartime but also to support the war effort, founding organisations that employed women across a variety of industries, including toymaking, policing, and nursing. She will also examine how cross-party conversations in Parliament led to the passing of the Representation of the People Act in 1918, tripling the number of those eligible to vote in the UK.
About the speaker: Dr Naomi Paxton (pictured) is an Honorary Fellow Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London; Associate Fellow of the School of Advanced Study, University of London; and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She was a professional actor for a decade before starting a doctorate at Manchester. Post PhD jobs included the UK Parliament project What Difference Did the War Make? World War One and Votes for Women. She curated the exhibitions Dramatic Progress: Votes for Women and the Edwardian Stage (National Theatre, 2018-9) and What Difference Did the War Make? World War One and Votes for Women (UK Parliament, 2018). She also devised and created The Race to the Equal Votes tablecloth game (UK Parliament Equaliteas project, 2018), and the Suffra-Greats! card game (Clavis and Claustra, 2018).
Overview: Naomi is particularly interested in the wartime campaign for Votes for Women and the political machinations around the issue in 1917. Related special interest topics include; the contribution of suffragist theatre professionals in wartime; female-led wartime initiatives across many industries and professions; the Women Police Service, and the Women’s Emergency Corps. (Picture credit: Steve Best Photography)
This online talk: opens at 19:20 for a 19:30 start, ending at about 20:35. Participating is quick and easy. The only equipment you need is a computer, or a tablet, or a smart phone. Simply email wfa.nwkent@gmail.com for your link and the passcode. We'll also automatically add you to the mailing list to keep you updated with future events. You can unsubscribe at any time.