Skip to main content
Mile End Institute

Call for Papers

This conference will provide an important opportunity to showcase emerging work on women and politics in the second half of the twentieth century in Britain, bringing historians together with political scientists and sociologists to generate new conversations, relationships, and understandings of what politics meant to and for women in the second half of the twentieth century. 

Photo showing Road Signs for Whitehall and Downing Street

We are seeking to explore the following questions:

  • Why did it remain so difficult for women to achieve full inclusion and equal participation in British politics? 
  • What were their political priorities and objectives, and how far did they achieve their goals?
  • What was their impact on British political culture and practices?
  • How did they participate in politics as volunteers, campaigners, organisers, councillors, agents, researchers, theorists and policymakers as well as legislators?

Photo of Elizabeth Tower from above

We are interested in considering histories of women's involvement in politics in this period, including - but not limited to - the following themes: 

  • Parliament and electoral politics
  • Legislation and policy
  • Political parties and movements
  • Candidates and electioneering
  • Local government and European politics
  • Party political roles, such as agents, organisers and whips
  • Parlaimentary roles, such as committee service
  • The civil service and staff on the Parliamentary Estate
  • Special advisors and Think Tanks
  • Nationalist movements and claims for devolution
  • Trade Unions, campaigning groups and activist movements
  • Thatcher, Thatcherism, and women
  • The experiences of specific groups of women, including - but not limited to - working-class, lesbian, ethnic minority, and disabled women
  • Women as gatekeepers and obstacles to female participation
  • Contemporary representations and cultural memories

We are particularly keen to encourage session formats which go beyond the traditional paper submission, and would be delighted to receive ideas based on, for example, interviews and 'in conversations', round tables and lightening sessions, collaborative dialogues and debates, or visual and material culture displays. 

Proposals are welcomed from scholars at all career stages, including those without an institutional affiliation, and we actively encourage submissions from students and early career scholars. We also welcome proposals from non-academics working in, for example, the heritage sector, public or community history, and researchers within political parties, think tanks and the voluntary sector. Proposals should not exceed 250 words and please also include a brief biography. 

Please submit your proposals to womenpowerpolitics2022@gmail.com by 29 April 2022. 

Back to top