Agency and Advocacy: Locating Women's Grassroots Activism in England and Ireland, 1918 to the present
Lead Research Organisation:
London South Bank University
Department Name: School of Law and Social Science
Abstract
How can local grassroots women's organisations in Ireland and England, active since the early twentieth century, identify strategies to safeguard survival in the future? How can organisations representing a majority of middle-aged and older women attract new members to diversify and expand? How can they utilise organisational histories to make visible local, national and global activism, informed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Can shining a light on the history of local grassroots organisations change academic and public understandings of the women's movement and Anglo-Irish relations over the course of the twentieth century? By bringing scholars, Early Career Researchers (ECRs), and stakeholders from across Ireland and England together in the proposed network we seek to identify new ways forward to tackle these challenges.
The research network comprises of five workshops co-designed by the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (Co-I) and representatives of our three participating women's organisations, the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA), the Women's Institutes (WI) and the Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI). Workshops are organised around five co-identified themes: legacies, advocacy, grassroots activism, visibility and sustainability. A small pilot study in May/June 2022 funded by LSBU UKRI Participatory Research Allocation 2021/22 and co-designed by the PI, Co-I and the SIGBI Tunbridge Wells Branch, trialled the use of participatory research and informs the co-design of this new international research network.
Three workshops will be in person and two online (including a one day online conference open to a wider audience) to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for network members. Workshop 1 consolidates the use of participatory research by bringing together members of the network Steering Committee (SC) and representatives of our three stakeholder organisations. Here we will confirm the co-design of the subsequent workshops and learn about the rich historical legacy and cross-border interconnections between the ICA, WI and SIGBI. Workshop 2 develops these themes with a one-day conference highlighting the grassroots activism of local women's organisations since 1918 and a training workshop for ECRs and network members on participatory research methodology. Workshop 3 takes an interdisciplinary approach by bringing together experts in history, sociology and material culture with network members to identify the most effective 'repertoires of collective action' for local grassroots women's organisations. Workshop 4 adopts the innovative visual sociological method of photo-elicitation to create space for members of the ICA, WI and SIGBI to share experiences as members of local grassroots women's organisations. Workshop 5 concludes the network with its focus on inclusivity and diversity. Here network members and researchers will co-create strategies to support local grassroots women's organisations to expand and diversify their memberships in order to safeguard their activist futures. Each workshop will be evaluated and responses will inform the design of subsequent workshops.
The network has transformative impact potential. For the ICA, WI and SIGBI the co-produced outcomes can be disseminated among the wider membership. This in turn will enable local actions to be developed to replicate network activities and support future sustainability. Individual organisations can adapt the network's outcomes for their own purposes, thereby avoiding a 'one size fits all' approach. The impact of the network goes beyond the three participating organisations. A wider group of civil society associations can access and utilise the network's activism tool-kit and resources via the LSBU website or on request. Enabling on-going activism of grassroots organisations in this way, the network directly contributes to enriching lives locally, nationally and internationally.
The research network comprises of five workshops co-designed by the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Investigator (Co-I) and representatives of our three participating women's organisations, the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA), the Women's Institutes (WI) and the Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI). Workshops are organised around five co-identified themes: legacies, advocacy, grassroots activism, visibility and sustainability. A small pilot study in May/June 2022 funded by LSBU UKRI Participatory Research Allocation 2021/22 and co-designed by the PI, Co-I and the SIGBI Tunbridge Wells Branch, trialled the use of participatory research and informs the co-design of this new international research network.
Three workshops will be in person and two online (including a one day online conference open to a wider audience) to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for network members. Workshop 1 consolidates the use of participatory research by bringing together members of the network Steering Committee (SC) and representatives of our three stakeholder organisations. Here we will confirm the co-design of the subsequent workshops and learn about the rich historical legacy and cross-border interconnections between the ICA, WI and SIGBI. Workshop 2 develops these themes with a one-day conference highlighting the grassroots activism of local women's organisations since 1918 and a training workshop for ECRs and network members on participatory research methodology. Workshop 3 takes an interdisciplinary approach by bringing together experts in history, sociology and material culture with network members to identify the most effective 'repertoires of collective action' for local grassroots women's organisations. Workshop 4 adopts the innovative visual sociological method of photo-elicitation to create space for members of the ICA, WI and SIGBI to share experiences as members of local grassroots women's organisations. Workshop 5 concludes the network with its focus on inclusivity and diversity. Here network members and researchers will co-create strategies to support local grassroots women's organisations to expand and diversify their memberships in order to safeguard their activist futures. Each workshop will be evaluated and responses will inform the design of subsequent workshops.
The network has transformative impact potential. For the ICA, WI and SIGBI the co-produced outcomes can be disseminated among the wider membership. This in turn will enable local actions to be developed to replicate network activities and support future sustainability. Individual organisations can adapt the network's outcomes for their own purposes, thereby avoiding a 'one size fits all' approach. The impact of the network goes beyond the three participating organisations. A wider group of civil society associations can access and utilise the network's activism tool-kit and resources via the LSBU website or on request. Enabling on-going activism of grassroots organisations in this way, the network directly contributes to enriching lives locally, nationally and internationally.
Publications
Beaumont C
(2024)
Battling, not Bottling: the power of WI Activism
Logan A
(2023)
Doing History: Participatory Research with a Women's Club
| Description | Establishing a unique, dynamic and collaborative network between four long-standing and popular women's organisations, across the island of Ireland and in England, has for the first time put into dialogue women engaged in activism who share the overarching objective to enhance the lives of women and girls. The creation of the Women's Grassroots Activism network, underpinned by an innovative participatory research (PR) approach, has resulted in 28 engagement activities over 18 months ranging from workshops, seminars, a conference, public lectures, webinars, and the production of a five-episode podcast series entitled Women's Grassroots Activism. The network has also produced magazine articles, contributed to a chapter in an edited collection and led to media interviews with the research team. The project has enabled the production of a forthcoming Special Issue of the international peer reviewed journal Women's History Review (forthcoming 2026). The Special Issue will be edited by the PI and Co-I, along with the ECR network coordinator on the project, R.C and the two additional core research team members, R.D and A. M. The creation of this new network has demonstrated how the novel application of PR can be used effectively to make better known the legacies of activism of voluntary women's organisations across the twentieth century. Providing training in PR to early career researchers and postgraduate students has ensured greater awareness about how this social research methodology can create new and improved ways to engage in historical research and make better known the importance of institutional histories to the current members of contemporary women's organisations. Furthermore, the approach of the network and its use of PR has successfully broken down traditional barriers between academics and members of the public/of women's organisations, and demonstrated how successful collaborative partnerships can be created and sustained to the benefit of both researchers and participants. The network has resulted in opening up important new research questions in two areas. Firstly by bringing together members of women's organisations from across the island of Ireland and in England, and revealing in greater detail the long history of cross border solidarity between these groups, the project demands a re-think of the history of Anglo-Irish relations over the course of the twentieth century. Viewing this history through the lens of female activism shines a light on the on-going friendships, solidarity and collaboration between women's organisations that successfully transcended the narrative of political strife associated with this period in history. Secondly the network has brought to light in imaginative and exciting ways (through webinars, public lectures and a podcast series) how voluntary women's organisaitons continued to campaign for women's rights throughout the period 1918 to the present, thereby challenging the assumption that the women's movement went into decline at particular moments during the twentieth century. The project has shown how women's grassroots activism has for too long been overlooked in histories of female activism and the women's movement. The engagement activities of the network (including a conference, online seminars featuring lessor known examples of women's activism, webinars, public lectures, radio programmes, magazine articles and a podcast series) all indicate how successfully the project has been in making visible women's grassroots activism and illuminating the connections between local, national and global activism by and on behalf of women in the past, the present and into the future. The project has enabled new research. Core research team member A.M was awarded a UKRI Future Leaders Award (FLA) in 2024 and used her experience leading the network project and the training in PR it provided to develop her new FLA project 'Voices of Motherhood', and specifically in aspects of the project currently under development with two nationwide charities, Working Families and Pregnancy Sickness Support (PSS). The PI, C.B. is currently preparing an AHRC Catalyst Award (as Co-I) and an ERC Synergy Award (as PI), both of which draw on the skills, expertise and methods gained and developed during this AHRC research network project. She is also beginning work on a new AHRC Project Grant application that builds on the methods and findings of this AHRC research network award. |
| Exploitation Route | Academic: The network has enabled the sharing of new knowledge. Approximately 50 academics (ECRs, PGRs and more senior colleagues) were involved in presenting and sharing their work over the 18 months of the project. This extensive network further demonstrates the current interest in creating new knowledge about the grassroots activism of women in a range of voluntary women's groups which for too long has been overlooked or dismissed as not 'fitting' into standard narratives of the history of the women's movement in twentieth century Ireland and Britain. We envisage the network inspiring new research that will ask new questions about what women's grassroots activism means and how female activism around gender equality was sustained over the twentieth century and how it can be maintained into the twenty-first century. We also envisage the project challenging assumptions about the history of Anglo-Irish relations, by highlighting the cross-borders solidarity between our participant groups and inspiring historians to adopt PR as a useful tool for historical research and public engagement. Non-Academic: The engagement activities (28 in total) that represent this research network will provide voluntary women's organisations with a range of new resources and ideas that can be taken forward within and across women's groups and other activists groups. For example the network's webinars on archives and the power of objects will remain available to members of our participant groups and can be further shared with new members to inform and educate around the themes of culture, heritage, museums and collection policies. The podcast series can be utilized in innovative ways to make more visible the work of women's organisations and to amplify the voices of members (and in particular older members) and share their experiences of lifelong activism. The project 'tool-kit' can be shared with members to inform and inspire the repertoire of activism that members can engage with to enhance the lives of women and girls in their communities, nation and globally. We also envisage the project making more visible the value of intergenerational conversations about female activism over time and the 'tool-kit' will present ideas and guidance on how such conversations can be enabled. |
| Sectors | Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Other |
| URL | https://historyhub.ie/womens-grassroots-actvism-podcast |
| Description | This network project ended on 31 January 2025. Nevertheless, we already have some indication of the wider impact of the grant (summarized below) and it is my aim to capture impact over 2025 and 2026 with the view to including this project as part of an impact case study for LSBU Unit of Assessment 20 submission for REF2029. The current and potential impacts of this project are societal and cultural and include: The grant enabled the creation of a new and noteworthy network representing a dynamic collaboration between academics and representatives and members of four of the largest women's organizations across the island of Ireland and in England and Wales together representing c. 200, 000 women (see participants and partnership section). Due to the success and interest in the network (an early impact) we were joined by the Federation of Women's Institutes of Northern Ireland (WINI) in April 2024, alongside the recruitment of representatives of the Soroptimists Northern Ireland to the network Steering Committee. The network is also now actively supported by a fifth women's organization, the National Council of Women of Great Britain (NCWGB), with a representative attending the Workshop 4 in-person event (see engagement activities section) and the PI has been invited to present lectures linked to the project to the NCWGB, the NFWI and to the British Federation of University Women. The impact can and will be measured via engagement with our participating women's groups and their 'take up' of the knowledge and expertise shared with the organizations via this new network. We have some early indications of the network proving impactful in this regard: 1. The Soroptimists International Republic of Ireland have reported that they have now set up an archives committee and created an archive policy to support the collection, curation and safeguarding of organisational records, at national, regional and local level. This is a new initiative that did not exist before engagement with the project. As a result the institutional knowledge captured via this policy will be safeguarded and utilized to make better known the advocacy work of the organisation. The longer term impact of these actions will be measured over 2025 and can be linked directly to Archives Workshop presented to the network 6 April 2024. 2. As a result of the project the Soroptimists Northern Ireland have appointed a professional archivist to develop an archive policy for the regional federation and for local clubs and to support the collection, curation and preservation of SIGBI archives and records (direct link to Archives Workshop presented to the network 6 April 2024). 3. Despite the many shared histories and objectives of these national women's groups, set up in the early twentieth century, it was clear that the four core groups were not familiar with the local activism of the other groups (with the exception of the ICA and WINI). This was notable considering the shared values across groups and current and planned campaigns, for example on climate activism, gender equality and ending violence against women and girls. At Workshop 4 and 5 representatives of all four groups agreed the network has shown that greater collaboration would be helpful in driving forward the aims of each organisation. 4. The Steering Group representatives of the ICA, SIGBI, NFWI and WINI all agreed that a range of 'tools' can be adopted to further their work around SDG 3: good health and well-being, SDG 5: gender equality and SDG 13: climate action. The Power of Objects workshop on 18 May 2024 and the public lecture on 18 June 2024 (see engagement activities) inspired participants with regards to the use of material culture and craftivism. An activist tool-kit is being co-created by the academic research team and members of our participant groups following the PR workshops and events enabled by the project. The 'tool-kit' will be shared with our organisations in Spring 2025 and the impact of the tool-kit will be measured over the course of 2025 and 2026. 5. Steering Committee members reported that the network had raised their awareness of the issue of sustainability and intergenerational/cross generational needs of members of each group. The tool-kit will include tips on how to encourage these intergenerational conversations and the network's podcast is viewed as a tool to share the stories of women's activism across the decades to inspire new generations of members and activists. (the impact of the podcast series will be measured by the number of plays as well as by follow up online surveys of members of each group). 6. The inclusion of a training workshop for early career researchers and postgraduate students on the use of participatory research methods in history projects on 23 March 2024 was impactful in terms of a wider group of researchers engaging in this dynamic, inclusive and impactful research approach. Feedback on the workshop was very positive (see engagement activities section). 7. The cross-borders (in terms of the island of Ireland, England and Wales) approach has enabled the network to present new understandings of Anglo-Irish relations across the twentieth century via the lens of women's activism. This new approach will be highlighted in the network's key academic output, a Special Issue of the international peer reviewed journal Women's History Review (forthcoming 2026). 8. By enabling knowledge exchange between experts (academics, archivists and heritage consultants) the network provides the knowledge and expertise required for voluntary women's organisations to ensure that their organisational records are collected, curated and preserved for future research and to inform and inspire the current and future activities of each group. Overall, the emerging societal and cultural impact of the network project is to enhance the lives of women and girls by supporting, enabling and safeguarding the activism of women's organisations in Ireland and Britain. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2024 |
| Sector | Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Awareness of the importance of archival records, local and national, of voluntary women's organisations |
| Geographic Reach | Europe |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | The introduction of effective archival policies by national women's organisations in Ireland and Britain is impactful as these organisations, working to achieve UN SDG 5 Gender Equality and UNSDG 13: Climate Action, can safeguard their legacies but also better inform the public about the importance of their work around advocacy to enhance the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and globally. |
| Description | London South Bank University Impact Accelerator Award |
| Amount | £3,651 (GBP) |
| Organisation | London South Bank University |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2024 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Description | Network Participant: Irish Countrywomen's Association |
| Organisation | Irish Countrywomen's Association |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The AHRC funded international network project engages in participatory research with the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA). The project brings together the ICA with the three other participant women's organisations via our project Steering Committee to co-design and co-produce the project. The first workshop of five (October 2023) enabled the sharing of expertise from the research team around the importance of archives and safeguarding legacy of the participant women's groups. Working together we co-designed the activities for the 18 month network project (see full list of engagement activities). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Representatives from the ICA have joined our network Steering Committee. They have worked with the research team to co-design and co-produce the project and to shape the activities and workshops over the lifetime of the project. Their participation gives the research team direct access to the organisations and an in-depth understanding of the needs of members with regards to the aims of our project. Episodes 1 & 2 of the network's podcast series Women's Grassroots Activism were recorded in person at An Grianan, the ICA residential college in Co. Louth, Ireland. |
| Impact | Irish National Radio: Newstalk, Talking History, Podcast: 40 Years On: Contraceptives Legalised in Ireland, 16 February 2025 2 x Webinars: Archives and Power of Objects 1 x Public Lecture/Webinar Women's Grassroots Activism Podcast Series (5 Episodes). See full list of engagement activities Disciplines: History/Sociology/Politics/Social Movement Activism/Gender Studies |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Network Participant: National Federation of Women's Institutes |
| Organisation | National Federation of Women's Institutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The AHRC funded international network project engages in participatory research with the National Federation of Women's Institutes (WI). The project brings together the WI with the three other participant women's organisations via our project Steering Committee to co-design and co-produce the project. The first workshop of five (October 2023) enabled the sharing of expertise from the research team around the importance of archives and safeguarding legacy of the participant women's groups. Working together we co-designed the activities for the 18 month network project. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The WI has nominated 2 x members to join our network Steering Committee. In this role the representatives have helped shape the design of the project at the first Workshop (October 2023). The WI also commissioned an article promoting the network in its magazine, WI Life (February 2024). See full list of engagement activities |
| Impact | Article by Beaumont, C (PI) in WI Life Magazine (February 2024) 2 x Webinars: Archives and Power of Objects 1 x Public Lecture/Webinar Women's Grassroots Activism Podcast Series (5 Episodes). See full list of engagement activities Disciplines: History/Sociology/Politics/Social Movement Activism/Gender Studies |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | A magazine article: February 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was commissioned to write an article on the history of activism in the National Federation of Women's Institute's for the organisations magazine WI Life. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | A report researched and written by Level 5 student intern supporting the network Feb 2024-May 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The network was supported by a LSBU Level 5 student, Diletta Maria Angelo, who carried out research into the online presence of our network's four participant organisations. This resulted in a report written by Diletta entitled 'Women's organisations' online presence report' and which was shared with the representatives of our four organisations via email. Diletta also presented her report at Workshop 5 for the network that took place on 7 December 2024. Our network members reported that they found the report helpful and informative and that it would help guide future decisions about the development of the online presence of each organisation. This work opportunity experience was also very beneficial to the student who gained new skills of research, report writing and presentation skills as well as how to develop and engage in a research network. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Archives and Management of Archives online Workshop 6 April 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | This Archives and Management of Archives Workshop was presented by the consultant archivist Elizabeth Oxborrow-Cowan. The 3 x hour online workshop was open to members of the project's participant women's organisations only and was produced as a recorded webinar and shared with members as a permanent resource on the importance of organisational archives and how to safeguard and project local branch/club/guild records. An online survey undertaken after the workshop indicated the workshop had been impactful in making attendees aware of the importance of organisational archives to their local organisations. For example in the survey with 21 respondents, in replying to the question 'did the workshop increase awareness of the value of organisational archives': 24% said 'to some extent'; 52% said 'to considerable extent' and 24% replied 'to full awareness'. Qualitative responses to the survey were also very encouraging, for example 'now we have a step by step guide' and 'an excellent resource'. Respondents also confirmed that they would take steps locally to create an archive policy, to find suitable storage for their local archives and seek out professional archival advice. Further surveys will be sent out in mid/late 2024 to aid impact capture for the network and this event in the wake of the webinar being shared more widely with organisation members. The impact of this archive training has also been reported by the network Steering Committee members. For example the Soroptimists Republic of Ireland has set up a national archives committee to develop an archive policy, the Soroptimists Northern Ireland now appointed a professional archivist to develop an archive policy and the Tunbridge Wells and District Soroptimist Club has also developed its own archive policy. Full impact capture for the project will take place throughout 2025. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Interview for The Europeans Podcast, 5 March 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was an interview with the Europeans podcast on 5 March 2024 to discuss women's activism and protest in relation to Article 41.2 of the Irish Constitution ahead of the Irish referendum vote on 8 March 2024. The podcast producers have confirmed c. 6000 plays of the podcast since it was published (data for 10 March 2025). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/yolo-swiss-pensioners |
| Description | Interview for newspaper, 5 March 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was interviewed for the Danish weekly newspaper Weekendavisen on 5 March 2024 about the activism of women protesting against Article 41.2 in the Irish Constitution ahead of the referendum on removing this article on 8 March 2024. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Invited presentation to British Federation of Graduate Women (online), 11 March 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | As PI (Caitríona Beaumont) I was invited to give a paper to members of the British Federation of University Women entitled ''Silver threads': Reflections on lifelong activism by members of voluntary women's organisations in twentieth century Britain and Ireland'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Invited presentation to National Council of Women of Great Britain (online), 10 October 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | As PI (Caitríona Beaumont) I was invited to give a paper to members of the National Council of Women of Great Britain entitled ''Silver threads': Reflections on lifelong activism by members of voluntary women's organisations in twentieth century Britain'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Media Interview, 28 February 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I was interviewed for Polish Public Radio on 28 February 2024 to speak about the referendum on the Irish Constitution on 8 March and the protests by women about Article 41.2. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | National Irish Radio Programme Participant/Podcast, 16 February 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An invitation to take part in a pre-recorded Irish national radio station (Newstalk) episode of the popular history programme 'Talking History'. As one of a panel of four I was asked to speak about the role of women's organisations including the ICA in campaigns for and debate about the availability of contraception in Ireland, 1918 to the 1980s. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-talking-history |
| Description | Network ECR training workshop in Participatory Research Methodology 23 March 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This two-hour online workshop provided training to early career researchers (ECRs) and postgraduate research students on the use of participatory research methods for historical research . The workshop was led by the network's PI and Co-I along with the support of Caroline Auckland, a member of the network's Steering Committee and representative of the Soroptimists International Great Britain and Ireland Tunbridge Wells and District Club. A survey undertaken after the training workshop and responded to by 12 participants indicated that the 25% found the training 'good' and 75% found the training 'excellent'. Asked if the training provided new information about using participatory research methods 17% responded 'somewhat', 80% 'yes, lots'. Qualitative responses included: 'helped me to understand the purpose and aims'; 'Lots of useful information about co-design and that with PR participants must be involved from the very start of a project. Also good insights into how PR methods can result in impact, and examples of the benefits for participants too'. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Network Steering Committee Meeting (online), 22 February 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | This online Steering Committee Meeting on 22 February 2024 was to bring together the core members of our participant women's organisations with the network research team to update on plans for future activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Network Workshop 1 (Legacies): In-person Steering Committee Meeting held at London South Bank University, 11 October 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Workshop 1 of the Women's Grassroots Activism network brought together the members of the Steering Committee on 11 October 2023 to kick-start the project and to further develop the co-production and co-creation of the project in line with the participatory methodology underpinning this AHRC funded research network. The outcomes of the workshop was to confirm the timeline and activities for the remaining 16 months of the project and to build a strong network based on trust and friendship between the academics and the representatives of women's organisations who are members of the project Steering Committee. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Power of Objects: Material Culture/Heritage Workshop, Online 18 May 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | This Power of Objects: Material Culture/Heritage Workshop was presented by the consultant heritage expert, Donna Gilligan of Scéal Heritage. The 2 x hour online workshop was open to members of the project's participant women's organisations only and was produced as a recorded webinar and shared with members as a permanent resource on the importance of material culture and heritage projects and how material culture represents a core element of local branch/club/guild records and archive collections. An online survey undertaken after the workshop indicated the workshop had been impactful in making attendees aware of the importance of material culture in making more visible the activities and activism of the ICA, SIGBI and NFWI. For example in the survey with 23 respondents, in replying to the question 'following the workshop what ways will you change your approach to collecting and managing objects: 87% replied 'consider new ways to collect and project objects created by my organisation'; 43% 'ask national leadership to provide more practical advice and support on safeguarding material culture'; 35% 'consider launching a memory box project to collect material culture' and 35% to 'seek out further professional advice and/or funding'. Qualitative responses to the survey were also very encouraging, for example 'I have always understood that women have not had a "voice" in the past but I had never thought of how "invisible" women were in the past. It may be late in coming but after this webinar, it is now clear to me that their myriad and diverse stories can be graphically illustrated in the material culture. I am sad that I have not come to this consciousness sooner. But it is not just the preserving and collecting of the material culture that is important - it is making it accessible in any and every and all ways possible' and 'I believe increasing the awareness of the value of objects used in the past goes hand in hand with collecting and archiving the local narratives / memories of older people in our community'. Further surveys will be sent out in mid/late 2024 to aid impact capture for the network and this event in the wake of the webinar being shared more widely with organisation members. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Recording of Ep. 1 & 2 of Women's Grassroots Podcast at ICA An Grainán, Co. Lough, Ireland, 12-13 November 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The recording of Episode 1 & 2 took place in person at An Grianan, the ICA residential adult education college in Co. Lough, Ireland. This recording enabled members of the ICA and the WINI to come together to co-create and co-design the content of the first two podcasts and the social engagement afforded by this in-person and overnight recording session was useful in further developing the relationship between the ICA, WINI and the project research team. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://historyhub.ie/womens-grassroots-actvism-podcast |
| Description | Roundtable Podcast, 13 February 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This podcast is a recording of a Roundtable on women in the Irish Constitution hosted by University College Dublin Gender History Seminar Series. It took place on 13 February 2024. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://historyhub.ie/women-and-the-irish-constitution-a-roundtable-discussion |
| Description | Steering Committee Meeting (online) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | This was an online project Steering Committee meeting to provide updates on the project's activities. The meeting also informed the design of future workshops and events. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Visit to Late Opening of the LSE Women's Library, 7 March 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | I gave a short talk about my research emerging out of the AHRC network project at an late open evening held at the Women's Library, LSE on 7 March 2024. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.lse.ac.uk/library/events/general/lse-library-late-celebrating-the-womens-library |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Conference, 9-10 May 2024 (online) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This online conference was a two day public facing event to bring together cutting-edge research on women's grassroots activism across Britain and Ireland, 1918 to the present. The conference keynote speakers were eminent historians Prof Pat Thane (Birkbeck, University of London) and Prof Lynn Abrams (University of Glasgow). Following a call for papers the conference was made up of a range of papers delivered by ECRs, post-graduate students, senior scholars and female activists. The aim of the conference was to highlight the rice diversity of activism by women and the range of ground breaking research being undertaken to make these stories of activism better known. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Network Workshop 2, in person, Dublin, 27 April 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Workshop 2 of our AHRC network took place on 27-28 April 2024 in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin. The theme of the workshop was Advocacy and invited participants included academics (ECRs and more senior colleagues) alongside representatives from the ICA, SIGBI Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and SouthEast region in England and the NFWI and WINI. The workshop was a mix of short academic papers and women's organisation members taking part in participant roundtables. An interactive workshop was delivered on material culture by Donna Gilligan of Scéal Heritage. The two day workshop included a tour of the National Museum of Ireland collections and a public lecture given by Prof Linda Connolly (University of Maynooth) and a member of the project Steering Committee. The purpose of the workshop was to highlight the cross-borders activism and advocacy by women across the island of Ireland and in England. The impact of the event was that members from WINI and Soroptimists Northern Ireland joined the Steering Committee of the project thereby ensuring greater reach and inclusivity of the project over its final 10 months. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Network Workshop 5, online, 7 December 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Workshop 5 with its theme of 'Sustainability' was the final workshop of this 18 month network project. The workshop participants were members of the core research team alongside representatives of our participant women's organisations, all members of our Steering Committee. Our keynote speaker was Dr Jessica White whose paper focussed on the issue of unintentional racism and expressions of white supremacy within women's organisations in the 1970s, taking the NFWI, the Mothers' Union and the Corona Society as case studies. This theme of inclusivity and diversity informed the workshop discussions on the steps taken by our participant women's organisations to enable greater diversity, and thereby sustainability of their respective organisations. The workshop also focussed on the co-design of the project's activist 'tool-kit' in line with the principles of PR underpinning the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Online Seminar: Material Culture and Women's Activism, 25 September 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This online seminar consisting of three papers by Dr Grace Heaton (campaign for women's ordination in the Church of England), Maisie Jepson (Greenham Women's Peace Camp) and Dr Na'ama Klorman Erqui (photographic representation and the Grunwick Strike Narratives) took as it focus the ways that material culture can be used to further academic knowledge with regards to histories of women's activism in Britain. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Podcast Series #WGAPodcast Ep 3-5 recordings (online) 17-18 January 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Members of our participant organisations joined the core research team to record online Episode 3-5 of the network's Women's Grassroots Activism Podcast. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://historyhub.ie/womens-grassroots-actvism-podcast |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Podcast Series #WGAPodcast: February-March 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This podcast series tells stories of women's grassroots activism across the island of Ireland and in England from 1918 to the present. These stories highlight the diverse ways that members of the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA), the Soroptimists International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI), the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) and the Federation of Women's Institutes of Northern Ireland (WINI) contributed to enhancing the lives of women and girls locally, nationally and globally. The series is made up of five c. 25 minute episodes with the themes: the ICA's long history of activism, cross-borders solidarity in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales, SIGBI campaigns and educational work against gender-based violence, environmental activism, crafting and craftivism. The intended purpose of the podcast series is to reveal the experiences of women active in women's organisations across the island of Ireland and in England, 1918 to the present. By sharing these stories with members of our four participant groups and with the general public we aim to amplify the voices of these organisations and make better known the past, current and future work these groups engage in to help achieve UN SDG 5: Gender Equality. The podcast was launched in February/March 2025 and so it is too early to measure any impact. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://historyhub.ie/womens-grassroots-actvism-podcast |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Public Lecture: Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) activism and craftivism around rural electrification in the 1950s and 1960s, 18 June 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This online public lecture, given by Dr Sorcha O'Brien, (Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Dublin) on the 'Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) activism and craftivism around rural electrification in the 1950s and 1960s' aimed to increase public awareness about the important role the ICA played in the expansion of electrification to rural areas and domestic homes in Ireland during the mid-twentieth century. The event attracted c. 89 attendees and the response to the lecture in the Zoom chat was very positive. For example: 'Great insight into a crucial time in Irish woman's lives in 1950s/1960s Ireland. A by product of rural electrification was the freeing up of the kitchen as the central social space and a renewed interest in interior decoration of the other rooms such as sitting rooms. The ICA also appointed Home Decorators who were trained at An Grianan to give lectures on interior design to ICA guilds all over Ireland, in both small towns and villages as well as rural dwellings, so interesting Sorcha!' |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggrNZOBxTxo |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Seminar Online, Chinese Women's Grassroots Activism in the UK, 3 December 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This online seminar explored the overlooked histories of activism by Chinese women in the UK during the mid and late twentieth century. The speakers were Yutng Wu (on Chinese women and Black feminism and the refuge movement) and Sha Zhou (on Chinese women's self-help organisations including the National Federation of Chinese Women). The chat for this seminar indicated that much was learned about this less well known aspect of women's activism in Britain, |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Steering Committee Meeting online, 14 January 2025 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | This final formal network Steering Committee discussed the plans to capture impact from the project, confirmed the willingness of the Steering Committee members to support the impact work now required over 2025 and to promote the network's podcast series and webinars. At this meeting we also discussed what should be included in the project's activist 'tool-kit' in line with our practice of PR and the principle of co-design. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Steering Committee Meeting online, 3 September 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The Steering Committee met for updates on the network's activities and the plans for future events as well as the format and invited speakers for Workshops 4 and 5. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Women's Grassroots Activism Workshop 4, in-person, Dudley Archives, 20-21 September 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Workshop 4, with its theme of 'Visibility' took place at the Dudley Archives. Invited speakers were made up of a mix of ECRs, senior academics and national and local representatives of the NFWI, the WINI and SIGBI. Colleagues from local clubs/institutes of the NFWI and the Soroptimists also joined us and provided insights into their local experiences on two roundtables. A representative from the National Council of Women of Great Britain (NCWGB) also joined us and gave a paper. Our keynote speaker was Dr Zoë Thomas (University of Birmingham). Focussing on visibility or lack of visibility of women's organisations and their activism the workshop included sessions on material culture and papers from ECR researchers on projects underpinned by adopting a material culture focus. We also discussed the design of our project's activist 'tool-kit', in line with the principles of PR and went on a guided tour of the Black Country Living History Museum. As a result of this event, the PI was invited to give a presentation to the NCWGB and also to join Dr Thomas as Co-I in a planned AHRC Catalyst Award application. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |