The Past is Before Us : Feminism in Action Since the 1960's

In this history of the ideas of the women's movement the author attempts to show how feminism has redefined the scope of politics.

It traces the ideas and actions of the women, from the 60s to the 80s, who have been involved in the equal pay disputes, abortion campaigns and "reclaim the night" marches of the 1960s and 1970s, those who have lobbied for better housing, childcare and working conditions, women in the 1980s who have come to feminism through a variety of political causes - the Greenham Common Peace Camp, miners' wives, black women in the inner cities and nurses striking for better pay.

It also highlights key issues which will determine the options open to women in the 1990s, such as how can women improve their economic status?

What kind of government could serve women's needs? What social changes are necessary to enable women to enjoy relationships in which both love and freedom are possible?

By combining her understanding of the significance of individual action with political ideas, Sheila Rowbotham shows that things could be different and better, and that every woman can contribute to that change. Sheila Rowbotham has been active in the womens' movement in Britain since the 1960s and has writen many books including "Woman's Consciousness, Man's World", "Women, Resistance and Revolution" and "Dutiful Daughters".