Like many w&h readers, I was born in the 1960s and grew up in the 1970s, coming of age on the crest of the Women's Liberation movement. We no longer wanted to be valued or judged primarily on the way we looked - we were going to forge a better society.
We demanded equality, including fair pay and the ability to make choices about our own bodies. We had the pill, didn't need to be married to start a family or ask a man's permission for a mortgage. There was less stigma attached to divorce, and women were starting to speak up and get help with domestic violence. We truly believed the world was there for the taking. But things didn't turn out how we had planned.
Today, in 2024, women face many of the same battles. The challenges - of equal pay; balancing motherhood, home and career; abuse, misogyny and personal safety - have not gone away.
The threat of male violence
When 33-year-old Sarah Everard was raped and killed in 2021, we were reminded, tragically, that walking home at night is risky for women. Compounding the shock that the crime was committed by a serving police officer, two women were later arrested and handcuffed at one of the vigils, and Scotland Yard had to apologise and pay damages for its heavy handling of the incident.
Later that year, two police officers guarding a murder scene were sentenced for sharing dehumanising pictures on WhatsApp of sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, who had been brutally stabbed in a park in 2020. In December, a man was jailed for raping a 20-year-old woman on a Tube train in front of other passengers. The list is, sadly, endless.
This story is from the March 2024 edition of Woman & Home UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2024 edition of Woman & Home UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Welcome to ENGLISH WINE COUNTRY
Ellen Himelfarb discovers palate-tingling wines and warm hospitality among the sunlit slopes and flint villages of Sussex
Naturally STYLISH
Combining mindfulness ideas and natural materials, this country house - built by Lisa and David Wallace – exudes beauty, calm and serenity
Make ANXIETY Your superpower
Embracing worrying thoughts might be more beneficial than suppressing them, says Samantha Wood
I hope the kids have my self-confidence
Author and presenter Richard Madeley reflects on the early days of parenting, and watching his family grow
Love..OR LIES?
Romance fraud is, sadly, on the increase - meet two women affected and find out how to stay safe
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A...PROBATION OFFICER
Meet Sarah Port, 40, deputy head of the Probation Delivery Unit in North Essex
Could YOU live on your PENSION?
Surviving on the minimum retirement living standard for a week shocked Faith Archer into increasing her contributions
We're having a FASHION moment
And long may it continue, says Wendy Rigg, charting the rise of midlife fashion
There really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME
But when Yorkshire-woman Sharon Wright fetched up in Surbiton, which would hold that special place in her affections?
Older & bolder
One of our favourite comedians, Helen Lederer, has finally sent imposter syndrome to Room 101