VIRAGO have published several interesting and moving accounts of the lives of working class women in Britain. written by feminists before the First World War and the third in DAVENPORT has reviewed them for Socialist Challenge. 'Maternity — Letters from Working Women' working class members or working class members the Women's Cooperative Guild, during the time it was organising a campaign for maternity benefit. These harrowing accounts of personal exlicies evidence for the Guild's were written as case.
The letters show a horrifying picture ig.
anne madl care incompetent doctors and midwives. even for those who could afford such luxuries. miscarriages, stillbirths and sickly children resulting, the women felt, their continuing heavy work throughout their pregnancies.
No wonder that many women seem show a dread of sex, when what resulted was constant pregnancies and broken health. Many mention the use of 'drugs' (often very The first two were the 1930s. JENNY dangerous to health and like as not ineffective) to attempt abortion.
'Round A Week out Pound was the result of work done bv the Fabian Women's Group in the Lambeth area between 1909 and 1913. The book describes the daily lives of several families where the avclare week income was twenty shillings (hence the title).
As the book points OUT. were by means the real poor. These were 'respectable' working class where the nusbands were in regular The picture that emerges is of women enduring a life of drudgery. Responsibility the tamılv budget alwavs talks on the woman. While the husband keeps back a few shillings TOr nis 'pocket money , the wife is left to Cale for housing, clothing and 1urucue household necessities from the rest.
Accommodation
overcrowded, unhealthy and expensive. Child mortality is so high that burial loul alice regular feature of most budgets. Food for the whole family has to be bought out of seven or eight shillings a week, and the breadwinner must be provided for first with whatever bits of meat and fish the famil budget will run to.
Öften mother and children live on weak tea and slices of bread and marge.
'Working Class Wives' is interesting reprint published by Virago. It is based on the results of a Health Enquiry Committee and answered by 1250 working class women from all parts of Britain.
The study was undertaken in the middle of the ucalcu The women barely rest. Most work at least a sixteen hour day, looking after their many small children, and fighting a losing battle trying to keep their inadequate clean.
The conclusion of the book is to press for the KING of OTOVISIORS and benefits which most of us HaVe the birth for granted since the of the decent housın vorkers can affor make are adequat wages to be paid to all. anc for mothers to have facilities to take holidays away from their homes and families every year Thanks to Tory policies their message is lust as relevant now, forty-odd years later!
Maternity - Letters from Working Women Edited hy M Llewelyn Davies; Round About