Manchester University Press - The women's liberation movement in Scotland

This is the first book-length account of the women's liberation movement in Scotland, which, using documentary evidence and oral testimony, charts the origins and development of this important social movement of the post-1945 period. In doing so, it reveals the inventiveness and fearlessness of feminist activism, while also pointing towards the importance of considering the movement from the local and grassroots perspectives, presenting a more optimistic account of the enduring legacy of women's liberation.

Not only does this book uncover the reach of the WLM but it also considers what case studies of women's liberation can tell us about the ways in which the development of the movement has been portrayed. Previous accounts have tended to equate the fragmentation of the movement with weakness and decline. This book challenges this conclusion, arguing that fragmentation led to a diffusion of feminist ideas into wider society. In the Scottish context, it led to a lively and flourishing feminist culture where activists highlighted important issues such as abortion and violence against women.

Reviews

'Sarah Browne's new book is a significant addition to a growing body of work reassessing and redefining the history of female activism and the women's movement in twentieth-century Britain. For the first time Browne provides a detailed and meticulously researched account of the origins, growth and campaigning activities of the Women's Liberation Movement (WLM) in Scotland.'
Caitríona Beaumont, London South Bank University, Northern Scotland

Introduction
1. The women's liberation movement in context
2. The women of the movement
3. Finding their anger in consciousness-raising
4. Women's liberation in the local context
5. Building a network
6. Abortion: a woman's right to choose
7. Violence against women
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index