Women in Post-war Politics

• Having asserted themselves effectively during the war, women were unable to press home possible gains in terms of female representation in Parliament
• In 1945 and 1955, there were just 24 females out of the 630 MP's in the House of Commons and in 1974, the number was 23
• Women were rarely raised risked in safe seats and had to overcome large opposition majorities to gain their seat, this meant that those women who won a seat tended to have exceptional qualities
• Harold Wilson's 1964 Government contained 7 of the 18 female Labour MP's, allowing them to have a higher chance of promoting ministerial office chances for women
• While a few women, Barbara Castle was Minister for Transport gained national prominence, the loss of cross-party cohesion weakened the advocacy of female rights in parliament after 1945
• It took the growth of an extra-parliamentary women's movement in the 1970's to put female specific issues back on the agenda
• Barbara Castle, as a Secretary of State for Employment and later Secretary of State for Social Services, helped pass legislation such as the 1970 Equal Pay Act, pension reform and child benefits