January 1, 1970

The twentieth century was a period of dramatic change for women in the West. In the late Victorian period women were still politically powerless and constricted by patriarchal social conventions. But the early twentieth century saw the creation of the Suffragette movement, the catalyst for the rapid social change that occurred over the rest of the century. With career options other than marriage and motherhood opening up to them, women engaged with politics, served in the two world wars, made an impact on the artistic and literary worlds and experienced social and sexual liberation.