ABSTRACT
The 'Women's Movement' - the struggle of women themselves (though with some notable men supporters) to win an effective recognition of their equal status with men as citizens of the political community - has by now had a long history: from its beginnings in the nineteenth century to the winning of 'Votes for Women' some fifty years or so ago. This was clearly a remarkable campaign, a remarkable victory, and the very fact that it took place so short a time aga - so recently within the entire span of human history - itself speaks in the most telling way of the deeply established subjection of women in all societies of the past (and which remains, of course, in many societies still). A great revolution - involving 'one half of the human race', and bound massively to affect the other half - was then begun, and now moves cumulatively, if at a varying pace, throughout the world. Its effects on the transformation of societies cannot yet be fully known or foreseen. It was, of course, a claim not only for recognised 'political citizenship', but also for everything that this entailed: the effective securing, the realisation, of 'the rights of women' in all areas of social life - for equality of consideration and treatment in education, employment , the choice and pursuit of career, earnings from employment, the ownership, management and inheritance of property, choice over the entry into and ability to terminate marriage , the division of property and income (maintenance) following desertion or divorce, etc. One centrally important strand in the Women's Movement as it developed after the Second World War - gathering force with a new and strengthened formulation during the 19605 and becoming more powerfully voted throughout the 19705 and into the 1980s - was therefore a continuing campaign for the effective achievement of the claims made in its first beginning. The early achievements became known as 'the first phase' ofthe Feminist Movement. Recognised and valued by women, it was thought, nonetheless, that many of its aims had not , in fact, been achieved. Its promise had not been realised. One important strand of the Women's Movement has therefore been this quite straightforward continuity of Feminism.
