Leeds has given birth to many women who became internationally renowned. Today, we’ll discuss Sheila Rowbotham, an English feminist, theorist, and historian, who is the author of several books. You can learn more about her life and activities on the pages of the leedska.com website.
What is known about Rowbotham’s youth and education
The future feminist was born in 1943 in Leeds. From a young age, Sheila was interested in history. She pursued her education at St. Hilda’s College at Oxford University and later at the University of London.
Even as a student, Sheila began taking an interest in politics and engaged with classmates who held left-wing views. She was also introduced to the ideas of Karl Marx. Disillusioned with party politics, Sheila Rowbotham joined the editorial board of the political newspaper Black Dwarf.
How she became a feminist
In the 1960s, Sheila was one of the founders and leaders of the History Workshop movement. This movement focused on the experiences of ordinary people and combined Marxist theory with historical writing. Later, Rowbotham became involved in the women’s liberation movement, also known as second-wave feminism.
In 1969, Sheila published a pamphlet titled Women’s Liberation and the New Politics. A year later, Rowbotham was one of the organisers of the National Women’s Liberation Conference, where she raised crucial issues such as equal pay, education, and free contraception.
From 1983 to 1986, she worked as the editor of Jobs for Change. Sheila wrote various articles aimed at defending women’s rights. She argued that capitalism not only oppressed the working class but also women’s rights, claiming that sexism preceded the development of capitalism. Rowbotham also asserted that the institution of marriage resembled feudalism, as in feudal society, serfs were obligated to serve their lords, and in marital relationships, wives serve their husbands.
In addition to her articles, Sheila Rowbotham authored several books: Women, Resistance and Revolution, Hidden from History, Beyond the Fragments, Century of Women, Women’s Consciousness, Man’s World, and Threads Through Time. It is worth noting that Rowbotham’s books were well received by feminists and quickly gained popularity.
Sheila Rowbotham’s activities in the 21st century
In 2004, Sheila was elected a member of the Royal Society of Arts. By 2008, she had become a professor of gender history, labour history, and sociology at the University of Manchester. However, Sheila Rowbotham was forced to retire, which sparked protests from students. Young people created a social media group called Save Sheila Rowbotham.
In 2009, Rowbotham wrote a biography of Edward Carpenter, titled Edward Carpenter: A Life of Freedom and Love, which was shortlisted for the James Tate Black Memorial Prize.
In 2022, Sheila was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Bristol.
Sheila Rowbotham is a feminist whose academic works and books defended women’s rights in society. In the modern world, it is hard to imagine a woman deprived of rights to education, employment, voting rights, etc. However, in the past century, women had far fewer rights, which led to the active development of the feminist movement. Feminism stands for women’s rights, including the right to vote, equal pay with men, family planning, birth control, and more.
This is the story of Sheila Rowbotham, a feminist born in Leeds. We hope our material has been informative, and you have drawn the appropriate conclusions.