Women
The Liberal Party and womens suffrage, 1866-1918
Analysis of the relationship between the Liberal Party and the campaigns for womens suffrage.
Liberals and women
When the Victorian women's movement emerged in the 1850s and 1860s it attracted women from Liberal families such as Barbara Leigh Smith who had been associated with Liberal crusades for temperance, anti-slavery and the repeal of the Corn Laws. Feminist achievements later in the century owed much to Liberals, notably Josephine Butler's campaign to repeal…
The yellow glass ceiling: the mystery of the disappearing Liberal women MPs
Only six women ever sat as Liberal MPs, and most only for very short periods. This article examines why.
The struggle for women’s rights
What did the Party and its predecessors achieve for women’s rights, from the suffragettes onwards?
From WLF to WLD: Liberal womens grassroots campaigning
The evolution of the Womens Liberal Federation into Women Liberal Democrats.
The role of women in merger
A personal view of women in Alliance politics.
Selecting women candidates: a critical evaluation
The Liberal Democrat record in selecting and supporting women candidates.
John Stuart Mill on votes for women
'We ought not to deny to them, what we are conceding to everybody else' – House of Commons, 20 May 1867
Women’s Liberal Federation
The Women's Liberal Federation was formed between 1886 and 1887 under the presidency of Gladstone's daughter, Catherine and by the turn of the century, the organisation had around 60,000 members and almost 500 local branches.