starter activity

1
? starter activity
The 120 women Labour MPs - or Blair Babes as they
were called - were all smiles and waves in 1997,
flanking the newly-elected Tony Blair. Never
before had there been so many women in
Parliament, let alone from one party. Read the
article your teacher gives you and try to find
the significance of the following numbers
2
What do the numbers relate to?
Betty Boothroyd

• 30
• 1919
• 1924
• 1992
• 19
• 127

Baroness Amos
Baroness Thatcher
3

• 30 (in 1918 women were first given right to vote
  if they were over the age of 30)
• 1919 (by-election at which Nancy Astor, 1st
  female MP elected)
• 1924 (Margaret Bonfield became first female
  minister)
• 1992 (Betty Boothroyd became first female Speaker
  of HoC)
• 19 (Number of female MPs in Parliament under
  Thatcher)
• 127 (number of female MPs currently in Parliament)

4
Is there a gender gap?
5
? Your task

• Study Roberts, p.24-7. Complete the chart below
  noting evidence to show that the status of women
  is improving in green and that it is declining or
  under threat in red. Divide the class into 5
  groups with each group taking responsibility for
  one of the areas.

6
? Your task

• What conclusions can be drawn from items A-D on
  p.27-8 of Roberts about the role of women in
  modern Britain?