Feminism

When I was a head teacher, in the 1970's, I wanted to buy a stereogram on hire purchase. I was told at Rumbelows that I had to have my husband's signature, even though I earned more than he did. I played merry hell and got an abject letter of apology from the CEO
I suspect different banks and building societies operated different policies on mortgages.

We keep getting this story about women not getting mortgages in the 1970s. Both my sisters and two friends all bought properties in the 1970s, early on and later. None of them had any more problem that DH and I did. In fact I think we had more problems because Building Societies were very suspicious of including a wife's income when calculating how much they would lend because they were convinced that women would stop work any day to have a baby.

And, yes, we did tend to stop work then because maternity leave was not available and companies wouldn't even consider someone coming back to work part time instead of full time.

Thanks for this link Greatnan - I've shared it on my face pack page. I would also like to see the younger generation embracing feminism. My own daughters used to tease me about my feminism, when they were in their teens. They are now in their late twenties, and still don't identify themselves as feminists, despite living what in the early 70's would have seemed totally liberated lives. They and their friends are likeable, hard working young women, who enjoy life to the full (it seems) as they make their way in careers and relationships. Some of their group have had their first children, and without exception, were astounded to learn that when I had my first daughter 42 years ago, maternity leave didn't exist, women couldn't get a mortgage, etc etc etc. Equality still has a way to go doesn't it

I would like to see our younger generation as enthusiastic and committed to feminism as we were.