Women, War and Peace

As the events of WW1 unfolded, the role of women in Wales and the wider UK was to change forever - culminating in 1918 in some women finally attaining the vote after many years of campaigning for women's suffrage (the right to vote). The contribution of women to the war effort, as well as to the anti-war campaign, was huge and unprecedented. The fight for suffrage and the experience of greater freedoms filling roles left by men whilst at the Front meant that women developed a confidence in their ability to influence the traditionally male domain of politics. Many found their voice through the numerous campaigns for peace that emerged as a response to the horror and loss of life of WW1.   

• Find out more about the role of women in the First World War.
• View #women on People's Collection Wales.  
• Explore the diary of Florence Jones (left) from Newport, an activist with the non-conscription fellowship for Conscientious Objectors in WW1.

6th February 2018 marked the centenary of the Representation of the People Act, culmination of generations of campaigning for the vote to be extended - not just to women, but also to working class men returning from war. Even though it would be another 10 years till equal voting was extended to women in 1928, the impact of the suffragettes and suffragists movements was to secure the right to a voice for future generations - and one that would be built upon by Peace Campaigners through the 1920s (below).  

• "Here comes the Devil": Welsh Suffrage and the Suffragettes - history blog by Elen Philips, National Museum of Wales for #Vote100
• Celebrating 100 years of Suffrage - Assembly blog by Deputy Presiding Officer Ann Jones on the importance of the women's suffrage movement in Wales
• #Vote100 Events across the UK, 2018.

Through 2018 WCIA look forward to supporting the Welsh National Opera's forthcoming tour exploring the story of suffragette and activist Lady Rhondda, and how the right to a voice has inspired peace builders and ordinary citizens from WW1 to today to campaign for a better world.   

• Margaret Haig Thomas / Mackworth, Lady Rhondda on Wikipedia (left)
• Biography of Lady Rhondda 'Turning the Tide' by Angela John - Amazon, Wales Arts Review, Independent, Parthian
• Welsh National Opera Community Engagement activities.
• Welsh National Opera tour 'Rhondda Rips it Up', June and October 2018

Blog Feature: Those Marvellous Women: Welsh Women’s Petition For Peace

In 1923-4 390,296 women across Wales mobilised and signed a beautifully crafted petition to the women of America, asking them to use their influence to persuade the country to become a full member of the League of Nations, safeguarding peace for future generations. The binding of this inspirational petition has been held in the library of the Temple of Peace since it's opening in 1938 - but the petition itself is believed to have been sent to Philadelphia.

• View images of the women's petition on Flickr
• Read the full text of the appeal here. 
• Wales and America - Records in the National Library 
• Find out more about the history of the League of Nations here.

Wales for Peace are seeking volunteers and historians who might be able to help us uncover the story of the petition - and for any with American research contacts, the ultimate coup would be the rediscovery of the actual petition manuscript and the potential to reunite the two parts. 

On 26 May 1926, 2000 women from villages around the town of Penygroes in Caernarfonshire arrived at the market town carrying the blue flag of peace. This was the beginning of the Peace Pilgrimage; the group travelled 150 miles in cars and charabancs, holding 15 meetings including in the ruins of Conwy castle, in Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, before 'joining forces' at Chester with women from the North West to march on Hyde Park in London, where over 10,000 gathered.

‘We members and supporters of the Peacemakers’ Pilgrimage, believing that law should take the place of war in the settlements of international disputes, urge His Majesty’s government to agree to submit all disputes to conciliation and arbitration, and by taking the lead in the proposed Disarmament Conference of the League of Nations to show that Great Britain does not intend to appeal to force’.

The Peace Pilgrimage led to the formation of the North Wales Women’s Peace Council, and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

• Read WCIA Blog on N Wales Women's Peace March by volunteer Stephen Thomas.
• Read more at Arming all Sides.
• Read the papers of Gwladys Thoday at Archives Wales.
• Read more at Women's Archive Wales. 

90th Anniversary of the Women's Peace Pilgrimage

In September 2016, for international peace day, WCIA and women peace activists from across North Wales marked the 90th anniversary by inviting Gwynedd communities to join a re-enactment of the women's peace pilgrimage, a women's peace march for today. A memorial slate plaque, funded by HLF and Wales for Peace, was unveiled on the 'South of France', the old Slate Quay on the waterfront outside the walls of Caernarfon Castle; and an exhibition celebrating Gwynedd's peace heritage was displayed in Oriel Pendeitsch throughout Autumn 2016, as part of the programme of community events accompanying the Poppies: Weeping Window sculpture.       

View the original Pathe footage from Caernarfon Castle of the women's peace pilgrimage.

View a short clip of the 2016 Women's Peace March.

View Flickr album of the Oriel Pendeitsch Peace exhibition.

Discover more about the Caernarfon Peace Trail.

Calling Volunteers and Community Groups: there was also a South Wales Womens Peace Pilgrimage from Swansea in 1926 - a hidden history about which little is known! It is referenced in WILPF records and writings of suggragist and peace campainer Maude Courteney. Could you help WCIA uncover the story behind this?

Women continue to be at the forefront of Wales' peace movements, through local peace and justice groups, activism and societies such as Cymdeithas y Cymod, CND Cymru, the Quakers in Wales and Gwerin y Coed. 

From 1981 until 2000, Welsh women played a leading role in the Greenham Common Peace Camp in Berkshire, protesting against nuclear weapons. Wales for Peace have been working with school groups to facilitate 'intergenerational learning' projects between ex-Greenham activists and young people today, through schools in Gwynedd, Rhondda and Cardiff.

• Glamorgan Archives collection 'women for life on earth' and blog article on the origins of the Greenham Common march.
• CND Cymru article on 30th anniversary of Greenham March from Newport 
• BBC Article on Welsh women and Greenham Common
• WCIA and St Fagan's Museum 'Greenham Banners' schools workshop, International Peace Day Sept 2016; and Jill Evans MEP workshop with Cymer School pupils.

In September 2015, 4 Gwynedd women (right) made national headlines for protesting against drone testing (unmanned reconnaisance and bombing aircraft) in Wales. 

Welsh women are playing an active role in standing up for human rights and peace today, such as Wales for Peace's own Learning Coordinator Jane Harries who rergularly travels to Israel and Palestine as a human rights monitor. 

• View short film / learning resource on peace making in Palestine.
• Read Jane Harries' blog from Palestine