ABSTRACT
What is the state of the women’s movement in Britain in the early twenty-first century? Standard accounts have tended to present a uniform picture of its trajectory: after an initial flourishing in the 1960s and 1970s the movement fragmented, dissipated and de-radicalised, stymied by the cold climate of neo-liberal Thatcherism and the unravelling of simple notions of universal sisterhood. Feminist activism continued but largely by means of unobtrusive mobilisation within institutions and through distinctive service delivery. Paradoxically, the apparent decline of the movement has coincided with the growth of women’s involvement in, and feminist impact on, the mainstream politics and political agenda of political parties, trade unions, and governments at different levels.
