A Woman's Work Is Never Done: Autobiographical and Political Writings by Elizabeth Andrews

A volume containing the key writings of Elizabeth Andrews, one of the most influential female political activist of the early twentieth century, and a prominent figure in Welsh women's political history.

About the Author :
Ursula Masson is a lecturer in History at the University of Glamorgan, specialising in women's history.

Review :
Glenys Kinnock, MEP, writes enthusiastically in her 'Foreword' for the recognition of Elizabeth Andrews as a political pioneer, especially in her work for womens causes. Andrewss world changed radically, even her lifetime, as the last of her political articles makes plain, and has changed even more rapidly since then. It seems barely credible, from an early 21st century perspective, what disadvantages women and wage-earners laboured under only 100 years ago, but the struggles for social and political fairness should not be forgotten. Elizabeth Andrews wrote A Womans Work is Never Done in her retirement. It was first published in 1957 with a foreword by James (Jim) Griffiths, well-known Labour MP and Cabinet Minister. This edition is a reprint. The first two of the eleven short chapters are autobiographical but solely to explain how the authors life took the course it did. Born in 1882 in Hirwaun, one of the eleven children of a coal miner, she knew to the core the financial hardships of mining families, the poor housing and the hard and dangerous work of the miners. She knew too that this life damaged not only their own health but the health of their wives and children. Andrewss intellect, drive and organising ability could not, however, be constrained by family poverty and relative lack of education. When she met her future husband, who was already active in the Independent Labour Party, she also recognised that her vocation lay in politics. She became a staunch Labour Party activist, was appointed Woman Organiser for Wales in 1919, a post she held until her retirement, and was active in other left-leaning movements. The remaining nine chapters describe the fight for better conditions for women as home-makers and mothers, as well as for both sexes as wage-earners. She saw clearly that there was no point in advising women to bring up their children well if the world of adult life offered only poverty and hardship. The world had to be changed to make it fit for children. The second half of this book is a selection of Elizabeth Andrewss articles, taken in the main from the Womens Page of The Colliery Workers Magazine. In these and in the Preface to A Womens Work is Never Done one seems to hear her authentic voice as she would have spoken from the platform at political meetings: direct, passionate, full of common sense. There is a valuable introduction by Ursula Masson, the editor, which puts Andrewss work into context and explains the limitations placed on her campaigning because she was a Party appointee. The Notes provide a useful selection of further reading. Sheila Jones It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgement should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddior adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatad Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council