Dr Rachel Lock Lewis has been awarded a research sabbatical from the Faculty of Creative Industries to undertake research into the Women's Liberation Movement in South Wales, c.1974-1999.

"Surprisingly little research has been undertaken on feminism in Wales in this period, despite the fact that there was plenty of activity and a clear legacy, so there's a definite gap in the scholarship just waiting to be filled," said Dr Lock Lewis. 

"The Women's Liberation Movement is sometimes forgotten, misunderstood or even maligned so I hope this work might go some way towards mitigating this. Furthermore, the fact that the University of South Wales (in its component predecessors) played a role in this story makes it even more interesting and important to research.  

"It is very important that these archival materials and this history reaches the public. Of course, knowing our past can give us inspiration for the future. My plan is to secure funding for a project in which women who were active in the movement can have their stories committed to the public record for posterity and for future researchers.                        

She added: "The book that I'm writing will take a while to come into fruition plus there is too much fascinating material for just one monograph so, in the meantime, I'll be taking opportunities to share my findings."

About Dr Rachel Lock Lewis

Dr Rachel Lock Lewis is Senior Lecturer in History and Co-director of USW's Centre for Gender Studies in Wales. Her main research interest is the history of feminism in post-war Britain. Her previous publications have focussed on gender and social change in post-war Britain, particularly in relation to sexuality, marriage, maternity, parenting and childhood, and kinship.