Six Point Group
Encyclopedia
The Six Point Group was a British
feminist
campaign group founded by Lady Rhondda
in 1921 to press for changes in the law of the United Kingdom in six areas.
These later evolved into six general points of equality for women: political, occupational, moral, social, economic and legal.
pass an Equal Rights Treaty.
The group campaigned on principles of strict equality between men and women. This 'old feminism' or 'equality feminism' was sometimes contrasted to the 'new feminism' or 'welfare feminism' of other women's groups of the period, such as the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, which sought protectionist legislation applying only to women.
Members included former militant suffragists - such as Dorothy E. Evans, Monica Whately or Helen Archdale - as well as younger women like Winifred Holtby
or Vera Brittain
. Though the membership was usually under 300, the Six Point Group wielded considerable political influence in the interwar years and during the Second World War. It campaigned by traditional constitutional methods. Much of its work was done through its journal, Time and Tide
. It also made deputations to the appropriate government ministers, organised public rallies and wrote letters to major newspapers.
From 1933, along with the Open Door Council
, it spearheaded the movement for the right of married women to work.
It was responsible for establishing the Income Tax Reform Council and in 1938, the Married Women's Association.
During the Second World War, the Six Point Group campaigned on a variety of issues. They protested the fact that female volunteers in the Civil Defence Services received only two-thirds the men's pay. They objected that the compensation provided for by the Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act of 1939 was skewed between male / female recipients. They were closely involved in the Equal Compensation Campaign from 1941 to 1943 and subsequently had representatives alongside the Open Door Council and the Fawcett Society
on the committee of the Equal Pay Campaign from 1944 to ensure equal pay in the Civil Service.
The group continued to have significant political influence in the post war period. It took part in the protests to have the Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act changed to give married women more financial protection.
From 1967, the group played an active part in the co-ordination of other women's groups on a number of issues. Its secretary in the 1970s was Hazel Hunkins Hallinan. From the late 1970s the group declined through its failure to recruit younger women. It went into abeyance in 1980, and was finally dissolved in 1983.
, ref 5SPG
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
campaign group founded by Lady Rhondda
Margaret Mackworth, 2nd Viscountess Rhondda
Margaret Haig Mackworth, 2nd Viscountess Rhondda was a Welsh peeress and active suffragette.In 1908 she joined the Women's Social and Political Union , and became secretary of the WSPU's Newport branch...
in 1921 to press for changes in the law of the United Kingdom in six areas.
Aims
The six original specific aims were:- Satisfactory legislation on child assault;
- Satisfactory legislation for the widowed mother;
- Satisfactory legislation for the unmarried mother and her child;
- Equal rights of guardianship for married parents;
- Equal pay for teachers
- Equal opportunities for men and women in the civil service.
These later evolved into six general points of equality for women: political, occupational, moral, social, economic and legal.
History
During the 1920s, it was active in trying to have the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
pass an Equal Rights Treaty.
The group campaigned on principles of strict equality between men and women. This 'old feminism' or 'equality feminism' was sometimes contrasted to the 'new feminism' or 'welfare feminism' of other women's groups of the period, such as the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, which sought protectionist legislation applying only to women.
Members included former militant suffragists - such as Dorothy E. Evans, Monica Whately or Helen Archdale - as well as younger women like Winifred Holtby
Winifred Holtby
Winifred Holtby was an English novelist and journalist, best known for her novel South Riding.-Life and writings:...
or Vera Brittain
Vera Brittain
Vera Mary Brittain was a British writer, feminist and pacifist, best remembered as the author of the best-selling 1933 memoir Testament of Youth, recounting her experiences during World War I and the beginning of her journey towards pacifism.-Life:Born in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Brittain was the...
. Though the membership was usually under 300, the Six Point Group wielded considerable political influence in the interwar years and during the Second World War. It campaigned by traditional constitutional methods. Much of its work was done through its journal, Time and Tide
Time and Tide (magazine)
Time and Tide was a British weekly political and literary review magazine founded by Margaret, Lady Rhondda in 1920. It started out as a supporter of left wing and feminist causes and the mouthpiece of the feminist Six Point Group. It later moved to the right along with the views of its owner...
. It also made deputations to the appropriate government ministers, organised public rallies and wrote letters to major newspapers.
From 1933, along with the Open Door Council
Open Door Council
The Open Door Council, established in May 1926, was a British organisation pressing for equal economic opportunities for women. It opposed the extension of 'protective legislation' for women, regarding such legislation as 'restrictive' and arguing that it effectively barred women from better-paid...
, it spearheaded the movement for the right of married women to work.
It was responsible for establishing the Income Tax Reform Council and in 1938, the Married Women's Association.
During the Second World War, the Six Point Group campaigned on a variety of issues. They protested the fact that female volunteers in the Civil Defence Services received only two-thirds the men's pay. They objected that the compensation provided for by the Personal Injuries (Emergency Provisions) Act of 1939 was skewed between male / female recipients. They were closely involved in the Equal Compensation Campaign from 1941 to 1943 and subsequently had representatives alongside the Open Door Council and the Fawcett Society
Fawcett Society
The Fawcett Society is an organisation in the United Kingdom which campaigns for women's rights. The organisation's roots date back to 1866 when Millicent Garrett Fawcett dedicated her life to the peaceful campaign for women's suffrage....
on the committee of the Equal Pay Campaign from 1944 to ensure equal pay in the Civil Service.
The group continued to have significant political influence in the post war period. It took part in the protests to have the Matrimonial Proceedings and Property Act changed to give married women more financial protection.
From 1967, the group played an active part in the co-ordination of other women's groups on a number of issues. Its secretary in the 1970s was Hazel Hunkins Hallinan. From the late 1970s the group declined through its failure to recruit younger women. It went into abeyance in 1980, and was finally dissolved in 1983.
Archives
The archives of Six Point Group are held at The Women's Library at London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
, ref 5SPG