TELEGRAPH: TOP 50 BOOKS OF 2020
It is a myth that the First World War liberated women.
The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act of 1919 was one of the most
significant pieces of legislation in modern Britain. It should have
marked a social revolution, opening the doors of the traditional
professions to women who had worked so hard during the War, and
welcoming them inside as equals.
But what really happened? Ladies Can't Climb Ladders focuses on the
lives of pioneering women forging careers in the fields of medicine,
law, academia, architecture, engineering and the church. In her
startling study into the public and private worlds of these unsung
heroines, Jane Robinson sheds light on their desires and ambitions, and
how family and society responded to this emerging class of working
women.
This book is written in their honour. Their shared vision, sacrifice and
spirited perseverance began a process we have yet to finish. Their
experiences raise live questions about equal opportunity, the gender pay
gap, the work/life balance - and whether it is possible for women to
have it all.
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'A wonderful celebration of female pioneers' Sunday Times
'A crackingly good read' Telegraph
'A stirring testament to unsung heroes' Observer
'A lesson in how unthinkingly we wear our freedom' The Times
