Barbara Webster Collection

Birmingham Women’s Committee in the 1980s

In May 1984 the new Labour Council in Birmingham set up a Women’s Committee. Its primary purpose was to consider the position of women in relation to all Council services and to strengthen the links between the Council and women in the community. Barbara Webster was appointed as Head of the Women’s Unit to support the Committee.

The Barbara Webster Collection contains over 250 items related to the work of the Women’s Unit between 1984 and 1988.  The first part of the Collection contains material specific to creating links with women in Birmingham – reports, documents, posters, photographs, publicity material and press articles. It focusses on four specific projects: 

• “From the Heart of the City” photographic exhibition about Birmingham women 
• “Worth Paying For” exhibition about women and low pay 
• “Getting Together” directory of women’s groups and organisations
• “Women Celebrate” a women’s festival organised for International Women’s Day

Pictured right: Labour Research, an edition of the journal exploring issues facing women in parliament, published by LRD publications in 1991.

The second part provides a wider context relating to women’s issues in the 1980’s – Everywoman magazines, Trade Union/Greater London Council publications and pamphlets.   

Barbara Webster wrote an Introduction to the Collection, which also highlights issues for women’s equality that were current at the time.  The Collection is dedicated to three pioneers for women’s equality in Birmingham– Councillor Trudy Livingstone, Chair of the Women’s Committee; Councillor Theresa Stewart, Member of the Women’s Committee and later the first female Leader of the Council, and Rhonda Wilson MBE, Photographer and Graphic Designer. 

Dr Annette Naudin used this collection as a basis for the research for the Gender Equality 40 Years On Podcast. This podcast series introduces the work and activism of Birmingham based women. The research project conducted by Dr. Annette Naudin investigates women’s contributions to addressing gender equality in Birmingham, UK. The Barbara Webster Collection was the starting point for a research project which included an exhibition, roundtable discussion and a series of oral history podcasts produced by Dr. Siobhán Stevenson.

Find out more about the research project 40 Years on Gender Equality: exploring the role of arts and culture in local politics.