Women in UK Universities, 1920-1980

Abstract

This paper examines the participation of women in UK universities since 1945, with some reference to the twenties and thirties. Not surprisingly, females stj/[ participate unequally wuh men at all levels of university education,· though the gap has closed markedly throughout the twentieth century, most noticeably in the years since 1960. In the period 1920-1980 there has been a moderate but uneven growth in the female share of undergraduate enrolments. At the honours and postgraduate level, the improvements are less marked and, partly as a result, in 1980 women made up only 13.6% of university staff. The reasons for the imbalances between fomale and male participation at all levels are complex. Social class plays a part, since middle class girls do better than working class girls. Changes in the organisation of secondary education, such as the Act of 1944, are also relevant. But heightened government funding with the consequent expansion of universities and anti-discrimination legislation have been perhap...