Women Against Pit Closures was a political movement supporting miners and their families in the UK miners' strike of 1984–1985. The movement is credited with bringing

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

ideas into practice in an industrial dispute and empowering women to take a public role in a community with a male-dominated sphere. Their group and support work grew from the communal feeding of families in April and May 1984 to a more explicitly political role. A multitude of local support groups were set up early on in the year-long strike. An early event was a rally at the end of May 1984, held in

Barnsley Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...

which was attended by 5000 women from coalfields across the country, from Scotland to Kent. This was followed by a conference in June and a large protest march in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on 11 August 1984. 23,000 working-class women attended that event, joined by other women trade unionists. The name Women Against Pit Closures was adopted at a national delegate conference in

Chesterfield Chesterfield may refer to: Places Canada * Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, Saskatchewan * Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom * Chesterfield, Derbyshire, a market town in England ** Chesterfield (UK Parliament constitue ...

in December 1984 and the group sought Associate Membership of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). The movement was influenced by contemporary women's peace movements like the women's camp at

Greenham Common Royal Air Force Greenham Common or RAF Greenham Common is a former Royal Air Force station in the civil parishes of Greenham and Thatcham in the English county of Berkshire. The airfield was southeast of Newbury, about west of London. Opened ...

References

Miners' labor disputes Socialist feminist organizations Feminist organisations in the United Kingdom 1984 establishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1984 UK miners' strike (1984–1985) Working-class feminism {{UK-trade-union-stub