Committee Description

The year is 1906, and a new force is rising in Britain. The National Federation of Women Workers has just been founded, giving voice to the countless women suffering under brutal working conditions in the growing “sweated trades.” In overcrowded, dangerous factories, women labor for hours on end, earning pennies for piecework while their health deteriorates. With little male presence in these roles, the government pays scant attention to their plight. But the women of Britain are finished with silence. Across the country, and even beyond, to allies in America, a movement is forming. These women are not just workers; they are fighters. And now, they demand change.

This fight is not solely about factory conditions. As working women organize, their struggle begins to touch every aspect of their lives: the right to fair labor, the right to be heard, and the right to shape the society in which they live. Calls for suffrage echo through union halls and protest marches, linking labor rights with political representation. How can a woman fight for her dignity at work without having a say in the laws that govern her life? Delegates must consider whether full civil rights, education, healthcare, and leadership opportunities, are possible without the vote. For many, the answer is clear: equality in labor must go hand-in-hand with equality at the ballot box.

Union alliances also come into sharp focus. The Women’s Trade Union League and the General Workers’ Union are both active players in the labor landscape. The Federation must decide whether to join forces with these groups, remain independent, or lead a new coalition entirely. Each choice carries weight. Will unity bring strength, or risk diluting the unique needs of working women? The decisions made now will shape the future of labor and civil rights for generations. The women of Britain are rising, and they will not be turned back. Their boots are laced, their cause is just, and the fight for dignity, safety, and equality has only just begun.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Paul Rafael Malpartida Durroux at spec@ssuns.org

Francesca Hayes

Chair

Bryn Leonard

Vice Chair

Beatrix Stewart-Stand

Vice Chair

Frédérique Dicaire

Vice Chair