Mary Macarthur was born in Glasgow in 1880. Her family were Conservatives and at first she shared the same political beliefs. In 1901 she attended a meeting to discuss the establishment of a branch of the Shop Assistants’ Union, which caused her to rethink her politics. The meeting inspired Mary to become an advocate of trade unionism and a member of the Labour Party.
Mary Macarthur is perhaps best known for founding the National Federation of Women Workers (NFWW) in 1906.
Margaret Bondfield was a leading trade unionist, a camaigner for women’s rights and the first female member of the British Cabinet.
Margaret was born in Somerset in 1873. She came from a big family and was the eleventh child! Her parents were textile workers, and her father was known for his radical political views.
When she was just 14 Margaret left home to go and work in a fabric shop in Hove. While working there she became friends with Louisa Martindale, who was part of the women’s rights movement. Louisa invited Margaret to her house and let her borrow books about working people’s rights and socialism which began to really inspire young Margaret’s mind.
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