Woman's Wales?

'Each contribution brings its own insights into the author’s key concerns, ranging from broadcasting to health, from presence on public bodies to climate change and the state of cultural funding... Woman’s Wales should be read by anyone concerned with women’s roles in Welsh life and politics. Schofield reminds us of the centrality of daughters to our ambitions – those physical, intellectual and political descendants for whom so many of us do the work.' – Sarah Tanburn, Nation. Cymru

'This is a fascinating and varied collection of essays that sheds light on what devolution has meant for women in Wales over the past 25 years. Every woman in Wales is likely to find something relatable, whether it's the bias in healthcare, the historical use of the word hysteria, or access to education... The work will interest anyone studying contemporary Welsh feminism, politics, and history, or those seeking to understand what it means to be a woman in post-devolution Wales.' – Teleri Owen, Gwales (A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Books Council of Wales.)

Woman's Wales?
The Dissonance and Diversity of Devolution Through the Lives of Women in Wales

Edited by Emma Schofield

In July 1998 the Government of Wales Act was passed, bringing the act of devolution in Wales into creation. As powers were transferred from the Westminster Government to the newly-formed Welsh Assembly, the lives of the people of Wales were irrevocably changed.

Twenty-five years later, this collection brings together leading voices from female writers, artists, commentators and academics to reflect on how devolution has affected them and altered our political and social landscapes. Here, a series of creative and personal responses explore the true impact of devolution on the lives of women living and working in Wales, from politics, to culture, to education, to healthcare and maternity. Looking as much to the future as it does to the past, the collection questions whether the Welsh Government has delivered on its promise to build a ‘feminist government’ for Wales and poses the question, what has devolution really meant for women in Wales?

Contributors include:

Yvonne Murphy

Manon Steffan Ros

Emma Schofield is the Editor of Wales Arts Review and an academic, commentator and writer who has published widely on literature, culture and politics in Wales. Her research centres on the connection and interplay between culture, devolution and national identity in Wales, with an additional focus on the role of women within contemporary Wales. Emma features as a regular contributor to shows across BBC Radio Wales, Radio 3 and Radio 4 and teaches at Cardiff University.