ABSTRACT
Women’s magazines have a long history, dating back to the first publication of Ladies Mercury in the UK in 1693 and Lady’s Magazine in the United States in 1792 (Ballaster et al., 1991). Much of the early content focused solely on domestic issues, and outlined ideal domestic female behaviour. It wasn’t until the very late 1800s that magazines began to move beyond household tips to the inclusion of topics such as sexuality and employment for women (Albisetti, 1986; Zuckerman, 1998). This reflected the changing role of women – from one governed by the domestic sphere to one that included broader social issues such as suffrage and women’s inclusion in public life (ibid.).
