The economic thought of the Women’s Co-operative Guild

The Women’s Co-operative Guild emerged in late 19th century Britain as a forum and activist organization devoted to advancing women’s influence and concerns within the context of the broader British co-operative movement. From 1883 to well beyond the First World War, the Guild served as a base for a group of talented women, including Amy Sharp, Catherine Webb, Lilian Harris and, most notably, Margaret Llewelyn Davies. ¹ All of these women were devoted activists, eager to bring reforms in both the political and economic spheres. They were all doers. They were also thinkers. Through a regular column, the “Women’s Corner” in the widely read Co-operative News, numerous pamphlets and, occasionally, larger works, Guild writers made significant empirical contributions to the co-operative economics of their day. In several areas, they also generated key theoretical insights that are still relevant to our understanding of the socio-economics of gender.