May Hobbs
(1938-), Author and social activistSitter in 1 portrait
by Serena Wadham, for Camera Press: London: UK
bromide press print, 1973
NPG x139870
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Lydia Figes
30 December 2018, 12:15
This woman is May Hobbs, who became a working-class hero after she established the first campaign to raise awareness about the plight of night cleaners, founding the Cleaners Action Group in the early 1970s - the first trade union for cleaning ladies. She went from being a cleaning lady herself, to an activist, feminist, trade union militant and author. Today, she is also recognised for being a prominent proponent of the Women's Liberation movement, which aligned second-wave feminism with the political left between the 1970s and 1980s. Her autobiography - 'May Hobbs: Born to Struggle', 1973 is now out of print, however there appear to be some available copies on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Struggle-May-Hobbs/dp/0704320134.