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Policy Committee.
Thursday, 23rd January, 1941 .

Propaganda Directed Exclusively To Women

The Ministry has throughout been conscious of the important part played by women in maintaining the spirit and resolution of the country. In May, an emergency Committee, formed under the Chairmanship of Mr. Harold Nicolson, with the duty of maintaining public feeling, considered the lonely Woman as of special importance as the weakest link in the chain. Advice was sought from Lady Reading and Dame Rachel Crowdy. Both emphasised the fact that it would be a mistake to address women directly, but that in all Home propaganda put out by the Ministry the woman's point of view, should be kept in mind.

For this reason it is difficult to say precisely how far, a film, broadcast or article is specially addressed to women; e.g., women play a leading part in such films as The Heart of Britain, etc., but these have not been enumerated below as they may be presumed to be equally interesting to men.

There follow those activities of the Ministry and B.B.C. which are directed mainly and in most cases exclusively to women.

1. BROADCASTING.

“At Home To-day” and “Talking it Over” may consist of one talk or several shorter ones. The radio family, the Armstrongs, a 20 minute feature programme broadcast on Tuesday evenings, often deals with problems which primarily concern women - evacuation, war weddings, soldier's wife living with his parents, etc.

Of course, special programmes are arranged for special purposes, e.g., talks about recruitment into the A.T.S., W.A.A.F., etc.

The series, “Calling all Women” was given largely as a result of Dame Rachel Crowdy's conversations with the Nicolson Committee.

2. FILMS .

a) “They Also Serve” - a day in the life of a housewife, spent entirely in the ungrumbling service of other members of her family who are doing war work, This film was designed for general distribution. It has hitherto been shown in the non-theatrical programme to Women's Unions, etc., where it is very popular. It was made just before the blitz, and for this reason we advised that it might be thought out of date by the general public, e,g., people do not go to shelters, etc. It is therefore being re-made for general distribution, showing blitz conditions, e.g., families sleeping in a shelter etc.

b) “Call to Arms” : two show-girls join up as munitions workers, cheerfully working over-time.

c) “Neighbours under Fire”: showing the work of voluntary societies - mostly women.

d) “Miss Grant Goes to the Door”: lonely woman keeps her head even in the face of invasion.

e) “Channel Incident”: heroic action by a woman at the time of Dunkirk.

f) “Her Father's Daughter” : a girl converts her father to employing women by the skill with which she herself learns to become an engineer.

g) “Miss Knowall”: a film to restrain rumour-mongering among women.

h) “Women in Wartime”: the work of the W.V.S. and the services attached to the three Forces.

i) “Home Front”: Canada's women on war-time work.

j) “Health in War”: maintaining the health services in wartime.

k) “Nurse”: nurses in hospitals and A.R.P. posts, in city and village.

l) “Welfare of the Workers”: how a girl being transferred from one factory to another is looked after by the W.V.S. etc.

m) “Village School”: looking after the young children.

n) “Salvage with a smile”: saving waste food, metal, paper.

o) “From family to farm”: turning waste food into animal feeding stuffs.

Four films have also been mode on handicrafts for the National Federation of Women's Institutes, and numerous films for the Ministry of Food.

3. PAMPHLETS .

a) “People You love” by E.M. Delafield: treatment of children in Germany.

b) “They're not allowed to be children.”

4. TALKING POINTS.

“Child conscription in Nazi Germany”.

5. FEATURE ARTICLES.

Feature articles appear in the Provincial morning and evening papers from time to time; there is also a Letter to Women in these papers. The broad outline of policy is sent from this Ministry to the Association of British Feature Agencies. A few ideas on morale have been sent to Women's Magazines and it is hoped to extend this service.

6. CLIP-SHEET.

The following articles, aimed specially at women, have appeared in “Clip-Sheet”:

There have also been a series of lighter articles by Mrs. Robert Noble;

7. SPEAKERS’ NOTES.

“Women and War”

The Home Front

6 notes on Food

5 notes on Salvage

2 notes on Coal

8. EXHIBITIONS.

Mr. Milner Gray's detailed programme of 26th November stated that Exhibitions showing especially women's share in the war should be included.”

It will be seen that although much has been done specifically for women through the medium of films and broadcasting, relatively little has been done through the written word. Any urgent message to women can be rapidly brought before them in the form of a pamphlet distributed by the W.V.S. and allied organisations, but it is doubtful if pamphlets have much persuasive force with the average woman. More important are the numerous women's papers. A special service of feature articles for women's magazines was run in the Editorial Branch of the General Production Division from February to the middle of October last year, but was discontinued when Mr. Pick re-organised the Division. More good could be done through this medium and through the periodical press generally. Apart from this means it is doubtful if our appeal to women can be increased except as part of a general expansion of the Ministry's activities on the home front.

K.C.

22nd January, 1941.