Here are some suggestions for activities related to this theme. We have provided a range from you to choose from, and adapt to suit the age and needs of your pupils.

1. How many examples of protest about war, led by women, can you and your class think of?

Examples might include:

• the women who gave white feathers to men who did not appear to be serving in the forces during the First World War
  
• women who refused to contribute to the war effort - conscientious objectors - in both the First and Second World War
  
• women pacifists
  
• women who campaigned against nuclear weapons through the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Greenham Common
  
• women who campaign for peace - for example, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan in Northern Ireland.

Do women always protest against war? Or are they sometimes 'for' war?

2. What are the different types of protest?
Give an example for each type:

3. Ask your students to investigate different protest campaigns, from CND to Greenham Common and 'Stop The War' (Iraq 2003)

From their research, ask them to identify the key elements of a protest campaign. They could plan a protest campaign, or write a short manual of hints and tips. Should they plan a passive protest campaign or a violent one?

Items to consider:

• A slogan or message for the campaign - make it snappy. Use posters from this resource for inspiration.
  
• Designing leaflets and posters. Look at the posters for ideas on design.
  
• A communication strategy for the campaign: how will you communicate your message? (are posters the most effective thing to use? What about e-mail or texting to mobile phones?). Who to? - who is the target audience? - young people, women, men?
  
• How will people show their support for your campaign? Will they be asked to attend a public march or demonstration, attach tokens (as in the Greenham Common fence) or wear badges (CND) or ribbon (AIDS), or refuse to buy certain brands - boycott

4. How important is it to have your own views and beliefs?

Use these quotations as a way to kick start a discussion in small groups. Each group could take one quote and build an argument to support it, argue against it or link it to a contemporary issue.

5. Debating points

This is a selection of questions and issues which could be debated - formally or informally - by your class. You could arrange for these to theme several Citizenship or form-time sessions, as well as for History.

• What rights do you have to hold your own views, however extreme?
• What rights do you have to influence others with your views, however extreme?
• Should the state have the right to ban expression of other's views?
• Should the state have the right to ban other views in time of war?
• Is it ever right to refuse to help the war effort?
• Is it right that the state can conscript anybody to the war effort?

6. Suffragettes

The suffrage movement was divided into two groups: the suffragists and the suffragettes. The suffragists (including the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies) were the constitutional wing that used legal protest. The suffragettes (such as the Women's Social and Political Union) were the more activist wing, who were prepared to break the law for the cause.

Using the sources, (Women Say Go! - war work) discuss how the suffragette movement changed because of the First World War.
Points to consider:

• Many suffragettes abandoned violence as a tactic once war was declared, believing that it would be disloyal at time of war.
  
• The government had to quickly recruit women to the war effort - the same government that had resisted the suffragette's demands and imprisoned protesters.
  
• Many suffragettes took an anti-conscription stance and campaigned for its repeal, including the ending of industrial conscription as well.

Use the parliamentary election manifesto of 1918 - Mrs Pethick-Lawrence.

Ask pupils to note down the issues that she has identified that are related to the war.

How has she tried to encourage women to vote?

Ask your students to design a flyer or leaflet which is aimed at encouraging women to vote today. Or one that is aimed at young people. What are the contemporary issues of today?

7. Collaborators

Using the photos of the French female collaborators:

Ask -

• What is happening in these pictures?
  
• Why do you think that these women were punished in this way?
  
• What sort of 'collaboration' do you think that many of these women were accused of?
  
• What do you think happened to men accused of collaboration?
• What sort of punishment did they receive?

8. Peaceful Protesters

Using the online resource 'Greenham Common. The Women's Peace Camp 1981-2000' and the photos in the image gallery, ask your students to work on the following:

• What kind of characteristics did these anti-nuclear and anti-war campaigns have?
  
• Do you think there would be a difference between an antiwar campaign led by and for women, and an antiwar campaign led by and for men?!

These and other activities are available to download as pdfs in the Classroom Resources section.