History has a habit of ignoring women. Thirty years ago one thought that re-emerging women's movement would never be dumped in the same way previous feminist generations were consigned to the dustbin of history. It took feminist activists and scholars; women trade unionists and health workers; feminist writers, publishers and artists; and the creation of women's studies classes in adult and higher education, to recover the achievements of previous generations. It was a discovery which both inspired and strengthened women's own movement; and which gave their dissenting political and educational ambitions real roots in strong values and popular protest. The author argues that the achievements of the women's movement of the seventies and eighties are in danger of being forgotten--yet, with women set to bear the brunt of cuts to public services and the welfare state about to be sold off to the cheapest bidder, they have never been more relevant.