By Will Norman

THEY ARE a familiar sight in many women's wardrobes, but those pairs of high heels could also be seen as a symbol of oppression.

Designer heels are one of 100 objects highlighted in a new book telling the story of women’s history through everyday items that have shaped the evolution of women. Some have liberated, while others still serve to oppress and many can be seen to do both at once.

The book, which is entitled A History of Women in 100 Objects, is co-authored by Professor Maggie Andrews, Professor of Cultural History at the University of Worcester, and Dr Janis Lomas of the Women’s History Network.

The book features the contraceptive pill on the front cover and, for Professor Andrews, the pill is perhaps the most significant of all the objects discussed within.

She said: “I think ultimately the object that has contributed the most to women’s empowerment is the contraceptive pill. By giving women control of their fertility, the pill enables women to plan their careers, education, and families, but it is not without its problems.

“Some feminists see the pill as problematic giving the impression all women have to be sexually active and are always available. Also, the pill is not as widely available globally as often thought, so even with the pill there is much to discuss.”

Another item that features in the book is the humble fridge. The fridge was invented by New Jersey housewife Florence Parpart and features as a representation of women’s, often overlooked, achievements in the fields of science and engineering - and as a symbol of the benefits of domestic technology.

This achievement is preceded by Josephine Cochran, who invented the dishwasher in 1886. The gas– fired heating furnace, a key step on the way towards central heating being installed in many homes, was the brainchild of Alice Parker. She was one of relatively few African- American women to graduate from university in the early 20th century.

Prof Andrews said: “With the advent of home refrigeration, food and even medicine, could be stored more hygienically and women were free from the necessity to shop every day in order to keep food fresh.

“Yet, as recently as 1948, only two per cent of British households could boast they had a fridge.”

“Fridges require both the income to purchase them and also a regular, reliable, electricity supply – something not available in many rural areas across the globe,” she added.

“In 2015 only three quarters of the world’s households had a fridge, with ownership as low as 24 per cent in India despite the fact that, in India, fridges are high on family wish lists, coming in third behind mobile phones and televisions.”

What is striking about the book is the extent to which past and present mingle in every object and ancient attitudes still resonate in modern practices.

One example is the scold’s bridle which was used in Britain between the 16th and 18th centuries as an instrument of punishment or as a form of torture and public humiliation. It was placed on a woman’s head and featured a bridle-bit or curb-plate that projected into the mouth in order to immobilise the tongue and prevent eating or drinking.

Women, who were thought to have been unruly in their speech or challenged accepted notions of womanhood, would be branded a scold and forced to wear the bridal as a punishment. The book draws a parallel between the historic use of the scold’s bridal and the current practice of internet trolling, citing the abuse of Caroline Criado-Perez and Mary Beard as examples of efforts to suppress the female voice and exclude women from the public sphere in much the same way as the iron bit did some 500 years ago.

It can often be hard to distinguish between objects that oppress and objects that liberate because many are capable of doing both at once, as Professor Andrews observes regarding those killer red heels.

“No object oppresses on its own, but how it is used by society can be oppressive,” she said. “We looked at some lovely shoes which can be a source of joy and pleasure for women but they can also be used to restrict, restrain, and force women in to particular roles.”

“The historical practice of binding women’s feet in China is an extreme example, but is this really so very different from the woman who was fired from her job in the City of London for refusing to wear heels?”

“For women, material culture is really important,” Prof Andrews said. “Having a car or a washing machine - or not, can massively change women’s lives.

“This is a book about how and why women’s lives have changed, how they have been shaped and redefined by objects, but it is not just a history book, it’s a book about women today.

“Whatever progress we may or may not have made in the UK, the picture for women globally is far from ideal.”

Prof Andrews is proud of the book’s collaborative spirit. “Dr Lomas and I co-authored the book, but it also features a range of contributions from students at the University of Worcester.

“Some are undergrads, some postgrads and one was working in a paid Vacation Research Assistantship role.

“It’s great for the book to feature a range of voices and it’s also good for the students’ academic development. It’s certainly a great achievement to have your first piece of work published and a nice boost to the confidence to see your work in print.

“This is the first of three books coming out in the next year to which students have contributed.”