IncelebrationoftheWI'scentenary,LucyWorsleygoesbeyondthestereotypesofjamandJerusalemtorevealthesurprisinglyradicalsideofthisGreatBritishInstitution.
BeginningontheWelshislandofAnglesey,wheretheWI'sfirstmeetingwasheldinagardenshedin1915,Lucydiscoversthatitshumbleoriginswerenobartothemovement'sgrandambitions.Someoftheinstitute'sfoundingmembersweresuffragettesanditsawitselfasacampaigningorganisation,engagedinthefightforwomen'srights.LucyexploressomeoftheWI'smostimportantcampaigns,likeits1918crusadefordecenthousinganditsremarkablyradicalfightforequalpayin1943.
LucyuncoversthecrucialroletheWIplayedonthehomefrontduringbothworldwars.IntheSecondWorldWar,theinstitute's350,000memberstookaleadingroleinfeedingahungrynation.WiththehelpofsomemodernWIladies,Lucyrecreatesawartimeinstitutejamfactory,thousandsofwhichweresetupbybranchesupanddownthecountrytoproducehundredsoftonnesofjam.
WhenshetracesthestoryoftheWIintothepost-warperiod,Lucydiscoversthatmembershipbegantodeclineastheinstitutestruggledtocopewiththesocialrevolutionofthe1960s.TofindouthowtheWIreinventeditselfforthe21stcentury,LucymeetssomeofthememberswhocombattedtheWI'sstaidandstodgyimagebystrippingnakedforacharitycalendarin2000.ShealsojoinsaprotestalongsidetheShoreditchSisters,oneofanumberofrecentlyformednew-waveWIswhoseproudlyfeministstanceisattractinganewgenerationofyoungermembers.
