Labour History, no. 130 (May 2026) is a special issue edited by Leda Papastefanaki and Eszter Varsa that explores women and work in Europe. Although the journal has long encouraged international scholarship, this is the first time we have concentrated on Europe, working with European authors whose primarily sources were in languages other than English. The result is a fine collection of essays spanning much of the European continent and ranging from the early nineteenth century to the 1980s. They include studies of labour traditionally associated with women, including domestic work and retail, as well as examples of women engaged in non-traditional jobs, such as dock workers. Some of the articles focus on the impact of socialist and communist ideas and regimes on women’s work and activism. Others focus on the role of liberal capitalism and labour markets in shaping opportunities (or lack thereof) for women. Our hope is that this special issue will facilitate a new era of scholarly exchange between Australian and New Zealand labour historians and those based in Europe and beyond.
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OUT NOW: New Essays on Women’s Labour History in Europe: Gender, Work and Activism
