What's Happening?
During the women's suffrage movement in America, bake sales and cookbooks played a crucial role in fundraising and awareness. Suffragists used these culinary activities to strengthen community ties and support their cause. Recipes from the era, such as
those in the Woman's Exponent, were challenging to recreate due to outdated measurements and cooking methods. Despite this, the bake sales were effective in financing suffragists' efforts to advocate for voting rights, while also countering stereotypes of women as solely domestic figures.
Why It's Important?
The use of bake sales and cookbooks by suffragists highlights the strategic use of traditional gender roles to advance social change. By engaging in these activities, women were able to challenge societal norms and demonstrate their capabilities beyond domestic spheres. This historical approach underscores the importance of grassroots efforts in social movements and the power of community-based initiatives. It also reflects the ongoing struggle for gender equality and the creative strategies employed to achieve it.
