Women andthe Law is a pioneering study of the way inwhich the law has treated women - at work, in the family, in matters ofsexuality and fertility, and in public life. It was first published in 1984 bySusan Atkins and Brenda Hoggett, then University teachers. The authors examine theorigins of British law's attitude to women, trace the development of the law and waysin which it reflects the influence of economic, social and political forces andthe dominance of men. They illustrate the tendency, despite formal equality,for deep-rooted problems of encoded gender inequality to remain. Since 1984 the authors haveachieved distinguished careers in law and public service. This 2018 Open Accessedition provides a timely opportunity to revisit their ground-breaking analysisand reflect on how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same.