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 Made In Dagenham is a dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination.
Review by: Michelle Harkness, ESPC Volunteer
If you like Norma Rae, You'll like Rita O'Grady!
Made in Dagenham, is a modern day labor dispute that has all the makings of a David and Goliath tale. David was portrayed by 187 women who worked in Ford's factory in Dagenham, England. The Goliath was dually represented by a company that predominantly employed men, and societal conventions that valued a woman's role and work less than her male counterparts. The fight for gender equality in terms of equal pay and rights is not without its hardships -- a lack of support from a patriarchal establishment, internal questioning of whether bucking the trend of a woman's role in society is worth it, and even ocercoming tragedy. However, if anyone is up to taking on the cause, it was Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins). Her strength and courage to fight for what she believed in and for what women deserved was commendable and empowering. Rita's fiery tenacity buoyed her female counterparts and helped raise the status of women as equal players in the workforce. Men take notice! A Woman's work is just as valuable.
Made in Dagenham is a heart warming and refreshing look at the complexities women face in and out of the labor force. You can't help but want to cheer on the women that could! With a strong cast that is able to compliment the strong role of Sally Hawkins, Made in Dagenham is a definite must see.
Acknowledgements: Princess Theatre (10337 Whyte Avenue, Edmonton, AB)
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Thursday, 23 May 2013 
