3 The Right to Vote and Political Advancement 1918-1939

Question 1

1918-1929

Women and jobs

Answer 1

• women had more free time
• work opportunities were highly gendered: women were paid poorly and worked long hours

Question 2

enfranchisement

Answer 2

1918: women who were older than 30 and who met property qualifications (or married to someone of governmental authority) could vote.
- all men over 21 could vote

Question 3

employment 1918-1939: war, women

Answer 3

• civilian population mobilised for war work
• 1918: over 1m worked in metal or chemistry industries
• women worked male jobs in railways or trams.
• however, women were forced out of the workplace after the war

Question 4

‘woman’s work’ until the 1930s

Answer 4

• until the 1930s, maids, cooks, cleaning, largest employers

Question 5

working/middle class female jobs

Answer 5

• employers hired women who were working class for factories or clerical work if they were educated (middle class mostly)

Question 6

1921 clerk employment?

Answer 6

over 1m women employed as clerks in 1921

Question 7

middle class women

Sex Disqualification Act 1919 (removal)

Answer 7

removed preventing the barring from a career in law on the basis of gender. :(

Question 8

Middle class women

1931 medical practioners

how many

Answer 8

3000 female medical practioners

Question 9

middle class women

Until 1944: women and teaching

Answer 9

until 1944 women had to leave teaching if they were married.

Question 10

middle class women

1931: what percentage of the female workforce was unmarried?

Answer 10

84%

Question 11

Women in politics

1918-1939 MPs

Answer 11

there were never more than 5% of MPs being female

Question 12

women in politics

how many female MPs in 1931?

what were they not allowed to do?

Answer 12

15
- they were not allowed to dine in the commons dining room.

Question 13

women in politics

Which party was the most attractive to women, how many members joined 1918-1924?

although, what did many labour activists still believe?

Answer 13

Labour: 150,000 women joined 1918-1924: although many labour activists still believed women shoud stay at home.

Question 14

Traditional roles

Pre 1914: men vs women and girls

Answer 14

Men should do the hard labour jobs, women should stay at home or work low-income jobs.
working class girls were barely educated

whereas boys in wealthy families were taught to be excessively polite.