Essay - Reasons Why Women Were Given The Vote Flashcards
Factor: role played by women during world war 1
K - The role played by women during world war one most definitely helped to contribute greatly to their gaining the vote in 1918. Women carried out over 2000 police patrols every night during the war, and they replaced men in many other jobs such as farm labourer - this contribution was vital to the British war effort An impressed men, disproved argument women not worthy the same voting rights as men A+ However, when it came, the vote was not awarded to those women who had actually done the work, but instead the ‘respectable’ middle class women, which undermines the suggestion that the vote was a ‘reward’ for women's efforts during war.
K - Moreover, during World War One both suffrage movements suspended their campaigns, and the Suffragettes in particular turned all their efforts into mobilising their members and women at large for the war effort. - even renaming their newspaper ‘Britannia’ to show their patriotic support.
put an end to their ‘wild period’ and enabled those in the government who had stopped supporting the cause because of the violent methods used to support the inclusion of women in the Representation of the People Act in 1918.
A+ However, it could be argued that the War may actually have held back the vote. Support for female suffrage had been growing in Parliament to the extent that women were on the verge of gaining the vote at the time the War broke out
E In evaluation, it is clear that the War had a huge impact on public perception of women, and traditionally historians have suggested that the 1918 Representation of the People Act was a ‘reward’ for their sacrifices. However, it seems more likely that the War acted as a catalyst, rather than the principal cause for female enfranchisement
Factor: The suffragettes
- The Suffragettes’ campaign, while being important, can be argued to have done more harm than good for the campaign. the suffragettes used more violent techniques than that of the suffragists, with their saying of “words not deeds”. They used tactics of destroying churches, cutting telephone lines, vandalising train tracks. There was also the death of emily davidson in 1913, which helped spread awareness and publicity for the suffragettes.
A - raised profile of women’s rights and helped keep issue at the top of political agenda
Helped grab attention of media from davidson
A+ despite increased support from MPs, parloiament couldnt be seen to be giving in to terrorism, and therefore the suffragetes actions were counterproductive
E In evaluation, evidence suggests that the WSPU was actually damaging the cause, and historians argue that it was the NUWSS that remained popular after 1910, at a time when the WSPU was rapidly losing members.
Factor: the suffragists
K - The suffragists were certainly the largest movement supporting votes for women by 1914 the NUWSS had 53000 members and 480 separate branches. The movement used reasonable measures and logical arguments, which appealed to a sense of fairness
A - allowed them to build relationships with politicians. Which led to lobbying. Which led to support for a conciliation bill which was only narrowly defeated in 1912. A+ support was from middle classes, and critics of the NUWSS claim it did not reach out to the majority of working class women, which would have made the movement even more powerful.
K (kind of) Then say : Despite this, their peaceful methods such as posters and petitions, gained mass support. However, the slow pace of the campaign frustrated many, and led to the establishment of the WSPU, splitting and thus weakening the cause.
E In evaluation, even though the War undoubtedly helped the award of the vote, it was less important than the contribution of the Suffragists. They were able to exploit the changing attitudes of the time, and to capitalise on the attention created by the Suffragettes.
Factor:social change
K - Women had gradually gained many new rights in the later nineteenth century, for example they gained new marital rights and as a result divorced women had more access to their children, could keep their own earnings and their husband no longer automatically gained ownership of all of their property when they got married. Women also experienced improved education, and it became easier for them to go to university.
A This was important because it opened up new employment opportunities and the challenge chauvinist attitudes.This social progress made women more equal, and thus arguably made the vote inevitable in the long term
A+ However, there was no guarantee that this would happen by 1918. In fact, despite social change, women in many other countries had to wait decades before gaining the vote.
K - Also, women were actually playing a role in local politics, for example they could vote in local school board elections and on the same terms with men as a result of the 1886 Municipal Corporations Act. They could even stand as candidates in some parish elections
A - This highlighted the absurdity of the argument that women were too intellectually weak to vote or participate in politics, and so helped gain them the vote
E - In evaluation, although change was occurring, it wasn’t moving fast enough. Indeed, in countries where there wasn’t a high profile suffrage movement (e.g. France), despite similar social changes occuring, the vote wasn’t automatically granted as a thank you at the end of 1918. Thus, the tireless efforts of the Suffragist movement before and during the war can be seen as the decisive factor in exploiting the changing status of women to gain the vote.
