Female Suffrage Flashcards
1
Q
What were the obstacles in the way of female suffrage?
A
- Asquith opposed it
- the political parties were unsure what the impact of female vote would be
- social reforms took up lots of parliamentary time
- it couldn’t be separated from the issue of extending male suffrage, which the Conservatives opposed
- stereotypical beliefs about women
2
Q
What were the pressures for female emancipation?
A
The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Society was set up in 1897 by Millicent Fawcett. They believed in nonviolent methods. By 1914 they had 500,000 members and 400 societies. In 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst set up the Women’s Social and Political Union, which undertook a campaign of disruption. They became increasingly violent, including arson, physical assault and hunger strikes.
3
Q
What was the Cat and Mouse 1913?
A
When imprisoned Suffragettes refused to eat the prison authorities responded by force feeding them. This Act allowed the government to release strikers until they were well enough to be rearrested.
