no

Question 1

women suffrage

Answer 1

1918-ROPA limit to women over 30 . 8.5 million
BUT
- only 17 parliament candidates and only 1 won - Constance Markivicz
1922: 5Mps
1924: 4MPs
1931: 15Mps
1935: 9 MPs
MPs worried the “flapper vote” was to emotional and irresponsible to vote
National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship out pressure on MPs
1926: organises a sustained campaign - regular meetings in Hyde park
3,500 women gathered for equal rights demonstration
- relied on sympathy of goodwill MPs - those who thought women would be advantageous

1928: universal suffrage on equal terms

Question 2

why did women have little power and influence in politics

Answer 2

• structure and attitudes of main parties
  NUSEC lacked expertise and party machinery
  1928: split
  labour and tory recognised need for women but did not want to loose any safety seats
  + failed to promote female issues

female groups were incorporated into national organisations where outnumbered by men
- women made important contributions to social policies : criminal law amendment act +bastardy act
(social issues, health care education - extension of traditional expertise+ cannot juggle being MP in west minsiter

5% of local councillors but fell after 1929 election for Poor Law guardians (usually male)

Question 3

impact of war on politics for women

Answer 3

abandoned strict party loyalty for cross party cooperation
1940: Nancy Astor set up the Women Power Committee to investigate and promote female specific issues
1941: Labour minister set up Women’s Consultive Committee to manage female participation in the war and economy more effectively - conscription of women for work
Maud Tate intervene for equal compensation for men and women

BUT
female MPs were unable to secure legislation that would have rewarded equal work and pay

by 1945- male MPs were growing used to considering female issues more seriously, influence a range of social legislation passed post war

Question 4

trade unions

Answer 4

demand for female insudtribal labour during WW1 = many joined trade unions
although many unions rejected female membership or accepted for a temp period, the need for female help enabled political progress at a national level
Bondfield (suffrage nad TU activist) served in Central Committee for womens employment - elected to general council of TU (1918) and became a labour MP in 1923

BUT most unions remained highly masculine until 1980s

Question 5

work

Answer 5

1914: 3.3 million working women
1918: 4.8 million
BUT trade unions reinstated men post war

Sex disqualification removal Act 1919- removed the gender bar in the civil service and law = incentive to to consider other professions

1919 Restoration of Pre War Practices Act = women who had been employed in factories were forced to return to pre war employment or stop working
+ “marriage Bar’ (expectation to stop wokring once married) was re established

1941: women who worked as engineers, transport or chemical industry
14% in 1939
33% in 1945
+ farmers in Womens Land Army
= wider male acceptance of women as workers outside of their traditional roles between wars

little movement towards achieving equal pay and opportunities for women
1931: 3,000 female doctors
only 21 architects

1931: 90% of married women did not work , almost same figure at 1911 - not able to get unemployment benefit due to pay rule to be a supplement of her husband’s
women should work for “pin money”

Question 6

social life

Answer 6

work = extra money , independence and sociability = permanent shift in female aspirations beyond the home
“flappers” - smoking , dresses

1918- published Married Love advoacitng birth control and sexual fulfilment - BUT printed information was banned under obscenity laws

1921- first birth control clinic in London
(despite opposition from medical professions and and conservative groups - demand for birth control groups saw the spread)

1923- wife could divorce her husband on adultery BUT men were still dominant , houses in husbands names = financially dependent

cult of domesticity in 1918 - 39. governments encouraged women to stay at home , emphasising that the breeding oh healthy babies was a national duty . aided by state run infant welfare centres . motherhood and employment were depicted as being totally incompatible
“good housekeeping” - magazine was most widely read