(Opportunities for Women) The right to vote & political advancement, 1918-1979 Flashcards by Honour ROGERSON

Interwar - THE VOTE

What gave women over 30 the right to vote (men 21)?
Who was this largely reserved for due to specifics of the legislation?

1918 ROPA

Educated & respected middle-class women

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Interwar - THE VOTE

What percentage of the electorate was made up of women in the Dec 1918 election?
Why was this partly due to?

43% (8.4 million)

Many male voters died in WW1

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Interwar - THE VOTE

When did working-class women receive the vote?
What else was significant about this?

1928 ROPA

All women could now vote the same age as men (21)

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Interwar - POLITICS

What did women in politics face?
Give evidence.

Prejudice & petty restrictions

They weren’t allowed to use the commons dining room.

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Interwar - POLITICS

What percentage of MPs were women in the interwar years?

Never above 5%

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Interwar - POLITICS

Who were women naturally more drawn towards?
Why?

Labour

They were known as the party for social reform.

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Interwar - POLITICS

How is it evident that women were naturally more drawn to the Labour Party?

There was 9 female Labour MPs

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Interwar - POLITICS

Where were women more influential?
How is it evident that this was still very limited?

A local level

Less than 15% of local councillors were women.

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Interwar - POLITICS

Summarise how women in politics looked in the interwar years.

They had very limited political progression.

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Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

How did both wars change work for women?
How did this change?

Given a significant role in the workplace.

Many advances were lost after the war.

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Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

What did the fact that the number of employed women returned to 1914 levels after WW1 show?

A return to traditional ideas about gender that existed before the war.

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Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

What did ‘women’s work’ usually consist of?
Who did this?

Cooks, maids & cleaners etc

Working-class women.

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Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

Working-class women usually did 'women's work'.
What work did middle-class women dominate?
Give evidence of this existing.

Clerical jobs eg secretaries

1 million in 1921 → 1.3 in 1931.

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Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

There was _____ employment for women in ‘______ _________’ in the _____ with ___________ pay.

a) some
b) ‘light industries’
c) south
d) uncompetitive pay

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Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

Who dominated the suffrage campaign?
What didn’t they want?

Middle-class women

Working-class women to get the vote.

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Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

What were some of the gradual improvements that the women’s suffrage campaign achieved?

Sex Disqualification Act 1919 - universities accepted more women and lifted civil service & law bans - largely reserved for the middle-class.

Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

The women’s suffrage campaign was becoming more prominent in the interwar years.
What is evidence of many injustices still existing regarding employment?
(3)

21/6,000 female architects

Civil service was open but none posted overseas.

Marriage bar still existed.

Interwar - EMPLOYMENT

What was the marriage bar?
Give an example.

Women were required to leave their jobs in some professions if they got married.

Teaching

1939-1951 - WW2

What created an increase for opportunities for women regarding employment?
Give evidence.

Demands for total war.

1939-1951 - WW2 EMPLOYMENT

Give evidence of how WW2 provided employment opportunities for women.

(3)

Women’s Land Army (1944, 80,000 women in farming)

Munitions factories

Translators & analysts

1939-1951 - WW2 IMPACT

What are the 3 main impacts of WW2 regarding employment for women?

Better paid with new skills & confidence.

New levels of importance & seniority.

Opportunity to work with men in the war gave them sense of participation, missing in everyday life.

1939-1951 - ATTLEE’S GOVERNMENT

When did Attlee become PM?
What party?

1945

Labour

1939-1951 - ATTLEE’S GOVERNMENT

What is significant about Attlee’s government that went against expectations?
How is this evident?

Didn’t want the social upheaval of war to result in significant social change.

Didn’t encourage women to stay in wartime roles - those who remained were usually in industries for women.

1939-1951 - ATTLEE’S GOVERNMENT

How was progression evident during Attlee’s labour government?

Some employers started removing the marriage bar from 1946.

1939-1951 - ATTLEE'S GOVERNMENT How did a report show women felt about returning to a domestic role after WW2? How is this evident?

They were uncertain about working life and happy to have some sense of morality in their domestic role after WW2. Ingrained standards from previous generations.

1951-1979 - ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENTS What did the end of the marriage bar mean?

More women worked for longer - 50% of married women stayed in their jobs by 1972.

1951-1979 - ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENTS What was a norm until the late 50s? On average, how did women's pay compare to men?

Unequal pay 40% less

1951-1979 - ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENTS How is there evidence of progression regarding equal pay BEFORE the Equal Pay Act of 1970?

In 1958, the NHS, education system and civil service introduced equal pay for all employees.

1951-1979 - ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENTS What was the Dagenham Sewing Machinists Strike in 1968? What was the long-term significance?

A number of female sewing machinists in the Ford Motor Company Factory in Dagenham went on strike after they found they were making 15% less in wages than men doing the same job and striked for 3 weeks. Raised the issue of unequal pay and one of main causes for The Equal Pay Act of 1970.

1951-1979 - ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENTS What was one of the main causes for the Equal Pay Act of 1970?

The Dagenham Sewing Machinists Strike in 1968

1951-1979 - LEGISLATION What are the 2 main pieces of legislation and what did they do?

The Equal Pay Act 1970 - ensured equal pay for the same job. The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 - discrimination based on sex or marital status illegal in the workplace & established the Equal Opportunities Commission.

1951-1979 - LEGISLATION One of the things the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 set up was the Equal Opportunities Commission. What did this do?

Ensured women had legal protection against harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

1951-1979 - LEGISLATION The _____ ____ Act of 19__ had been a ______ in ________ _______ since 19__.

a) The Equal Pay b) 1970 c) pledge d) Labour's manifesto e) 1959

1951-1979 - POLITICAL ADVANCEMENTS Why are reasons to explain why women did not progress politically?

Prejudice and widespread belief that women would be too busy with domestic duties to fulfill the role of MP.

1951-1979 - POLITICAL ADVANCEMENTS Summarise how women in politics changed in 1959-1979?

There was very little progression.

1951-1979 - LIMITATIONS What did women face? What did this become a key proponent of?

Prejudice in politics & the workplace. 2nd wave feminism.

1951-1979 - LIMITATIONS What did female representation in Parliament look like?

Very small - the highest percentage of female MPs being 4.6% in 1964.