Suffragettes Flashcards
who were suffragettes?
Women demanding to vote (suffrage)
who were the leaders of the suffragette movement?
Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst
Wife of lawyer
1903 started WSPU (woman’s Social and Political Union)
Takes protests to the streets when letters delivered by husband are ignored
Annie Kenney and Christabel Pankhurst were others
what did the WSPU do? what are they?
Form branches over Britain (start in Manchester and London)
Mainly middle class but some working class
“deeds, not words” motto
supported child workers and wanted to speak out more (working women had less of a say than middle class women)
Aims to persuade Liberal Government to give women the vote but PM Herbert Asquith was against this
Labour Party was seen as too radical and therefore not popular
Peaceful campaign at start- letters, posters, banners
what was the women’s militant campaign?
Peaceful methods didn’t work
Break the law and gain publicity: break windows, smoke bombs etc.
Arrested women and put them in nasty prisons
Disrupted political meetings and leading Liberal politicians and harassed MPs
Smashed windows, painted slogans, cut telephone wires, slash paintings in galleries
Chained themselves to rails near parliament
Set fire to letter boxes and empty public buildings
what death did the militant campaign lead to?
4th June 1913 the Derby horse race was run at Epsom Racecourse
King George V’s horse was running in the race and was doing well
Emily Davidson was run over by the king’s horse
Dies in hospital
Horse fell, jockey dragged along but survived
what happened when women were imprisoned?
For breaking law
In prison women went on a hunger strike to draw attention
Force fed them so prisons would not look bad by them dying- dangerous for health. Can rupture throat and drown them
In 18 months, at 50 (quite old), went through 10 hunger strikes
what was the Cat and Mouse Act in 1913?
People were horrified by force feeding
Liberals lost support so Temporary Discharge of Prisoners Act (1913)
Hunger strike, released to recover, hunger strike
Hard to re-arrest those who were released- police beaten up, women shielded
when did women get the vote in England? who?
1918
Women over 30 who were householders, wives of householders, occupiers of property with annual rent of 5 pounds annually and graduated from British universities
the did Australia get the vote and states?
Australia
Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 enabled women to vote in federal elections and stand for election
South Australia
1895
Western Australia
1899
New South Wales
1902
Tasmania
1903
Queensland
1905
Victoria
1908
what do the sash colours symbolise?
Green: hope
White: purity
Violet: loyalty
when did Indigenous women get the vote?
Indigenous women did not get this until 1962 (SA before)
when did each state have a suffrage society?
1880s-1890s each state had one suffrage society.
what happened in 1891?
1891: suffragettes including Vida Goldstein gathered 30,000 woman’s signatures and presented them as a petition to the Victoria Parliament (Monster petition).
why did women want the vote? why did people think they should not get that?
Argued that women would be able to vote, be elected so that their wishes could be elected.
19th century a woman’s place was still in the home. Few went to uni.
Many men thought it was impossible for women to focus on politics.
Some women were opposed.
Women were seen as emotional, weak and too busy running the home.
what was the electoral act in 1863?
Gave all people the right to vote
Women were therefore allowed to own land and vote
who were influential women?
Edith Cowan was the first woman to be elected to parliament in 1921
First women to be in federal parliament (1943)
Julia Gillard and governor general Quinton Bryce at the same time.
First indigenous woman in parliament Nova Paris 2013.
when was the contraceptive pill introduced? who could have it? what kind of tax was on it? what did this give women?
1 feb 1961 Only available to married women Catholic doctors could deny Had to be given by a doctor Had a 27.5% luxury tax Gave freedom More women in the work force, greater social visibility Then we can get maternity leave
what was the Roman Catholic Chruch’s view on contraceptive pill?
Conference on birth control, St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney 29 July 1968
From 5th century, Roman Catholic Church has taken a stance against contraception and continues in the 21st
who are Australian female legends?
Professor Eva Cox
Dr Germaine Greer
Justice Elizabeth Evatt
Dr Anne Summers
what were issues for women in the 21st century?
Equal pay Equal opportunity maternity/paternity leave Planned parenthood/reproductive rights Domestic violence and abuse Violence against women Indigenous women: closing the gap Global status of women
when was the first feminism? who were they? what did they aim for? what did they achieve?
First feminism: 1880s and 1890s
woman’s christian temperance union (WCTU) and Victorian Women’s Suffrage Society (both 1884)
Aimed to vote and protect women and children.
Supported prohibition
Raised consent from 12 to 16 to protect
opposition: too stupid, did not fight in wars, already had influence through male relatives
Given vote under commonwealth franchise act in 1902
Ability was removed from Indigenous people to vote where the franchise was available (voted in 1962)
what happened with WWI and the depression and women’s work?
WWI: worked as nurses overseas and started charity groups.
Due to male deaths, there were more jobs- woman became “flappers”
Depression in 1930s caused bankruptcy and ruined families
Men left women to look after families
Women had cheap labour jobs
what happened with women and WWII? who were the first women in federal parliament?
WWII: nurses, Australian Woman’s Army Services, Australian Woman’s Land Army, work in factories
After the war, jobs were given back to men
Woman had tasted freedom and wanted it
Enid Lyons was first woman elected into Australian parliament in 1943 to house or reps and Dorothy Tangney to the senate
what did women chant?
‘Men like birds; birds live in cages,
They have done for ages; on second-class wages;
Women’s Liberation’s going to smash that cage,
Come Join us now and rage, rage, rage.’
