theme 3 - changing role and status of women Flashcards
1918 Representation of the People Act
enfranchised women over 30, but only those educated and ‘respectable’
1928 Representation of the People Act
working-class women allowed to vote
how did WW1 impact women’s employment?
gave women a position in the workplace as the entire population was mobilised for the war effort
roles as drivers, nurses, working on railways, etc
1918: 1 million women in metals and chemicals industries
women’s employment after WW1
return of men forced many women out of the workplace, and number of employed women returned to 1914 levels
1914: govt had made agreement with TUs that women could replace skilled workers during the war on the condition their employment would only last as long as the war
what jobs were women typically employed in after WW1?
working-class women - maid, cook, cleaner
educated women - clerical work
- 1921: over 1 mill women employed as typists or clerks
1919 Sex Disqualification Act
prevented barring women from a career in law or civil service and more women were accepted into uni
only impacted middle-class women
did not create drastic improvement
- civil service open to women at clerical levels
1931: 21 female architects out of 6,000
women in politics in interwar period
failed to gain significant political voice
- no more than 5% of MPs were women
1918-24: 150,000 women joined the Labour Party, but only 9 women served as MPs
how did WW2 impact women?
demand for total war increased employment opportunities
military and civilians roles
- 1944: 80,000 women worked on farms for Women’s Land Army
- munitions factories
- aircraft construction
- cryptanalysts and translators
practical benefits
- better pay
- acquired new skills
- sense of participation and contribution
- reached new levels of importance
economic advancement (1945-51)
women in employment remained in fields for women
- 1951: 86% of women in industries such as nursing, teaching, clerical work, etc
major employers removed requirement for women to leave when married
- 1944: teaching
- 1946: civil service
- 1949: Bank of England
views of women in 1945-51
1948 study found widespread desire to end work after marriage as they didn’t see work as an important part of their identity, only motivated to work by need for extra income
those who wanted to build their careers were seen as unusual
economic advancement (1951-79)
end of marriage bar meant women worked for longer
- 1972: 50% of married women retained their jobs
earned on average 40% less than male counterparts
1970 Equal Pay Act
men and women should be paid equally for the same work
equal pay was a condition for joining the EEC
1975 Sex Discrimination Act
Labour set up Equal Opportunities Commission to give women legal protection against discrimination in education and employment
made discrimination more difficult but women still faced prejudice due to widespread belief that their primary role was as wives and mothers
political advancement (1945-79)
number of females stayed between 20-30
- widespread belief women would be too busy with domestic duties
- Thatcher struggled to progressive despite being above the abilities of her male rivals
how did women’s role change in the period 1918-39?
changes to divorce laws, access to birth control, and freer self-expression
however, these were predominantly experienced by middle-class women
A.P Herbert
his satirical novel ‘Holy Deadlock’ pointed out absurdities in divorce law
became an independent MP to campaign for divorce law reform
1937 Matrimonial Causes Act
extended the grounds of divorce from just adultery to include desertion of three years or more
widespread public support
- number of divorce petitions increased from less than 5,000 pr year to 38,000 in 1951
Dr Marie Stopes
1921: founded the first birth control clinic
what access to birth control did women gain in interwar period?
after Marie Stopes founded the first north control clinical, demand saw them spread across the country during the 1930s
1930: General Medical Council allowed doctors to give contraception advice, but only to married mothers
working-class women exempt from benefit if not covered by national health insurance
women’s self-expression in interwar period
men killed in WW1 led many women to become single and have greater freedom
growth of clerical jobs enabled them to enjoy consumerism
created ‘flapper’ look
working-class women exempt as didn’t have the same income and leisure, and suffered much more from the Depression
women’s experience of the Depression
women in poorer areas often went without enough food
many relied on unemployment relief, which became means tested, causing many to live below the poverty line
1950s housewife
immediately after WW2, many women were happy to return to role as ‘home maker’
by late 50s, many women became frustrated and lonely due to their role as a housewife
1960: journalist Better German write ‘Squeezed Like Sardines in Suburbia’
what was second wave feminism?
developed in the mid-60s
concerned with equal conditions at work, and issues of birth control, domestic violence, objectification, etc
when was the contraceptive pill introduced?
1961 - could only be prescribed to married women
within a decade, 1 million women were using it
offered women sexual freedoms and gave them control over their fertility
1967 Abortion Act
abortion decriminalised
supported by many as illegal abortions could harm or kill women
1979: 149,746 per year
what change occurred within marriage in the 60s and 70s?
they became less patriarchal as married coupled shared housework more equally
Shiela Rowbotham
helped organise the first National Women’s Conference at Ruskin College
- gathered to discuss feminist politics and history
- attendees mainly young, middle-class, and educated
impact of women’s liberation movement
1970-71: number of women’s groups in London increased from 4 to over 50
Women’s Liberation Workshop
- helped develop political consciousness
- allowed women to express their experiences
growing activist in 70s
1970: protest groups staged demonstration at Miss World Beauty Contest to protest against its role in the oppression of women
1970: Germaine Greer wrote ‘The Female Eunuch’
- influenced feminist movement
- argued men’s control of women led to women being trapped in gender roles and become self-loathing
refuged for victims of domestic violence
Erin Pizzey established Chiswick Women’s Aid - led to network of refuges
1974: National Women’s Aid Federation established
- united 40 independent refuges
1976 Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act
allowed courts to impose injunctions on individuals who assaulted their spouses, resulting in jail terms in breached
Rape Crisis Centres
1973: first Centre opened
- over 60 across UK within a decade
the few rape cases that came to court conducted in a way that was advantageous to accused
opposition to abortion
1975: MP James White sponsored Abortion Amendment Act
- time limit on abortions was reduced from 28 to 20 weeks
National Abortion Campaign established to protect abortion rights
