Theme 3 - Women

Question 1

What was the political status of women just after WW1?

Answer 1

• WW1 influenced the development of women’s rights in the 20th century
• Representation of the people Act gave vote to women over 30
• Education Act 1918 widened opportunities for girls and women

Question 2

What political advancements did women achieve in the 1920’s?

Answer 2

• First female cabinet minister in 1920’s, heavily influenced intro of family allowance
• 1928 Representation of people act gave women over 21 right to vote (equal as men)

Question 3

What was the status of the female role after WW1?

Answer 3

• Many people noted that women were able to have a role in the workplace
• Started to earn their own money
• Increase in electricity and the first birth control clinics meant that married women could have some control over fertility

Question 4

What changes did women experience in family life during the 1920’s?

Answer 4

• Unemployment benefits extended to include wives in 1921

- 1923 matrimonial causes bill is passed allowing wife to get divorce on account of husbands having an affair

Question 5

What changes In family life did women experience in the 1930’s?

Answer 5

• Marriage rates rapidly increased

- 1937 matrimonial causes act extended bill of 1923 allowing women to get divorce on accounts of abuse

Question 6

What was the status of women in society after WW1?

Answer 6

• WW1 opened up many employment opportunities but many women had to return to normal life after the war as cooks, cleaners and maids
• New fashions (flappers) liberated women from conservative corsets and long skirts

Question 7

What was the status of women in society between 1920-40?

Answer 7

• Oxford opens its degrees to women in 1921
• six point group founded 1921
• Groups such as NUWSS represented women
• Clerical work greatly increased for women as more and more women became educated
• Women’s movement in decline after Representation of people act II gave them equal voting rights in 1928 and the depression hurt many

Question 8

What changes did women experience during and just after WW2?

Answer 8

• 1945 family allowance act
• WW2 had similar effects to WW1. 7.25 million were employed in industry, agriculture and the armed forces by 1943
• Women’s land army introduced
• Unlike WW1 many women retained jobs when war ended
• Women who didn’t retain jobs got annoyed to go back to homes.
• War revived women’s movement

Question 9

What was the status of women in society between 1950-70?

Answer 9

• Equal pay awarded in 50’s for female teachers and civil servants
• 1970 equal pay act
• women’s liberation movement met for the first time in the 60’s
• Abortion legalised (1967) and pill introduced (1961)
• 1970’s era of feminism and in 1971 4000 women took part in March in London

Question 10

What progress was made in terms of sexual discrimination during 1918-79?

Answer 10

• 1921 sexual disqualification act allowed first women to be qualified as lawyers, civil servants, vets and engineers
• sex discrimination act (1975) made it illegal to discriminate against women in the workplace
• Equal opportunities commission (1976) to oversee sex discrimination and equal pay acts
• gave women equal pay for equal work and allowed women to retire at same age as men