Women's' Vote Flashcards
Causes
In 1900, women did not have the same rights as men. Victorian’s believed a woman’s place was in the home. Working class women usually had to do paid work, but they were paid less than men and were still expected to raise children, cook and clean. The law favoured men. Men could file for divorce, own property and most men could vote, women could do none of these things. From 1850’s some women had campaigned against these inequalities.
Many felt that the most important thing to bring about change was if women had representation in government – if they had the vote (suffrage).
Methods
Suffragists [peaceful]: There were many regional groups who campaigned for suffrage. In 1887 these united as the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies NUWSS, the leader was Millicent Fawcett. They used peaceful methods, meetings, marches, petitions and pamphlets. They tried to project an image of women as kind and gentle. They wanted to persuade men to give women the vote. They got the support of many MPs who campaigned for women to get the vote, but they were always defeated and some felt their progress was too slow.
Suffragettes [violent]: In 1903 Emily Pankhurst broke away from the NUWSS to create the WSPU, the Women’s Social and Political Union. She believed in direct action. Tactics were violent. They smashed windows, there was a stone throwing campaign in 1912. They slashed paintings. Heckled politicians. Chained themselves to railings, set fire to post-boxes, arson attacks on property, poured acid on golf courses.
In 1913 in Derby, Emily Wilding Davidson threw herself in front of the King’s horse and died. She became a martyr for the suffrage movement. When arrested, the women would go on hunger strike, the prison authorities would force feed the women. Force feeding was dangerous and could lead to death. Many suffragettes were middle class and had influential husbands. This led to the creation of many posters calling out the brutality of the government.
The government passed the Prisoners Act in 1913, nicknamed the Cat and Mouse Act, suffragettes when weak from starvation were released till they were better and then taken back to prison. This caused public sympathy for the suffragettes. All of this drew publicity and attention, votes for women became a national issue, many thought that the suffragettes were too extreme. Some women felt that the suffragettes were doing more harm than good. Prime Minister Herbert Asquith, felt women had no place in politics. There was even a group set up called the National League for Opposing Women’s Suffrage.
During WWI, millions of young men went to fight in the armed services, which left a big gap in the workforce. Suffragettes suspended their campaign and both the WSPU and NUWSS encouraged women to support the war effort. Hundreds of thousands of women were recruited to work in the munitions factories. They also did other traditional male jobs e.g. bus driving
Outcomes
Long Term: 1918 - Representation of People Act, women >30 who owned property able to vote
1928 - women >21 given right to vote, same as men
1967 - women gained access to abortion
1969 - Women gain right to divorce
1975 - Employment protection act made it impossible to sack a woman because she was pregnant
1979 - Only here Britain get first female PM
Women still earn 30% less than men on average
Short Term: Achieved some success (as listed above)
Recruited during war, and even did male jobs
