Votes for women, Votes for women, 1900-19181900-1918

What is the message of this poster?

The status of women before 1900 …Before 1870 most working-class girls did not go to

school, their duty was to obey their husband and do everything to make sure his life was as easy as possible. Any girl’s education reinforced this view

Occupations open to women were mainly menial – domestic servants, small workshops, sewing, textile factories, working at home

By the start of the 20th C, other opportunities were opening up for women …

Further work opportunities …Jobs in shops, as typists, on telephone switchboards but

…Hours were long (as much as 80 per week)Women often had to leave if they got marriedWomen were often paid a great deal less than men doing

similar jobs

New employment opportunities were opening up for middle-class women, who may have at least had some education at home, or been lucky enough to have had some schooling … discrimination was still possible

In 1870s Sophia Jex-Blake completed a medical degree at Edinburgh University, but was refused her degree ! Her case caused some Universities to change their attitude to women – Oxford and Cambridge opened Women’s colleges, there were also some teacher training colleges opened …

Teaching – female teachers had to be single

Nursing – but had to resign when they married

Clerical work - answering telephones and typing …

In marriages, women were in a very inferior position to their husbands …

Before 1900 - when they married all their property went to their husbands; even they became their husband’s property !

Wives were often treated with violence and assaulted by husbands

Women could not start divorce proceedings

By 1900 women could bring divorce cases against their husbands for cruelty, desertion and bigamy

They could keep their own property after marriage

Women could leave the marital home voluntarily if in danger

But, some things did not change… Wife-battering and marital sexual assaults were still legalHusbands could divorce wives for adultery, but wives

would have to prove violence or cruelty in similar casesIf a divorce occurred, a mother would lose her rights over

her children

Summary …Women were stopped from entering many professions,

despite the improvement in their educational position by 1900

Women were still regarded as inferior to menThe law was still biased in favour of menThe pace of social change was slow

Change was finally on the way … In the 19th Century, women had not been allowed to

vote in parliamentary elections, or be MPsBy 1900 ‘votes for women’ was becoming an

important issue, and arguments were being advanced for and against the idea

Two groups campaigned for votes – the NUWSS (National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies) and the WSPU (Women’s Social and Political Union)

Focus … on the NUWSSFounded in 1897 by Millicent FawcettBrought together a series of disparate groups, all with

the same objectiveBy 1914, over 400 branches all over the country, over

100000 membersDemocratic organisation which used peaceful means

such as discussion and persuasionMembers were mainly middle-class and working-

class, and some men were allowed to join

Focus … on the WSPUFounded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her two

daughters Christabel and Sylvia in 1903Branches all over the country, but this was not a

democratic organisation – it was closely controlled by the Pankhursts

Formed because they were impatient with the peaceful, and slow methods of the NUWSS

Often used violent and abusive methods, many members went to prison for their actions

Men were not allowed to join; members were mainly middle and upper-class women

Arguments supporting votes for women …

The vote is the way to get rid of other inequalitiesThe vote will improve men’s moral and sexual

behaviourWomen are capable of being involved in politicsThere have been many changes in women’s rolesLook at what is happening in other countriesVoting is a ‘right’ to which women are entitledBritain is not a true democracy until women have

the vote

Arguments opposing votes for women …Women and men have ‘separate spheres’Most women do not want the vote‘A woman’s role is in local affairs’Women are already represented by their husbandsIt is dangerous to change a system that worksWomen do not fight to defend their country

Methods used to win the vote …Propaganda – the WSPU

published a newspaper called Votes for Women – circulation of 40,000 by 1914

Pin badges, belts, jewelleryPosters, leaflets, postcardsMeetings and

demonstrations all over Britain, some attracted 20,000 women

Lobbying Parliament – petitions and letters - in 1910 one gained over 250,000 signatures

Civil disobedience – refusal to pay taxes etc

Attacking property – window smashing, arson, bombs, works of art in galleries, telegraph lines were cut, recreational parks were vandalised

Methods used to win the vote …Attacks on prominent

people – doctors who force-fed suffragettes in prison

Axe thrown at the Prime Minister

Heckling politicians at meetings

Disrupting political meetings with publicity stunts such as abseiling into a Liberal Party meeting

Hunger strikes – began in 1909 as a way of forcing the authorities to recognise suffragettes prisoners as political prisoners

The authorities decided to force-feed some of them. Some suffragettes barricaded themselves in their cells to avoid this

The government hit back with the ‘Cat and Mouse Act’

How did women win the vote ?By 1916 many men who were eligible to vote had lost

that right as they were out of the country for more than a year

The NUWSS put pressure on the government to consider giving women the vote

In 1917 the House of Commons voted by 385-55 that women should have the vote.

In February 1918 the Bill became law

What did the Bill say ?The Bill said that …women over the age of 30 could have the voteWomen over 30 could become MPsAll men over 21 were given the vote

Out of an electorate of 21 million, some 8 million were now women, though there was still no proper equality … it was believed that younger women might not be responsible enough to exercise their vote, and the government was worried in case there were more women voters than men …

PURPOSEPURPOSE

AUTHORAUTHOR

CONTEXTCONTEXT

TONETONE

Key pointsKey points

The shell shortage crisis in 1915 The shell shortage crisis in 1915 began to change the situation.began to change the situation.Women were taken on to work Women were taken on to work

ininmunitions factories. The munitions factories. The

governmentgovernmentdid a deal with the trade did a deal with the trade

unions,unions,known as the Treasury known as the Treasury

Agreements.Agreements.The unions agreed to accept The unions agreed to accept

femalefemalelabour in place of men labour in place of men ‘for the‘for theduration of the war’duration of the war’..

Key pointsKey points

The introduction of conscription The introduction of conscription in in

1916 led to an increase in the1916 led to an increase in thenumber of women employed in number of women employed in

allallsectors of the economy.sectors of the economy.

Key pointsKey points

Many women were paid good Many women were paid good wages, wages,

especially in munitions especially in munitions factories, but factories, but

in most cases they were paid in most cases they were paid lower lower

rates than men.rates than men.

Improved wages did permit Improved wages did permit greater greater

independence for some women.independence for some women.

Key pointsKey points

Women became more visible in Women became more visible in the the

world of work. They were seen world of work. They were seen to beto be

doing important jobs.doing important jobs.

Key pointsKey points

The armed forces also employed The armed forces also employed women, but the jobs were women, but the jobs were

mainly ofmainly ofa clerical and domestic nature.a clerical and domestic nature.

After the WarAfter the War

11 Women were expected to give way to men Women were expected to give way to men returning from the forces and return to pre-returning from the forces and return to pre-war ‘women’s work’.war ‘women’s work’.

22 The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ returned.the home’ returned.

33 The percentage of women at work returned to The percentage of women at work returned to pre-war levels.pre-war levels.

44 More women than before worked in offices.More women than before worked in offices.

After the WarAfter the War

55 Shorter skirts and hair became fashionable.Shorter skirts and hair became fashionable.

66 Women went out with men without a Women went out with men without a chaperone.chaperone.

77 Women smoked and wore make-up in public Women smoked and wore make-up in public for the first time.for the first time.

88 In 1919: being female or married was no In 1919: being female or married was no longer allowed to disqualify someone from longer allowed to disqualify someone from holding a job in the professions or civil holding a job in the professions or civil service.service.

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