Did women gain the vote because of their war work?

|For |Against |
| |The enfranchisement of women involved greater issues than could be involved in|
|The role played by so many thousands of women during the war may have played a|any war, even supposing that the objects of the Great War were those alleged, |
|part in obtaining the vote. But equally, it was a fear that women would |I cannot help regretting that any justification was given for the popular |
|return to the pre-1914 campaign of militancy that prompted politicians to act |error which still sometimes ascribes the victory of the suffrage cause, in |
|before the war was over. |1918, to women’s war service. The assumption is only true in so far as the |
|(Angela K. Smith, 2005) |gratitude to women offered an excuse to the anti-suffragists in the Cabinet |
| |and elsewhere to climb down with some dignity from a position that had become |
| |untenable before the war. |
| |(Evelyn Sharp, 1933) |
| | |
|It is frequently said that women were given the vote ‘because of the war’… |What politicians really wanted to do was to enfranchise more men; the |
|The war changed the situation in more ways than are obvious at first sight. |inclusion of so many women (approx. 8.5 million) was not considered to be a |
|The obvious effect was that women’s contribution to the war effort was seen |great advantage to any particular party, and thus, there was no point in |
|and appreciated and that women, instead of being subjected to frequent |resisting their demands. Women were enfranchised by politicians who felt it |
|criticism in the press and by public figures, were very generally praised. |was safe do so. |
|Public opinion became overwhelmingly favourable towards women. |(Martin Pugh, 1882) |
|(Constance Rover, 1967) | |
| | |
| | |
|Public opinion also became more democratic generally, as the shared hardships |It would be naïve to believe that women received the vote solely for services |
|created a more equal society and lessened the emphasis on class divisions. |rendered in the First World War. It must be remembered that only women over |
|There was a general desire that sacrifices should not be in vain and that a |30 were given the vote and the very women who had helped in the war effort – |
|better world should come out of the war. Surely a land fit for heroes to |the young women of the munitions factories – were actually denied the vote. |
|live in might include a place for a few heroines as well? |The significance of women’s war work in the achievement of the vote is |
|(Constance Rover, 1967) |therefore perhaps not as great as first assumed. In reality, women were |
| |greatly resented in both agriculture and industry… Men ‘froze out’ women |
| |workers, gave them no help and even sabotaged their work |
| |(Paula Bartley, 1998) |
| | |
| | |
|The war emphasised the participation of women in the everyday life of the |There were a number of changes in Parliament which altered the balance between|
|nation. It was obvious to all that women were driving vehicles, acting as |those who opposed and those who were in favour of votes for women. Several |
|bus conductors and filling many posts customarily held by men. As we might |suffragist MPs were promoted to the Cabinet. More importantly Lloyd George, |
|say today, women’s ‘public image’ changed and improved. |who was sympathetic to women’s suffrage, replaced Asquith as Prime Minister in|
|(Constance Rover, 1967) |December 1916. |
| |(Paula Bartley, 1998) |
| | |
|The process by which women's participation in the war effort brought |There was a need for franchise reform in general. Large numbers of soldiers |
|considerable social, economic and political gains can be traced in a very |were ineligible to vote. This of course would not do. |
|straightforward manner. |(Paula Bartley, 1998) |
|(Arthur Marwick, 1974) | |
| | |
|The first issues to stress this time are again strengthened market position |Britain was merely reflecting an international trend towards full democracy. |
|and the desire of governments to offer rewards for services rendered. |Women in New Zealand, Australia, Finland, Denmark and Norway had already been |
| |enfranchised… It would have been a peculiar embarrassment if the mother of |
|(Arthur Marwick, 1974) |democracy, Britain, lagged behind other countries. (Paula Bartley, 1998)|
| | |
|Two further changes are also critical: the increased sense of their own |Women's war work may have been important in converting some former opponents, |
|capacity and increased self-confidence on the part of women themselves; and, |or providing others with a face-saving excuse to alter their positions. But |
|on the other side, the total destruction of all the old arguments about |even before this, the political alliances the democratic suffragists had |
|women's proper place in the community, which both men and women had previously|formed in support of their demand had ensured that women would have to be |
|raised against any moves towards political and social equality for women. |included in any future reform bill. |
|(Arthur Marwick, 1974) |(Sandra Stanley ,1986) |
| | |
|In the political story what is most striking is the way in which one after |Members of Parliament were determined to keep women in a minority among |
|another all the old leading opponents of the idea of votes for women recant, |voters, and to enfranchise only those, who, as relatively mature family women,|
|and declare that since women have played such a vital part in the national |seemed likely to make up a stable, loyal section of the community. |
|effort, of course they must be allowed to share in the politics of their | |
|country. (Arthur Marwick, 1974) |(Martin Pugh, 1882) |

1914 to 1928: a changed political landscape?
The Vote at Last!

Objectives:
1. To assess the reactions of The Representation of the People Act, 1918 on the different suffrage societies.
2. To assess the reaction of the leading political parties to the Representation of the people Act, 1918?
3. To identify the significance of the Equality Franchise Act, 1928.

RECAP: Study Source N on p. 116 of Edexcel, and answer the questions which follow;

1. Was Punch being too triumphant?

2. How did the different suffrage societies react to The Representation of the people Act?

More campaigning ahead
Now that some women had won the vote the leading campaigners went off in different directions. Some gave up their work in politics, while others became involved in other struggles. Annie Kenney and Christabel Pankhurst became extremely religious, and Emmeline Pankhurst largely gave up politics. Sylvia Pankhurst became more involved in left-wing causes and Mrs Pethick Lawrence fought for the second instalment of votes for women. She was joined by many members of the NUWSS, which in 1919 changed its name to the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship (NUSEC). Some of their campaigns included equal pay, fairer divorce laws, family allowances and opening up the professions to women. Women were helped enormously by the Sex Disqualification Act, 1919 which made it illegal to exclude them from jobs because of their sex. This meant that they could now become solicitors, barristers and magistrates. Most of the professions were soon to be opened to them; the Act thus removed some very important and long-standing obstacles in the way of equality with men. The 1920s saw important improvements in the position of women in this country. Women’s questions’ were discussed more seriously in Parliament, helped undoubtedly by the eights female MPs there in 1923 and the fact the Liberal Party was becoming the third political party. Both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party adapted their policies and philosophies to encompass the widened electorate. Both Parties adapted their party structures to allow the full membership of different classes and women. The Conservative Party were very successful in recruiting and involving women – by the late 1920s there were more than 1 million women members. Similarly, the Labour party established women sections to draw women into the party. Indeed, the labour party campaigned from the outset (post-1918 reform) to introduce universal suffrage.

Votes for all women, 1928
In 1924 the Conservative Government (PM Stanley Baldwin) said it would consider the question of votes for more women. Many people felt it was absurd to allow men of over 21 to vote, but not women. Many people fought it was absurd to allow men of over 21 to vote, but not women. In time various groups and MPs (especially Labour MPs) canvassed for support for the second instalment of votes for women. A bill was introduced in March 1928 and by May it had passed all the stages very easily. There was little serious opposition to the Bill, and it was never in danger of being defeated. Mrs Pankhurst died just before it became law in July 1928.

Mrs Fawcett went to hear the debate in the House of Lords. She went home and wrote;
It is almost exactly 61 years ago since I heard John Stuart Mill introduce his suffrage amendment to the Reform Bill on May 20th, 1867. So I have had extraordinary good luck in having seen the struggle from the beginning. Ray Strachey, Millicent Garrett Fawcett, 1931

The Bill became law on 2 July 1928. All women over the age of 21 could now vote in elections. Equality in voting rights at last! It was indeed a time of great elation.

Activity: Use Chapter 7 of the Edexcel textbook to complete the following tasks 1. How supportive was the Labour Party following the enfranchisement of women in 1918? 2. Explain two reasons why the Conservative Party found the enfranchisement of women a useful development? 3. Look at ‘Levelling the playing field’. Copy the 3 reforms from the list that you feel presented the greatest challenge to the ‘Angel in the House’ and ‘separate spheres’ philosophies. 4. Look at sources S, T, V and W. Create a spider diagram that answers the following question: What factors led to the passage of the 1928 Representation of the People Act? 5. Write a paragraph that explains which factor you think was most important for the passage of the Equal Franchise Act. Use your spider diagram to help you.

Use Chapter 7 of the Paula Bartley, Votes for Women book to complete these tasks 6. Look at ‘Becoming an MP’. Draw a spider diagram that highlights the difficulties women faced in becoming MPs. 7. Look at ‘Women in Parliament’. Explain why historians like Martin Pugh have described the House of Commons as an uncomfortable and unwelcoming place for female MPs. Explain how women MPs dealt with this. 8. Explain what is meant by Brian Harrison when he pointed out that women represented their sex as well as their constituency. 9. How far did female MPs change the ‘nature of politics’? 10. ‘Trying to become an MP was a waste of time for women in the immediate years after 1918.’ Write a paragraph that explains whether you agree with the statement and why.

Summary

[pic]
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AT LAST!
A cartoon published in the magazine Punch in 1918