Women's Suffrage Movement

Women’s Suffrage Movement

Women’s suffrage is the right of women to vote. The women’s suffrage movement was struggle to gain the same right to vote as men. WSM was between 1860 ans 1915.
This essay will explain the “slow” progress of WSM.

In 19th century women had no place in national politicis. They could not stand as candidates for Parliament and they were not allowed to vote. It was assumed that women did not need the vote because their husbands would take responsibility in political matters. A women’s role was seen to be child-rearing and taking care of the home. In 1832 was the First Reform Act it gave the vote to half million more men. Middle-class men could now vote as well as landowners. In total about one-fifth of all men were given the vote. Women were legally prevented from voting and this Act now excluded women. Organised campaigns for women began to appear in 1866. In 1867 Second Reform Act gave the vote to 2.5 million male houseloders. There was no progress made on votes for women but John Stuart Mill proposed an amendment that would have given the vote to women on the same terms as men but it was rejected by 194 votes to 73. Furthermore Dr Richard Pankhurst gave may examples of women voting at this time. The campaign gained momentum after this.

In early Victorian period(1860-1897) the status of women was limited. Mens care about work, politics and war and women raise children and give support and comfort to their husbands. In this time family and home means the basis of a stable social life. Women were “possession” their husbands and until 1852 a women could not leave her husband legal. They have no right to own property or keep any income. The law was beginning to change that and by 1880 position of married women improved. In 1839 Custody of Infants allowed that a women who wants to divorce could apply her children but only under the age of seven. In 1857 Matrimonial Causes Act allowed for easier divorce. This new law means that there was a Divorce Court and proceeding was cheaper than before except for working-class families. In 1870 Married Women’s Property Act allowed to keep any property or income after marriage for women. In 1878 Magistrates Court allowed to divorce from abusive husbands. Proceeding was much cheaper on this court than on the Divorce Court and it was good for working-class women. In 1882 the Second Married Women’s Property Act allowed to keep all property or income.
Middle-class women’s job ordering of the home and raise children if she had been employed before marriage she had to give up her job. Middle-class women married much later and they had more time for activities outside of the house than working-class women. Middle-class women were expected to stay at home in 1860. In 1871 nearly 32% of British labour force was female. Single women were more likely to be employed than married women and more working-class women were employed than middle-class women. Working-class women usually worked in munitions or textile factories. They were unskilled and they had low-paid jobs. Mid 19th century were changes in employment for women it means that employment opportunities were growing and development of new chain stores but it was still low pay.

Until 1850 the opportunities for girls to be educated were very limited. Church and charity schools provide a basic elementary education for working-class children but they received little or no education. Middle and upper-classes educated their daughters at home. In 1870 Education Act said that all children between ages of five and eleven had to receive a basic education. In 1860 Elizabeth Garett was allowed to study. Company of apothecaries had to accept her if she passed exams but she had to pay heavy fees. Later she was the first women doctor who could to practise. Miss Buss and Miss Beale were pioneer of Women’s Education. Buss was at the forefront of campaigns for the endowment of girls' schools, and for girls to be allowed to sit public examinations and to enter Universityies. During 1848-1849 she Opened Queen’s College in London and than this school was renamed the North London Collegiate School in 1850. Miss Beale was author and Principal of the Cheltenham Ladies’ College(1853). They achieved that from middle and upper classis girls could learn in schools and between 1872-1894 opened 36 new girls school.
Women were in politics life as well. In 1869 they were allowed to vote for town councils. They could speak at meetings in Independent Labour Party and write articles in newspapers. Some women achieved to vote on local government before right of national elections. The key person in early Victorian Period was Lydia Becker. She was secretary of the Manchester National Society for Women’s Suffrage from 1867 until her death in 1890. She played a key role in the campaign for suffrage, encouraging women to openly campaign and speak publicy. She laid the basis for the early 20th century suffrage campaign.

In conclusion the beginning of 20th century happened some changes in the status of women. For example women were more educated, their employment opportunities improved, they could wear more comfortable clothes, they had more freedom in their life and they were part of politics life.

In 19th century feminists talked about „The Cause„. This described a movement for women’s rights generally. It had no particular political focus. But by the close of century the issue of the vote became the focus of women’s struggle for equality. The movement to gain votes for women had two wings, the suffragists and the suffragettes.
In 1897, various local women’s suffrage socities formed the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Socities, under the leadership of Millicent Fawcett. The NUWSS wanted the vote for middle-class property-owning women. They believed they would achieve their goals using peaceful tactics. Their tactics was the parliamentary patronage. It means non-violent demonstartions, petitions and lobbying of Mps. Fawcett believed that if the organisation was seen to be intelligent, polite and law abiding then women would prove themselves responsible enough to participate fully in politics. The leadership of suffragists was middle-class but some of the more radical members recognised early on that the movement needed the support of working-class women. The issue of the franchise was drawing women of various sections of society together and giving them an identity which they had lacked until that time. By 1900 there was already evidence that many members of Parliament had been won over. Several Bills in favour of women’s suffrage gained considerable support in Parliament, though not enough to pass. Some believed it was only a matter of time until women would gain the vote.

In 1906 in general election the women’s suffrage issue had come back on political agenda. NUWSS were disappointed with the new Prime Minister, Henry Campbell-Bannerman. His advice was to „carry on pestering” and this was especially annoying for the NUWSS. In 1906 the Liberals had a large majority in this election and if they had wanted to they could have passed a Women’s Suffrage Bill. The NUWSS continued to lobby MPs for support for a women’s suffrage bill. In October of 1906 the NUWSS changed their tactics and it was more aggressive policy. They would put up their own independent male candidates in Parliament against Liberal politicians who were opposed to votes for women. In februar of 1907 was the „Mud March” this was the largest women’s suffrage openair demonstration and it made a big ipression. During 1907 NUWSS were getting stronger, they moved to their own offices and there were more membership. Furthermore members were elected to the Central Committee. Ther were signs that the NUWSS may have been able to succeed with their private member’s bill strategy. In 1908 Liberal MP, Henry Stranger introduced a women’s suffrage bill this was the Stranger Bill. But the new Liberal Prime Minister, Asquith was more anti votes for women than Bannerman that’s why he refused this bill and he supported manhood-suffrage bill it means vote to all men. Concilation Bill was introduced into Parliament in 1911-1912 which would have given the vote to a limited number of wealthy women.
The suffragettes, a name given to them by the newspaper Tha Daily Mail, were born out of the suffragist movement. Emmeline Pankhurst, who had been a member of the Manchester suffragist group had grown impatient with the middle-class, respectable, gradualist tactics of the NUWSS. In 1903 she decided to break with the NUWSS and set up a separate society. This became known as the Women’s Social and Political Union(WSPU). Mrs Pankhurst believed it would take an active organisation, with young working-class women, to draw attention to the cause. The motto of suffragettes was deeds not words and from 1912 onwards they became more militant and violent in their methods of campaign. Law-breaking, violence and hunger strikes all became part of this society’s campaign tactics. In 1907 WSPU itself split into two groups after E. Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel came into conflict with other members of the WSPU’s executive body. Those who left formed the Women’s Freedom Legaue while the Pankhursts and their supporters established an even tighter gripon the workings of the WSPU. The three groups disagreed over tactics but their message was consistent and they regulary worked together. Despite opposition, the argument for women’s suffrage seemed to be winning support. By 1909 the WSPU had branches all over the country and the NUWSS was also flourishing, with a rising membership and an efficient nationwide organisation.

When World War I. broke out in 1914 the whole suffrage movement immediately scaled down. Thousands of women entered workplace to do the jobs usually done by men. The Representation of People Act became law in februar of 1918. This allowed to vote women over 30, who were occupiers of property or married to occupiers. This was seen as a major success for women’s suffrage and was also popular with the general public. The Act was not such a success for women under 30. They would have to wait another ten years before they received the same rights as men.

Historians debate the effectiveness of the different groups in the struggle for women’s suffrage. Some modern historians argue that the influence of NUWSS has not been given enough credit. Membership of this organisation remained high throughout the period. Many women who became alienated from the suffragettes because of their militancy switched allegiance to the suffragists. Even more controversial is the role of the WSPU. At the time and ever since, there have been divisions of opinion: some argue that its activities were critical in keeping „The Cause” high on the political agenda; others believe that its violent tactics actually delayed votes for women by its irresponsibility in attacking private property.

Why it took so long to achieve votes for women? Because politicians in both of the main parties were worried that the women might vote for their opponents. There were divisions among women some of them agreed with the view that women should not take part in politics, even that they would not be able to understand politics. Furthermore disagreements between suffragist and suffragette leaders and later even within the suffragette movement, did not help to create a coherent campaign.

Sources: P. Bartley(2007): Votes for Women Whitfield(2001)