Suffragettes
When did the movement happen?
What was the movement about?
Who was involved?
What laws were impacted by the movement?
Suffragettes were members of a women’s organisation in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They fought for women’s suffrage that is the right to vote in elections.
The first noted petitition for women's suffrage to the Parliament was presented by Mary Smith in the year 1832.
The two main organisations in England that fought for women's suffrage were: The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) and National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). Both groups wore the colours purple, white and green and made banners, badges and sashes with the words "Votes for Women".
The Suffragette movement was a fight fought by many women around the world in support of women's suffrage, that is the right for women to vote in elections. It took almost a 100 years for women to gain the right to vote since the Great Reform Act 1832 which excluded women from voting in Parliamentry elections.
Why did the movement take place?
The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU)
National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS)
WSPU- Emmeline Pankhurst → former member of NUWSS. She left after becoming frustrated with the NUWSS approach and formed her own society - WSPU. This society was more inclusive and welcomed all women. Daughters Christabel and Sylvia were also active. This society was more violent→ hunger strikes, bombing, breaking windows, handcuffing themselves to poles. Their motto was "Deeds not words" as they used agressive tactics to gain attention and support from the public.
NUWSS- led by Millicent Garrett Fawcett during the height of the movement → 1890-1919. Campaigned for votes for middle-class, property owning women → peaceful protest. Millicent thought that if the organisation was thoughtful, intelligent and law abiding, they would win the respect of the parliament.
In the late 1800s and the early 1900s, only men over the age of 21 who possessed some form of property were allowed to vote. The right to vote lets a person register their opinion and have a say in political matters. Around this time many women started to fight for their right to vote.
What is women's suffrage?
Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections.
Why weren't women allowed to vote?
Tradition
Voting would distact them from their duties of household chores.
They were considered physically and mentally "inferior".
People believed that voting rights should only be given to men as they fought in wars and women didn't.
They had no political knowledge
People believed that the having the right to vote for women would be useless as she needs to obviously vote for the same politician her husband voted for (loyalty and obedience).
People believed that the only thing women were good at was household chores. They didn’t want women to think for themselves and have their own independence.
How do you think WW1 affected the suffragette movement?
Up until the suffragette movement, women were considered fragile beings who were only meant to take care of household chores and and raising her children. However, the WW1 required women to take over certain jobs as millions of men had been sent away to fight in the wars. This gave many women the opportunities to work in many different industries.
What did the “inferiority of women” mean? How did this idea hold women back at this time?
The “inferiority of women” means that women didn’t have access to as many rights as men did, and that they had many restrictions about they could do because of their gender. This “inferiority” prevented women from working in the civil service, claiming equal pay for doing the same work as men or inheriting property. Usually, women’s opinions weren’t taken into consideration and they were expected to just stay at home, look after the kids, cook, etc. #
What laws were in place that women were restricted by (in general and not only suffrage)?
Women were neither allowed to vote nor hold office in elections. Married women weren’t allowed to make contracts, devise wills and/or have any control over the wages they earned. As soon as a woman was married, all her property went to her husband. The man “assumed absolute ownership of all his wife’s personal property.” Married women were also prohibited from selling, giving or willing any property.
On June 1913, Emily Wilding Davidson stepped in front of the King's racehorse to apparently pin a banner of the suffragette colours on the horse. Unfortunately, Emily died which sparked public anger but also the suffragette movement gained more sympathy and support from the public.
Suffragette Media
As the media didn't always portray the suffragettes in a positive light, WSPU began to run their own newspaper. The "Votes for Women" was founded in 1907 by Emmeline and Frederick Pethick-Lawrence. It became a very effective tool for recruitment, fundraising and advertising. After both Emmeline and Frederick were expelled from WSPU due to their strong views against violence, the WSPU created another newspaper called "The Suffragette".
The first organisation that campaigned for women's rights, NUWSS, was formed in 1897.
Later in 1903, WSPU was formed.
Important Laws
Great Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1928 OR The Equal Franchise Act 1928
The Representation of the People Act 1918
The Great Reform Act 1832 explicitly stated that women were not allowed to vote in Parliamentry Elections.
The Representation of the People Act 1928 granted equal voting rights to both women and men. Men and women over the age of 21 were allowed to vote regardless of their wealth status.
How did the Suffragettes change the laws?
The Suffragettes were able to change the laws that were restricting women by many different methods and tactics of protesting. Some of them include arson, bombing and property damage. Throughout Britain, contents of multiple letterboxes were set alight and windows of shops and offices were smashed. These violent tactics were practiced in order for the suffragettes to gain attention and achieve their goals.
The struggles of the Suffragettes resulted in many new laws being implemented and old ones being changed to be fair and equal for women. Laws such as The Married Women's Property Act, Qualification of Women Act, The Representation of the People Bill 1918, The Parliamentary Qualification of Women Act and The Representation of the People Act 1928 passed which changed things for many women in Britain. The Married Women's Property Act became law in 1870 and gave married women the right to own property. Qualification of Women Act was passed in 1907and allowed women to to be elected onto borough and county councils and as a mayor. The Parliamentry Qualification of Women Act of 1918 enables women to stand as MPs. And lastly, The Representation of the People Bill allows women over the age of 30 who own property to vote and The Representation of the People Act 1928 grants the right to vote to every women and men over the age of 21.
The Representation of the People Act 1918 granted the vote to right to all women over the age of 30 who owned a property.
Why is the right to vote something that is considered symbolic?
The right to vote is very important as a person is recognized as a citizen of the country and is potentially voting in someone who will represent them and the country.
In what ways have women been treated inequally and unfairly?
Women have been denied the right to vote and have had to fight for it in many countries. Girls in some third-world countries are still not allowed to go to schools and get a proper education because they are expected to stay at home, take care of the house and cook. Women in some countries are still treated unfairly in the sports industry. They aren’t given proper funding because people assume that she will potentially have a child and will then drop the sport to look after her child. Furthermore, women weren’t allowed to do certain work as they have always been considered incapable for the job.
Arguments for and against women's suffrage
For
Against #
Women are already allowed to vote in local elections and henceforth should be allowed to vote in Parliamentry Elections
Women pay taxes just like men do
Voting will give women the right to choose their leader and give them a chance to state their opinion
A woman's place is in the home and going into the rough world of politics will ruin her nurturing nature.
Women do not fight in the wars and risk their lives and hence should not be allowed to vote.
Women are too ignorant of politics and are basically too "dumb" to be able to vote properly.