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WOMEN AND THE VOTE (NUWSS (Petition and mud march (Petition in favour of…
WOMEN AND THE VOTE
NUWSS
Petition and mud march
Petition in favour of votes for women gained 250,000 signatures. Showed the level of support they had behind them.
Mud march - 3,000 women marched in the rain and mud from Hyde Park.
Women communicated their ideas rationally, government were able to take them seriously and it was hard to dismiss their rational arguments.
Other peaceful tactics such as convincing trade unions, going from town to town spreading the message and making newspapers such as 'Votes for Women' and 'The Common Cause'
Home for women
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Membership increased from 6,000 in 1909 to 53,000 in 1916.
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HOWEVER, the NUWSS' tactics could be considered slow and ineffective, took too long for the government to notice them.
WSPU
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Black friday
The conciliation bill of 1910 was narrowly declined, which led to clashes between the police and women
Led to 100 women getting arrested. Cat and mouse act. Released women if they went on hunger strike and then took them back in.
Women used this against the government. Master propagandists. Government then felt pressure to grant them the vote.
HOWEVER, the conciliation bills were rejected mostly due to the WSPU's 'wild period', and Churchill said 'their cause has marched backwards'
WW1
Women's war work
Women took on men's work such as 1 million women working in munitions. More women working in transport. 400 women in Gretna died of TNT poisoning.
The fact that they stopped pushing for the vote in order to contribute to the war effort showed that they were patriotic and deserving of the vote.
Their war work showed that they were equally capable as men and therefore it was hard to deny them the vote on the grounds that they were inferior.
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Changing political attitudes was more important than the WSPU because changing attitudes towards women were always beneficial in gaining women the vote, whereas many of the WSPU's tactics were considered ineffective and counter-productive. # #
Changing attitudes were more important than the NUWSS because attitudes towards women had already begun to change when the NUWSS were established. They promoted the changing attitudes and did not create them. # #
Changing attitudes were more important than WW1 because progressive laws led to the gradual recognition that women were as capable as men, whereas the extension of the franchise after WW1 did not even include women under 30 who had proved their worth. # #