changing attitudes

• •In 1882 & 1893 Women's Property Acts gave women full legal control of all property they owned at marriage or that they had inherited or earned whilst married.

  •In the 1870s universal primary education became compulsory for boys and girls.
• • University became more accessible for women with many universities allowing women through their doors for the first time to study degree courses and there were even female colleges, i.e. Girton College at Cambridge
• •From 1894, women could vote in local elections if they paid taxes and could stand as a candidate for elections.
• • 'white collar jobs’ created career opportunities for women who tended to be preferred by employers; many women entered nursing and teaching professions too
• ANALYSIS (FOR)

  • The status of women in society was improving as they gained more rights and prejudiced attitudes of males were improving towards women, making them more suited to vote
• ANALYSIS (AGAINST)

  • Even though women were making some progress they were still expected to leave their jobs when they were married and women were not actually awarded degrees by universities.
• EVALUATION (AGAINST)

  • Many middle-class women cared little for women's rights and were horrified that women wanted to advance their position in society – even Queen Victoria called women’s rights a ‘mad, wicked folly’ in 1870.