Vote For Womens Essay

• Introduction

  In the 19th century women were second class citizens and were seen as the “weaker sex.” The ideal woman of the time was to stay at home, look after the house and support her husband. However in the late 19th century and late early 20th century women began to make some social and political progress.
• Introduction

  Several factors contributed for the achievement of votes for the achievement of votes for women by 1918 including the suffragists, the suffragettes and the First World War. While the campaigning of the suffragists was an important reason for women gaining the vote, the first world war was the most important in women achieving suffrage because women were being praised for their war work. 
• The Suffragists

  The Suffragists were a less important factor in women gaining the vote. The Suffragists were led by Milicent Fawcett in order to campaign for women’s right to vote. The Suffragists believed in order for them to achieve their goal they had to be realistic and demand for the enfranchisement of some women. The Suffragists used peaceful campaign methods such as organised petitions, publishing newspapers and organising marches. For example, the NUWSS gathered 250,000 signatures for a petition supporting women’s suffrage.
• The Suffragists

  Arguably, the Suffragists helped women gain the vote because they didn't give into the stereotype that women were immature. Their tactics showed women were responsible, and could understand politics. However the Suffragist campaign was too slow and easily ignored by politicians. They applied too little pressure and their campaign got little publicity.
• The Suffragists

  Arguably, the Suffragists helped gain votes for women because they got the support of many MPs. Their peaceful lobbying of politicians made many in Parliament support their cause. For example, they made great effort in convincing politicians to introduce Bills to Parliament. However, the Conciliation Bills were never passed and the Suffragists never gained the support of Prime Minister David Asquith. Overall, the NUWSS were somewhat useful in gaining women the vote. 
• Womens War Work

  Women’s war work was the most important reason for women gaining the vote. During WW1 women took on a variety of jobs, many of which had been carried out by men. Women helped in factories, in civil service and offices.
• Womens War Work

  Arguably women’s war work helped secure women the vote in 1918 because women were the majority of the workforce. For example, by the end of the war, around 60% of munitions workers were female. So women’s war work showed that women could contribute to society. However, the work women did during the war was only ever meant to be temporary and after the war many women were pushed out of their occupations.  
• Womens War Work

  Although women entering the workforce/war work helped gain the vote in 1918 challenged masculine perceptions of women’s vote in society. It undermined the anti-suffrage view that women should not have the vote because they did not contribute to the defence of the country. However, after the war women were still not close to equal to men. Women were still paid less than men for carrying out the same jobs.
• Womens War Work

  Overall, WW1 and the work women did during the war was the most important reason for women getting the vote in 1918 because it was almost given as a reward for the service women had done for their country. The war was the final reason politicians needed to grant women suffrage. 
• The Suffragettes

  The suffragettes were a somewhat important factor for women gaining the vote in 1918. The Suffragettes were led by Emmeline Pankhurst campaigning for complete women's suffrage. The Suffragettes used militant tactics such as chaining themselves to the railings outside Downing Street, they would break windows and pouring acid on golf courses.
• The Suffragettes

  Arguably, the Suffragettes helped women gain the vote because they drew a lot of attention to the issue which meant they could attract many to their cause. This helped their cause as the Suffragettes got more publicity than the Suffragettes. The Suffragettes went on hunger strikes to further illustrate how dedicated they were to their cause, this was what led to the Cat and Mouse Act.
• The Suffragettes

  This act was put in place because people heard about Suffragettes starving in prison and it sparked outrage. The Cat and Mouse Act meant a Suffragette on hunger strike would be released from prison and once they got better, would return to prison.
• The Suffragettes

  Arguably, the Suffragettes helped women gain the vote because it gained public sympathy as women were seen as fragile to see the Suffragettes resort to such measures and received much publicity. However, as an attempt to stop hunger strikes prison staff would force fed Suffragettes which was horrific and extremely painful. Force Feeding did nothing to further the campaign for women's right to vote.
• The Suffragettes

  Overall, the Suffragettes were a somewhat important reason for women gaining the vote in 1918 because while they did draw media attention to their campaign, they mainly received negative attention which only hurt the cause to grant women’s suffrage.
• Changing Attitudes

  The changing attitudes in society were a less important reason for women gaining the vote in 1918. Women were gaining better access to education and employment. In 1880 all children of 5-10 had to attend school.
• Changing Attitudes

  Arguably the changing attitudes to society helped women gain the vote because women were beginning to be accepted into universities. This disapproved the misconception that women were incapable of understanding complex politician issues and casting an informed vote. In 1914 fewer more women worked in skilled jobs and in offices. Women could become teachers and doctors.
• Changing Attitudes

  Having access to better jobs was significant in helping women to win the vote as it demonstrated that women were capable of holding down responsible and demanding jobs, and therefore would be capable of casting a vote sensibly. For example, in 1910, Britain’s first female banker and charter account qualified.
• Changing Attitudes

  However, little progress was made in terms of societal attitudes because women still didn’t have much equality in the workplace due to the Marriage Bar. This is where women had to leave their jobs once they got married. Women’s wages were lower than mens. In 1914 women earned roughly 65% of a man’s wage for similar work.
• Changing Attitudes

  Overall, changes of attitudes in society were a less important reason for women gaining the vote in 1918, the inadequacy of these improvements means there was still much progress that had to be made.
• Conclusion

  In conclusion, the Suffragists were somewhat important in women gaining the vote in 198 but the war work was the most important factor. On the one hand, while the Suffragists were important because their peaceful campaign was long and tedious and this makes the war more important because it only took 4 years for women to gain the vote.
• Conclusion

  On the other hand, while the Suffragettes were important as their militant tactics drew massive amounts of attention to their campaign, women’s war work was more important as the vote was given to women as a reward for their service and not giving into their militant campaign.
• Conclusion

  Therefore, women’s war work was the most important factor, and more important than the Suffragists, in helping women gain the vote in 1918 as the war showed women were responsible and capable as they were contributing to their country, the war gave the government an excuse to grant women’s suffrage. 
• What was the ideal women of the time? (19th century)

  stay at home, look after the house, support her husband
• The Suffragettes were led by …

  Emmeline Pankhurst
• The Suffragists were led by …

  Millicent Fawcett