From War To Equal Voting Rights

Aims:

• To identify how the First World War contributed to women gaining the vote.

• To examine the different opinions of historians about this issue.

Historians Views

The traditional view of historians is that women undertook a range of men’s jobs during the war playing a vital role in industries such as munitions and farming.

This helped prove their worth and secured them the right to vote.

Recent research has disputed this. Some historians argue women’s contribution to the war effort is not as significant as we once thought and that the war actually delayed votes for women.

The Importance of the Great War

Within a short space of time both the NUWSS and WSPU suspended their political campaigning.

With a grant of £2000 from the government the WSPU encouraged men to join the armed forces and women to demand ‘the right to serve’.

It is said that ‘Mrs Pankhurst wrapped herself in patriotism rather than feminism’.

The Importance of the Great War

As casualty rates increased on the battlefield and conscription was introduced, women were need to fill the gaps on the home front.

Industries that had previously excluded women had now welcomed them.

Women worked as conductors on trams and buses, as typists and secretaries and nearly 200,000 women found work in government departments.

Thousands worked on farms, at the docks and even in the police.

Over 700,000 women were employed in making munitions facing considerable dangers from explosions and the chemicals they used.

There is no doubt that women’s war work was important to Britain’s eventual victory in the war.

Women found work as: Secretaries Shop assistants Bus conductresses Taxi drivers Policewomen Undertakers Railway porters

Women in the Workplace

Women were also allowed to join the armed forces and took over the clerical work previously done by men.

Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS)

Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)

Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF)

Women and the Armed Forces

Nearly 900,000 women worked in the munitions industry.

They worked 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sometimes explosions occurred.

Some suffered from TNT or lead poisoning – this caused their hair to fall out and their skin to turn yellow.

The pay and overtime rates were good.

Nurseries for children were sometimes provided.

Work canteens provided nutritious food for workers.

The Munitions Industry

With so many men away fighting in the army, there was a shortage of farm workers.

Women were encouraged to join the Land Army and fill the gap.

16,000 women helped to keep the country fed.

However the hours were long and the work was hard.

The Land Army

The Representation of the People Act 1918

During the war, Britain had a coalition government. It contained MPs more sympathetic to votes for women.

In 1917 a committee of MPs (chaired by the Speaker) from each of the main political parties met to discuss the issue of women’s suffrage.

The recommendations of the ‘Speaker’s Conference’ were drafted into a new bill – the Representation of the People Act 1918.

This Act gave all men over the age of 21 the right to vote – a reward to many men who had risked their lives during the war.

The Representation of the People Act 1918

Women over the age of 30 who were householders or who were married to householders or were university graduates gained the vote.

This Act failed to reward young working-class women for their war efforts.

This Act also kept women in the minority as they now made up about 40% of total number of voters.

The first woman to take up her seat in the House of Commons was Nancy Astor who was elected for the Conservatives in 1919.

It wasn’t long before all three parties began to put forward proposals for equal voting rights and this was achieved in the 1928 Representation of the People Act.

To What Extent Did the First World War Help To Win Votes For Women?

For: * Women proved their worth during the war.

They took over men’s jobs in a range of areas and proved their economic worth.

* This gave them a higher profile and greater credibility and changed attitudes towards women.

* The coalition government contained MPs including Labour MPs more sympathetic to votes for women

To What Extent Did the First World War Help To Win Votes For Women?

Against: *The war removed the issue from the political agenda. Both the Suffragists and Suffragettes threw their energies into the war effort.*Meetings took place just before the war between the government and members of both groups. The war delayed votes for women.

To What Extent Did the First World War Help To Win Votes For Women?

Against: * For the first couple of years during the war

there was not a dramatic increase in the number of women in the workplace.

• By the end of the war 83% of women were doing work in factories which had previously been regarded as women’s work.

• The 1918 Representation of the People Act was more concerned with giving the rest of the male population the vote. If winning the vote was a reward for their war efforts why did this act exclude many young, single women?

Final Conclusions

Now that you have studied all the evidence what do you think was the most important factor in causing women to achieve the vote in 1918?

Write a short paragraph which clearly states your opinion.

Start your answer ‘The most important factor which helped women to achieve the vote was ……………’