Women's Right to Vote Due to Their Contribution to the War Effort
In August 1914 Britaindeclared war on Germany. Both the suffragettes and suffragists suspended their campaigns. Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, the government ordered the unconditional release of all suffrage prisoners. On August 13, Emmeline Pankhurst called a temporary suspension to militancy and asked her followers to support her in the war effort.
The suffragette movement was now effectively over although some ex- WSPU members formed and joined other groupings that continued to campaign for women enfranchisement, such as the suffragettes of the WSPU, the independent WSPU, the Women's Freedom League, and the United
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Also the work women did during the war convinced many people that they should have the vote after the war.
As men left jobs to fight overseas, they were replaced by women such as Octavia Wilberforce and Louisa Martindale who worked as doctors treating wounded British soldiers.
Women filled many jobs brought into existence by wartime needs. As a result the number of women employed increased from 3,224,600 in July 1914 to 4,814,600 in January 1918. Nearly 200,00 women were employed in government departments. Half a million became clerical workers in private offices. The greatest increase of women workers was in engineering, which over 700,00 of these women worked in the highly dangerous munitions industry.
Also in 1925 the government realised it had a problem. The old voting system demanded that voters live in the same place for the twelve months before an election. So if there were to be an election during the war, most soldiers would not be able to vote. The government decided to change the law and make sure the 'war heroes' got their vote. Women groups saw their opportunity to include votes for women in the changed law. There were no demonstrations, but there were many meetings between women's leaders and politicians, and a flood of telegrams and letters were eventually sent to MP's.
Women mostly worked for themselves during the war
During the past hundred years the role of women in society have changed and a major part of this is due to the First World War. During this time women showed that they were capable of doing male jobs. The war opened up new opportunities for women, although they were put into less paying jobs when the war was over they were still grateful for the new opportunities they had been given. In 1914 the population of working women was 23.6% but this number increased to between 37.7% and 46.7% in 1918 (Striking Women, 2012).
Some of the issues at hand were the availability of employment, post-traumatic stress, and parenting issues. This led to a lot of turmoil, men wanted normalcy and women had gotten a taste of independence that they were reluctant to give up. This led to several movements after the war ended, from the women's suffrage movement to women's right to vote in 1920, with the passing of the 19 th Amendment. (Women's History Museum) The Women in Industry Service was created during WW1 and was later changed to the Women’s Bureau in 1920, which is, “a federal agency devoted exclusively to the concerns of women in the labor force”. (Department of Labor - Women's Bureau) The Women’s Bureau was created in 1920, is still in force
The women’s suffrage movement began in the mid-nineteenth century. Women began discussing the problems they faced in society and the different ways they wanted to change their lives. The Civil War and World War I also had an enormous effect upon the movement. During both of these wars, women felt a new sense of independence and strength. During this time, the women had to step in
Firstly, women had fought for their rights, whether it was the right to vote, or it was the right to be considered a person under the British North America Act, women had fought for it all. During the era of the 1900s to the 1950s, many changes had been made to make sure that women were included. In 1917, women were given the limited right to vote. But, this only extended to the women in the armed forces, and the relatives of men in the military. By 1925, the
Due to the lack of manpower during the years of 1940 -1945, women had to maintain the jobs held by men. However, this change of attitude involving women in the workforce permeated the beginning of the Women Rights Movement. During and immediately after the Second World War, women became free to create their own lives and senses of individualism. With this increase in freedom also came an increase in equality. The war gave more and more women the chance to prove that they were just as capable as men. Greater numbers of women began to take control. For the first time, women in the United States were learning to work as factory workers, nurses, and journalists. Many women even joined the army through an organization called the Women’s Army Corps.
First, they had to fill the roles of the men in the workplace. This meant that they were now allowed to hold jobs outside of teaching, cooking and care taking and move to more important roles such as bankers, farmers, and factory workers. “Eight million women already at work shifted positions, taking advantage of new, albeit temporary, opportunities to work at better-paying and more highly skilled jobs.” (Keene 609) It was important not only to society that these jobs were getting done, but it was also important for women to participate in these jobs so they could feel like they had more purpose. Perhaps the most important roles women played, was their aid to the men fighting during World War I. During World War I, the country was spending all of its money of the war but this became increasingly expensive. Women during this time, aided the men who were fighting by making clothing for the soldiers, taking care of wounded men, and working in factories that make supplies for war such as guns. In some cases, women who worked in the factories that produced these war weapons ended up dying, “…these women risked their lives working with poisonous substances without adequate protective clothing or the required safety measures. Around 400 women died from overexposure to TNT during WWI. ” (Women’s Work in WWI, paragraph 3) Women taking on these new roles was so important for the success of our country during that time, as women were able to fill in the gaps and make sure things were handled on the home front so the men could be away and fight for our
One interpretation shows that women benefited politically from the war after the end of WW1. Source A1, highlights how WW1 impacted both women as a whole, as well as the Suffrage movement, by showing that they were a crucial part in Britain's success in the war. The source shows an extract from the BBC Website in 2008, states how women benefited from the war, both politically, and in terms of equality, as shown in February 1918, where they receive the right to vote, in the "Representation of People Act" (exclusive only women over 30), which led to 8 million women being eligible to vote by 1918, showing female advancement in politics. The source is also accurate in saying that role of women was significant during WW1 (60% of all shells were
“Blindness separates people from things; deafness separates people from people.” (Helen Keller). The biggest problem when it comes to women’s rights is that people refuse to hear that there is a problem. This situation is very familiar in today’s world. People refuse to understand that even though women do have more rights than they did in the past, there are still issues that need to be addressed. Women’s suffrage is one of the most respected and memorable historical events. This movement has been forgotten because it has been so long ago, men and women both are losing respect for women’s rights. Some men disrespect women’s bodies and refuse to acknowledge that they should have rights. People are forgetting that historic prodigies fought day
Although women were not allowed to vote during the World War 1, their successful work in World War played an important impact for expanding American women roles in the military and developing the military acceptance of women in women service
Between 1914 and 1918, more than a million women joined the workforce to fill the gap left by the men at war. Finding themselves working diversely from nurses and cleaners to police patrols and explosives manufacturing for the war. Yet they still earned only half as much as men working the same jobs men did and were still constricted with what they
When the men went out to war, the women stepped up and filled the gaps left by the men. Many women contributed to the war effort by working in munitions, making ammunitions, and other necessities to be sent over to the war. Many women worked in munitions, but the women that did not work in munitions wove scarves and socks for the soldiers to wear to keep them warm. A big advancement was made in 1918 called the Women’s Suffrage and/or the conscription crisis, meaning that if a woman was a mother, daughter, or sister of someone in the war, they could vote. This was a big advancement because before the war women could not vote at all, and now certain women can.
Their violent methods were replaced with protests, strikes, posters and fliers that supported the war effort (Bartley, 2003). Although most suffragette groups replaced their feminist activity with patriotic movements, the NUWSS was divided, with a lot of them unwilling to support the war. This disagreement led to a division that resulted in the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (Bartley, 2003). The remaining members, however, were active in wartime relief work. Due to the collapse of industries such as dressmaking, which employed a large number of women, female unemployment was at its highest when the war first broke out. This soon became the focus of the NUWSS, which organized the unemployed and interviewed women to replace the men, when there was a shortage of workers in 1915 (Bartley, 2003). Despite the initial hesitance to allow women in the workforce, the urgency for workers meant that traditionally masculine jobs such as railway guards, ticket collectors, buses and tram conductors, postal workers, police, firefighters, and clerks were primarily occupied by women, along with jobs in engineering, machinery, and factories (Striking-women.org, 2016). Other women joined the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAACS), which was formed in 1916, the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRENS), or the Women’s Royal Air Force
Before the war, and even during, there was a tremendous concern for women’s suffrage (Osborne 113). Because of this, some women decided to go and help the war efforts to show the men that they deserved more rights. Over one million women took part in the war efforts; most of them being unmarried women who had moved up to better jobs until the men came home (118). The war had a powerful effect on women and their position, most of whom were very eager to do their part. If they could afford to work without pay, then they often volunteered to fill medical positions. This type of work excited many women (Atwood 4). One of the biggest differences was that they no longer were working just female occupations, but now they were driving street cars and trucks, assembling airplanes, operating cranes, fixing railroad tracks, and wielding machinery (Osborne 119). They were considered to be useful in supporting and helping their countries was efforts, which was cogitated to be “outside the realm of normality for them” (Atwood
After getting an education as well as knowing there worth in society women knew there were more than just a wife and mother. During WWII women demonstrated their power to think in a world without men as they were off fighting the war. Women began to understand that they had more to offer the world other than housekeeping and raising children. In addition, many women wanted to continue working after the war as they had held jobs with responsibilities as well as earning wages. Furthermore, women were the ones making financial decisions as well as working in positions with higher responsibilities. Many women as well as minorities were simply casted a side to make room for the returning solders. This created a silent discontent among women
Germany had many laws against political activity for women (The Western Heritage). Therefore, the suffrage movement was very underdeveloped. Another reason why the women’s suffrage movement was not very popular in Germany is because the political organizations did not have very much power and influence in politics. Many women did not feel that having more power in these organizations would help them at all. However, as the years passed, the Union of German Women’s Organizations was founded. This organization focused largely on education for women and improving their social conditions. Women were not granted voting rights until Germany was defeated in war in 1919(The Western Heritage).