The view that women made no progress in society untill granted the vote in 1918 Essay Example
The view that women made no progress in society untill granted the vote in 1918 Essay Example

The view that women made no progress in society untill granted the vote in 1918 Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 7 (1706 words)
  • Published: August 29, 2017
  • Type: Essay
View Entire Sample
Text preview

The notion that women only advanced in society after being given the right to vote in 1918 is, in my perspective, incorrect. The British women had to achieve a certain level of status before they could convince the government to grant them this privilege. Before this, they were aiming for equal political rights with men and initiated their quest for equivalent education during the mid-1800s in Victorian times. Women were anticipated to comply with stringent feminine principles such as being "pure, pious, domestic and submissive" (Eisenmann Appendix), but education was not supportive of these values.

Women's education was seen as nonconformist during the Victorian Period, potentially impeding their ability to carry out traditional roles as mothers and wives. It was thought that education could lead women to have unrealistic expectations of their societal position. The Reform Act of 1832 served as a pivotal momen

...

t for the political recognition of women's suffrage in the UK.

Although women in the 1860s recognized education as crucial for attaining equal rights, they encountered inadequate schooling. While suffrage movements made progress in the UK, educational developments were deemed advantageous solely to the middle class and detrimental to working-class opportunities. Prior to 1870, schools available to working-class girls were limited and included factory schools aimed at preparing them for future work in factories.

Despite progress made by feminists in the 1880s advocating for equal education for girls, the majority of women remained uneducated. Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" highlighted the educational limitations keeping women dependent on men and in a state of ignorance. Despite agreement among feminists, there were few schools providing academic education for girls in the country an

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

those that did focus primarily on needlework and household skills. As a result, some feminists opted to educate their daughters at home.

Louisa Martindale established one of the earliest academic charity schools for girls in Lewes, but encountered significant opposition from locals and ultimately abandoned the project. Despite setbacks in early education initiatives for women, feminist activists remained dedicated to achieving full education opportunities. However, as the 20th century began, obtaining any level of academic education proved challenging for female students. In 1870, Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon played key roles in the founding of Girton College, the first university college for women, even though it lacked official recognition from university authorities.

The example of women succeeding in their studies at university, particularly in academic subjects such as maths, demonstrated their capability to receive a complete education comparable to men. Despite the limitations imposed by authorities, women utilized their intelligence to excel academically and gain entry into professional fields - a feat made possible only with a university degree. Through continued advocacy for equal opportunities, governments were prompted to establish state schools, leading to compulsory education for children up to age 13 by 1918 and a remarkable increase in literacy rates. Unfortunately, females were still restricted to non-academic female lessons, like cooking and needlework, lacking opportunities to pursue intellectually challenging subjects such as maths or physics.

State schools prioritized the domestication of working-class girls over their emancipation, aiming to establish men as the country's primary thinkers while women produced well-groomed and nourished future leaders. Feminists did not support this notion, seeking education as a means of escaping traditional gender roles. Home-schooling was the sole option for women

to break free, but it was mostly available to middle-class families. Nevertheless, by 1918 some schools began offering academic subjects exclusively to students from middle and upper-class backgrounds.

Access to universities for women in the late 1800s was a result of successful campaigning efforts. London and Manchester universities began admitting female students, allowing women to pursue professional careers within a century. Despite progress, only 200 women were doctors by 1900, and it wasn't until 1910 that they could become accountants and bankers. Certain professions like diplomats, barristers, and judges still barred women from entering. Nonetheless, these educational advancements were significant given that most women lacked education beyond factory work just half a century earlier. Education empowered women politically and led to voting rights attainment.

In the 19th century, husbands were expected to financially support women in the upper and middle classes. This was due to the belief that men were responsible for providing. However, women faced limited career options as many professions did not allow them to enter. Women found it exceptionally difficult to pursue careers such as becoming a doctor, lawyer, architect or banker during this time period. The majority of women worked in factories or as nurses, with teaching being an exception.

Despite inadequate pay and low status, women accounted for over 72% of all teachers in the year 1861. The cotton trade industry was globally dominant in Britain, with textile work mainly concentrated in northern England and Scotland. Women were limited to low-paying jobs that demanded little or no skills, relegating working-class females to the bottom rung of the economic ladder. Feminists called for radical change as higher education standards enabled women to achieve high-status

professions more easily. However, even though they started at a disadvantageous position, women only earned 65% of men's wages during the late 19th century; hence gender equality remained elusive.

Although education underwent significant changes, professional advancements were not as notable due to the implementation of laws that greatly improved the educational system. However, prior to 1975 when Britain introduced the sex discrimination act and 1970 when equal pay legislation was enacted, women did not have a substantial impact. This was because they were typically not hired for positions considered inappropriate for females unless the employer was also female. Even then, non-feminists had reservations about this practice which was often permitted simply because it was not against the law.

During the First World War (1914-1918), men were called to join the army, leading to women taking on many traditionally male jobs in cities and towns. This resulted in a significant shift in women's employment opportunities. The increase of women in the workforce was not due to feminist campaigns or women's rights, but rather because of the lack of available workers. Women successfully fulfilled their roles during and after the war, which may have influenced male opinions. However, upon returning from war, some men may have felt that they could have performed better than their female counterparts.

As per a source, in 1851, women were earning approximately one-third of what men earned in the same occupation. But by 1890, their wages had risen slightly to just under half. This progress could have been due to the growing democracy in the government and the suffragist movement. Women played a major role in British politics before 1918 and worked towards achieving voting

rights. The working-class women identified the necessity of enhancing their standard of living and created a radical suffragette group.

The NUWSS and WSPUs had a significant impact on politics in the late 19th century. The NUWSS aimed to achieve equal voting rights for women as men already had or would have in the future. The WSPUs established merchandise shops that sold products supporting women's right to vote, which helped fund their activities. These parties received a lot of media attention, which can influence public opinion and, as a result, the politics of the country. In 1905, the WSPUs persuaded MP Bamford Slack to introduce their drafted Bill for women's suffrage, resulting in widespread publicity and fueling the group's rapid growth despite the ultimate failure of the Bill due to being talked out.

Despite introducing a bill, the women's demands for enfranchisement were not met and they changed their tactics to attack whichever political party was in government. This resulted in their refusal to support any legislation that did not include their demands, causing them to drop their commitment to other social reforms. This shows that women had some influence in government but their policies were not appreciated by the political powers of England. The WSPUs group began a series of demonstrations and lobbies of Parliament in 1906 which led to increasing numbers of arrests and imprisonments. This suggests that either women did not have the right to peaceful protest or that they resorted to violent means.

Although the original objective of the protests was not evident, they had a significant political influence as The Labour Party endorsed universal suffrage. The demonstrators altered their attention to mobilizing middle-class women

and expressed their resistance towards all political factions. Consequently, 700 women in Britain were authorized to cast their votes on January 1st, 1881, on the Isle of Man.

Before achieving universal suffrage in 1918, women were granted the right to vote in local elections. This gave them political influence and allowed them to participate in their town's governance. In the late 19th century, a major change occurred with the introduction of the Contagious Diseases Act of 1864 which authorized law enforcement officials to apprehend prostitutes or any woman considered "contagious" at ports, army towns and garrisons for mandatory screening for sexually transmitted diseases.

During the 19th century, the Contagious Diseases Act mandated that women suspected of having sexually transmitted diseases must stay in a hospital until they were cured and were not allowed to leave. The goal was to protect men from "infected" women. Even though many detained women were not prostitutes, they still underwent invasive medical examinations at police stations. This legislation unfairly targeted women since there were no parallel penalties for men, prompting most people to acknowledge its discrimination. Despite this, discussing sexual topics openly was deemed scandalous for females at that time. Although the Contagious Diseases Act was eventually repealed in 1886, female morale wasn't improved due to insufficient female leaders advocating for its abolition.

Josephine Butler and Elizabeth Wolstenholme formed the Ladies' Association Against the Contagious Diseases Act, leading the campaign against this act by touring and giving speeches advocating for its change or removal. Despite societal taboos surrounding sexual matters in the 19th century, these women persisted with their efforts. Although the campaign fell silent after the law's removal, it is incorrect to

claim that women made no progress in society until 1918 as they had already achieved significant advancements in academia and politics.

Extreme feminists, along with groups like the suffragettes, advocated for fairer laws in Britain and fought for women's rights to attend university alongside men, ultimately gaining media attention.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New