In contrast to this, the Suffragettes made negative contributions to women over 30 gaining the vote. Many people believed that the Suffragette’s violent acts were irresponsible and the government would not be ‘bullied’ by violent methods, as it would portray the government as weak. This highlights the contradictory impacts by the Suffragettes as their militant procedures gave the government excuses not to give women the vote. Furthermore, the Suffragettes made things worse for other women, such as in May 1914, many historic houses; museums and art galleries were closed to all women. This indicates that the Suffragettes turned many people against women and that their methods undermined the Suffragists and previous women’s achievements and that the Suffragettes were embracing the traditional stereotypes of irrational women.
Women’s suffrage organisations as a whole, helped women gain the vote, however also negatively impacted the campaign. They made the issue national for the first time and emphasised the strength of the suffrage campaigner’s will. They also gained supporters and attention to the issue of women’s suffrage however they were often ignored showing weakness and lack of power. When they were given attention through publicity, it mostly portrayed women in negative ways and made things worse for other women.
The most important reason for women over 30 gaining the vote in 1918 was because of women’s contributions to the war effort. On the 4th of August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany and shortly afterwards, on the 10th of August the government announced it was releasing all Suffragettes from prison. War requires mass mobilisation and because most men went to war there was a lack of men to run the country. Women made up around half of the population and therefore when the government released all Suffragettes from prison, the government indicated that they expected women to show collaboration. As a result, women’s contributions to the war effort emancipated the tension between the government and women, consequently allowing the government to give women the vote in 1918.
One of the main reasons for women getting the vote in 1918 was because of women had begun to do male oriented jobs to support the country whilst the men were at war. During May 1915, there was the Munitions Crisis in which Britain was running out of ammunition and would not be able to continue the war unless production increased. The Minister for Munitions, David Lloyd George considered using female workers in government munitions factories and encouraged women’s ‘Right to Work’ marches in London organised by Suffragette Christabel Pankhurst. For the first time the government was supporting women and this emphasises that the tension between women and the government had been removed due to women’s contribution to the war effort. Therefore this made it more likely for the government to give women the vote in 1918 as women were showing great patriotism by halting their campaigning and helping with the war effort for the greater good.
Furthermore, another important reason why women’s contributions to the war effort was very important for giving women the vote in 1918 was that the jobs women did were dangerous men jobs. By the end of the war, 1.5 million women worked in munition factories. This work lasted long hours and put women under physical and mental pressure. Exposure to dangerous chemicals such as phosphorus turned many of the workers skin yellow, resulting in the nickname of ‘canaries’. In 1916, 191 case of toxic poisoning was reported with 52 being fatal. The fact that women s readily undertook these crucial, but highly dangerous occupations demonstrated that they were just as concerned about the nation’s well being as their male counterparts fighting at the frontlines. This no doubt compelled the government to reconsider the extent of the political inequality they maintained between men and women.
On the other hand, women’s contributions to the war effort may not have been the most important reason as the vast majority of women who contributed to the war effort would still not be able to vote after 1918. This is because most of the women who contributed to the war effort were young and working class women. This suggests that the government was not rewarding the efforts of the women and was actually giving the vote to women who had campaigned in various suffrage groups. This is because the vote in 1918 benefited older middle and upper class women, which were more than likely to be involved in suffrage groups.
Furthermore, other countries contributed to women gaining suffrage in 1918. Women in France also contributed to the war effort similarly to those in Britain; however, they did not gain the vote till 1945. Unlike the WSPU and NUWSS in Britain, there were no campaign groups in France before the war. This suggests that women’s contribution to the war effort was not the main cause for women getting the vote in 1918 as it illustrates that pre-war campaigns played a vital role in raising the issue of women’s suffrage.
Nevertheless, women’s contribution to the war effort was the main reason for gaining women suffrage in 1918 as it released the tension between the government and women. The economy did not freeze because of women’s contributions and the government understanding the importance and sensitivity of domestic care appreciated women’s contributions and consequently gave women the vote as a reward. The government may have also seen it as an opportunity to give women the vote without having to compile to pressure.
Women’s contribution to the war effort was not the only factor which helped women gain the right to vote in 1918. During the peek of women’s suffrage campaigning in 1916, Asquith was the Prime minister and he had strong views against women gaining the vote, as shown by his interference in 1910 with the Conciliation Bill. But after 1916, Lloyd George became the Prime minister and he was more sympathetic towards women’s suffrage. Therefore, this reflects that women’s contribution to the war effort was not the only factor that allowed women to get the vote in 1918 as changes in the government meant an increased likelihood of women getting the vote.
No doubt the political situation resulting from war also helped women earn the right to vote. A general election was set for soon after the war, but the law at the time stated that men could only vote if they had been living under a fixed address for at least a year. Since many men fought abroad for so long they would not be allowed to vote, creating a concern amongst parties that they would lose most of their franchise. Hence the government needed to change the law to prevent the absence of votes, which could easily be accomplished through the enfranchisement of women. This suggests that it was not women’s contribution to the war, but the actual lack of voters that assisted women in getting the vote in 1918.
Since the 1870s, attitudes towards women’s position in society, politics and the economy had been gradually changing. Women had become more associated with politics and were joining various political parties, such as the Liberal Associations and the Primrose League. Furthermore, the social position of women was changing due to the Education Act of 1870, which allowed working class girls to attend schools across the country. As women became more educated, their potential was being increasingly recognised and therefore society was disregarding the previous stereotypes of women. Their economic position also changed through the 1870 and 1882 Property Acts, which enabled women to keep control of all their money and property. Thus the changing perception of women helped get them the vote in 1918. They could no longer be generalised as irrational housewives, they were becoming increasingly independent and a vital source of economic growth.
Women over the age of 30 also gained suffrage in 1918 because other countries had already changed their attitudes towards women and consequently had given women the vote. For example, by 1918 women could already vote in the USA, Isle of Man, New Zealand, and parts of Australia, Finland, Norway and Iceland. These helped women over the age of 30 get the vote in 1918 because many of Britain’s allies and countries in the British Empire had already given women the vote and so Britain could not be seen to be behind to give women the vote.
In conclusion, women gained the vote in 1918 because of their contributions to the war effort. Women originally could not vote due to traditional stereotypes, but these stereotypes gradually started shifting as women’s status in society began to change. As a result of this, women over 30 would have eventually gained suffrage with women’s contributions to the war effort acting as only a catalyst rather than the cause. The act itself was also important for women gaining suffrage as it meant that voting laws had to be changed, hence allowing women to gain suffrage. On the other hand, if it was not for women’s contributions to the war effort the government would have remained reluctant to give women the vote due to the tensions generated through the suffrage movements. Women’s contribution to the war effort, however, was the main reason why women were granted the right to vote as it defused the deadlock between the Suffrage campaigners and the government. Therefore had it not been for women’s contribution to the war effort, the government would have continued to refuse women the right to women.
