When war broke out in 1914 both the suffragists and suffragettes stopped their campaigning for the vote to concentrate on the war’ and stepped in to “fill the gap” men had left behind in order to fight women had to take the place of men so many companies were founded such as the women’s hospital corps and the women’s police volunteers (December 1914). This was the first main step in women bridging the gap. Ms Pankhurst joined leagues with Lloyd George, soon to be prime minister, in 1915 because there was a munitions crisis. Between them they organised a “women’s march for jobs” in order to recruit women to work in the factories. Despite doing this and having a roaring reply many employers refused to take on women and trade unions refused to allow women workers. This problem was solved in meetings with the trade unions and the government. The government set an order that women workers should be allowed and paid the same, as men would be until there were sufficient male workers for the jobs. This caused there to be more allowance in the working of women but still left many unable to help. As the munitions crisis grew the government set up its own munitions factories and hired women largely.
Herbert Asquith, the prime minister at this time was at first was not to keen on the idea of votes for women as he stopped and started many of the bills put forward. He tried to remain neutral about the situation and made comments such as “let women work out their own salvation”. Over time he began to support the women. He later stepped down and allowed Lloyd George to take office.
By 1916 there had begun a revolution in jobs for women. Many jobs that women were not seen fit to do three years ago had become available to them. Apart from the opportunities to work in the munitions factories women were employed as many things such as; farm workers, grave diggers, road layers, welders, postal workers, steel workers and bus drivers. Jobs like this had never even been the remotest option for women before and showed that females were slowly gaining the respect they had been fighting for, for so many years. This was a breakthrough although many attitudes had not changed. Women were also replacing men as office clerks and needed little if any training as females had been working in post offices previously. In this progression of job revolution the first women’s army unit was founded in 1918 the WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps). Although the unit was never involved in front line fighting they did a lot of the work in the most needy areas. The job revolution meant that the shortage of men was not really too much of a problem.
There was an attitude in change from many MP’s. Herbert Asquith, the predecessor of Lloyd George, remained neutral but in a later speech he said “women have worked out their own salvation during the war. How could we have carried on the war without them? Wherever we turn we see them doing work which three years ago we would have regarded as men’s work. I would find it impossible to withhold from women the power and right of making their voices directly heard.” This shows that Asquith’s opinion of women’s rights changed immensely over the process of the war. And he has also had a large change in attitude toward the vote. But Asquith wasn’t the only person to change their opinion on the vote. An interview printed in ‘the observer’ quotes JL Garvin to have said, “Time was when I thought that men alone maintained the state. Now I know that men alone could never have maintained it, and that henceforth the modern state must be dependant on men and women alike.” As attitudes were changing in favour of the vote because of the work women did during the war there were still some who expected women to got back to their previous state, and more trivial lives, for example this extract taken from ‘The Southampton Times’ shows just that; “women still have not brought themselves to realise that factory work, with the money paid for it, will not be possible again. Women who left domestic service to enter the factory are now required to return to their pots and pans.” It was attitudes like this that had stopped them from gaining the vote earlier.
The active help from females during the war was a short-term factor and yet probably the main reason for a change in attitudes and women’s gaining the vote in 1918. However there were some long-term factors that had paved the way before 1914.
One of the more important long term factors was the general all round change in attitude towards women. Females gained a right to a good education that was only available to males at first. Although it was frowned upon at first many schools just for girls were created in order to provide a similar education to that of boys. Also, partly because of the change in the education for women, new job opportunities arose. Women were accepted to do work in offices, shops, nursing and teaching. Although men were always offered the better jobs. Opportunities at home were probably the first to change. In 1882 the married women’s property act was put into place meaning that women did not have to give up their right to their property when they married. Women tended to handle finances as well as men did. The effects of these changes showed that women were capable human beings and not second-class citizens.
The other long-term factor, which produced an improvement in the situation, was the work of the suffragists and suffragettes. Although the suffragists and suffragettes did not agree with each other’s methods both groups were trying to do the same thing, gain the vote. Both of the groups kept the issue in the public eye, which raised awareness and helped to gain support. The Suffragists methods were conventional and peaceful, involving marches, meetings and petitions, whereas the Suffragettes methods were non-conformist involving violence, chaining themselves to railings and vandalism of property they have been called pioneers. Although the suffragettes did a lot to harm the cause of female rights and lost a lot of MP’s support which the suffragists had gained, the effect of both of these groups was that the issue was kept aware of and slowly being resolved. Although success was not immediate or even quick, slowly but surely there was progress being made.
In conclusion this essay has shown that women’s actions during the war ‘were’ the most important reason in bringing about the change in attitude in 1918. female’s activities during the war showed them to be capable to handle jobs seen as a man’s profession with ease and little training. Women did this whilst keeping on top of things at home and taking care of children. Pre-war work from the suffrage movement caused votes for women to be a very publicised issue, and now, that women had totally proven that they were capable and worthy of the vote. MP’s could not ignore the work women had done during the war and felt that females should have a say in how the country was run as they had helped keep things running while the majority of males were off fighting. It was probable that women would have gained the vote anyway but it probably would have taken longer, because the WSPU would have had to stay on the slow but sure path whereas with the efforts during the war the target was gained with due speed. The reasons for there being a possibility that the vote would be gained anyway is because of the long term causes like the suffragette and suffragists movements and their constant working for the vote. Also the attitude change when various bills/acts were passed saying that women could go to school with boys or that women had the right to their own property. All of these factors contributed greatly to the gaining of the vote given in the representation of the people act in 1918.
