The Suffragettes were also a factor in the reason women gained the vote after the war. They were very different from the Suffragists because they were prepared to, and did, use violence and broke the law to try and gain the vote. Consequently, women’s suffrage was often front page news and got the cause a lot of publicity, though not always the good kind. They became very militant and forceful from 1912. The so-called ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ was a strategy by the government to control the disruptive activists. They were arrested but released if they went on hunger strike, but could be re-arrested when their health improved if they did not abide by certain conditions. In one extreme case in 1913 Emily Davison ran under the King’s racehorse and subsequently died from her injuries, but the Suffragettes did not know she was going to do it and so avoided much blame. The Suffragette activities may have damaged the cause, despite bringing it much publicity, because people would have disliked their violent protests and lost interest in the movement. It also gave those totally against the cause ammunition; a seemingly understandable reason for their strong objection to women gaining the vote. The Suffragettes gave up their forceful protesting at the outbreak of the war though, to the great relief of the Government. This gave them credit and changed some people’s minds about votes for women. They were seen to be patriotic and prepared to calm down so their country could fight the war, and so, many people believed, should be rewarded by gaining the vote. This is certainly how Prime Minister Herbert Asquith felt, as shown in source J. However, the Government, although they would not have admitted so at the time, may also have been worried that the Suffragettes would start up their campaigning after the war and disrupt the country, and so thought that they should just give women the vote. Another thing which got the Suffragettes respect and favour was the fact that they used their publicity machine to encourage men to join up.
The war, however, did play a big part in the reason why women gained the vote. Many women were allowed to work for the first time and they even campaigned to work; Christabel Pankhurst organised a ‘Right to Work’ march in July 1915. 30,000 women took part and marched in London. Many women left their jobs as domestic servants for better wages in places such as munitions factories, where the pay was £3 a week, which was a high. In factories women produced munitions like planes, weapons and ammunition. The work was dangerous and often the skin was turned yellow- those women were called ‘canaries’. Lung disease was more likely among these women too, and the basic precautions left some women infertile. Women were recruited in the armed forces like the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, in the Voluntary Aid Detachment they were used as drivers and secretaries, and many other organisations were set up such as the Women’s Auxiliary Army. 13,000 women worked in the countryside as ‘land girls’ in the Land Army, and trouser-wearing women became acceptable. In industry women worked as mechanics and in the aeroplane industry. Women worked in clerical jobs in banks, became post women and conductresses.
This all led to a change in the overriding view of women. Source I supports this, it says the war changed views and so lead to women gaining the vote. They were also accepted into many professions and fashion became more relaxed for women-trousers were acceptable, which would have been unlikely without the war. Women were finally earning their own money; they had jobs and were supporting their country. This got them respect, as source J also confirms; the Prime Minister says that women have ‘contributed to every service….except that of fighting’ and so some ‘measure of women’s suffrage’ should be given. Overall the change in the country’s attitude contributed to women gaining the vote, women were called ‘heroines’ and many views altered.
Practical reasons are another factor. When the war was over and the surviving men returned as ‘hero soldiers’ many people, including the Government, felt it was wrong that the men had fought for their country, some under conscription, and yet had no say in how it was run. This was seen as an opportunity to reward men, and to give women the vote without it looking like they were given in to women. Giving women the vote was just part of the change in the law that allowed many more people to vote, so women got the vote and the Government didn’t look weak. The Representation of the People Act, voted on in 1918, won by 341 votes. It allowed men the vote at 21 years old.
However, there were limitations. Women had to be 30, householders or married to one to vote. The main reason for this was to stop women outnumbering men, as source H confirms; it was ‘agreed upon by politicians’ because women seemed more ‘sensible’ at this age. Furthermore, women were more likely to vote the same way as there husbands with there restrictions. Additionally, many of the young and single munitions workers were prevented from getting the vote because they were too young, unmarried and were not householders. It was not until 1928 that women could vote on the same level as men.
In conclusion, the work women did during the war was the main reason women gained the vote. Although the change in the law after the war to give soldiers the vote for fighting for their country lead to some women gaining the vote, and the change in attitudes despite the war were very important, the work women did was a bigger factor. Other factors such as the long running attention the Suffragists and Suffragettes brought to the cause also helped it gain momentum. But the fact that women worked during the war meant had more in common with men and men could no longer say they did nothing to contribute to the country. They also could understand more the role of men in society before the war, and could talk to men on a more equal level about work and the issues that come with it. The Suffragettes gave up campaigning and women put the country first, they worked without complaining. Women were being seen as equal because everybody agreed that the work they did was as important as fighting. Women were independent, essential and respected for their work. This led to them gaining the vote.
