A woman called Millicent Fawcett brought together the chain of disparate groups, uniting them under one front. Therefore becoming politically stronger and gaining crucial recognition. In 1897 Millicent Fawcett formed the National Union of Women’s Suffrage, and took on the role as leader and leading icon for women. Members of the NUWSS were mainly middle and working class women, men who believed in the franchise were encouraged and endorsed to join. The NUWSS aspired to expand the rights of women as well as improve society as a whole. Millicent believed gaining the vote will be a long, slow process, as it is impossible to change the hearts of men over night. Millicent also believed in keeping the campaign in the public eye and a drip by drip process of wearing down the opposition down through logic. Millicent led a democratic organisation which used discussion and persuasion as key strategies to triumph over the government. The NUWSS ability to put everything up for discussion characterised the women’s movement. They argued powerfully but peacefully for the franchise. The NUWSS methods were respectable and political. Members gave out leaflets, pamphlets, and postcards informing the public of the importance of the movement. Hundreds of signatures were signed on numerous petitions. Demonstrations and regular protests were held around the country. Board games and posters in favour of women’s suffrage were produced. They not only changed attitudes of men but those of women too. The NUWSS were also politically involved which gained them vital support. They allied themselves to MP’s and in elections campaigned for those who supported women’s emancipation. Due to their political connections they gained 37 bills in 40 years. However when the bills reached the Houses of Lords they were rejected. Therefore they were back to square one with no real success at gaining women the franchise. Hence the impact made was small but the effects were long term.
However many women were frustrated and distressed at the lack of accomplishments achieved by the NUWSS. Emmeline Pankhurst believed the movement had to become more radical if to succeed. In 1903 a small group of women led by Emmeline formed the Women Social and Political Union. Emmeline Pankhurst led a very passionate and dictated organisation. In 1906 her daughters Sylvia and Christabel joined their mother as leaders. They dedicated themselves to women’s suffrage by any militant means, however drew the line at human life. This new group were the opposite of the NUWSS; they were the illegal compared to the legal and ironically they were fighting for the same cause. The WSPU were more radical and militant. The term suffragettes, was first employed in the daily mail in 1906 to distinguish the militant campaigners from the peaceful and constitutional campaigners-NUWSS. By the end of 1906 suffragettes were used for members of the WSPU and suffragists were used for members of the NUWSS. The WSPU wore green, white and purple to represent their cause and also to differentiate them from the suffragists. Their aim was to gain equal and political rights for women. They also restricted members to women only as men were seen as adversaries. The WSPU took direct and rebellious actions and committed outrageous and illegal act. These new and improved ideas included heckling politicians at meetings, chaining themselves to important buildings, burning letter boxes, held rallies, slashed artwork and assaulting police. They disrupted political meetings with publicity stunts such as abseiling in to a liberal party meeting. The increasing militancy meant that many suffragettes were imprisoned for civil disobedience- refusal to pay taxes and in general disrupting the peace. The imprisoned suffragettes went on hunger strikes- hunger strikes began in 1905 as a way of forcing the government to recognise the suffragette prisoners as political prisoners. This particular scandal gained immense publicity because the public were shocked that the authorities were force- feeding women. Many suffragettes barricaded their cells to avoid this. The government were seen as acting in an unethical behaviour, as some people still thought women as fragile and delicate, therefore the government lost major support. Hence the government was forced to consider the franchise. The suffragettes chose this approach because they believed actions were stronger than words, hence their motto was ‘deeds not words’. Emily Davidson was the martyr of the suffrage movement. In 1913 at the Derby she threw herself at the King’s horse, soon after she tragically died. On sewn on her coat were the colours of the suffragettes. On her grave was ‘deeds not words’. This gained momentous publicity and highlighted women’s rights. The suffragettes were revolutionary icons who gave women a voice and installed confidence in women. Their extreme methods made men acknowledge women’s suffrage and gained significant publicity. As the war drew near the suffragettes slowly decreased their militancy. This was because the nation was preoccupied in a national dilemma- whether Britain would go to war or not.
In 1914 Britain declared war on Germany. Therefore the suffragettes and suffragists declared a ceasefire in their campaigns. Emmeline Pankhurst said ‘what would be the good of the vote without a country to vote in.’ she announced a respite against the warfare with the government. In the august of 1914 Mrs Millicent Fawcett said ‘now is the time for efforts and self sacrifice by every one of us to help our country.’ Both the suffragists and suffragettes suspended their campaigns. They saw this as their patriotic duty. It also gave an opportunity to asset women’s rights by making themselves indispensable to the war. Therefore many women entered the war with great enthusiasm. This gained the suffragettes and suffragists much more support and sympathy from the politicians, more so than any of their campaigns ever did. It was one of those rare moments in history where a grass roots movement of immense power and energy meets a sympathetic politician with similar interests.
The war required many men to discard their livelihoods and jobs and enter world of warfare, where each day was an extra day of hope for survival and victory. Thus a vast amount of women were needed to do these jobs. Between 1914 and 1918 an estimated two million women replaced men in employment. As a result this increased women in employment by 13 per cent. The war had made it acceptable for women to work in munitions, collieries, shipyards and brickyards. Some women took on highly- skilled jobs such as lathe operators and engineers. In numerous professions women were resented because with no training females had done jobs which previously considered skilled. Therefore countless males refused to instruct women and discredited their effort. Women at every station had proved themselves equal to men during the war effort. Women took on tasks that were prohibited for women before the war. Such as heavy factory work, driving huge vehicles, arduous agricultural duties Dr. Butler said ‘women should not be prevented from doing any work they are fit for.’ There was nothing by the end of the war women couldn’t do to keep a country running smoothly.
However the first two years of the war proved to be far more difficult. Women witnessed the suffering and anguish of men as they had not done in previous wars. Due to this there were over a hundred deaths from TNT poisoning as well as various other illnesses. Women working with explosives developed coughing, swellings and burns. Therefore new sets of regulations on safety and health were installed. These included cleanliness, ventilation, washing facilities and appointed full- time medical officers. Women were frequently expected to work over time and paid bare- time rates for their hard work. Meals were often taken in the horrid atmosphere of the work place. It was common for several women to be lying ill due to feverish illnesses. However women never complained or whined about the inconveniences or health hazards but accepted their situation. Women were satisfied to be an asset to the war efforts. The majority of men respected women’s attitude and gained major support for their actions.
Conclusion
Without the faithful preparations of the ground over, many years and the militant campaigners revolutionising the stereotyped image of women, the war alone would not have produced the crop.. The suffrage movement was a combination of the peaceful methods of the suffragists and the militant methods of the suffragettes. Without one another the full effects would not have been gained. The suffragists produced the foundation in which the suffragettes built upon using modernised and radical methods. Without the militancy the suffrage would have been simply ignored, also if there was no foundation the suffrage would not have begun in the first place.
Whist there was a common enemy women and men united in Britain’s hour of need. 1916 Glasgow Herald ‘If victory was to be won men could not afford to hem women with the old restrictions.’
