". . . The pre-war suffrage movement paved the way for votes for women"

It is useful to establish the social political and economic position of women in the years leading up to 1914.  In the 1850`s, a steriotypical view of the family life existed in Britian which centred on the middle class conception of the family, which was the dominant male figure of the family being the proctector, breadwinner and dicision maker and the wife viewed as a carer for the family.

  Education was fairly poor for the women, their school curriculum was restricted so they were taught how to cook, sew play the piano and read in order to prepare them for marriage.  Also the majority of males did not like their wives to be clever or well educated as it made them feel intherior and stupid. Victorian Britian was very much male dominated within the family, however social and economic changes occured from 1850-1914 which resulted in significant advances for women and altered the balance of power between men and women.  By the late 19th century, new forms of employment began to emerge for women such as dressmaking, shop assistants and clerks.  Technological change also occured for example the development of shorthand, duplicating machines and type writing had led to office work.  Between 1870 and 1914 there was a dramatic increase in female membership of  trade unions and in 1874 the womens trade union league was set up .  It was evident that women were increasing in economic importance.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

  Educational  advances also came with economic advances, which included Queen College founded in 1848 as a teacher training insitution for women .  Academic schools.soley for girls for example Chaltenham Ladies College were built.  Emily Davis, a feminist whose aim was to bring girls education up to the standard of boys campaigned for the right of admission for women into universities.

  Jemmima  Clough, another femenist also set up  Newenham  Hall a womens college.  Emily Davis had an uncompromising attitude whilst Jemmima Clough was a graduist.  From this we can identify early signs of the Suffragist/Suffragette distinction.  

  By 1900 a  small number of middle class women  were