Why did it take so long for women to receive the vote?

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Why did it take so long for women to receive the vote?

INTRODUCTION

The struggle for the vote was only one part of the struggle to improve the social economic and political position of women. The struggle to obtain these rights had been ongoing since the latter part of the 19th century and was to continue up to and beyond 1928, when women received the same voting rights as men. To understand why it took so long for women to receive the vote it is essential to look at the social, cultural, economic and political standing of women. This is because it was the entrenched values and social standing that actually infringed upon women's rights and also held them back. Inevitably it was these values of 'Britishness' that prevented for so long women achieving the vote.

One of the main obstacles to women gaining the vote in the 18th and 19th century was the fact that women were not educated. How can uneducated women expect to know about politics or the great affairs of state? This in itself seems a contradiction because society prevented women from being educated. The majority of women during the 19th century could not go on to study higher education as poverty dictated otherwise. Middle class women during the mid 19th century were prevented from studying at university and college. The Taunton commission also investigated the provision of education in girl's schools and highlighted the inequalities in the curriculum. Girls for example were only allowed to study things like sewing, dancing, languages and etiquette and more importantly how to be a good wife. Women therefor were born and educated into a life of subordination. The capmaign to change this came from women like Jemima Clough and Emily Davis, both had differing approaches but wished for the same thing equality in education. Their campaigns were successful in turning round the provision of education for girls and after the first women's teaching college was opened up (Queens College London) in 1867, numerous colleges followed suit. Women were now able to penetrate traditional male professions like teaching, medicine and the law. The inevitable result of this was to increase the demands of the feminist movement as a whole. Now that women were educated women began to question the traditional conventions that had held them back. Women's societies grew in number and women now wanted the vote.
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Legally women were no better off during the 19th Century. The view was that women didn't need the vote as they would only vote as their husbands told them too. Women had little if any legal rights during the mid 19th century, so clearly campaigning for the vote would be out of the question. Women were regarded as the property of men once married all their belongings were now their husbands. Women had to put up with all forms of domestic abuse and could not get divorced unless cruely and adultery was proven. Once again however by the ...

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