In 1893, women in New Zealand were given the right to vote for the first time.
This raised hopes in the America that the same could happen there, and it also brought
light to the fact that women were being treated as second class citizens, much like in
the rest of the world. By 1990, only women in New Zealand, Australia and four of the
United States were women allowed to vote.
In 1792, a book entitled ‘Vindication of the Rights of Women’ written by Mary
Woolstonecraft was published. It challenged the idea that women were being treated
as inferior to men, a view that has existed for years. Fewer women stood and
supported their opinions though, as the ‘male-dominance’ was a very strong part of
their culture at that time. Also, between the times of 1860 and 1890, women began to
gain more rights, including the Married Women’s Property Act and the Local
Government Act (mentioned above). In 1897, the House Of Commons voted in favour
of a Bill supporting votes for women, although this was not passed until many years
later, it suggested that equal voting was achievable.
Social standings for women had greatly improved by 1900, as they were now
able to vote in local elections if they were property owners, and they were not
subjected totally to their husbands. This provoked more feelings that women were
entitled to voting, as in 1894, a petition concerning women suffrage gained ¼ million
signatures. In 1870, the Education Act stated that all children were entitled to
elementary education, and, in the same year, University attendance rose. This caused
the idea that women were not educated enough to be entitled to vote to be
disregarded. Also, it provoked many women into believing their new skills and talents
were being wasted and ignored.
In 1867, working class men were given the right to vote, and in 1885, to
farmers and agricultural workers. This caused women to believe they were being
deliberately discriminated against, merely fuelling their anger and frustrating them
more.
Several pro-Women vote figures also came to light, including Political
Philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, as well as Orator Henry Hunt.
Because such strong, male, respected figures were supporting womens rights, many
believed that the idea of equal rights was feasible, and continued their quest for the
Civil Rights Bill that would declare them that. Eventually, in 1907, this Bill was
passed, giving women the right to vote.
This is by far the strongest point in the Women Suffragette cause. Women had
no trouble in convincing other women that they deserved equal rights, but to have
strong, male figured supporting them as well made people take notice in their cause.
Also, as women needed male interest in their cause, as they needed their votes to give
them their Civil Rights, something that should’ve been declared long ago in the ‘Land
Of The Free’.
