This was actually a very important step towards women’s enfranchisement because during the war, women served the nation; doing factory work and men’s work in general. The fact that they were doing something useful to society served as proof that, contrary to the belief that women were “silly” and could not think for themselves, they could be a beneficial force in society. “The war emphasised the participation of women in the everyday life of the nation. It was obvious to all that women were driving vehicles, acting as bus conductors and filling many posts customarily held by men. As we might say today, women’s ‘public image’ changed and improved,” says Constance Rover, a historian.
“Women proved by their work during WWI that they deserved the vote.” How accurate is this view that women only received the vote because of their war efforts? Introduction: Notice the difference in debate and line of argument. By doing something like this, it immediately gives the impression of a top band ‘A’ essay. The line of argument is decisive and removes all ‘sitting on the fence’! This provides your essay with a clear, structured argument.
The peaceful campaigning of the suffragists’ was a key factor in women receiving the vote. The suffragists’ started the whole route of women gaining the vote; they were the ever moving force behind the movement. However historian Martin Pugh suggests that “Suffragists would probably have done better to have made common cause with all unenfranchised men and women from the start and thereby they might have extended their appeal” because all men had not yet received the vote it was argued that women should not receive the franchise when it was not fully given to all men. However there were other contributing factors leading up to 1918 and women gaining the vote. They include the work of the suffragettes’ who caused chaos and grabbed the spotlight away from the suffragists’ after a group of women decided it was time to make a militant stand.
She was seen as a heroine who had died serving her country. This defeated the previous argument against women’s suffrage that women did not serve their country and so should not vote. Thus, women were enfranchised partly by a nation grateful for their contribution to Britain’s victory in the First World War. Furthermore, women had demonstrated their resourcefulness, convincing some who opposed women’s suffrage that they deserved the vote. Public opinion had changed, becoming more favourable towards women’s
This period of time though was necessary to spark later movements for women’s rights. They learned of the freedom and independence they could have if they were to do things for themselves rather than doing what they were told to do with their lives. Just from seeing that production levels rose despite millions of men being called into the war proved that women could do as good of a job as men in these factories. Having black women in these jobs as well was a major step forward in the United States. The downside is that the economy could not sustain having jobs available for both these men and women once the men arrived back home from the war.
Before World War I, women had few rights. But their experience in the Great War changed that forever. Their views towards life changed or improved, and by the middle of the 19th century, women were demanding equality with men. They wanted the right to vote in elections and an equal chance to work and get educated. They also wanted the right to have their own possessions, to divorce their husbands, and to keep their children after divorce.
Driven also to change other laws that affected women, she earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1912. She was then appointed chair of the Congressional Committee of the National American Woman Suffrage Association I 1912. It campaigned for the passage of a federal amendment and for a time functioned concurrently with the new Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, founded by Alice Paul in April 1913. She strived for everything she believed in. Alice Paul paved the way for many women to believe that they equal to men and should have the right to speak out, vote do all the things men were able to do.
How did some women try to force to government to employ more women? Emmeline Pankhurst, a leading suffragette, campaigned vigorously with one of her daughters, Christabel, to have women more involved in the war effort. The Pankhursts organised “The Right to Serve” procession in 1915 in which 60,000 women took part. The government was soon forced to change its mind and allow women into industry and other traditionally “male” jobs. It was the only way to keep up production.
Fighting for a cause The women’s suffrage movement, symbol of nineteenth and early twentieth century feminism, is the one most visible manifestation of women’s emancipation. From the birth of the nation to a Constitutional Amendment passed in 1920, suffrage for women had been batted aside, ignored, criticized, and denied. Those who attacked women’s suffrage were attacking much more than the idea that women as well as men should enter the polling booth. Across America women living in the 1900’s were angry and tired of feeling betrayed and treated as an unequal second class citizen. However these brave remarkable women decided to take action that helped forever changed American history, the right to vote.
When we go back to 19th century that was the time when it was witnessed that the male suffrage was prevailing in a number of countries and women suffrage was not there and somehow it ignited a spark among women to fight for themselves and for their rights so that they could be treated as humans and not as animals. In the year 1893, women were able to achieve equal voting rights at national level in New Zealand. The same pattern was followed in Australia in 1902. However, in America, England and Canada women could achieve same voting rights only after the First World War ended. Then came into being the famous movement called The Suffrage Movement during which the women fought for their equal voting rights which all men were enjoying at that time because they were of the view that they were a part of the society too and they deserve all the rights to elect their representatives.