OCR History GCSE – How was British society changed, ?

  Women paid same rates and taxes as men  Britain would not be not a true democracy until women could vote  Many women were already involved in politics at a local level  Votes for women would improve life for all women  Lots of other countries permitted women the vote (for example Australia and New Zealand) Arguments for votes for women

  Men and women have different responsibilities; women belonged in the home  Most women did not want the vote  Women were represented by their husbands  The current voting system worked – why change?  Women did not fight in wars and therefore did not deserve the vote  Giving the vote to women would mean giving the vote to all men, some of whom were not worthy  Women were irrational and would not vote wisely  Family life would be disrupted  Women lacked logical power because they are guided by the womb Arguments against votes for women

  Also known as the NUWSS – the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies  In 1897 the various societies were linked together by Millicent Fawcett  It was a national, democratic organisation and so made the women’s movement far more powerful  By 1914 it had more than 400 members and over 100,000 branches  They kept the issue of female suffrage in the public eye  Membership was mostly made up of middle class women, but men were allowed to join as well  They were very good at propaganda – produced newsletters and posters  Held large rallies such as Hyde Park Demonstration in 1908 The Suffragists

  Also known as the WSPU – the Women’s Social and Political Union  Founded in 1903 by Emmeline, Christabel and Sylvia Pankhurst  Leaders were not elected by members, the group was very much controlled by the Pankhursts  Impatient with peaceful methods of suffragists, and frustrated with their lack of progress  Decided the only way to achieve female suffrage was direct action  Men were not allowed to join The Suffragettes

  In 1905 Christabel Pankhurst attended a Liberal Party meeting and began shouting  She was then removed by a policeman, before punching him and having to spend 7 days in prison  They began in 1908 to break windows in Downing Street and chaining themselves to railings  On 4 th June 1913, Emily Davidson threw herself in front of King George’s horse at the Epsom Derby, she died four days later The Suffragette’s Direct Action

  NO:  Did not achieve vote by 1914  Their violence turned some MPs off the idea of female suffrage  Their violence proved that women were not responsible enough for the vote  Some women were turning away from violence  YES:  Kept the issue of female suffrage in the media spotlight  Many people admired their willingness to suffer for their cause  The idea of women having the vote became less strange over time Were the suffragettes effective?

  Prisoners stopped eating, thus winning sympathy  Authorities started force feeding them, however this was seen as cruel and inhumane  In 1913, the Cat and Mouse Act was introduced:  Women were released from prison when they became very ill  They were rearrested and imprisoned again once their health had improved Hunger Strikes

  Yes, despite women being no closer to achieving the vote in August 1914, the suffrage movement threw itself behind the war effort  Other women helped also  Women could not fight, but they could do other things to help, including:  Munitions work  Nursing, and driving ambulances on the front line  Land Army  Recruitment agencies Did women contribute to the War Effort?

  Throughout the war many women worked in munitions factories  This was dangerous work because there were possibilities of explosions and there were some adverse health effects  However, working in these factories gave women a chance for independence and a chance to earn money Women and Munitions

  Women did not fight in the trenches, but they were very close to the action  The British army opened many hospital units in France and Belgium which were staffed mainly by female nurses  Many women worked in soup kitchens for soldiers  The Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps was formed in 1918, these women worked as drivers, secretaries and officials on the Western Front Women on the Front Line

  Around 260,000 women worked on Britain’s farms throughout the war in the Women’s Land Army  This helped farmers to produce as much food as possible due to the food shortages Women’s Land Army

  There were many reasons why in 1918 women were given the vote  These votes can be put into three categories:  War  Campaigns  Other Why were women given the vote?

  The war proved that women were capable of surviving on their own  Women had now helped to defend the country  Government felt indebted to women  Women had shown that they were not emotional or irrational War

  The government feared a resurgence of suffragette campaigns  NUWSS continued their campaign throughout the war  Women had shown commitment  They raised public profile for votes for women Campaigns

  David Lloyd-George became prime-minister in 1916 and was more sympathetic towards women’s suffrage and supported it strongly  Reform was happening anyway- the war  Parties realised votes for women may increase their support Other