Attitudes Towards Women

Very few women worked - less women had jobs. Victorian women took their own brand of morality into the homes of the poor  The idea that women would get married and the men would take care of them. Before the 1882 Married Property Act, when a woman got married, her wealth was passed on to her husband, even if she worked after marriage, her husband would earn her wages.    Upper and middle class women were seen as dependent on men. It was hard for them to get a divorce, but men could easily get a divorce (Matrimonial Causes Act 1857), looked at adultery.

Queen Victoria was seen as the 19th century icon of middle-class femininity and domesticity Women were expected to stay at home and motherhood was seen as their main objective, domesticity and motherhood were seen as a main role. Women were expected to have a moral duty towards their husband, families and society. Living and working based on evangelical beliefs about the importance of the family, the constancy of marriage and woman's innate moral goodness

Clothing represented a woman's social status during the Victorian period, and was highly contrasted among the different social classes – so attitudes towards women were also based upon what they were wearing Upper Class Clothing Lower Class Clothing A woman's role was also to sew their clothes, lower classed women would use cotton as it was cheaper. While upper class women used silk, which was more expensive Upper class clothing became more elaborate and expensive

Married women could not own property and became a chattel for the man. If a woman was divorced they were not accepted back in to society. Whether a woman was married or single, they were expected to look weak or helpless. And look like “fragile delicate flowers, unable to make decisions” Also, if a Woman had a lover it was not to be made public, as it was unacceptable for women to have lovers in society – they were meant to stay faithful to their husband, even if he had a mistress

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