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Women's Suffrage Movement Overview

Women were not allowed to vote or be members of parliament in the 19th century in the UK. In the late 19th century, organized groups campaigning for women's suffrage began appearing. The suffragists used peaceful tactics like lobbying and petitions, while the suffragettes led by Emmeline Pankhurst used more extreme tactics like hunger strikes and property damage. Their militant campaign gained momentum in the early 20th century. World War I suspended some protests, and women's support for the war effort gained them recognition. The Representation of the People Act of 1918 and Equal Franchise Act of 1928 gradually expanded voting rights to some and eventually all women over age 21, matching the rights of men.

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201 views2 pages

Women's Suffrage Movement Overview

Women were not allowed to vote or be members of parliament in the 19th century in the UK. In the late 19th century, organized groups campaigning for women's suffrage began appearing. The suffragists used peaceful tactics like lobbying and petitions, while the suffragettes led by Emmeline Pankhurst used more extreme tactics like hunger strikes and property damage. Their militant campaign gained momentum in the early 20th century. World War I suspended some protests, and women's support for the war effort gained them recognition. The Representation of the People Act of 1918 and Equal Franchise Act of 1928 gradually expanded voting rights to some and eventually all women over age 21, matching the rights of men.

Uploaded by

dalia Hagry
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Votes for Women

Did you know that, unless you are a member of a bill to give women equal voting rights to
the House of Lords, serving a prison sentence or men. This was rejected by 194 votes to 73.
under 18, you are eligible to vote in this year’s Consequently, the movement for women’s
general election? We are very lucky to live in suffrage (the right to vote) began to take
a democracy where everyone is allowed a say shape.
in who governs our country. However, this was
not always the case. The Suffragists and the Suffragettes
The suffragists came into being after Mill’s
The 19th Century rejected bill and campaigned into the late 19th
Before 1918, women were not allowed to vote century. In 1897, the National Union of Women's
or stand as members of parliament. This was Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) was formed under
because women at this time were viewed as the leadership of Millicent Fawcett. They fought
homemakers and it was presumed that their for voting rights for middle-class women who
Emmeline Pankhurst
husbands would take care of political and owned property. They used peaceful methods
financial matters for the family. However, these such as lobbying MPs, organising petitions and
traditional roles began to change when the nonviolent demonstrations. Millicent Fawcett and decided to break from the NUWSS and
industrial revolution meant more women went strongly believed that law-abiding, behaviour form their own more extreme group. This was
out to work and met in large organised groups was vital if the group was to convince parliament led by Emmeline Pankhurst. The group became
to discuss social and political matters. that women were intelligent enough to vote. known as Women's Social and Political Union
(WSPU) and its members were referred to as
Votes for Women! By 1900, the group had made great progress. ‘suffragettes’, a name disparagingly given to
Organised groups campaigning for women’s A number of bills proposing votes for women them by the London Daily Mail newspaper. The
voting rights started to appear from 1866. gained a great deal of support in parliament suffragettes, however, gladly took on this name.
By 1888, women could vote in many local – though not quite enough to be passed. By They were mainly young, working-class women
council elections – but still not in general 1903, some women had become impatient who lived up to their motto of ‘deeds, not words’
elections. In 1867, John Stuart Mill proposed with the law-abiding tactics of the suffragists with their increasingly violent action.

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Desparate Measures Girl Power
From 1912, their campaign became more The outbreak of the First World War in 1914
extreme as they increased their use of methods prompted the suffragettes to suspend some of
like law-breaking and hunger strikes to further their protests to help the war effort. This gained
their cause. The women disrupted political them more support and proved that the women
meetings, attacked politicians, broke windows were rational enough to be able to vote.
and committed acts of arson. One woman,
Emily Wilding Davison, threw herself in front In 1918, the Representation of the People
of the King’s horse at the 1913 Derby. She died Act allowed some women over the age of 30
five days later without regaining consciousness. who owned certain types of property to vote.
To deal with hunger strikes, the government However, it was not until 1928, when the Equal
passed a law which became known as the ‘Cat Franchise Act was passed, that all women over
and Mouse Act.’ This allowed women to be 21 were able to vote, giving them the same
released from jail when they were in danger of voting rights as men.
dying from starvation, but allowed them to be
re-arrested as soon as they regained strength. In 1969, the voting age for both men and
women was lowered to 18. It remains this age
today.

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