La Belle Époque, Suffrage

Women’s Rights Roots in Chartist Movement 1857: Women can divorce and sue husband 1882: Married women can own property Suffragist societies form in the 1850s – Women discuss political issues The “Suffragette” emerges in the 1870s – Radicals

Women’s suffrage Late 19 th & Early 20 th Century Millicent Fawcett ( ) – National Women of Women’s Suffrage Societies – Women can get the vote if the are respectable and responsible – Traditional English liberal tactics (petitions and polite conversation) Or the other way…

Emmeline Pankhurst * * Her husband & children were all involved in the suffrage movement. * They became militants & were arrested and imprisoned. * 1917: She and her daughter, Christabel, formed the Women’s Party in 1917: – Equal pay for equal work. – Equal marriage & divorce laws. – Equality of rights & opportunities in public service. – A national system of maternity benefits. –

Women’s Social and Political Union [W.S.P.U.] Used public gatherings, marches Hunger strikes

Advertising the Cause

Suffragettes When the liberal ways didn’t work they turned to terrorism and civil disobedience Arson, vandalism, planting bombs Hunger strikes in jail Forced feeding and the Cat and Mouse Act (1913) – helped to do in the Liberal Party

Cat and Mouse Act British gov. afraid to use violent tactics against educated women During hunger strikes, force feeding was not used. When they were at their weakest, they were released. – If they died out of prison, this was of no embarrassment to the government. – Most were so weak that they could take no part in protests When they regained their strength, they were re-arrested for trivial reasons and the whole process started again.

A suffragette on a hunger strike in prison being force-fed

Use of Violence “There is something that governments value more than human life. That is the security of property, so it is through property that we shall strike at the enemy.” Burned churches, vandalized neighborhood shops, homes of MPs were bombed, golf courses destroyed Only WWI stopped the violence.

Emily Davison (1913)

“Educated Women?” The first martyr: 1913 The Derby incident Harmed the cause. – Men asked: if this is what an educated woman does, what might a lesser educated woman do? – How can they possibly be given the right to vote?

Propaganda against Women’s Suffrage

“Women of the Past, Women of the Future”

Representation of the People Act (1918) Women largely got the vote as a result of their economic independence from war-time jobs (First World War) Further rights were achieved after further economic gains are made after Second World War * Women over 30 got the right to vote. * All men gained suffrage. – Property qualifications were completely eliminated! *Reform Act of 1928 – Women over 21 years of age gained the right to vote at last

Even in France... (Women earn right to vote in 1944)