Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Why did women get the vote in 1918?
- The pre-war campaign
- The suffragettes and suffragists had made it a key political issue
- There had been no pre-war campaign in France
- Women did not get the vote despite working in factories and supporting the war effort
- Changing attitudes of Politicians
- Pre-war opponents could use the events of WW1 as a reason for changing their minds
- All men would get the vote in 1918 - this gave them the opportunity to give some women the vote
- In 1916, The Speaker's Conference was set up to come up with an acceptable solution
- The role of women during WW1 was crucial
- Nearly 1 million women were working in the munitions' factories by the end of WW1
- They produced 80% of shells used by the army
- They had to work long hours in dangerous conditions
- The 'canary girls' - because TNT poisoning turned their skin yellow
- The Women's Land Army
- Replaced the Farm Labourers who went to war
- This was vital in keeping Britain fed during the war
- Serving in the military - women played a vital support role
- The VAD - Nurses
- Women's Army Auxiliary Corps
- Women's Royal Navy Service
- Women's Royal Air Force
- 1918 Representation of the People Act gave 8.4 million the vote
- It gave women over the age of 30 who were a householder or married to a householder the vote
- BUT
- Many who worked during the war were under the age of 30 so didn't get the vote
- 22% of women over the age of 30 were disqualified from voting because they didn't own enough property