Changing Attitudes Towards Women

Society's views on women started shifting well before 1918, though painfully slowly. The Married Women's Property Acts (1882 and 1893) gave women control over their own money and belongings for the first time - imagine not being able to keep your own wages!

Education became a game-changer when universal schooling was introduced in the 1870s. Women began entering universities and landing 'white collar' jobs in law, medicine, and administration. This proved they could handle responsible positions and make smart decisions.

However, these changes weren't enough on their own. Women still couldn't get degrees (despite doing the work), and society expected them to quit their jobs once married. The frustration of seeing progress but still being held back pushed many women towards more dramatic action.

Key Point: Changing attitudes laid important groundwork, but progress was too slow for many women who wanted real change in their lifetimes.

The Suffragettes: "Deeds Not Words"

Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters led the most radical approach to winning women's suffrage. Their motto "deeds not words" meant they were done asking nicely - it was time for action that couldn't be ignored.

During their "wild period" (1912-1914), suffragettes cut telegraph wires, firebombed buildings, and even attacked Prime Minister Asquith whilst he played golf. When imprisoned, many followed Marion Dunlop's hunger strikes, leading to horrific force-feeding through tubes.

These extreme tactics created massive media coverage that forced the government to address women's suffrage seriously. The "Cat and Mouse Act" of 1914 tried to control suffragettes by releasing them when weak from hunger strikes, then re-arresting them when recovered.

The government's failure to control these determined women made them look weak and incompetent. To regain public support and show they were still in charge, politicians finally granted some women the vote in 1918.

Key Point: The suffragettes' willingness to break laws and endure brutal treatment proved women's determination and forced the government to act.

Suffragists, War Work, and International Pressure

Millicent Fawcett's suffragists took a completely different approach - peaceful campaigns, petitions, and education rather than violence. By 1914, they had 53,000 members showing there was huge support for women's suffrage. Their calm, law-abiding methods proved women could be trusted with political responsibility.

During WWI, women stepped into vital roles through the Women's Land Army and as "canaries" in munitions factories (nicknamed for their yellow skin from chemical exposure). The Glasgow rent strikes of 1915 showed women's political power when they successfully fought greedy landlords trying to exploit soldiers' families.

International pressure also played a role - countries like New Zealand (1893) and Finland (1906) had already given women the vote. Britain, calling itself the "mother of democracy," looked backward compared to these nations.

Yet French women contributed just as much during the war but didn't get the vote, suggesting Britain's decision wasn't really a "thank you" for war work.

Key Point: Multiple factors supported women's suffrage, but only women over 30 who owned property actually got to vote in 1918 - excluding many who'd contributed during the war.

Why the Suffragettes Were Most Important

Looking at all the evidence, the suffragettes were the most crucial factor in winning women the vote in 1918. Whilst changing attitudes, suffragist campaigns, war work, and international examples all mattered, none created the urgent pressure that forced government action.

The suffragettes' dramatic tactics - however controversial - generated massive publicity and showed women's absolute determination. When the government couldn't control them through imprisonment and force-feeding, it became clear that ignoring women's demands wasn't working.

The "Cat and Mouse Act" backfired spectacularly when suffragettes kept avoiding re-arrest, making the government look incompetent. Politicians realised they needed to grant the vote to restore their authority and public confidence.

Other factors were important but insufficient alone. Changing attitudes moved too slowly, suffragists lacked dramatic impact, and war work didn't guarantee voting rights (as France proved). The suffragettes created the crisis that demanded immediate political response.

Key Point: Sometimes peaceful progress isn't enough - the suffragettes proved that determined, disruptive action could achieve in years what decades of patient campaigning couldn't deliver.