Arguments For & Against Women Getting The Vote Flashcards
Why did women’s war work deserve them the vote?
Women’s war work proved they contributed just as much as men in defending the British empire
How did other countries argue for women getting the vote?
Britain was falling behind other countries. They had already introduced votes for women
Which countries had already had the vote?
- parts of Australia, America, New Zealand
Why couldn’t Britain call itself a democracy ?
Because 50% of the population couldn’t vote
What was the 3rd reform act 1884? How did justify Women having the vote?
- in order to get the vote you had to have a house
- a lot of women owned a lot of property
What role did women have in local politics ?
1907 all women that paid council taxes could vote in local elections
What were the problems women faced that they wanted to solve?
- marital rape was legal
- violence against women was common place
- when a woman was married she lost all property rights + child custody
- prostitution was a problem
What was the theory that many doctors & scientists believed ?
Women were irrational. They thought they were driven by their menstrual cycle and it would be dangerous to give them the vote
What was the ideology about separate spheres?
- men and women had separate spheres
- women at home looking after the children, men outside making decisions
What would happen to family life if women got the vote?
Family life would be ruined
Were all women interested in getting the vote?
No. A fair promotion of women weren’t interested in having the vote - getting the vote wasn’t the no.1 issue
Why did some men say women already had the vote?
Because men had the vote so did women - family vote as one
Why was women not fighting a reason against them having the vote?
Women didn’t fight in armies so they don’t help defend the empire so they don’t deserve a vote
Why was Britain being successful a reason against them having the vote?
Britain was the no.1 country in the world - don’t fix what isn’t broken
Give some stats to prove some women didn’t want the vote?
- 1908 women anti suffrage league formed
- mens + women league merged, 235 branches
