The changing role and status of women Flashcards
(38 cards)
Overall what were womens advancments like?
Women first got the right to vote at 30 in 1918, and at 21 (equal w men) in 1928.
Failed to get genuine poltiical voice
did take on a huge role in WW2, butnot until 60/s70’s until huge advacaments made.
Overall what were political and economic changes like from 1918-1929?
. In the decade after WW1 many women became accustomated to new political rights, and could enjoy consumerism.
. Experience of women in workplace was still bad though.
what was voting/enfranchisment like for women?
In March 1918 the PEOPLE REPRESNTAATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT, enfranchised women over 30 if they were married to a member.or memeber of a gov register, or a graduate.
. meant only respectable women were enfranchised, and they contributed to 8.4 million voters.
in the same act men pushed to 21 (if women same they wouldve had majority vote)
working class women didnt get vote until representation of ppl act in 1928.
What were employment opporutnities like for women during thw war?
Many made consierable gains in workplace
women worked as drivers signallers, nurses on western front
1914, there was a large female industrial workfroce with 200,000 in metals and chemical, rose to 1 million in 1918 (Working in explosives as well)
What did the decade after ww1 see for employment opportuntities for women?
. many advacmenents were overturned as wartime employment shortilives
return of men forced women out of workplace
gov introduced dilution agreement w trade unions in 1914 saying skilled workers who went to fight in france could only be replaced by semi skilled women if:
. the employment lasted as long as war did
. new workers would not be able to profit from war and not have higher wages
due to this , after war, employed women went back down to 1914 levels (around 5.7 million)
what was traditional/normal ‘womans work’ seen as for up until like 1930’s.
. seen as working in seervice (maid./cook/cleaner), for working class women. unpopular form of work but other opporutntiies were limited cuz of prejydice.
in 1920s, clear gender roles in employment, with women in factory work or clerical work if educated.
clerical work was biggest growth area for female employ,ent in 1920s, with 1 million as clerks/typists by 1921.
other opportunities was sweated labour in the light manafacturing that developed after war (still poorly paid).
. also some women worked from home, baking, bewing, sewing etc.
evaluate the role of the middle class women/suffrage movements achievements.
Suffrage campaign that led to the representation of people act in 1918 was carried out by educated middle class women
Idea that uneducated working class women have a say in the running of country was a radical view.
there was some advacnments for universtiies accepting woman (due to the sex disqualifaction act 1919 which stopped barring a career in law on basis of gender), meant more women could apply to jobs.fields.
hwoever, there were not huge improvements yes the civil service was open to women but not overseas.
teaching was common profession but they had to leave if they got married.
married women expected to stay home.
what were politics like for women during interwar period?
women faced prejudice in politics ( only 5% of MPS were women in 1930’s)
. they had restrictions like not using commons during dining room.
. labour party was a huge promoter of social reform, so attracted more woman then other parties (1ith 150,000 joining from 1918 to 1924), but sitll only 9 labour MPS in interward period.
women were more influential at a local level, with servicing as councillors or focusing on education/social issues.
How did, during ww2, the role and job of women massively increase
. with demands of war meant more women involved from 1939-1945
by 1944, 80,000 women worked on farms
worked in muniton factories/aricrafts
had non combat roles like drivers cooks, clerks, in air force, army, navy
worked as translatros to break enemies code, maybe evn as spies.
How did the worlld war two years bring practical benefits to lives of women?
many paid better cuz of their employment
had new skills/confidence
many reached high levels of importance
womens started being posted overseas
some even worked alongside women !
overall what happened from 1944-1951 in terms of economic advament of women in job and what the govenrment wanted?
at end of ww2, gov hoped that women iprovement during war wouldnt stop the roles of wives and mothers.
. they offered fewer inducments to encourage women not to stay in workplace.
. women that remainded worked feields only for women.
1951 86% of women were in industries like nursing/factory work/waitressing.
What new laws were implemented in 1946, which allowed women to keep working after getting married (economic adcament from 1944-1951)
before 1944, most women had to give up work after they were married- or a marriage bar was applied.
from 1946 major employers removed the requirment for women to leave their jobs when they got married:
. teaching profession stopped in 1944
. civil service stopped in 1946
. bank of england stopped in 1949
However, despite economic advancment, why did some women still want to abandon work after marriag?
however, some women still wanted to end jobs after married (inheriting old gen views)
they had:
. a desire to end work after marriage
. wanted extra income to keep working
. most women didnt see work as an imporant part of their identity.
minority of women who wanted to make economic advancment seen as unusual.
overall, what did economic advanmcnet from 1951-1979 look like?
end of marriage bar meant more and more women worked.
until late 1950s unequal pay was still the norm, women recieving on average 40% less money than males.
in 1958, civil service intoduced equal pay for all amployees, but there was no gov legislation until equal pay act of 1970.
What was the equal pay act of 1970?
In 1959, labour party made a manifsto commiting to equal pay, but it took until 1970 for it to become law.
. it was passed because equal pay was a requirment to joing the europoean economic community.
the law came into effect in 1975 (making unequal pay illegal).
What was the sex discirmination act of 1975?
established EQUAL OPPORUTNITIES COMMISSION by labour to ensure fair employment + legal protection for women against discirmination.
also established tribunals to deal with workplace sexual harrasment.
legilstation made discrimantion harder to happen, but they still faced prejudice, with many still believing their primarly rules was as wives AND MOTHERS….
it was due to this the second wave of feminism had to occur…
What was the Dagenham sewing machinists strike in 1968?
Managment at ford motor company in danegham paid female sewing machinists 15% less in wages than men, who did the same job
women went on strike for three weeks.
there was a deal negotioning that increased their wages by 7%.
one of the main reasons for the equal pay act of 1970.
what were politics for women like from 1945-1979 (was there any advancmenets)
did not progress a lot
female mps numbers stayed between 20-30 throughout the period due to prejducice.
. thatcher was one of the most high profile victims of prejudice, as she found it diffucult to be chosen by assoications cuz o her gender.
. women in parilimaent were rarely selecTed for cabinet posts.
overall were their political and economic achievments for women?
in law, yes there was equality leading to some changes in status. there were also some changed in terms of family life/personal freedom.
what was family life and personal freedom for women like in 1918-1939?
womens role and status in society remained unahcnged
homemakers with husband at head of household
few gains in women having control over family life
women had acess to greater freedom though but little change for working class.
What was divorce like 1918-1939?
in 1934 the issue was revisited, first in a satircal novel that said (ap herbert)
an unhappy married couple could not obtrain divorce, violence or smth had to happen
. couples had to go to court to divorce
attempts to prove adultery was ridiclous with private detictves even being hired.
herbert became an mp and campaigned for divorce law form…
1937 MATRIMONIAL CAUSES ACT, allowed divorce if either partner was unfaithful– had large public support but opposed by both churches.
before, divroce petitoons were below 5,000, by 1951 rose to 38,000
with the whole abdication crisis, divorced women became stimatized with attituses changing.
what was the issue with birth control from 1918-1939?
in 1921 dr marie stopes founded the first birth control clinic in london, but any health workers that directed patients to her clinic were sacked.
some people said these clinics were filthy, and doctors were critical.
in 1927, labour party voted for a resolution against allowed local authority funding for birth control clinics…
but by 1930, gov decided it was only acceptable for clinics with mothers who alr had one child/it would damage their health
1930 church of england allowed married members to use birth control methods.
in 1930 medical council allowed doctors to give contracpetion adive (only to married couples)
working class women who did not have national health insurance, did not benefit from this advice and had to rely on local councils
contracpetive cap,s condoms othr birth control could be bought from barbers/chemistshygeine stores.
Who was doctor marie stopes?
a botanist who converted to the idea of birth control in 1915.
she believed woman should be freed of constant birth, and sex should be enjouable
she believed in eugenics which said wasteful ppl shouldnt be allowed to breed.
she thought poor also deserved contraception.
how did self expression look like for women from 1918-1939.
advances in legal/political right mirrored how they expressed themsleves.
because ww1 men shortage, young women lived single lives and found new freedoms in 1920s
clerical job rise in interward years let to more consuermism for women
young women rehected fashion of covering the entire body, and wore shorter skirts (flapper look).
