Britain Enfranchises Women
The enfranchisement of women in Great Britain marked a significant turning point in the nation's social and political landscape. On February 6, 1918, the Representation of the People Act was enacted, granting voting rights to women over the age of 30 who were either householders, married to householders, or university graduates. This achievement followed decades of activism by the British suffrage movement, which included notable figures like Mary Wollstonecraft and Emmeline Pankhurst. Pankhurst and other suffragists employed various strategies, including civil disobedience, to advocate for women's rights, facing arrests and societal pushback along the way.
The onset of World War I played a pivotal role in shifting public attitudes toward women’s suffrage, as women contributed significantly to the war effort, fostering a sense of unity and recognition of their capabilities. The first election where women could vote occurred on December 14, 1918. However, the initial voting rights were limited and conservative compared to those granted to men. It wasn't until 1928 that the voting age for women was equalized with that of men, and further adjustments in voting age occurred in 1969, lowering it to 18 for all citizens. This gradual expansion of suffrage highlights both the struggles and progress in the pursuit of gender equality in Britain.
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Britain Enfranchises Women
Britain Enfranchises Women
Women in Great Britain received the right to vote on February 6, 1918, some two years before their American counterparts, with the adoption of the Representation of the People Act of 1918 by Parliament. The grant of suffrage to British women was limited, extending only to women over the age of 30 who were householders, wives of householders, or university graduates. Meanwhile, virtually all British men who could satisfy a minimal residency requirement were allowed to vote at the age of 21.
This grudging extension of the franchise was the result of decades of struggle by the British suffrage movement. An early British feminist was Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–97), who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, first published in 1792. The first British suffrage association was formed in 1865, and in 1897 suffrage organizations across Great Britain united in the National Union of Woman Suffrage Societies. One prominent leader, Emmeline Pankhurst, became so impatient with the pace of reform that she organized a militant splinter group to engage in controversial tactics, such as picket lines, boycotts, and civil disobedience. She and other feminists were frequently arrested and punished, but it was the onset of World War I and not the British police that put an end to their provocative activities.
During World War I British women, including the suffragists, made enormous contributions to the nation's eventual victory. Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act of 1918 in large part because of the sense of wartime unity, widespread recognition of the role that women had played in the struggle, and a more positive popular attitude toward feminists, thanks to their cooperation in the war effort. The first election in British history where women could vote and run as candidates for office took place on December 14, 1918. Nevertheless, theirs was still a very conservative enfranchisement. In 1928 the voting age for women was lowered to that of men and all other differences between the sexes in qualifications to vote were abolished. In 1969 the voting age for both men and women was lowered to 18.