Though everyone has heard of the suffragettes, they were not the only group seeking votes for women in the lead up to the First World War. The Suffragettes were known for violent means of campaigning, including breaking windows and bombing politician’s houses, while the Suffragists, led by Millicent Fawcett were much more peaceful.
Both Suffragists and Suffragettes were pleased when Herbert Asquith was elected Prime Minister in 1908 as he had previously promised to give women the vote. It was short lived, as he went against his word and the Suffragists turned their attention to the Labour Party instead. No significant progress was made in women’s rights until the outbreak of the war in 1914.
Campaign halted
Once war had began, the Pankhurts and the Suffragettes called for a halt to activities and rallied behind the war effort instead. Fawcett and the Suffragists chose not to help with recruiting bodies for the army, instead choosing to raise funds for women’s hospitals in France and setting up work for unemployed women across Britain. The key difference between the two factions was their stance on the war. Though the Suffragists supported women’s participation in the war, they did not support the war itself, instead seeing it as an opportunity for women to prove their worth. They also continued to peacefully campaign for women’s suffrage, unlike the Suffragettes who halted campaigning completely.
Women’s roles during the war
Between 1914 and 1918, while the war was actively taking place, an estimated 2 million women replaced men providing employment in a range of industries.
Later on, David Lloyd George would replace Asquith as Prime Minister and his stance on women having the vote was a lot more favourable. The combined effort of the women of Britain during the war years and his support of their campaign led to the Representation of the People Act 1918, which allowed women over the age of 30 who owned property to vote. Though this was only 40% of the female population of Britain, it was still a victory for both the Suffragettes and the Suffragists. In 1928, voting was widened to women over the age of 21 under the Equal Franchise Act.