The changing role of women in political life revision

1. The changing role of women in political life revision How successful have women been in political life from 1900 to the present day? How successful have women been in gaining equal political rights from 1900 to the present day?

2. 1900-1945 How much success did women achieve in the fight for political rights in Wales and England in the early twentieth century? Suffragettes. Militant. Suffragists. Peaceful. Female MPS. 1918 Representation of the People Act. Female MPs a massive minority. 1928 Equal Franchise Act. In 1900 no women had the right to vote. Property owning men could.

3. 1960s – 1970s Have women benefited from UK government legislation since the 1960s? Feminist movement/ womens Lib. Sex Discrimination Act, 1975. Equal Opportunities Commission. Equal Pay Act, 1970.

4. 1979 – now! How successful have women been in achieving important political roles in Wales and England? More female MPs Welsh Assembly Government. Equal political opportunities? First female Prime Minister. Equal political rights with men.

5. How much success did women achieve in the fight for political rights in Wales and England in the early twentieth century? 1900-1945 Suffragists • National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) founded in 1887 by Lydia Becker. Replaced by Millicent Fawcett when Becker died in 1887. • The NUWSS wanted the vote for middle class property-owning women. • The leadership of the suffragists was exclusively middle class and could access men in powerful places. • Wanted the vote for middle class property owning women. • Used peaceful protest such as marches (Mud March), petitions, lobbying as Fawcett believed that if the organisation was seen to be intelligent, polite and law-abiding then women would prove themselves responsible enough to participate fully in politics. • Did gain some support but did not succeed in changing attitudes enough to persuade government to change the law.

6. How much success did women achieve in the fight for political rights in Wales and England in the early twentieth century? 1900-1945 Suffragettes. • Splinter group from NUWSS, the ‘Womens’ Social and Political Union’ was created in Manchester in 1903 by Emmiline Pankhurst and her daughters. • WSPU wanted voting rights for all women. • Used more militant tactics to scare government into giving women voting rights, such as smashing shop windows, attending high profile political meetings and interupting until they were arrested. • Their methods included arson attacks on post boxes, attacks on famous paintings, digging up or pouring acid on golf greens and bombs placed in empty buildings. • When they were sent to prison many went on hunger strike in the hope of becoming Martyrs to their cause. Under the ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ the government began force feeding women. • On 4 July 1913, which was Derby Day at Epsom, Emily Davidson threw herself in front of the King’s horse and later died from her injuries. • WSPU’s tactics got much publicity and some sympathy but many in government saw these women as mentally unstable or terrorists.

7. How much success did women achieve in the fight for political rights in Wales and England in the early twentieth century? 1900-1945 1918 Representation of the People Act. • After Suffragettes agreed to support the war effort the government gave some voting rights to women at the end of the war. • The 1918 Representation of the People Act gave women of property over the age of 30 the right to vote. • Women who qualified to vote could now stand as MPs. • 8.4 million women were now eligible to vote. • The act also gave men over the age of 21 the right to vote. (19 for men who had served in the war) • Educated middle-class women had gone into white-collar work after 1920 and many lived in rented property away from their parents as a sign of their independence. Therefore they were not property owners and did not qualify to vote in general elections.

8. How much success did women achieve in the fight for political rights in Wales and England in the early twentieth century? 1900-1945 NUSEC • In 1918 anew organisation called the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship was established. As well as advocating the same voting rights as men, the organisation also campaigned for equal pay, fairer divorce laws and an end to the discrimination against women in the professions. • Eleanor Rathbone succeeded Millicent Fawcett as president of the new body. Later that year Rathbone persuaded the organization to accept a six point reform programme. • Equal pay for equal work, involving an open field for women in industry and the professions. • An equal standard of sex morals as between men and women, involving a reform of the existing divorce law which condoned adultery by the husband, as well as reform of the laws dealing with solicitation and prostitution. • The introduction of legislation to provide pensions for civilian widows with dependent children. • The equalization of the franchise and the return to Parliament of women candidates pledged to the equality programme. • The legal recognition of mothers as equal guardians with fathers of their children. • The opening of the legal profession and the magistracy to women.

9. How much success did women achieve in the fight for political rights in Wales and England in the early twentieth century? 1900-1945 1928 Representation of the People Act. (Equal Suffrage Act) • The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928 widened suffrage by giving women electoral equality with men. • It gave the vote to all women who paid rates to the local government on the same terms as men. This meant they had to be over 21 years old, regardless of property ownership. • In 1929 Margaret Bondfield became the first woman cabinet minister when she was appointed Minister of LABOUR.

10. 1960s-1970s Have women benefited from UK government legislation since the 1960s? Feminism • Feminism is the view that women are inherently equal to men and deserve equal rights and opportunities. Feminism strives for political, social and economic equality for women. • Feminism was promoted through the women’s liberation movement which started in America and soon spread globally. • The first ever National Women's Liberation Conference took place at Ruskin ­College, Oxford, between 27 February and 1 March 1970. • It achieved many goals through direct action and pressure-group lobbying, mainly in the English-speaking world and in Europe. Issues included not only equal pay and equal legal rights, but campaigns against rape and violence against women, pornography, and other cultural attitudes – for example, sexist language – that exploit women. • The Women’s Liberation movement was important because it made thestrugglefor women’s rights and the status of women into important issues world-wide since the 1960s. The Women’s Lib movement led to 1975becoming International Women’s Year and to 1975-1985 becoming the UN Decade for Women. The movement united women in their demands for equal pay, equal opportunities, free contraception and abortion, and an end to discrimination and intimidation.

11. 1960s-1970s Have women benefited from UK government legislation since the 1960s? Equal pay act 1970 • The Equal Pay Act 1970 makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate between men and women in terms of their pay and conditions where they are doing the same or similar work; work rated as equivalent; or work of equal value. • The Act applies to both men and women but does not give anyone the right to claim equal pay with a person of the same sex. In other words, any comparison must be with a person of the opposite sex. • The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1970, when the pay gap between men and women stood at 37%. By the time the Act came into force in 1975, it had closed to 30%. • The Equal Pay Act gives men and women the right to equality in the terms of their contract of employment. It covers both pay and other terms and conditions such as bonus payments, holidays and sick leave. • The purpose of the Equal Pay Act 1970 is to eliminate discrimination between men and women in terms of their pay and contracts of employment where they are doing: • • work that is the same or broadly similar; • • work rated as equivalent under a job evaluation study; • work of equal value in terms of the demands made on them under headings such as effort, skill and decision-making.

12. 1960s-1970s Have women benefited from UK government legislation since the 1960s? Sex discrimination act 1975 • The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA) offers protection against unlawful discrimination to both men and women. • It makes sex discrimination unlawful in employment, vocational training, education, the provision and sale of goods, facilities and services, the management and letting of premises and the exercise of public functions. • In employment and vocational training, it is also unlawful to discriminate against someone on the grounds that a person is married or a civil partner or on the ground of gender reassignment.

13. 1960s-1970s Have women benefited from UK government legislation since the 1960s? Equality and Human Rights Commission • The EHRC was established in October 2007 with a broad remit. It replaced and took over the work of the Equal Opportunities Commission (1975), Commission for Racial Equality and Disability Rights Commission and was also given responsibility for promoting equality and tackling discrimination in respect of age, sexual orientation and religion or belief, promoting good relations between groups, and providing institutional support for human rights. • The Equal Opportunities Commission’s role, as the independent statutory body on gender equality for Great Britain until 30th September 2007, was to promote equality of opportunity for all men and women and to eliminate sex discrimination and discrimination against transsexual people. Its initial role was to ensure that - • Women’s economic potential would be realised, leading to higher productivity. • Equal pay. • A family-friendly economy. • Equal choice in education, jobs and leisure. • Proper rewards for skills in areas of work where women predominate, including the care sector. • Equal power for women and men.

14. How successful have women been in achieving important political roles in Wales and England? 1979 – now! Women in Parliament • Out of 648 MPs at Westminster only 144 are female. This only equates to 22%. • Of the twenty two key members of the cabinet ministers of the current government only four are female. That only equates to 18%. • The highest placed woman in the British government is Theresa May who holds the post of Secretary of State for the Home Department. • These figures would suggest that although women have the same political rights as men in England, they do not have the same political opportunities.

15. How successful have women been in achieving important political roles in Wales and England? 1979 – now! Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) • Women in the Welsh Assembly Government make up approximately 50% of the A.Ms • The Welsh Assembly Government attempts to ensure equality of representation between males and females. • There were more female voices at the assembly than at Westminster. • Since May 2007, 47% of AMs are women. At Westminster 19.5% of MPs are women. In the first Welsh assembly, elected in 1999, 40% of the seats were held by women. In 2003, this rose to 50%. • This would suggest that in Wales women have equal political opportunities with men as well as equal political rights.

16. How successful have women been in achieving important political roles in Wales and England? 1979 – now! Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) • First, and only female Prime Minister of England. • Longest serving non wartime Prime Minister of the twentieth century. • She was in office for 11 years and 209 days.

17. How successful have women been in political life from 1900 to the present day? (10 +3) In 1900 not very... Some progress made by Suffragettes and Suffragists however no progress until WWI led to 1918 Representation of the People Act, however... 1928 guarenteed equal political rights. However... WLM did lots to promote further gender equality such as... However... The Sexual Discrimination Act was very useful in assisting women to be successful because... In the Welsh Assembly government women have been very successful because... Despite the appointment of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 women have not been very successful in political life in the latter half of the twentieth century because... In my opinion I believe that women have/not been very successful in political life because...