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All of the above factors played a part in the change in attitude towards women. However, some of them were more important than others; Womens work in WWII, Articles and Magazines, and the campaigning of the suffragettes, among many other reasons which were also equally important. But the most important and a key factor that links all of them together, was the increase in womens confidence and assertiveness, without which nearly all of the other factors would not be possible. Womens work in World War One is one of the most important reasons to why attitudes changed. While the campaigning of the Suffragettes put across a largely unpopular message, when the war struck in August 1914, strangely enough, all the women who strongly believed in the Suffrage Regime dropped their ideas and campaigns to help the country. This was an excellent turning point; it showed that even if women were individuals and had their own beliefs, own personalities, they were patriotic and were willing to help the government and serve their country.
These women were also working-class women which showed that it was not just the upper class that were being considered. This gave their image a considerable boost. The war also helped women to nearly completely show that they werent just housewives who had to look pretty and look after their children. Since the men were at war, the women took up their jobs, and supported their families. They proved that they could do the jobs as well as -and much better- than the men. In 1918 The National Employers Federation compared the output of men and women; this showed that in nearly all areas of work, womens output was better than mens, for example, in sheet metal quantity produced, they equalled 99 % production of the mens, and the quality was much better.
This helped raise their esteem even more- the government saw that they were skilled and had something to prove and were as important to the war effort as the men- the government was a coalition government. There were also many jobs created in this time for women, for example, Florence Nightingale set up a school for nurses in London in 1860 after her experience in the Crimean war, where she found military hospitals dirty and unhygienic. She helped improve sanitation and hygiene in hospitals, but did not set up a school for women to become doctors. She was definitely central figure, and has gone down in history because of her pivotal role.
But there was also a more dangerous and terrible side to all of this. However, this also benefited them in the long run. Many women died working in dangerous conditions such as shell production for the war. During the first two years of the war, there were 100 deaths from TNT fumes and other illnesses. This sort of danger and sacrifice shocked many people, and turned public empathy toward them- if they showed that they were willing to die for their country and serve it well, why werent they allowed to have their say? By 1918 there was some sort of representation in the government for women.
All of this links back to the key factor; it gave them confidence and assertiveness to know that people viewed them as valuable members of society, and a sense of fulfilment, because they were serving their country in the time of need. This helped them speak up and out over many issues in the years that followed. Articles and magazines link in with the work in WWI. It is nearly as important, because without articles and magazines, all the work women had done would not be known to Britain, and nearly all of their campaigns or sacrifices would not have had that much attention. But this could swing either way, and the media were divided in that part, many were anti, and many were pro. One thing that cannot be denied is that they brought a lot attention to this debate.
One of the reasons that Articles in Newspapers were so important was because of the range of people who read them. Many key politicians found out what was happening through the newspapers. The Articles in newspapers are linked to the suffragettes; their campaigns were made even more publicised. Magazines were also used by women to gain support and to provide something that was not controlled by men. For example, the English Womans Journal was formed in 1858 by Barbara Leigh Smith and Elizabeth Rayner Parkes after Parkes had had an article rejected because she was a woman. This empowered women and encouraged them to listen to the others who wanted change, and it attracted attention.
However, most of the magazines and articles were established by upper-class women who were educated, so they did not have reflected the opinions of all women. There were other ways it was biased. Many of the Newspapers publishing articles on this issue were run by men. This meant that most newspapers were completely against the idea of giving women the vote. Whoever read the paper would see one side of the argument, not both. Perhaps the newspapers that remained neutral were the ones that provided the best insight into this movement.
However, Articles and magazines inspired many women to write and talk about their own views. It also raised confidence in education and the need to do things other than being a housewife- in women. A great example of that is Caroline Norton, who became a literary success from 1829 - 1867. Even if most articles etc.
were read by of the upper class, it helped women feel like they were being heard, and raised their confidence, linking them to the key factor, to use different methods to show that women were equal to men. If not all this Articles and Magazines turned a lot more publicity towards women, without which events such as the suffragette movement may not have been so important. The Suffragette movement was mainly responsible for focusing the spotlight on womens rights. This linked in with the Work in WWI and the articles and magazines, were part of the key reason attitudes changed towards women. The Suffrage movement was effective because it showed women in a completely different light. Before this, women were expected to be timid, docile, and mild mannered.
They were expected to look beautiful and to stay at home with the children; at let the men do the work. They had to be dedicated to their husbands and to the family, and not to have any say. This is shown in paintings by Diego Velzquez, who depicted beautiful, thin, red haired and pale women being exactly what men wanted them to be. When it was formed in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters (WSPU), there was increasing frustration in the upper class because the suffragist movement was not making a mark. Thus their motto became Deeds not Words. They realised that women needed to do something other than peaceful protesting and began create a much more physical approach.
In some way, they were the worlds first terrorists. The Suffragettes were very violent. They did things such as break windows of important parliament officials, and chain themselves to the railings of parliament. This shocked many people, because many people thought that women were not capable of such anger and opposition.
However, this both had its pros and its cons in changing attitudes. Many newspapers, linked to articles and magazines, were anti-suffrage. This meant that most people (including politicians) were seeing the bad side of this campaign. But more peoples empathy turned toward them when tales of mistreatment were beginning to surface. Things such as force feeding in prisons, when women were arrested a number of times and refused to eat, to make a point. It became a successful business.
They set up a shop to help raise funds, and printed simple posters that all women especially lower class women- could understand. They showed they were willing to be as aggressive as men to get what they wanted. And the men did not like it. However, as with all violence, there was a danger of going too far.
And that is exactly what happened. In 1913, 500 MPs voted for them. By 1918, this had decreased by over 20 %. Women involved in this campaign were losing track of why they were doing it. Politicians were getting tired of it, and the public were becoming indifferent. A good example of how far women went was in 1913, when Emily Davison grabbed the reins of the Kings Horse in the Epsom Derby, and was trampled beneath its feet.
She died a few days later, but the public had no empathy, and condemned it as the act of a mad woman. What may have been considered both a good and bad thing was when Mary Richardson slashed the Rokeby Venus by Velzquez in 1914, because it depicted how a woman was supposed to be, in a mans eyes. However, when WWI struck, the suffragettes gave up their campaigns, and went to work to serve their country. This showed that even if they were violent, they were patriotic and were willing to help their country.
Above all, the suffragettes opened doors for women, because nothing could have been worse than some of the campaigns they held. Women realised they could be heard now, and that they had a part to play. The suffragettes paved the way for womens equality, even if they did not win in the end; they certainly helped raise confidence and assertiveness in women. All of the factors link into one that is the most important, Confidence and assertiveness in women. Without the confidence of a few certain individuals, women could not have achieved as much as they have. Each event that happened in the process, WWI, the suffragettes, helped to show women that they did not have to keep their views to themselves.
Because someone else had spoken out, more began to do so, and this affected the whole movement. This newfound confidence in themselves also helped the factors above. It helped them go to work, and to write articles etc. It also helped them in all areas of society. And many became famous for their effort in the process. For example Josephine Butler, she crusaded against state regulation of prostitution, white slave traffic and against the Contagious Diseases Acts of the 1860 s which stipulated that women living in seaports and military towns could be examined for venereal disease, and eventually won her case.
Annie Besant, who established the first Womens Trade Union. Emily Davies, who improved inequality in higher education- and caused Cambridge to accept women for the first time in 1948. And Elizabeth Garrett Anderson- the first female doctor. All of these people did what they did because they were confident and willing to be assertive. Overall, the increasing confidence and assertiveness of women changed attitudes towards them by 1920.
However, there were many factors not mentioned, such as the Suffragists, who were on the sidelines making a difference- perhaps even more so than suffragettes. A good example is Millicent Fawcett who was a key suffragist, partly responsible for getting women the vote, because of her political connections and her peaceful means. Also the fact that the government of Britain in WWI was a coalition government, making it easier for women was important. Another factor was the pressure put on Britains Government by other countries who had given women the vote, such as Finland and New Zealand. But all this was affected by the confidence and assertiveness of women, and by 1942, when the UN was established, womens rights and equality was put on the international agenda, and on the map.
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