Exploring Why Women Failed to Gain the Right to Vote Between 1900 and 1914
During the period of time 1900 to 1914 there was a revolution in
society. Within the patriarchal society of Britain where a women’s
place was in the home, there was a new movement; women wanted
suffrage. These ‘new’ women faced a number a barriers, one being the
skeptism of government. After they weren’t granted suffrage in
November 1911 the WSPU (Women’s Social and Political Union) started to
make its own barriers by starting violent protests.
Before 1914 Women had always been second place, they were seen as
decorative items that would obey her husband and have food on the
table when he required it. Women could be punished for petty offences
chosen at will by men. This patriarchal society which had existed in
Britain for hundreds of years made it harder for women trying to gain
suffrage; this society is depicted in the spheres of influence where a
woman’s place was in the home. Motherhood was portrayed as a
sufficient job and lifestyle. These constraints in society kept women
far away from the public sphere and working jobs. This was a long term
cause in why women didn’t get the vote, it was important because when
women tried to gain the vote it was seen as shocking and the
government wasn’t prepared to give women the vote immediately because
it was such a revelation in society, this was a huge barrier for women
trying to gain suffrage to pass.
Throughout the demonstrations there was fierce government opposition.
An important factor was that government was preoccupied with other
issues. For example although Irish Nationalist party MPs were
supportive of suffrage they voted against the bill because they
thought it would take attention away from Ireland. The main reason
Government was against the bill was that in 1911 women were a majority
of 53% of Britain’s population and the Liberal government didn’t want
to be the ones who gave women the vote in case something went wrong.