The Main Problems Facing Women in the Years 1860 - 1902

The Main Problems Facing Women in the Years 1860 - 1902

The problems that faced women in this period were all due to a

discriminatory attitude towards them, in all aspects of life.

As children, females did not have access to a very good education, as

the woman's place was in the home, with education reflecting this

view. The main subjects that girls were taught were those on a

domestic level. Before 1870 however, working class girls would be

taught to work in factories or were taught in charity schools. It was

only after 1870 that education became more like it is today, but the

subjects taught were often needlework and cookery, effectively the

girls were being taught to be the traditional wives. Most middle class

girls would be taught at home, usually by a governess, again to be

wives. Therefore, women were not allowed to enter any form of further

education, due to the fact that men believed that they wouldn't need

extra schooling to become wives.

Due to this lack of schooling, women could not get any sort of decent

work. Many were domestic servants, or did textiles as in school. Other

than this, women did unskilled jobs, all with little pay, and

whichever job they worked, they would only get half of what a man

would earn for the same job. There was a lot of inequality in this

way. Due to this lack of pay, women found it hard to cope, and so it

seems that marriage was the way to live, with a husband who could

provide for his wife's needs.

Once married, women effectively became the property of their husbands,

with a husband owning all his wife's money, (but also having to pay

debts) if they were living together or not. Women could be locked up,

beaten, and treated extremely harshly. Marital rape was legal, though

1884 brought an act, which meant that husbands could not lock up their

wives if sex was refused. And it was acceptable for men to have sex

with others whilst married; yet it was extremely wrong for a woman to