| We've come a long way |
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| Written by Mary Turner, 2006 | |
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Page 1 of 3 The lives of women changed more dramatically during the last 100 years than at any time in history. Mary Turner looks back at the 20th century.
As women living in 21st century Britain we have freedoms and opportunities denied to many women elsewhere and undreamed of by our female ancestors. We owe this good fortune largely to the women of the 20th century whose lives, struggles and achievements deserve to be celebrated. Had we been living 100 years ago our lives would have been very different. Then, women were second-class citizens with few rights and limited expectations. Their place was considered to be in the home and those from better-off families were not expected to go out to work. For those who had to work, opportunities were few and work was poorly paid. With nothing but the most basic education, the poorest had the choice of factory work or domestic service. For the more fortunate there was some shop and clerical work, teaching at a fairly low level and nursing. In most cases women were expected to stop work once they married whether or not they had children. Worse than women’s lack of opportunities was their inequality under the law. Many laws at that time discriminated against them. The divorce laws, for example, allowed men to divorce an adulterous wife, but condoned male infidelity by not accepting a husband’s adultery as sufficient grounds for divorce.  The WSPU periodical, Votes for Women, revealed the barbaric treatment of suffragettes by the prison authorities (1910) When Mrs Pankhurst formed the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903 with the slogan “Deeds not Words”, it was considered unseemly for women to speak at public meetings. After a few years of her influence, however, even the non-militant suffragists had changed their tactics. Becoming proactive, they campaigned for sympathetic MPs, held public meetings, leafleted the public and organised rallies. Power of the pressThe suffragettes in particular were vilified in the press and portrayed as ugly, frustrated and bitter spinsters. Even later history books have not been sympathetic. Yet whatever can be said of their tactics, their bravery cannot be denied. Files in the National Archives show that several were beaten and some were sexually assaulted by police during rallies. Many women went to prison for little more than obstructing the police, and some went on hunger strike for the right to be regarded as political prisoners.  Despite the Government’s continued refusal to grant them full citizenship, 20th-century women were quick to respond to the needs of their country when war broke out. In 1914 they called a truce and many volunteered for war work. In 1915 the Government approached Mrs Pankhurst, once regarded as public enemy number one, for her help in encouraging women to volunteer. Despite stiff opposition from the unions, women took on many jobs traditionally regarded as men’s work. They also joined the newly formed auxiliary services and many were sent abroad where they replaced men in non-combatant jobs. The war changed the way that many women perceived their abilities and roles. And although many had to leave their jobs when men returned to civilian life, few returned to their homes with their old attitudes intact. |
