The Struggle for Womens Rights in the World War I - Essay Example

How did women get their right to vote? Was it due to the World War I or the Suffrage Movement? Introduction: The struggle for women’s rights is a long history; the right for equality in general can be traced back to the French Revolution of the 18th Century; then came lot other social movements and uprising such as feminism, women’s property rights, and equal rights for women in education, employment and wages. Right to vote is one of the critical women’s rights that had been fought for and was established in many countries all over the world. There had been many social movements and protests for women’s suffrage; there had also been social changes that facilitated suffrage. So, some believe that the World War I is the major reason for women suffrage and few others believe that the suffrage movements played the key role. The suffrage movement: The suffrage movement in itself represents a broad range of protests and social movements and had people of both gender with varying views. For instance, Emmeline Pankhurst, who led the Women’s Social and Political Union in 1903, was one of the leaders of suffrage movement and an English political activist and was so militant in the approach. There were diverse views about the “woman’s place” the different groups fought for. Some of them strongly felt that women were naturally kind and weak, and that these qualities may contribute towards political agenda and policies that have a great bearing on household, children and other social safety. They felt that they might have a civilizing effect on political affairs; for example, laws regarding alcohol or child safety, can be best supported and decided by women. A few others voiced for suffrage based on their strong belief in equal rights and woman’s role. They were against any discourse that listed any natural role for women, rather supported the idea that men and women are equal and capable of same things. While such groups were led by their ideologies about women, other supporters of suffrage were guided by the opinion that all adults have franchise irrespective of class, gender or race. A significant section felt that women suffrage can cancel the votes of men belonging to lower class or non-white race. Each political activist group working towards women suffrage had its own ideology but working towards the same end. Suffrage basically revolved around the idea of human rights and equality. The history of suffrage movement goes back to 1800’s when, the first women’s rights meeting was held in Unites States and this was followed by the rising egalitarian or democratic spirit among women. However, it was the Nineteenth Amendment that secured voting rights for women in United States, which was almost seventy years later. The movement originally started as the black suffrage movement and worked for the fifteenth amendment. However, later, in 1848, Woman Suffrage Association identified the bias in the Constitutional Amendment, which described the citizens as male and did not include women. The movement continued under different leaders for seventy year period until 1913 when Alice Paul founded Congressional Union and were so militant in their approach and activism. Large marches and protests brought the suffrage movement again under lime light. The Association finally pushed a suffrage Amendment in 1916. A million signatures were collected on the petition and suffrage received media attention. Finally in 1919, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed and adopted. The suffrage movement in itself was a history of protest marches, awareness campaigns, struggles and demonstrations, jail sentences and sufferings. Many ordinary women also participated and went to jail. World War I and women suffrage: World War I, or the Great War made a huge difference to the lives of everyone, with women as no exception. Women had to take up jobs in industries, when men went to war. They also played important roles in the war, supporting the army in various ways. The suffrage movement, at this juncture, insisted that women’s role in war should be acknowledged and women be given political equality and therefore suffrage. It was so influencing that the then president Woodrow Wilson said in his speech on September, 18, 1918 that “we have made partners of the women in this war. Shall we admit them only to a partnership of suffering and sacrifice and toil and not to a partnership of right?” Refering to human rights women’s suffrage petition for the Nineteenth Amendment was passed and it was successful and sent to the various states. Finally, with one deciding vote in Tennessee, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed on August 26, 1920 and was declared a law that women could vote in the following fall elections and in the Presidential election as well. In 1948, women suffrage became an international law as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed. Since then many countries have accepted women suffrage. What is the main reason for women getting the right to vote? The suffrage movement with its long history of struggle was able to successfully persuade the government, its president and all state legislatures and governments to support women suffrage in 1916. However, many strongly believe that the movement has nothing to do with women suffrage, but it is the Great War that played a major role in giving women the right to vote. The reason they have is that Woodrow Wilson was pleased and convinced only with the role women played in the war. So, without the war, that would not have been possible. However, historians, for example, Martin Pugh, say that it is all just a coincidence that the women suffrage law was passed in 1916 and the war happened during the same time. Some historians agree with Martin as they think that the role that women played just reinforced the suffrage movement that had been going on for a long time even before the war and all the hard work and struggle paid off only after the war. It has also been recorded that the bill was passed for vote in 1911, three years before the war, but failed to receive sufficient votes. However, women suffrage received only 22 votes less than what it had when it became successful later. So, it is clear that the war had done nothing so significant to bring about a huge change in the attitudes or to be the most significant cause behind women suffrage. The suffrage movement had laid strong political foundations and things very similar to political lobbying long before the Great War. In addition, the government would have got so worried about a possible unrest after the so turbulent Great War. If similar arrests of women of suffrage movement continue after the war, then this might lead to a political and social instability something very similar to that which was experienced in Russia during that period. So, the government did not want to take any risk. It would have decided to stop all this protests and social upheavals by saying a yes to the women suffrage. However, even in the above case, it is not the war but the force and power, the activism of the women suffrage movement that became successful forcing the government indirectly to action. Though women’s role in the war was so important and cannot be ignored, it was not the primary reason for the success of women suffrage in 1916. Interestingly, as a research notes, the Great War could have only worsened than increased the possibilities of the success of the women suffrage: From 1910 to 1913, two issues dominated British politics: the clash between the Lords and the House of Commons and the continuing rise of militancy by the Suffragettes. The death of Emily Wilding Davison at the Derby in 1913 seemed to many to show that the very fabric of society was at risk as this was seen as a direct attack on the royal family. With churches and politicians attacked, a bomb being placed in Westminster Abbey etc. many feared that the violence of the Suffragettes would get worse (World War One and Women). However, as against the fears, the suffrage movement channeled its energy into the war related work. In fact, if it had wanted to create more pressure, it could have done it during the war. But it was not considered necessary as already there was enough pressure created that made the government aware of the movement and afraid of it. This is what proved more helpful in the success of women suffrage. Conclusion: As discussed, suffrage movement was more powerful in influencing the government decision to make women suffrage successfully accepted. Though women played an important part in the war and appreciated for that, it only supported or reinforced the suffrage movement and was not the only best reason for the success. Also, there were other social reasons even before the war that prevented women from getting their right to vote, such as their class, education and gender, which was fought against by the social suffrage movement. It pleaded for equality irrespective of class and gender. The war did not teach anything about this, but only emphasized what the movement already had been saying. So, I think that the suffrage movement was the most important reason for women getting the right to vote. References World War One and Women (2009). Historylearningsite. Online. Retrieved 10 Dec. 2009 from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/world_war_one_and_women.htm Read More