Votes for Women

 

A talk by Prof Paul Ward (Edge Hill Uni)

Votes for Women – votes for which women? Patriotism and domesticity in the First World War.

In 1918, women were granted the right to vote in general elections. It seemed like a reward for the patriotism of thousands of women active in the war effort against Germany – the women who worked in munitions, engineering and transport. Instead these women, mostly under 30, were excluded from voting. This talk discusses the women who stayed in the home, who coped with food shortages and who knitted socks for soldiers. It argues that these women prompted the government to pass votes for women: a reward for domesticity to counter the potential disruption that might follow the war.

Paul Ward is Professor of Public History and Community Heritage and head of department of English, History and creative writing at Edge Hill University.  His research explores Britishness and other identities in the UK since the 19th century … and much else.