“‘It Was the Militant Suffragette Campaign More Than Any Other Factor That Led to the Achievement of Female Suffrage in 1918'''

“‘It was the militant suffragette campaign more than any other factor that led to the achievement of female suffrage in 1918' How valid is this view?”

In 1850 women were without the vote and excluded politically, but by 1918 most women over 30 could vote and by 1928 all women over 21 were enfranchised on equal terms with men.
There is no doubt that the contribution of women's suffrage   movement – mainly the NUWSS and WSPU, are important in the campaign to get the vote for women. Hoverer, there were several other factors which led to the granting of the right to vote to women. Changing attitudes towards women as well as the importance of the contribution of women during the Great War must be considered.

In the 19th century many men saw women as inferior and they had very little, if any, rights. They owned nothing; their possessions were the property of their husbands, or fathers; Any wages they earned by their own hard work was the property of their father or husband and   women were not even able to have a divorce if they wished to. Most women lacked a decent education, most of them worked in factories or in workhouses and were denied access Schools. Even the few who were educated were denied entry into university and most jobs.   Women were not happy when the law turned a blind eye to certain things men did, yet punished women who did the very same thing. It was seen as acceptable for men to sleep with other women during their marriage and the wife’s were just supposed to accept it, yet women were supposed to remain virgins before marriage and stay faithful during marriage.

Women were often seen as irrational, emotional and not suited to politics. Politicians argued that women would simply vote as their husbands told them – or they would vote for the best looking man. It can be noted that not all men   were against votes for women. In 1867 John Stuart Mill MP for Westminster, tried to get votes for some women included in the 1867 reform act. His suggestion...