The first women in Australian that were able to vote were in South Australia, in 1895 , and quickly, other states and territories followed. This leap in women’s rights changed Australia into a nation of equality, and moved the nation into the next stage of cultural independence. Vida Goldstein was a Victorian citizen who followed in her mother’s footsteps in becoming a social reformer and a suffragist. She was firmly encouraged by her parents to become educated and independent, and this led her to become the leader in Victoria for women’s equality. She was an excellent public speaker, and this enabled her to grasp her audience and effect and change their opinions on women’s equality. Although she was campaigning for overall women’s equality, her main priority and passion was achieving women’s right to vote. She regularly stood for parliament, and in 1902 she helped in gaining women the vote. Even though Vida stood for parliament on many occasions, she was …show more content…
The suffragettes petitioned for equal rights for women in the workforce, due to the inequity of pay and the lack of female employees. In the 19th century, women counted for only 20 percent of the people in the workforces, but were slightly higher in urban areas, raising to 30 or 40 percent. Most of these women worked in factories or on farms, while the others stayed at home, cleaning and looking after the children. The suffragettes lobbied for women to have higher standard jobs and jobs with higher statuses that were usually given to men. Through the two World Wars, women were expected to join the work forces to claim the men’s positions, but were also expected to drop their jobs when the men returned . Through this, society was shown the capability of women and their desire to succeed. As society has changed, women in the workforce have changed as well. Women are now seen in a lot more key positions, but not as much as
In addition to this, unions of the time also continued this movement as predominantly male trade unions began to accept female members. (Fieldes, 2013) This left-wing source possesses bias that places disproportionate emphasis on the importance of unionisation, yet still remains relevant. However, this movement towards liberation experienced widespread traditionalist opposition, one such man writing to the Argus, “Would they [women] not be better fitted for jobs too often held by men in the city shops?” (Guthrie, 1941, pg 7) Despite aforementioned opposition, the movement for equal pay and opportunity for women flourished. Women were greatly liberated from previous roles during World War Two as their increased financial equality allowed for greater freedoms, including the foundation of auxiliary
“Began her life of activism touring England. Matters was an extremely prominent member of a critical mass of people agitating for women’s suffrage. Spent an entire life acting upon deeply held principles. These involved gender equality, universal access to education and a career open to talent.” (Muriel Matters Society.
Before the suffrage movement, women in the United States were largely confined to traditional roles and had limited opportunities for active participation in public life. A significant number of women became engaged in the fight for women's suffrage and other social causes. Women like Jane Addams who say that women should be granted the right to vote because they care the most and do the most. In “Ballot Necessary for Women”, she states “Logically, its electorate should be made up of those who can bear a valiant part in this arduous contest, those who in the past have at least attempted to care for children, to clean houses, to prepare foods... ”Her point is that women already do so much hard work for the world, they should be qualified enough to partake in voting.
They saw no reason to withhold rights from the opposite sex when they did the same things that men did. When some recognized these issues, they sought to fix them and henceforth created a new standard for ladies – a new way to be considered proper. As this era continued, women’s rights were leaps and bounds ahead of where they had previously stood; however, even by 1897 there was still an issue that had to be tackled for the ladies (see Document 6). The right to vote was endlessly sought after since it would be the only way for women to protect their other newly-gained rights. Ladies continued to protest, lobby Congress, and go on hunger strikes to draw attention to and reach their goal.
In the year of 1873, Susan B. Anthony had been arrested for casting an illegal vote at the last presidential election. This time period was known as the Women’s Rights Movement. Many women were beginning to acknowledge that they were treated unfairly by society’s standards against them, and had began to stand up for themselves and their fellow women. At this time, women were not allowed to vote. Most were stay-at-home mothers because men did not find them suitable for most jobs the men accommodated, and society discouraged them from even getting a real education.
Women’s Issues Have you ever wondered what life would be like today if there was no suffragette movement? Well the 1900s was the decade of the suffragette movement! After fighting for rights since the 1889 women were finally granted the right to vote in 1902, making Australia the first country ever to let women vote, later in 1903 the Women's Social and Political Union (Suffragettes) was formed. In 1903 Alfred Deakin became prime minister, Women voted for the first time and four women stood for the senate.
When she first started public speaking, Nellie McClung spoke of her success as an author, but later went on to speak about the suffrage movement and trying to encourage people to join and support the cause of improving rights for Canadian women. One of her most famous speeches was in 1914, called, “should men vote?” This speech was delivered by McClung at the ‘mock parliament’, which was performed by a group of the suffragettes. Nellie McClung used her humor to effectively get the message across to the audience. When she delivered this speech it was a huge turning point for the suffrage movement.
Document 4 shows a petition made by the London Workingmen’s Association in an attempt to, “enact that every person producing proof of his being 21 years of age shall be entitled to have his name registered as a voter.” In 1838, the time that this petition was created, it was mainly nobles and upper class citizens who had the right to vote, so it makes sense that the working men of Europe wish for male suffrage because then they have the ability to elect people whom they believe will better improve their lives. Document 5 introduces a woman activist, Flora Tristan, who wants universal working rights for all citizens in the, “universal union of working men and women.” Document 8 introduces another woman activist, Pauline Roland, who claims that, “as soon as a woman comes of age, she has the right to arrange her life as she wishes.” Women have historically been undermined in the working society through such laws as the Factory Law or the Mines Act, which left women without work or having less hours.
Once the First World War started in 1914, many men went off to fight leaving a shortage of workers in factories, shops, and manufacturing companies. Women helped fill the void by taking jobs as workers in various fields. Many women manufactured weapons and ammunitions to help with the war effort. Women who worked during the war were paid exceptionally less money than men who worked those same jobs. The lower pay was frustrating for suffragists, but not a huge concern of the government at the time.
Women participated in the military services, got the education to work in skilled labour so that they did much better than before and received popular recognition step by step because of their own hard work. “You learn a lot from living in with a group of girls; we were all much enriched by the experience. Better people for it. You were not just yourself, you behaved, became party of something much bigger than yourself.” Sheila McClemans in Patsy Adam-Smith Australian Women at war said.
It was an enormous social change for women to take part in public decision making, and gave them a voice to abolish unjust laws. The suffragettes in Australia argued that they were intelligent enough to vote, that it was unfair for them to be taxed without representation, and that they were equal to men therefore should have equal rights. In contrary, the suffragettes’ opponents alleged that women already had indirect power through manipulating their husbands and father’s voting choices at the ballot box, that women were equal but different and that women could not fulfil the duties of citizenship therefore should not vote. The suffragettes encouraged people to sign their petition, as well as held meeting and debates in order to gain supporters. Women in Australia used civil methods of protest, and didn’t adapt the more radical methods used by suffragettes in other countries.
The issue of women’s rights and how different societies and cultures deal with it had been on the table for many centuries. In the United States of America during the 1800s, women began to move toward and demand getting equal rights as men, they decided to speak up and fight for their stolen rights. In the 1960s, continued working toward their goal, women broadened their activities through the women’s rights movement which aimed to help them in gaining their right to receive education, occupy the same jobs that were once titled only for men, and get an access to leadership positions. The women’s rights movement has a great impact on women today, although it started a long time ago, but it did not stop and women are reaping their fruit today,
Finally in 1920, the nineteenth amendment was presented and allowed the women in the United States the right to vote (Kirk, G. & Okazawa-Rey, M. (2013). When thinking about how the women felt about not be able to speak up with voting situations is horrible. We are truly blessed that there were women who spoke their mind and changed the women’s lives for the
Women. Women’s involvement in the working world have contributed to many items that would be missing from the world today; if they had not been allowed to work.. Women have struggled with sexism in the workplace since before they were even given the chance to try to work. They were taught from a young age that their job was to provide children, cook, and clean for their husbands, while the husband worked and provided the money. What men did not know however was that women were capable of so much more(Jewell, Hannah).
A woman was fundamentally not a citizen, as she held no say in the election of Parliament, the passing of Legislation and also the legal right to vote. The first flyer subject by the Victorian Women’s Suffrage Society during their movement for the enfranchisement of women, gave examples of when women were considered to be citizens and when they were not. An example of this is: 'Are women citizens? Yes, when they are required to pay taxes. No, when they are asked to vote '.