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Assess the view that there was little significant change in the political and social status of
women in the later 19th Century.
During the later 19th Century, women were beginning to challenge their political and social
status, through many political campaigns such as the Matchgirls’ Strike and work of the
NSWS. At the beginning of this time period, women were seen as inferior and unequal to
men. This is because, politically, they had very little influence in trade unions and political
parties and, socially, they were confined to their domestic role as the ‘Angel in the House’.
Harrison argued that the ‘Women Question’ was being debated so the political and social
status of women was being challenged. Steinbach then follows this argument by stating that
as a result of this, there were more opportunities for women, particularly in politics, such as
their work as Poor Law Guardians. There were some changes in the political and social status
of women that were seen in their role in politics, suffrage campaigns, trade unions,
employment, family life and education such as through the Education Act, 1870, Married
Women’s Property Act 1882 and the work of SPEW. However, these changes did not
improve the political and social status of all women as class also had an important impact, for
example, it was middle-class women who led suffrage campaigns. Additionally, many new
opportunities for women reflected their domestic role instead of their improved political and
social status. Lewis and Rendall also argue that these changes reinforced gender divisions so
they were unequal with men. Therefore, there was little significant change in the political and
social status of women to a large extent.
There was some significant change in womens’ role in politics but it was reflective of their
inferior role and status at the time. For example, while political parties founded groups such
as the Primrose League 1883 (Conservative) and the Womens’ Liberal Federation 1896
(Liberals), they were established to encourage women to participate in politics and these
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groups had very little influence over party policy. Women organised the social aspects of
politics such as picnics but because they didn’t have suffrage, it was unlikely that they able to
exert as much political influence as men could. This reflects their inferior political status.
Although some women did take part in canvasing, this was seen as an extension of their
charity work and as a result of the Corrupt Practices Act 1883, they were not paid.
Nonetheless, they were starting to have an active role in politics generally as a result of their
participation in political organisations. For example, during the later 19th Century women
started to work on School Boards and as Poor Law Guardians. For example, Lydia Becker
was elected to the Manchester School Board in 1870 where she criticised how girls’
education focused on the domestic sector and argued that boys should be taught skills such as
darning and cooking. This suggests that there were improvements in their political status
because women such as Lydia Becker were influential in promoting feminist policies that
would improve the political and social status of women. These changes were also implied in
Louise Creighton’s memoir, when she wrote;
as time went on and women joined the Primrose League and Liberal and other
political associations and took and active part in political work generally, I came to
see that…. they had better have…the vote.1
This shows that there was movement towards a significant change in womens’ participation
in politics because they could influence changes in education, resulting in many women such
as Creighton deciding that ‘they better have…the vote’. Creighton was initially an anti-
suffrage as she had worked with Mrs Humphrey Ward from 1889 in the anti- suffrage
movement. In 1906, her views changed, and she decided to support the movement for
women’s suffrage. This suggests that she saw that there was little change in the political and
social status of women, even though they had an active role participating in politics.
Creighton also co-founded the National Union of Womens’ Workers (NUWW) in 1885,
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Creighton, L. Memoir of a Victorian Women; Reflections of Louise Creighton (John Weiley and Sons,1994)
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