Who Won Women the Vote in Early 20th Century Britain?

By: G. Florenzano

​During the 19th and early 20th centuries, men in the UK had the right to vote, but women did not. There was no reasonable justification for this, which led to widespread revolt and disbelief among many women, including Queen Victoria, who called the fight for women’s rights a “mad, wicked folly”—despite being a powerful woman herself!

As a result, many women began campaigning for women's rights, focusing primarily on the right to vote. This movement became known as the suffragist movement. There were two main groups that protested for women’s suffrage: the suffragettes and the suffragists. These groups had distinct approaches and tactics for drawing attention to the cause.

The suffragists, led by Millicent Garrett Fawcett, were more focused on gaining the vote for middle-class, property-owning women and believed in peaceful protest. Fawcett believed that if the organization was thoughtful, intelligent, and law-abiding, they would win the respect of Parliament and, over time, be granted the vote, rather than using radical tactics.

On the other hand, the suffragettes, led by Emmeline Pankhurst, had a different approach to protesting. Pankhurst, a former member of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) and a staunch supporter of women’s suffrage, grew frustrated with the suffragists’ methods. She established the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was more inclusive and welcoming of women from all backgrounds. From 1905 onwards, their campaigns became increasingly aggressive. Their motto, "Deeds Not Words," reflected their radical approach, which included breaking windows, planting bombs, handcuffing themselves to railings, and going on hunger strikes—all in the pursuit of women’s right to vote.

The suffragettes were so determined to bring about change that many were arrested for their law-breaking actions and ended up in prison. While in prison, they went on hunger strikes, and to prevent any suffragette deaths, Parliament introduced the “Cat and Mouse” Act. This act allowed hunger-strikers to be temporarily released from prison until they recovered, at which point they would return to protests before being re-arrested. In 1913, suffragette Emily Wilding Davison tragically died after being trampled by the King’s racehorse. While it is unclear exactly what she intended to do, it is believed she was trying to pin a suffragette banner to the King’s horse, once again fighting for women’s rights.

During World War I, both Emmeline Pankhurst and Millicent Fawcett temporarily halted their campaigning and encouraged women to join the war effort in the spirit of national unity. The war itself was a pivotal moment in changing women’s roles in society. Prior to WWI, women's roles were largely confined to the home, where they were expected to cook, clean, raise children, and manage the household. However, as millions of men went off to war, many women were given the opportunity to work in industries, including dangerous munitions factories where they made weapons for the war effort. This shift demonstrated that women were capable of doing work outside of the home, which led to increased trust and respect for women in society.
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Finally, in 1918, the efforts of women were rewarded. A bill was passed through Parliament granting women the right to vote, though with some restrictions: they had to be over the age of 30, own property, or be married to someone who owned property. Nonetheless, it was a monumental victory for women, as it granted 8.4 million women the right to vote.