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Women's Rights 1918-28
Created by
s12099
⟶ Updated 19 Feb 2018 ⟶
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Events
Women over 30 are granted the right to vote in Britain
The Parliamentary Qualification of Women Act is passed, enabling women to stand as MP.
Constance Markiewicz becomes the first woman elected to Westminster, representing Sinn Fein. She became involved in radical politics through the suffragette and Irish national movement. She is elected for constituency of Dublin St. Patrick’s as one of 73 Sinn Fein MPs, but, following the line of Sinn Fein politics, declines the position while in prison
The Sex Discrimination Removal Act allows women access to the legal profession and accountancy.
Unemployment benefits are extended to include allowances for wives.
An amendment is proposed to the 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act to make lesbianism an act of ‘gross indecency’, with the same punishments metered out to gay men. The proposal is defeated, the reason being that it was believed that few women could even comprehend that such acts existed and accepting the proposal would only draw attention to such acts and therefore open them up to a new ‘audience’.
The Law of Property Act allows both husband and wife to inherit property equally.
The Matrimonial Causes Act makes grounds for divorce the same for women and men. Influential acts of 1857 paved the way for this act, which charted the advances of women to gain parity with men and contributed to the broader process of granting civil rights to women.
All women in Britain gain equal voting rights with men.
Virginia Woolf’s novel ‘Orlando’ (written for Vita Sackville-West) is released and is probably the first English novel to deal with a transgender character.
Nancy Astor becomes the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons.