The 1930s: Women Had the Vote, But the Old Agitation Went On

Context

• By the 1930s, women in the UK had gained the right to vote.
• Despite legislative changes, societal attitudes towards women remained largely unchanged.
• The economic depression reinforced traditional gender roles.

Economic and Social Conditions

• A third of UK women worked outside the home, mostly in low-paid jobs like caring and cooking.
• Economic depression emphasized a belief that well-paid jobs should be reserved for men, leaving women in domestic roles.

Legal and Legislative Progress

• In 1928, all women in the UK were granted the right to vote at age 21, equal to men.
• Stanley Baldwin's Conservative government enacted this change with claims of ending legal inequality.
• However, real equality was hindered by ongoing male dominance and societal prejudice.

Challenges to Equality

• Women faced lower wages compared to men.
• Marriage bars in civil service, education, and nursing required women to resign upon marriage.
• Unmarried women were disparagingly labeled as spinsters.
• Same-sex relationships were stigmatized and censored, exemplified by the banning of Radclyffe Hall's novel "The Well of Loneliness."

Cultural and Social Shifts

• Despite challenges, women began breaking away from traditional roles.
• They gained rights such as education and divorce reforms, and the ability to be lawyers and MPs.
• Social norms shifted with women adopting shorter skirts, hair, smoking, and dancing.

International Influence

• In Paris, expatriate women, many of whom were lesbian, formed societies free from patriarchal constraints.
• These communities contributed significantly to the modernist revolution between the wars.

Key Takeaways

• Legislation alone was insufficient to achieve true gender equality without societal commitment.
• Women continued to agitate for rights and freedoms beyond the vote, challenging entrenched stereotypes and prejudices.