women's progress must always be viewed within the gender structures of society. 37
Despite the heroic and romanticised views expressed within the contemporary media
of women’s war work, it would always remain secondary in importance to men’s experiences, particularly those of the soldiers in the trenches. 38 Universal male suffrage stemmed from the desire to not leave any soldier, whose citizenship was not in question, without the vote. 39 Women’s war contributions were secondary to
men's, but their deepening submersion into the war effort had strengthened their
claims to equal citizenship. However, as previously discussed, the women’s suffrage
movement’s work before the War laid the foundation for women’s inclusion. One of
the most prominent politicians who changed position was the former Prime Minister,
Herbert Asquith. A March 1917 cartoon, titled ‘Disarmed,’ depicts an Asquith supposedly defeated due to women’s war work. 40 Women’s mobilisation merely provided politicians a dignified, patriotic reason to have accepted enfranchisement, rather than acquiescing to the work of the Suffragette campaign. 41 To secure and
preserve the heavily masculine system, limited enfranchisement of women was an
appeasement to prevent the challenge from the potential continuation of Suffragette
militancy. In this vein Martin Pugh is wrong in that the best thing the war did was end suffragette campaigning. 42 As previously discussed, the suffrage movement
remained present but altered its operations. Women’s agency remained a significant
factor in achieving limited enfranchisement in 1918.
Fundamentally, women’s mobilisation was not valued as much as men’s
experiences during the War. Great efforts were made to ensure that men’s positions
in employment and society were protected upon their return. Firstly, the process of
dilution was introduced as part of an agreement between the government and trade unions to protect men’s value as workers. 43 More women were hired than the
previous number of men for one job or department. Thus, women could be paid less
37 Margaret R. Higonnet and Patrice Higonnet, ‘The Double Helix’, in Behind the Lines: Gender and the Two World Wars (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987), pp. 31 – 47 (p. 34). 38 Amanda Phipps, ‘What the Women Did: Remembering or Reducing Women of the First World War on the Contemporary British Stage’, Women’s History Review , 27.4 (2018), 627 – 39 (p. 627). 39 Grayzel, ‘National Service and National Sacrifice: Civic Participation, Gender and National Identity’, p. 224. 40 Cartooning The First World War, 'Disarmed' [online] <https://www.cartoonww1.org/image.htm?id=845> [accessed 9 April 2023]. 41 Pugh, p. 371. 42 Ibid, p. 359. 43 Woollacott, p. 91.
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