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For the longest time everywhere women couldn’t vote. Many men couldn’t either. In two countries women still can’t.
Voting used to be an all-male exercise. And even so, many men were excluded as they were from certain social classes, or practised certain professions, or had less than a certain amount of money.
Until the last century or two, women generally did not participate much in public life, much less dared to express an opinion on matters of the day.
They were expected to be in charge of their own domestic affairs, and keep it at that.
It was feared in many quarters that extending the vote to women would interfere with their traditional roles as mothers and wives, and lead to a change in the social order.
Samuel Johnson’s comment on a woman preaching pretty much summed up the general attitude in days gone by to women, their social standing and their abilities:
"Sir, a woman’s preaching is like a dog walking on his hind legs. It is not done well, but you are surprised to find it done at all."
In general, voting rights in Europe were often extended to men of all classes before they were extended to any women. And in many cases, when women gained the right to vote, it still excluded the majority as only certain women were eligible: taxpayers, or those over the age of 30, those who owned property, or widows.
General voting rights for women in western countries is a much more recent happening than the invention of the telephone or the motor car.
Often, the right to vote went hand-in-hand with being able to stand in elections and be eligible for public office of some kind.
Gaining the vote, and a movement to a greater level of gender equality in any given society, often happen simultaneously. Voting has become to many a symbol of meaningful participation in the running of a country.
Here are some interesting facts about women and the vote:
• White South African women were given the vote in 1930. That’s recent enough that my grandmother would have been barred from voting in the first two elections after her eighteenth birthday.
• Black women in South Africa could vote for the first time in 1994.
• Only men were permitted to vote in ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy.
• In old-style traditional monarchies, the king was the absolute ruler and neither men nor women had the vote.
• Often the process of gaining the vote started with women insisting on belonging to trade unions, then voting in municipal elections, and finally in national elections.
• In 1906, Finland was the first European country to grant women the vote.
• In elections held in 1792 in Sierra Leone, one third of the voters were women. Heads of households were eligible to vote, and many of them were women.
• The huge contribution made by women in Britain during World War 1, as well as the suffragette movement did much to gain the vote for women in England in 1917.
• The suffragettes in England in the early 20th century took matters beyond polite discussions.
They chained themselves to railings, set fire to mailbox contents, were force-fed in prisons while on hunger strike, smashed windows and planted a few bombs.
One of them, Emily Davison, was trampled to death by the king’s horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913 while she was protesting.
• Dutch women only got the vote in 1919 and American women in 1920.
• Women in Switzerland only gained the vote in 1971.
• The number of female parliamentarians in Rwanda is 63% - far above the required 30% quota.
• In South Africa 45 percent of parliamentarians are women. This places the country third in the world in terms of representation of women in Parliament.
• In Saudi Arabia, women are still not allowed to vote, although this is expected to change in 2015. Twenty percent of those serving on the previously all-male Shura Council (advisory council to the king) now have to be women. They are appointed by the king.
• Countries where women make up less than five percent of parliamentarians include Qatar (0%), the Solomon Islands (2%), Iran (3%) and Haiti (4%).
• In the Papal enclave of the Vatican City, women can still not vote. Only Cardinals are allowed to vote, and they are, by Church decree, always men.
(References: ipu.org; southafrica.info; washingtonpost.com; wikianswers.com;
Wikipedia.com)
Follow Women24on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Voting used to be an all-male exercise. And even so, many men were excluded as they were from certain social classes, or practised certain professions, or had less than a certain amount of money.
Until the last century or two, women generally did not participate much in public life, much less dared to express an opinion on matters of the day.
They were expected to be in charge of their own domestic affairs, and keep it at that.
It was feared in many quarters that extending the vote to women would interfere with their traditional roles as mothers and wives, and lead to a change in the social order.
Samuel Johnson’s comment on a woman preaching pretty much summed up the general attitude in days gone by to women, their social standing and their abilities:
"Sir, a woman’s preaching is like a dog walking on his hind legs. It is not done well, but you are surprised to find it done at all."
In general, voting rights in Europe were often extended to men of all classes before they were extended to any women. And in many cases, when women gained the right to vote, it still excluded the majority as only certain women were eligible: taxpayers, or those over the age of 30, those who owned property, or widows.
General voting rights for women in western countries is a much more recent happening than the invention of the telephone or the motor car.
Often, the right to vote went hand-in-hand with being able to stand in elections and be eligible for public office of some kind.
Gaining the vote, and a movement to a greater level of gender equality in any given society, often happen simultaneously. Voting has become to many a symbol of meaningful participation in the running of a country.
Here are some interesting facts about women and the vote:
• White South African women were given the vote in 1930. That’s recent enough that my grandmother would have been barred from voting in the first two elections after her eighteenth birthday.
• Black women in South Africa could vote for the first time in 1994.
• Only men were permitted to vote in ancient Athens, the birthplace of democracy.
• In old-style traditional monarchies, the king was the absolute ruler and neither men nor women had the vote.
• Often the process of gaining the vote started with women insisting on belonging to trade unions, then voting in municipal elections, and finally in national elections.
• In 1906, Finland was the first European country to grant women the vote.
• In elections held in 1792 in Sierra Leone, one third of the voters were women. Heads of households were eligible to vote, and many of them were women.
• The huge contribution made by women in Britain during World War 1, as well as the suffragette movement did much to gain the vote for women in England in 1917.
• The suffragettes in England in the early 20th century took matters beyond polite discussions.
They chained themselves to railings, set fire to mailbox contents, were force-fed in prisons while on hunger strike, smashed windows and planted a few bombs.
One of them, Emily Davison, was trampled to death by the king’s horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913 while she was protesting.
• Dutch women only got the vote in 1919 and American women in 1920.
• Women in Switzerland only gained the vote in 1971.
• The number of female parliamentarians in Rwanda is 63% - far above the required 30% quota.
• In South Africa 45 percent of parliamentarians are women. This places the country third in the world in terms of representation of women in Parliament.
• In Saudi Arabia, women are still not allowed to vote, although this is expected to change in 2015. Twenty percent of those serving on the previously all-male Shura Council (advisory council to the king) now have to be women. They are appointed by the king.
• Countries where women make up less than five percent of parliamentarians include Qatar (0%), the Solomon Islands (2%), Iran (3%) and Haiti (4%).
• In the Papal enclave of the Vatican City, women can still not vote. Only Cardinals are allowed to vote, and they are, by Church decree, always men.
(References: ipu.org; southafrica.info; washingtonpost.com; wikianswers.com;
Wikipedia.com)
Follow Women24on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
