From Suffrage to Success: Milestones in British Women’s Rights

The United Kingdom is a case study in the progression of women's rights within the law. Throughout history, women have faced several legal barriers that have hindered their autonomy and freedom in society. For instance, the right to work has not been a fundamental right open to them in the way it is to men. Similarly, the ability to own property was heavily restricted, especially once married, till late in the 19th century. In fact, on the whole, once wed, they had minimal control over anything, especially their reproductive rights. In light of these struggles, the strides women have made to ensure equality must be celebrated, as they have helped shape the lives of countless individuals who would have otherwise been left helpless.

When considering the advancement of women's rights, one of the first things many think of is the suffrage movement. While this remains incredibly important, many other struggles faced in the fight for equality are not recognised. The issue of violence against women, for instance, comprises a substantial part of the United Kingdom's past. For most of this time, marriage focused on control. Wives were rarely seen as individuals in and of themselves but rather merely puppets for the man of the household to manipulate in the way he saw fit. As a result, marital rape was considered impossible. While it was only officially considered a crime under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act of 1994, the first step towards this came as early as 1895 when a City of London bylaw made it illegal between 10pm and 7am. Following this, in 1971, the charity Refuge opened its first safe house in West London for women and their children fleeing from domestic abuse and broken homes. These advancements were further extended to cover a breadth of situations in the 21st century, with the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act of 2004, making common assault an arrestable offence.

"The past century is an outstanding example of the strides women have made in politics"

Overall, the domestic sphere played a pivotal role in shaping women's rights. In the 1860s, marriage meant a complete transfer of a woman's possessions to her husband's ownership, and this persisted until the 1925 Law of Property Act established equal inheritance rights between spouses. A woman's primary societal role was defined first as a wife, then as a mother. The evolution of these gender roles is evident in childcare statistics: fathers spent merely 15 minutes daily with their children in 1971, which increased dramatically to 2.7 hours per day by 2011. This shift reflects the gradual dissolution of traditional maternal stereotypes from the late 20th century onwards. While motherhood remained a central aspect of women's identity, reproductive rights lagged, with abortion only being legalised in 1967. Yet, despite these strides, even today, women require approval from two doctors to access abortion services or, in the case of elective hysterectomy, even, at times, their partners.

The progression of women within the workforce is another equally notable part of the United Kingdom's legal past. The World Wars were quite dichotomic for women. While their husbands fought on the frontlines, the opportunities for their place within the workforce soared. In fact, between 1914 and 1918, the employment of women reached 46.7%. This continued to increase from 1939 to 1945, where 90% of single women and 80% of married women worked on the land or within factories. Finally, in 1973, women were allowed to join the London Stock Exchange for the first time, and in 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act made it illegal to discriminate against women in terms of work and education. The past century is an outstanding example of the strides women have made in politics. For instance, in 2015, Bobbie Cheema-Grubb QC became the first Asian woman High Court judge. In April 2022, 35% of court judges and half of tribunal judges were women. Although small, these accomplishments are impressive if one considers that it was only in 1920 that women were given the right to enter the legal profession under the Sex Discrimination Removal Act.

 "Significant strides have been made in women's legal rights"

Looking back on this journey of progress, it becomes clear that while significant strides have been made in women's legal rights and societal standing, the work remains incomplete. The transformation from a time when women were legally subordinate to their husbands to today's more equitable society represents remarkable progress, yet persistent challenges like workplace inequality and underrepresentation in leadership positions remind society of the distance yet to travel. These historical victories serve not only as a testament to the resilience of past generations but also as inspiration for continuing the pursuit of true gender equality in all spheres of life.