The complexity of legal rights for women living in England begins with the rise of Queen Mary I in 1553, and continues to Margaret Thatcher’s years in office as England’s first female Prime Minister in 1979, which was a huge success. People inhabited in England during the early 16th century had been under the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church for generations. Women during this period were seen with little to no importance. King Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon were not successful in producing a male heir, but they had a baby girl, who they named Mary. Henry VIII’s desire for a male child made him dissatisfied with multiple marriages because there was a huge need for males to carry on the legacy of their fathers.
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During 19th century England, it was enforced that women had no right to own property, they had no rights over their children, and while an adulterous husband suffered no penalties, adulterous women were allowed to be abandoned by their husbands. Women were certainly gaining more respect in society, but they still had nothing under the law. However, this changed during the 20th century Women’s Suffrage Movement in England. Women, like Marion Wallance Dunlop, negotiated with the government of England to redefine citizenship. The Women’s Social and Political Union (WPSU) was responsible for achieving the women’s right to vote in 1918. This was a landmark accomplishment because England became one of the first countries to grant women this right. The group began their work by creating communities made up entirely of females where women celebrated and spoke freely to each other. This gave women more confidence and encouraged women to engage in political activism so that they would feel comfortable speaking freely in regular society. The suffrage movement consisted of hunger-strikes and demonstrations that exemplified womanhood and
During 19th century England, it was enforced that women had no right to own property, they had no rights over their children, and while an adulterous husband suffered no penalties, adulterous women were allowed to be abandoned by their husbands. Women were certainly gaining more respect in society, but they still had nothing under the law. However, this changed during the 20th century Women’s Suffrage Movement in England. Women, like Marion Wallance Dunlop, negotiated with the government of England to redefine citizenship. The Women’s Social and Political Union (WPSU) was responsible for achieving the women’s right to vote in 1918. This was a landmark accomplishment because England became one of the first countries to grant women this right. The group began their work by creating communities made up entirely of females where women celebrated and spoke freely to each other. This gave women more confidence and encouraged women to engage in political activism so that they would feel comfortable speaking freely in regular society. The suffrage movement consisted of hunger-strikes and demonstrations that exemplified womanhood and