Irish Women’s Rights & Activism: Challenging Gender Roles Pre-1918
Irish Women’s Rights & Activism: Challenging Gender Roles Pre-1918
Women’s Rights in 1860s Ireland
In 1860, women’s rights were significantly limited. Key characteristics included:
- No Voting Rights: Women of any class or age could not vote in local or national elections.
- Legal Subordination: All women were covered under their husband’s identity; their legal status was always subordinate to men.
- High Celibacy Rates: High levels of celibacy in Ireland for women were often linked to poverty or dependence.
- Limited Work Opportunities: The majority of working women acted as domestic servants, embodying the ideal of “The Angel in the House.”
- Gendered Education: Education was heavily influenced by gender, with women primarily trained for housework rather than university studies. Subjects typically included drawing, sewing, vocal and instrumental music, and religious instruction.
- Educational Disparity: There was a significant difference in the number of boys and girls who studied. However, with a new law in 1911, this disparity was addressed.
- Restricted University Access: The Intermediate Education Act of 1878 granted some rights, but most came with strong restrictions. For example, women could study university degrees but not attend conferences.
- Educational Milestones: In 1892, primary education was made compulsory for all children, and from 1904, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) opened its degrees to all women.
- Workforce Limitations: For a large part of the century, women were limited to certain tasks such as domestic, agricultural, and textile work. They were considered temporary workers with very low pay.
Property and Legal Status for Irish Women
The legal status prevailing in Ireland in 1860 established that a married woman did not legally exist; she could not own property, and her possessions belonged to her husband. It was not until 1869 that female suffrage was registered in Ireland, with Northern Ireland following two years later.
Furthermore, a woman could not divorce a man for committing adultery. A woman’s affair could have more severe consequences regarding property than a man’s.
The Early Irish Suffrage Movement
Women campaigning in the suffrage movement were often represented as unnatural. Few Catholic women were involved in the early stages.
- First Petition (1866): In 1866, 1,499 women signed the first suffrage petition sent to the House of Commons, including 25 Irish women such as Anna Haslam.
- Mass Movement Tactics: The movement was considered a mass movement seeking to be heard. Letters were sent to the Irish Press, Peers, and all Irish MPs, with special memorials sent to the Prime Minister and Chief Secretary.
- Formation of Associations:
- In 1876, the Dublin Women’s Suffrage Association was created, later becoming the Irish Women’s Suffrage Association and Local Government (43 members in 1896, 647 in 1911).
- Finally, in 1908, the Irish Women’s Franchise League (IWFL) was founded.
- Protest and Repression (1912-1914):
- On June 13, 1912, a protest occurred over the exclusion of female suffrage from the Home Rule Bill. Eight members of the IWFL were arrested for breaking windows of government buildings in Dublin.
- Between 1912 and 1914, thirty-five convictions were carried out in Dublin, alongside various hunger strikes and the introduction of the “Cat and Mouse Act” in 1914.
Anti-Suffrage Sentiment in Ireland
Despite growing support, anti-suffrage sentiment was strong, particularly concerning the “Suffrage First vs. Nationalism First” debate. The question of Irish independence created a movement that claimed independence was more important than women’s suffrage.
- “An Appeal against Women’s Suffrage” (1889): This petition was signed by over 100 influential women, including Emily Lawless, Lady Randolph Churchill, and Mrs. Matthew Arnold.
- Public Opinion: A common sentiment was expressed as: “‘Votes for women!’ is the shrill cry of a number of discontented ladies who seem to have missed the best in life.”
- Political Opposition: John Redmond, the leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party, was an opponent of suffrage. The Irish Parliamentary Party would not declare support for a suffrage campaign.
Arguments Against Women’s Suffrage
Common arguments against the right to vote for women included:
- Women were sufficiently well represented already.
- Domestic relations would be destroyed.
- Women were intellectually inferior to men.
- Entering politics would withdraw women from their proper domestic duties.
- If women had the vote, they would next be entering the House of Commons.