Background to Women's Lives

Women's Family Life

Women had no rights over themselves or their property and money. If they were to get married then all their property would go straight to their husbands. This of course left the women helpless since it made them unable to leave their husbands since they would have nowhere to go to. One lady who had a major problem with these issues was Caroline Norton. She wanted a divorce but if women wanted to get a divorce they had to take their case to the House of Lords. This was an expensive, slow and degrading process for women. This probably explains why there were only four successful petitions for divorce by women in 200 years.

Women’s Education

During the 19^th century women campaigned for improvements to many aspects of their lives. One of the most successful campaigns was for better education. An example of two women who made a tremendous difference in this field are Miss Buss and Miss Beale.

By the early nineteenth century most middle-class girls received a basic education from a governess. However, girls from working-class families often received no education at all. It was impossible for girls to go to university or college.

It was for these rights that women campaigned over the next 100 years.

Women’s Jobs

In the 19^th century upper class and middle class women were not expected to earn their own living. Women rarely had careers and most professions refused entry to women. In the middle of the 19^th century it was virtually impossible for women to become doctors, engineers, architects, accountants or bankers.

Working class women had to work since it was necessary for them to do something to earn money for the family. However, even though they worked as hard as the men did, they weren’t paid the same. Women were paid less than men were. This wasn’t entirely the women’s fault, because there was a law restricting them to so many hours and this of course affected their work pay.

An example of women campaigning for improvement in this field is the match-workers who, with the help of Annie Besant, formed a trade union and went on strike. Many newspapers and members of the public took the side of the match girls and within three weeks the company gave in. The fines were stopped and working conditions were improved.