How Women's Roles Have Changed In The Last 100 Years.

How Women's Roles Have Changed In The Last 100 Years.

Hold property on the same terms as men In 1918, women could not inherit property on the same terms as men. The Law of Property Act 1922 changed that and meant a husband and wife could inherit each other's property. Legislation passed four years later meant women could finally hold and dispose of property on the same terms as men. Be considered a ‘person’ in the eyes of the law. In 1929, women became ‘persons’ in their own right under Canadian law following a ruling by the Privy Council. Canadian Emily Murphy, the first female magistrate in the British Empire, and four others, led the fight after lawyers challenged her right to pass sentence, arguing that as a woman she was not qualified to sit in the Senate of Canada. A plaque created in their honour in the chamber reads: “To further the cause of womankind these five outstanding pioneer women caused steps to be taken resulting in the recognition by the Privy Council of women as persons eligible for appointment to the Senate of Canada.” Sit in the House of Lords The Life Peerages Act 1958 entitled women to sit in the House of Lords for the first time. Baroness Swanbourough, Lady Reading and Baroness Barbara Wooton are the first to take their seats. Work on the London Stock Exchange Women were admitted to the London Stock Exchange for the first time in the institution’s history in 1973 following campaigning by women in the financial sector. Obtain a court order against a violent husband The 1976 Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act provided legal protection to female victims of domestic violence. Single women couldn’t access the contraceptive pill The contraceptive pill was launched in 1961, but was initially only available to married women. In 1967, contraception was made readily available through the NHS Family Planning Act.

A Timeline Of Key Events For Women.

1908 Aldeburgh becomes the first town in Britain to have a woman mayor (Elizabeth Garrett Anderson) 1913 Emily Dawson is the first woman magistrate in Britain 1914 Britain gets its first policewomen 1917 In Britain the Women's Royal Naval Service is formed 1918 In Britain women over 30 are allowed to vote if they meeta property qualification 1919 A new law opens certain professions to women. They are allowed to be solicitors, barristers, vets and chartered accountants. They are also allowed to be magistrates and members of juries. The Women's Engineering Society is formed. Britain also gets its first female MP. 1922 Ivy Williams is the first woman called to the bar of England and Wales 1923 Ethel Mary Colman is the first woman Lord Mayor in Britain (of Norwich) 1928 In Britain all women over 21 are allowed to vote the same as men 1929 Margaret Bondfield becomes the first woman cabinet minister in Britain 1946 Lilian Lindsay becomes the first woman president of the British Dental Association 1955 Barbara Mandell becomes the first woman newsreader on British TV 1956 Rose Heilbron becomes the first woman judge in Britain 1958 Hilda Harding becomes the first woman bank manager in Britain 1970 An Equal Pay Act is passed in Britain 1972 Rose Heilbron becomes the first woman judge at the Old Bailey (The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales) 1973 In Britain women are allowed to join the stock exchange for the first time 1975 The Sex Discrimination Act makes it illegal to discriminate against women in employment, education and training 1976 Mary Langdon becomes the first female fire fighter in Britain 1979 Margaret Thatcher becomes the first woman prime minister of Britain 1983 Mary Donaldson becomes the first woman Lord Mayor of London 1995 Pauline Clare becomes the first female chief constable in Britain