Les conséquences du droit de vote des femmes dans l'entre-deux guerres en Angleterre
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Université Stendhal (Grenoble)Disciplines:
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Abstract EN:
In 1918, as the first world war was coming to an end and after half a century of struggle, 8. 5 million british women were granted the parliamentary franchise. The aim of the present study has been to examine the way in which this reform was perceived by suffragists, feminists, politicians and the press. In so-doing, we have attempted to correct the often negative judgement passed on its social, economic and political consequences in the ensuing 20 years. Indeed, it seems that in spite of the progress which even today still remains to be achieved, the impact of the women's vote during the inter-war period was in no way insignificant. Their adhesion en-mass to political parties, the concerted efforts made to win their votes, the improvement of their condition thanks to abundant legislation as well as an increased preoccupation with women's interests on the part of parliament and political parties. . . , these are some of the many changes which, although limited in their duration and scope (and hindered by an unfavourable social, economic and political context) brought real satisfaction to those who had been taking part in the fight for suffrage since the 19th century. This is not to say that women imposed themselves as voters or that politicians suddenly considered them as full citizens (their reluctance to accept egalitarian measures concerning equal pay, the bar on the employment of married women and birth control makes it impossible to believe in any profound changes in mentality) but that the ignorance of the way women were going to exercise their vote acted as a driving-force among politicians and enabled the achievement of measures that would never have been reached if women had continued to be excluded from the electorate.
Abstract FR:
En 1918, au terme de quatre annees de guerre et apres un demi-siecle de lutte suffragiste, 8,5 millions de femmes britanniques obtinrent le droit de vote parlementaire. Le but de cette etude a ete d'examiner la perception de la reforme par les suffragistes et feministes, les hommes politiques et la presse et, ce faisant, de rectifier le jugement souvent negatif porte sur ses consequences politiques, economiques et sociales dans les vingt annees qui suivirent. Il apparait en effet qu'en depit des progres qui, 80 ans plus tard, restent a accomplir, les consequences du droit de vote feminin dans la periode de l'entre-deux-guerres ne furent en aucun cas insignifiants : les adhesions massives aux partis politiques, les efforts pour conquerir cette nouvelle force electorale, l'amelioration de la condition feminine grace a une abondante legislation et une plus grande prise en compte des interets feminins par le parlement et les partis sont autant de changements qui, bien que limites dans le temps et dans leur portee -et freines notamment par un contexte politique, economique et social par favorable- procurerent a celles qui avaient depuis le l9eme siecle, participe a la lutte suffragiste, une reelle satisfaction. Non pas que les femmes s'imposerent en tant qu'electrices ou que les hommes politiques les considererent tout a coup comme des citoyennes a part entiere -la reticence dont ils firent preuve a l'egard de mesures egalitaires concernant les salaires, l'emploi des femmes mariees ou la contraception interdit de croire a tout changement profond des mentalites- mais parce que l'ignorance de la facon dont les electrices allaient exercer leur droit agit comme un veritable moteur au sein des pouvoirs politiques et permit l'accomplissement de mesures qui n'auraient jamais ete atteintes si les femmes avaient continue a etre exclues de l'electorat.