Women failed to gain the vote before the start of the First World War, mainly because of the failure to change attitudes, both of politicians and the general public, the violent campaigns of the suffragettes and the unwanted negative media coverage. In 1914 the war broke out causing the Women's movement to suspend their campaigns and become involved in the war effort. However by 1918 attitudes had changed and women gained the vote. The war was one of the main reasons in bringing about the change in attitudes, but it was one of many.
Over 50 years Suffragists had used a variety of different legal and illegal methods to try and gain the right for women to vote. However as the First World War broke out all militancy campaigns were suspended and the suffragettes worked alongside the government helping with the war effort, by recruiting women for war work and also many former Suffragettes helped with work such as; helping the unemployed, refugees and the Red Cross. In the long run the suspension of campaigns for Women's Suffrage was very helpful as it showed people and politicians that the Suffragettes and Suffragists were responsible and had their priorities right.
When the war broke out and conscription was introduced, it left many vacancies in men's jobs which the women began to fill. This allowed woman to work in such jobs as; munitions factories, bus conductors, farm labourers, and any other jobs that men had left vacant. Women doing the men's work won a huge amount of public sympathy, especially munitions workers, because of the dangerous working conditions. In the public eye women were respected and seen as capable of handling men's responsibilities, and in some cases women became better at the jobs than the men. However it was not straightforward because problems arose as some men were worried when they returned from fighting they would be out of work as the women worked longer and for less pay.
