Victorian society held strict views on women's roles, confining them to domestic duties and moral guardianship. The "Angel in the House" ideal emphasized purity and submission, limiting women's opportunities outside the home.

However, change was brewing. The "New Woman" emerged, challenging traditional expectations. Legal reforms like the Married Women's Property Acts and the suffrage movement gradually expanded women's rights and opportunities in education and employment.

Societal Expectations and Ideals

The Ideal Victorian Woman

• The "Angel in the House" concept portrayed women as pure, submissive, and devoted to their families and domestic duties
• This ideal emphasized women's roles as moral guardians and nurturers within the home (Queen Victoria)
• Women were expected to embody virtues such as piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity
• These expectations limited women's opportunities and confined them to the private sphere

Gender Roles and Domestic Ideology

• Victorian society strictly defined gender roles, with men as providers and women as homemakers
• The domestic ideology glorified the home as a haven from the harsh outside world
• Women were responsible for creating a peaceful and comfortable home environment
• This ideology reinforced the separation of spheres between men and women (public vs. private)

Challenging Traditional Expectations

• The "New Woman" emerged in the late 19th century, challenging traditional gender roles and expectations
• These women sought education, employment, and greater independence (Emmeline Pankhurst)
• The New Woman represented a shift in societal attitudes towards women's roles and capabilities
• However, the New Woman faced criticism and resistance from conservative elements of society

Legal Status and Rights

Coverture and Married Women's Property

• Under the legal doctrine of coverture, a woman's legal rights were subsumed by her husband upon marriage
• Married women could not own property, enter into contracts, or have legal custody of their children
• The Married Women's Property Acts (1870 and 1882) gradually granted married women the right to own and control their own property
• These acts were significant steps towards women's legal and financial independence

Divorce and the Matrimonial Causes Act

• Before 1857, divorce was difficult to obtain and required an Act of Parliament
• The Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 established a civil divorce court and made divorce more accessible
• However, the act had a double standard: men could divorce on the grounds of adultery, while women had to prove additional offenses (cruelty, desertion)
• The act highlighted the unequal treatment of men and women in marriage and divorce

The Women's Suffrage Movement

• The suffrage movement sought to secure women's right to vote in parliamentary elections
• Suffragists used peaceful methods such as petitions and lobbying to advocate for women's suffrage (Millicent Fawcett)
• Suffragettes, led by Emmeline Pankhurst, employed more militant tactics, including protests, civil disobedience, and hunger strikes
• The movement faced significant opposition but eventually achieved partial suffrage with the Representation of the People Act in 1918

Education and Employment

Women's Access to Education

• In the early Victorian era, women's education was limited and focused on domestic skills and accomplishments
• The establishment of women's colleges (Girton College, Newnham College) in the late 19th century expanded educational opportunities for women
• These colleges provided women with access to higher education and academic pursuits
• However, women's education continued to face resistance and was often seen as a threat to traditional gender roles

Female Employment and the Workplace

• Working-class women had long been employed in factories, domestic service, and other low-paying jobs
• Middle-class women began to enter the workforce in the late 19th century, particularly in teaching, nursing, and clerical positions
• The expansion of female employment challenged traditional notions of women's roles and capabilities
• However, women faced discrimination, lower wages, and limited opportunities for advancement in the workplace (Florence Nightingale)