Interview with Vida Goldstein
Vida Jane Mary Goldstein was a young pioneer in women’s rights. She is one of Australia’s greatest suffragettes and has changed Australia even to this day. She was the first woman to ever stand in parliament in Australia and got over 51 000 votes. She advocated for social justice, women’s rights and women’s suffrage.
Good afternoon Miss. Goldstein, how are you?
Hello, I am great thanks.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Portland, Victoria on April 13th 1869 and I was the oldest child in my family. My sisters and I were educated by a private governess and I went to the Presbyterian Ladies’ College. My 2 sisters, Lina and Elsie got married, but Aileen didn’t get married.
Did you always want to be a suffragette and why?
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I helped my mother collected signatures for the women’s suffrage petition in 1890 but I wanted to do much more for women.
You never got married, is that correct?
Yes, I never got married. Nothing was more degrading than a woman to have to marry for a home. Love should be the sole reason. Surely those with a brain to think, eyes to see and a mind to reason must realise that the capitalist and a cooperative system prevail in its place. I got many proposals but I rejected them all.
So you were the first woman to stand for election in the British Empire, how did you feel?
I felt like I made a change for women and I managed to get over 51 000 votes, although I never managed to get a seat but most of my votes polled well except for in 1917. When I travelled to America I was elected to be secretary for the United Nations for Woman Suffrage. Then with that I made 2 newspapers, the Woman’s Sphere and Woman Voter.
What else achievements did you
"Changing attitudes in Britain Society towards women was the major reason why some women received the vote in 1918". How accurate is this view?
“Beginning in the 1800s, women organized petitioned and pocketed to won three right to vote but it took them decades to accomplish their purpose”(archive.com). The organized movement started at Seneca Falls, NY with a meeting called by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. The most influential leaders during the movements were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The Suffragists and Suffragettes were trying to prove to the public that women could be doing other things apart from looking after the children and taking care of the homes. The Seneca Falls convention was organized by a group of women who had been active in the antislavery movement. The Seneca Falls Declaration called for an increase in women’s rights in these areas, as well as in education for women and the jobs available to
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone created one of the first organizations in New York, 1848. (Lewis B.R. Women at War: the women of World War 2; at home, at work, on the Front Line) The goal of this movement was to bring attention to the public about restrictions against women and to address the issues regarding equality between men and women. However, the main goal was to earn themselves the right to vote. These women promoted their ideas and concerns by speaking in girl schools and in public as well as participating in the hostings of parades around the White House. All of the women’s information was beginning to influence others, therefore, they received support from people outside of the movement. Finally, after all of the fighting women did to gain liberation, the government passed the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 which granted women a right to vote. (https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/home.html) Thus, after all the protesting, marches, parades and organizations, women’s voices were finally heard and they now felt more equal to men because their long term goal was achieved.
There have been many determined women and organizations such as the NASWA and the NWP that have fought long and hard to gain the right to vote. Although it’s been a long battle to
The battle for suffrage was a long and slow process. Many women tried to initiate the fight for suffrage, like Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. “These were the New Suffragists: women who were better educated, more career-oriented, younger, less apt to be married and more cosmopolitan than their previous generation.” (pg 17) Eventually, in 1920, the 19th amendment was ratified; allowing women to vote, but it was not any one person or event that achieved this great feat. It was the confluence of certain necessary factors, the picketing and parades led by Alice Paul, militaristic suffrage parties and the influence of the media that caused the suffrage amendment to be passed and ratified in 1920. But most importantly, they successfully moved both
In 1869, The National Women's Suffrage Association was started by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Suffrage became the main goal of the movement. "Leaders of the movement believed that if women had the vote, they could use it to gain other rights" ("Women's Rights and Citizenship Throughout US History"). In order for improvement to occur in regards to women's rights, something had to be done that others will remember. Elizabeth knew nothing would change without a powerful voice stating this information. Both Elizabeth and Anthony contributed "50 years to the woman’s suffrage movement" (“Woman Suffrage: History and Time Line”).
Elizabeth Stanton was an amazing woman and historical figure, who demonstrates what it takes to get a law passed in the United States Government. Elizabeth along with many other women laid the ground work for the women’s movement by organizing the Woman’s Suffrage Movement. The power and influence of these tremendous women grew for many years, and transformed into the National Women’s Suffrage Association (NWSA). Sadly, Elizabeth was not able to exercise her right to vote in her lifetime, nevertheless, the contributions that she made to the women’s movement will be recognized in history
Women’s rights were not always a part of society as it may seem in today’s world. Suffrage can date all the way back to 1776. Women had to fight for their rights and privileges, hard and for many years. In the late 1800’s women were seen as much less than a male and had no voice. Women were arrested, prosecuted and put down for wanting more freedom and power for their gender. As you see in many suffrage ads, women were desperate and wanted so badly the same equality as men. A few women in particular stood up for what they believed was right and fought hard. Although it took far too long and over 100 years, in 1920 women were finally given the opportunity to share the same voting rights as men. History had been made.
In 1923, I married one of the Suffragettes working with Emmeline, and I asked her to tell me all about their efforts to give women voting rights. Because of what she told me, I was able to increase my efforts to grant women voting equality with men in
First and foremost, the fight for women’s rights is something that has occurred throughout time not only in the United States, but in every part of the world. When it comes to the United States, one cannot deny that it was an important historical event. “The struggle for women’s suffrage in the United States had occupied better part of a century” (Source 1). Truly a struggle, for it was not acknowledged by men in the past, primarily white man who had full rights in the nation. Susan B. Anthony was an important leading figure of the Suffrage Movement and contributed to the Suffrage Movement.
31 year old Agnes Macphail, became the first women elected into the House of Commons (Milestones for Canadian Women in Politics). In 1921, during her campaign she said “I want for myself what I want for other women, absolute equality.” (Milestones for Canadian Women in Politics) She was a monumental figure for all Canadian women to realize that had the same say as men do and can be leaders if they desire to do so.
Two political groups were crucial to the movement’s success largely because of the leadership provided by several women. These groups’ actions, structured by their leaders, had the goal of gradually changing people’s minds to supporting women’s right to vote and spreading the idea of social change. Groups worked tirelessly to educate British society about the importance of the
Before the Suffragettes, women were not able to vote and the move for women to have the right to vote really started in 1897 when Millicent Fawcett founded the National Union of Women’s Suffrage. Fawcett strongly believed that women should have the right to vote but also believed in peaceful protests, patience and logical arguments. She felt that if any violence occurred then men would believe that women could not be trusted and therefore should not have the right to vote. She also made the argument that if women were made responsible for sitting on school boards and paying taxes that they should be part of the process to make the laws and should have the same rights as men. A main argument of hers was that even though some women who were wealthy mistresses of large manors and estates employed gardeners, workmen and labourers who were able to vote but women still could not, regardless of their wealth and social class. However, the progress of Fawcett was very slow and although she converted some of the members of the Labour Representation Committee (The Labour Party) but the majority of men felt that women would not understand how parliament functioned and therefore should not take part in the electoral
Did you know that women in the United States did not have the right to vote until the year 1920? Exactly 144 years after the United States was granted freedom from Great Britain. The women’s suffrage movement, however, did not actually start until 1848, and lasted up until they were granted the right to vote in 1920. Women all over the country were fighting for their right to vote in hopes of bettering their lives. The women’s suffrage movement was a long fought process by many people all over the world, over all different races, religions, even gender. (Cooney 1)
The Women’s Suffrage Movement of the 1920’s worked to grant women the right to vote nationally, thereby allowing women more political equality. Due to many industrial and social changes during the early 19th century, many women were involved in social advocacy efforts, which eventually led them to advocate for their own right to vote and take part in government agencies. Women have been an integral part of society, working to help those in need, which then fueled a desire to advocate for their own social and political equality. While many women worked tirelessly for the vote, many obstacles, factions, and ultimately time would pass in order for women to see the vote on the national level. The 19th Amendment, providing women the right to vote, enable women further their pursuit for full inclusion in the working of American society.