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.
THE IMPACT OF WOMEN'S ENFRANCHISEMENT DURING THE INTER-WAR PERIOD