Irish Catholic Women's Suffrage Association

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The Irish Catholic Women's Suffrage Association (ICWSA) was an organisation for women's suffrage which was set up in Dublin in November 1915. The association was established rather late in the struggle for women's suffrage (the Catholic Women's Suffrage Society was formed in the UK in 1911), despite the fact that most of Ireland's population was Catholic. Many also considered it risky to start a suffrage association with the potential of war looming over Ireland. Its founder members included Mary Hayden, a professor of modern Irish history at the University of Dublin and the first female to serve in the senate of the National University of Ireland (1909-1924), and Mrs. Gwynn (wife of Stephen Gwynn) who was the Honorary Secretary of the association. The association was non-party, non-militant, and was established to "organise Catholic women to fight for suffrage," educate public opinion, bring Catholic women to realise the need for the female vote, and do the "common good in the name of Catholicism". [1] [2]

Womens suffrage the legal right of women to vote

Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the late 1800s, women worked for broad-based economic and political equality and for social reforms, and sought to change voting laws in order to allow them to vote. National and international organizations formed to coordinate efforts to gain voting rights, especially the International Woman Suffrage Alliance, and also worked for equal civil rights for women.

Mary Teresa Hayden was an Irish historian, Irish-language activist and campaigner for women's causes.

Stephen Gwynn Irish politician

Stephen Lucius Gwynn was an Irish journalist, biographer, author, poet and Protestant Nationalist politician. As a member of the Irish Parliamentary Party he represented Galway city as its Member of Parliament from 1906 to 1918. He served as a British Army officer in France during World War I and was a prominent proponent of Irish involvement in the Allied war effort. He founded the Irish Centre Party in 1919, but his moderate nationalism was eclipsed by the growing popularity of Sinn Féin.

Contents

Meetings

When the ICWSA was established, they operated from an office at 15 Ely Place in Dublin, Ireland. Their first meeting was on March 29, 1915 and all following meetings were held every two weeks. The ICWSA began with 60 members, all women, and their numbers steadily increased. [1] In their first meeting, Mrs. Gleeson, an involved member, designed a badge for the group which featured a Celtic symbol in green, blue, and white. Members wore these badges at meetings and at public events. [1] During their meetings, members supplied the afternoon tea which they drink while reading articles "concerning women’s interests". [1] During their meetings Hon. Secretary Mrs. Gwynn and Mrs. Mary Hayden gave speeches on what they had accomplished and what they planned to do in the future. The members of the ICWSA also paired up with other suffrage groups to protest or petition the government.

Suffrage, temperance, and women’s rights efforts

In April 1915 the ICWSA paired up with other suffrage groups to petition the sale of alcohol in Ireland. They wanted the government to place limits on how much alcohol you could purchase. [1] In October, the ICWSA held a public meeting in the Mansion House and gave a lecture on “Women teachers and the Vote”. Later that year, in November, they petitioned to the English and Irish prime minister to “demand inclusion of women” in certain bills and give them the right to vote. In December a member, Mrs. Cantwell, held a meeting at her home, where members could bring a friend or guest to participate or observe. Many of the visitors ended up joining the association. [1] Early in 1916 the ICWSA petitioned the Home Office for the return of a female factory inspector to Ireland. The inspector was the only female inspector in Ireland and had been moved to England. The ICWSA claimed that they wanted her to return in order to “safeguard the rights of Irish factory girls”. [1] Their petition was unsuccessful. That year they also printed two pamphlets called “The Irish Citizen” and “An American Priest on Votes for Women” which they handed out at polling booths during the election in Dublin. These pamphlets discussed why Irish women Should be able to vote. [3]

End of the ICWSA

The ICWSA disbanded between 1916 and 1918 due to women getting the right to vote and the possibility of war (The Irish War of Independence). [1]

Irish War of Independence Guerrilla war (1919–1921) between the IRA and British forces, ended by the Anglo-Irish Treaty

The Irish War of Independence or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi-military Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) and its paramilitary forces the Auxiliaries and Ulster Special Constabulary (USC). It was an escalation of the Irish revolutionary period into warfare.

“Looking back over the past year we are greatly encouraged by what has been accomplished. Looking forward we see far more to be done for when this calamitous war is over we must be prepared for our responsibility and claim our right to help in reconstructing dislocated social conditions.” - Hon. Secretary Mrs. Stephen Gwynn. [1]

See also

Timeline of womens suffrage

Women's suffrage – the right of women to vote – has been achieved at various times in countries throughout the world. In many nations, women's suffrage was granted before universal suffrage, so women and men from certain classes or races were still unable to vote. Some countries granted suffrage to both sexes at the same time. This timeline lists years when women's suffrage was enacted. Some countries are listed more than once, as the right was extended to more women according to age, land ownership, etc. In many cases, the first voting took place in a subsequent year.

In Ireland, direct elections by universal suffrage are used for the President, the ceremonial head of state; for Dáil Éireann, the house of representatives of the Oireachtas or parliament; for the European Parliament; and for local government. All elections use the proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) in constituencies returning three or more members, except that the presidential election and by-elections use the single-winner analogue of STV, elsewhere called instant-runoff voting or the alternative vote. Members of Seanad Éireann, the second house of the Oireachtas, are partly nominated, partly indirectly elected, and partly elected by graduates of particular universities.

Feminism in Ireland has played a major role in shaping the legal and social position of women in present-day Ireland. The role of women has been influenced by numerous legal changes in the second part of the 20th century, especially in the 1970s.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Luddy, Maria (1995). Women in Ireland, 1800-1918: A Documentary History. Cork, Ireland: Irish Writers' Centre. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  2. ↑ Tomás A. O’Riordan. "Suffragette". Movements for Political & Social Reform. University College, Cork. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  3. ↑ Pašeta, Senia (2013). Irish Nationalist Women: 1900-1918. Cambridge: Cambridge University Publishing.
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