The concept of male privilege has been around for a long time. The term was first used in the late 19th century to describe certain social roles defined by sex and wealth that were closed to lower-class men.
Today, we still use terms like “men’s rights” movement and Men’s Liberation Front to describe this reified understanding of society. But did you know that not only was democracy expanding during the 18th and 19th centuries for both men and women, but that it also expanded for the first time for the first time for men?
Did you know that during this period, there were more political reforms that expanded democracy for women than there were for men? This is true no matter how you look at it – politics doesn’t discriminate against or favor one sex or the other.
This article will discuss some of the political reforms that expanded democracy for both men and women in Britain between the 18th and 20th centuries.
Contents:
Reform of voter registration
Between the early to mid-20th century, democracy in Britain was restricted to men. This was called electoral democracy and expanded citizen’s rights beyond just voting into other ways of participating in government.
Between the 1930s and the 1950s, men were barred from voting based on a perceived shift in power between genders. This perception shifted over time as women gained political power, but men were not included until 1993 when a new law expanded voter registration opportunities for men.
This law expanded voter registration opportunities for men by removing restrictions on their eligibility based on such things as age, military service, or non-occupation status. It also increased the number of ballots that each person could submit compared with previous decades.
In recent years, this expansion has seen significant growth due to social media tools like Facebook Messenger and Android apps allowing users to register to vote via smartphone app.
Reform of election procedures
There have been several efforts to reform election procedures in Britain since the Paris Commune of 1870. All of these reform attempts were unsuccessful.
The first attempt took place in 1885 when a government proposed that voters should fill in their ballot papers by choosing a political party and then entering the relevant candidate’s name.
This was rejected as too complicated and difficult to use. Instead, voters were asked to choose a parliamentary seat and then the candidate for that seat. This was more user friendly but still required voters to take time to read and decide on who they wanted to represent them.
Another reform attempt took place in 1951 when voters were asked to mark their ballots “yes” or “no” rather than “none of the above”. This change helped make it easier for people to vote and keep track of how many votes they cast.
Expansion of the right to vote to women
The first political reform that expanded the right to vote for women was the Representation of the People Act in 1918. This law gave women the right to vote in some elections, but not in all elections.
After 1950, when women first started to be eligible to vote, it took until 1988 for all women to have a chance to vote. This was due to a broken law that did not allow women time to absorb its changes and organize themselves politically.
In 1951, Britain adopted a Constitution that established its government and set rules for elections. That year, men were given the right to vote, but it took another year before they could take part in an election.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that there are over 50 million voter records with no one registered on their lists.
Expansion of the right to vote to all adults
One of the most significant reforms that expanded democracy for men in Britain was the introduction of the vote. Men were excluded from politics until 1997, when they finally gained access to it.
Until then, men had no practical way to make a difference. They didn’t have the same networks or social pressures to support their representatives than women did.
This exclusion was detrimental as it led to political apathy, which is costly to society as a whole. In fact, a large reason there are so few women politicians is because people don’t feel compelled to vote for them.
To alleviate this problem, elected officials were given numbers that they could call if they wanted support from this voting group. By giving people a way to access politics and increasing their influence, political reform expanded democracy for men in Britain.
Reform of party systems
Another important development during this period was the expansion of party systems, which expanded the number of political representation options for men in Britain.
Parties were introduced to allow individuals to form collective representations of their interest, and as such, these parties offered them a place to vote and contribute. As these parties did not always align with each other, this created an incentive for them to work together as part of a collective effort in order to gain success.
By joining a party, men were able to receive party membership records and information on how to get involved, as well as take steps towards being active in politics.
Introduction of proportional representation
British politics has a long history of women voting, but not enough to change the makeup of parliament. In 2016, women won almost 20% of seats, making them equal contributors to politics.
However, even with their influence, there is still a glass ceiling for women in politics. As we noted earlier, men continue to hold many political offices and positions.
Partly due to this gender inequality, men have not just been allowed but encouraged to join the political scene. In fact, there are over a dozen men’s political groups in the UK alone!
This is partially due to the fact that males are more likely to join social justice movements and organized politics. For example, at recent men’s rights conferences (MRCs), attendees have reported being invited into circles dominated by women and by men who are angry about sexism in all forms.
Elimination of sexist language in legislation and constitutional reform
A large part of democratizing society is eliminating sexist language in legislation and constitutional reform. In order for women to gain access to political office, they must be represented in the legislature and voters must support their candidates in order for this change to happen.
By eliminating sexist language in politics, voters are given a much higher level of support when deciding whether or not to support a candidate. By changing the constitution, voters can have a greater impact on government policy and execution.
By eliminating the sex role definitions in constitutional reform, voters can have a greater effect on what definitions are accepted as normal.
Recognition of same-sex relationships in law
In 1999, Parliament passed theSame-Sex Marriage Act, which recognised same-sex marriage and allowed for it to be declared a civil right.
This was a huge step forward in expanding democracy for men in Britain. Over the past few decades, more and more countries have moved towards recognising same-sex relationships, making this a step forward for rights for LGBTQ+ people.
Many countries have introduced legislation that grants legal rights to people who are transgender, making it easier for them to find safe housing, employment, and community support. Additionally, moving towards recognising similar-sex relationships has helped spread awareness of how different things can be. For example, when people are asked whether they married or if they had a ceremony with words alone, they may not realise how important that is.
Continued progress on political reform is needed to expand democracy for men in Britain.