Many women (over 30 years old) finally won the vote in 1918. This was for several reasons:

Women Working in World War I

When war broke out, many women volunteered to work in factories in place of the men who were away fighting. During the war, women:

made shells and other ammunition (they were nicknamed 'canary girls' as the chemicals could turn their skin yellow);
worked on farms;
worked as nurses close to the front line in Belgium and France;

After the war, many politicians said that they were now giving votes to women because they had earned this through their war service.

Other reasons why World War I made a difference

David Lloyd George replaced Herbert Asquith as Prime Minister who was not seen as a good wartime leader. Lloyd George was more sympathetic to votes for women.
The suffragettes called off their militant campaign and encouraged their members to help with the war effort. This meant that the government could give women the vote without it looking as though they were giving in to violence and law breaking.
Many men serving in the trenches did not have the vote. The previous Reform Act of 1884 had only given the vote to about 2/3 of men. Parliament was under pressure to give the vote to all men, so this meant that they couldn't avoid discussing votes for women.

Who did the most to gain women the vote?

Historians cannot agree on this question. Different interpretations include:

The Suffragists won the argument through patient discussion over more than 50 years;
The Suffragettes forced the government to listen and gained popular support;
The Suffragettes delayed votes for women because the government couldn't be seen to be giving in to their tactics;
Women were rewarded with the vote due to their hard work and loyalty during World War I;
Women gained the vote due to other changes in World War I such as the new Prime Minister.

What do you think?

Year 9 Challenges and Change

Impact of WWI on Votes for Women