National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies
The National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), also known as the Suffragists (not to be confused with the suffragettes) was an organisation of women's suffrage societies in the United Kingdom.
Formation and campaigning
The group was founded in 1897 by the merger of the National Central Society for Women's Suffrage and the Central Committee, National Society for Women's Suffrage, the groups having originally split in 1888.
The groups united under the leadership of Millicent Fawcett, who was the president of the society for over twenty years. The organisation was democratic, aiming to achieve women's suffrage through peaceful and legal means, in particular by introducing Parliamentary Bills and holding meetings to explain and promote their aims.
In 1903, NUWSS suffered the split of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU, the "suffragettes"), who wished to undertake more militant action. Nevertheless, the group continued to grow, and by 1914 there were in excess of 400 branches throughout the country, with over 100,000 members. Many of the members were middle class, but by no means all of them, with some working class members. Unlike the WSPU, their group also had some male members.
For the 1906 UK general election, the group formed committees in each constituency to persuade local parties to select pro-suffrage candidates.
NUWSS during World War I
The NUWSS were split between those that supported war and those opposed. During the war the group set up an employment register so that the jobs of those who were serving could be filled. The NUWSS also financed women's hospital units, these employed only female doctors and nurses. Such groups served during World War I in France.
They agreed to the women's suffrage bill agreed by a speakers conference although it did not grant equal suffrage which is what the organisation campaigned for.