Women excluded from politics

Political power used to be concentrated mainly among the royal family, while most people, male and female, lacked a voice in political decisions. When a wave of democratisation in the 19th century expanded to include men, women were denied the right to vote because it was believed that they were suited only to the domestic sphere.

But, by the late 19th century, as more women entered professional fields, women were seen as more able to participate in the public sphere.