06| Booze, morals and the Social Purity Society

Ms Represented

In the early days of the women's suffrage movement, some argued that the presence of females in parliament would bring a better moral tone to politics. The Women's Suffrage League in South Australia was first called the Social Purity Society and lobbied to protect women from the scourges of booze, gambling and violence.

But some men were concerned that admitting women to the parliamentary process would be like having their wives come to work and nag them to give up drinking. Steph and Annabel take a look at how alcohol has shaped parliamentary culture and often excluded women.