SNAPSHOTS
1909 Seats for women
In 1909, New York City transport officials thought that giving female subway riders the option to travel on women-only carriages would help ensure they felt safe on board.
Even though women in New York state did not win the right to vote until 1917, the carriages – located at the rear of the train – came to be dubbed ‘suffragette cars’ due to their association with the campaign for women’s suffrage. It wasn’t long, however, before officials realised that many women didn’t want to be separated from their male companions, and the short-lived idea was scrapped altogether – with many female passengers claiming to feel safer on the subway with men present.