As a female in the 21st century I know how disillusioned politics can be and how all we are hearing about is Brexit but I want to take your mind back just short of 200 years ago. I’m really interested if after reading this and you’re female if it makes you want to vote if you don’t currently. Let me know below
In 1832 the first ever women’s suffrage petition was brought to parliament and women only gained the vote over the age of 30 in 1918. This means that it took over 80 years for women to secure the vote.
The reason I’ve recently become interested in the suffragette movement and what it entails is because last week in Manchester town centre a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst was unveiled and I went to see it a few days later. 
It inspired me to learn more about women’s rights and what women like Pankhurst went through to secure me the vote over 100’s years later.
So here we go – I’m going to give a review of what I learnt based on my research into the suffragette movement and how women secured the right to vote.
1897– Millicent Fawcett founded the National Union of Women’s Suffrage (NUWS) Fawcett believed in peaceful protests and tried to use patience and logical arguments. Her biggest argument was “if I have to obey the same laws as men, I should be also help men make the laws” however Fawcett’s progress was slow.
1903- in Manchester north west England Emmeline Pankhurst created the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was created. They were prepared to use violence to get what they wanted. Between 1903-1905 they were relatively peaceful.
1905- in this year the WSPU adopted the motto “deeds not words” this motto meant they were going to get action, in this case the vote, by what they did rather than what they said.
This year also showed the first arrests for the movement in which Christabel Pankhurst, Emmeline’s daughter, and a fellow suffragette Annie Kenney interrupted a political meeting in Manchester. In this interruption they asked two liberal politicians of the time (Mr Winston Churchill and Sir Edward grey) whether or not they believed women deserved the right to vote. When neither of the men replied they started to get irate and animated and pulled a banner out with the phrase VOTES FOR WOMEN on and started chanting and creating a fuss. These women were arrested and charged with causing an obstruction and a technical assault on a police officer. They refused to pay the fine and ended up in prison.
1907 The suffragettes competed several large marches in Britain mainly in London. With the biggest march happening in June 1908 where 250,000 people marched in Hyde park. they were ignored by the Prime minister which lead several people to smash up Downing Street. With stones that had pleas for the vote attaches to them.
In 1909 the first ever suffragette to go on hunger strike in prison was Marion Dunlop, the government was nervous that if these women were left to die in the prison by hunger strike they would become martyrs, and give the cause a reason to fight. This then lead to the prisons force feeding the ladies which caused public outcry. So they would release the women when they were at their weakest let them improve on the outside and then arrest them for another crime and repeat it. It was called the Cat and Mouse game.
November 1911- parliament pass a bill regarding men’s right to vote and suffragettes see this as a dismissal of their plight so go on a window smashing campaign through London
In the beginning of 1912 they heightened their militancy and did many other things in which caused destruction and chaos. Some of the things include:
- Burned down and/or attached Church of England churches as they didn’t agree with votes for women.
- Chained themselves to palace gates as the royal family didn’t agree with them.
- Hired boats and travelled down the river Thames when parliament was in session and shouted abuse to those in parliament.
- Attacked politicians and firebombed their homes.
June 1913- Emily Wilding Davison threw herself under the the kings horse in the Derby race and she was killed. However this may have caused more harm than good as many believed that as Emily was well educated. What would happen if we gave lesser educated women the vote.
In August 1914 when World War One began. Emmeline Pankhurst stopped all suffragettes from campaigning and to get behind the government and their war efforts. Women became back bone of the war effort making guns and ammunition’s and really rallied behind.
1918- when the war was coming to an end the Representation of the People Act was passed that gave women over the age of 30 the right to vote. The theory as to why they were given the vote is that they helped the war effort and believed were able vote.
In November of 1928– the age of women to vote dropped from 30-21. And in the May of 1929 women were able to vote in their first general election.
When I came to learn about the suffragette movement I have never been more incensed to carry on learning. I’m going to research more into the main people who fought and to continue to always learn more about where I live and those who have made a difference in the world.
I will always exercise my right to vote as not doing so is an injustice to those who fought for my right and may have lost their life in doing so.
Here’s to Emmeline Pankhurst “deeds not words”
Natalie
Confessions of a makeup addict 