Ann Moore, SHP WOMEN’S RIGHTS The story of how women fought for the right to vote before World War 1

150 years ago, most women in Britain had hardly any power or influence. When they got married, all their money and possessions were handed over to their husbands. Even if a woman had inherited a house or some land, she had to give it to her husband. Women were not allowed to become doctors, or to go to university. They were not allowed to vote in elections for Parliament. They could not become lawyers or judges.

This cartoon is making fun of women, but can you see the writing at the top of the picture? It says A NEW COURT OF THE QUEENS BENCH. This is because Queen Victoria was on the throne, who was of course, a woman. Perhaps this made a difference, for during Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901, things began to improve for women. By the time of Victoria’s death, women could go to university, become doctors and lawyers, own their own houses and keep their own land.

However, at the beginning of the twentieth century, women were still not allowed to vote in elections even though they had campaigned for years to allow every person over the age of 21 to have a vote. These women were called suffragists because they wanted ‘universal suffrage’ which were the words used to describe a time when every adult would be allowed to vote in general elections.

By this time, there was a new leader of the campaign called Emmeline Pankhurst. She created a new name for them but it is their nickname that is remembered today, ‘The Suffragettes’. They chose the colours green, purple and white, for all their banners. Emmeline Pankhurst said: "Purple...stands for the royal blood that flows in the veins of every suffragette...white stands for purity in private and public life...green is the colour of hope and the emblem of spring".

From 1904 – 1914, (the decade before World War 1 ) the Suffragettes tried to get parliament to change the law and allow women to vote. They interrupted meetings, chained themselves to railings and some went to prison. In July 1909, one prisoner called Marjorie Wallace Dunlop, went on hunger strike. Other suffragettes followed. So the government decided to force feed them.

In June 1913, one suffragette, Emily Wilding Davison, threw herself in front of a horse and was killed.

As soon as the war with Germany was announced on 4 August 1914, the Suffragettes stopped their campaign. All Suffragette prisoners were released. Mrs Pankhurst changed the name of the party to ‘The Woman’s Party’. She changed the named of the Suffragette newspaper to Britannia and in 1915, she began to help the government by persuading women to join the war effort by working in the factories. Over one million women who had not worked before, started work during the First World War. THE BIG QUESTION Do YOU think that Mrs Pankhurst was right to give up her campaign during the war?

Reasons to keep the Suffragette campaign going during the war Reasons to stop the Suffragette campaign during the war