The suffrage movement was all about women’s right to vote. The struggle to be allowed to vote was hard for adult women. The people were denied their rights to participate in elections based on their salaries, age, and gender, and all this led to protests and people advocating for their freedom. The movement was a seventy-two-year battle against slavery. It denied both white and black women their freedom to participate in the election, thus, bringing about inequality. Emmeline Pankhurst was the founder of the women’s suffrage movement, which was formed on October 10, 1903. The women’s movement acquired attention through vandalism and firebombing.
The year 1918 was an important year for women since they were allowed to vote for the first time in the national parliamentary election. This was a positive signal for women since they had been discriminated against for the longest time possible. The British suffrage was different from other suffrages because they used forces in their protests, disrupted political gatherings, and the government responded by banning women from the liberal meetings (Barnes 509). Some violence happened, like the burning of letters and letterboxes, smashing shop windows, and planting bombs.
The militant suffragettes plotted some schemes against the British government, like draining the canal. They used extraordinary devices and dug holes so that the water could leak, but unfortunately, that did not happen, considering that their intentions were not to hurt anyone. Leonora Cohen was also part of the suffragettes, and she acted as Emmeline Pankhurst’s bodyguard. She explained her deed, which was breaking into the jewel showcase in the Tower of London, and narrated her fear as she went around the showcase and was arrested and sent to Armely Gaol, where she went on a hunger strike due to the Cat and Mouse Act she was released.
Pankhurst’s family was triggered to be involved more in politics when her husband died. In his honor, there was fundraising, and it was conducted in the Hall, and they denied the women entry, and since then they took action to improve the society. Two years later, they launched a fierce campaign, and the slogans were ‘Vote for Women and Deeds Not Words. Christabel ensured her arrest when she struck a police officer and spat on him and hence she was taken to the police than to the Magistrate Court. Later she was sentenced to a few days in prison.
In 1906 there were social reforms, and it was hoped that votes for women would be adhered to, but women were not seen as the backbone of the society and were not considered as they would contribute to the society. The women protested in the London Tower by smashing windows (Barnes 526). The police responded to the protest by using force. Black Friday was significant since police officers had been brought from the Middle East to work with the police. They were in disguise since they were pretending to be supporters, yet they were the enemies. When the women were arrested, they continued with their protest by hunger strikes. The prison authorities responded by feeding them forcefully, which injured their membrane and affected their voices due to the forced tubes. The authorities used the Cat and Mouse Act to release women who went on hunger strikes and arrested them. Later the women were the mice, and the authorities were the cats.
In conclusion, the women fought for their rights and supported each other. Although the government was hard on them, they were ready to die for their freedom. Society was discriminating against the ladies, but they heard a few ladies who raised their voices and fought for what was rightfully theirs. The efforts put by those living in this era were important in liberating women from oppression and gender discrimination.
Work Cited
Barnes, Joel. “The British women’s suffrage movement and the ancient constitution, 1867–1909.” Historical Research, vol. 91, no. 253, 2018, pp.505-527.