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 The Birth of Feminism
Feminist is the name given to people (men can be feminists too) who strive to create better conditions for women around the world. The first feminists were called Suffragettes. They fought for women to have the right to vote in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
In 1897 a woman named started The National Union of Women’s Suffrage. She believed in a peaceful protest movement, and the power of logical arguments. Some of her arguments were
- Women had to live by the laws made by governments so they should be able to vote for the governments.
- Women were able to take on responsible jobs (like being on the board of schools) and this proved that they were responsible enough to vote.
- Women had to pay taxes the same as men, so they should have the right to vote.
Millicent managed to get some politicians on side, but many believed that women would not be able to understand the way parliament worked, and so they shouldn’t be allowed to vote. Her progress was real, but slow.
The slow going of The National Union of Women’s Suffrage left a lot of women frustrated. In 1903 a woman called Emmeline Pankhurst, and her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, began a new group called the Women’s Social and Political Union.
This new group of women were prepared to use violence in order to achieve their goals. Although by today’s standards their actions might seem tame, in 1905 these women generated a lot of attention.
They burned churches, they chained themselves to Buckingham Palace, they unfurled a banner in a political meeting of men that read “VOTES FOR WOMEN” and many other acts which broke with traditional passive roles.
Many of the Suffragettes were arrested and beaten. In prison they often went on hunger strikes. The government was concerned that any suffragette who died in prison would be martyred, and may entice more women to join the movement.
At first they tried force feeding the women, but that was very unpopular. So their next move was to simply allow the women to starve themselves. However they couldn’t allow the women to die in custody, so once they were too weak to be active Suffragettes they were released.
If they died after release it caused no publicity problems for the government. Once women regained their health they were arrested again, often on trumped up charges, and the whole thing began again. This was known as The Cat and Mouse Act.
In 1914 when World War I broke out Emmeline Pankhurst made a savvy and patriotic decision. She ordered Suffragettes to cease their protesting and instead to throw their all into supporting the war effort.
The work women did during this period was vital to countries across Europe. In 1918, when the war ended, a law was passed called The Representation of The People Act. This law gave women who owned property and were over the age of 30 the right to vote.
This was the beginning of Rights for Woman. However insignificant this was, it was symbolic of things to come. These days many women around the world have come to accept things like voting, equal pay for equal work, and the right to own property as normal. But we have those very basic rights because of a few incredibly strong, progressive women, who came to be known as Suffragette.
There is still much work to be done.
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