Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the suffrage movement which helped women win the right to vote in Britain.
She is considered one of the most important people of the 20th Century, stating:
“She shaped an idea of women for our time; she shook society into a new pattern from which there could be no going back.”
Her actions:
She is considered one of the most important people of the 20th Century, stating:
“She shaped an idea of women for our time; she shook society into a new pattern from which there could be no going back.”
Her actions:
- Worked as “Poor Law Guardian” in workhouses: this made her realize the bad and poor conditions single mothers had to endure to raise their kids, which made her fight for their rights.
- Funded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSUP) on 10th October 1903: an all women sufragge against all the political parties and known for their physical conffrontations, smashing windows and assaulting police officers.
- New tactics: when they were sent in prison sentences, they staged hunger strikes to assure better conditions, but were force-fed.
- First World War and success: in First World War the confrontations were none to support the government in the War while soldiers were fighting and helped women join works while men were away. She went to Russia for a while to get to know their govenrment and when she came back in 1918, Emmeline was delighted that women's right to vote was on its way to become a reality.