Suffragettes: Pioneers of Women's Rights in Britain

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At the beginning of the 20th century, public order in Britain faced strained period, when women started to agitate for equal electoral rights in the aggressive way. Since 1897 women fought for the rights. Suffragists, how they were called, believed in not cruel methods such as petitions in parliament and meetings. However, afflicted with failures and that in New Zealand and in Australia women acquired the rights, some women started violent methods in 1903 to draw attention in their fight. Suffragettes. At that time they were derided in newspapers and magazines. Suffragettes were known as ‘not womanly rebels who threw down a challenge their God these roles of mothers and daughters’ . This article will be focusing on suffragette contribute to …show more content…

She declared about men politicians disrespect and seeing only housewife in woman’s face. ‘Men are in the habit of talking to women as if there were no laws that affect women. “The fact is,” they say, “the home is the place for women. Their interests are the rearing and training of children… Politics have nothing to do with these things, and therefore politics do not concern women.”’ As result, inspired ladies of middle class began to participate in civil disobedience actions. What is more, not only women, but also men started to support many of subsequent actions. Thus ‘Men 's league in support of electoral rights of women’ was organized. Conservative Lord Lipton, whose sister consisted in the movements of the suffragette, was the president of league. Men hoped that when women acquire a vote, they will remember man 's support and will vote for their candidate. Emmeline 's husband, a barrister Richard Pankhurst, also consisted in league. As well as parents, 3 daughters of couple - Christabel, Sylvia and Adela – were actively engaged under the sign of fight, were helping mother with the organization of the subsequent …show more content…

Despite such pressure, the government refused to adopt the law on the universal right of vote. Suffragettes passed to direct actions, breaking windows and chaining themselves to fencing and refusing to submit to police. Many of them were arrested and sentenced to imprisonment, but in prisons they arranged hunger strikes and suffered from exhaustion. Therefore the government ordered forced feeding in 1909. Among arrested there was a daughter of rich aristocratic family Lady Constance Lytton, who was let out when police found about her origin. In 1910 Constance dressed up as the worker and was sentenced to 2 weeks of a hard work. Jailers were harsh and strict with disguised lady Constance, so when she arranged hunger strike, they fed her with force 8 times a day. When Lady Lytton was released, she described the awful treatment in article that led to change of conditions of the public to the maintenance of suffragettes in

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