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| The Petticoat Revolution. Gouache on paper. 20th century. Private collection. Artist unknown. |
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| Emily Pankhurst. |
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| Emily Pankhurst campaigning. Emily Pankhurst was born in Manchester on July 15, 1858. Emily was born into a family who had tradition for radical politics, and she stepped into that mould becoming passionate campaigner for women's rights to vote. In 1878, she married Richard Pankhurst, leader barrister, who was at the time 24 years older than her. Richard Pankhurst was a supporter of the women's suffrage movement. Together they had five children his death in 1898 was a shock to Emily. It was after his death that she threw herself into the suffragettes movement forming the Women's Franchise League in 1898. In 1894, she was elected a poor law guardian and she spent time visiting workhouses in Manchester becoming aware of the shocking levels of poverty many faced. Emily Pankhurst had this to say " I thought I have been a suffragist before I became a Poor Law Guardian but now I began to think about the vote in women's hands not only as a right but as a desperate necessity." It was in 1903 she formed the more militant Women's Social and Political Union. It was through the political action of the WSPU that the term women's suffragette movement was created. She was a leader of a passionate group of women who were willing to take part in drastic action by being tied to railings, smashing windows and launching demonstrations and in one case one woman threw herself under the Kings horse and died for her beliefs. Emily Pankhurst defended the militant tactics on the grounds that " The condition of our sex is so deplorable that is our duty to break the law in order tocolour tensions to the reasons why we do" the government and establishment were shocked at the tactics of the women and many were arrested. While in prison they would go on hunger strike and they were force-fed already and released only to be re-arrested when they were in better health which was known as " Cat and mouse". In 1912 Emily Pankhurst was convicted of breaking windows and was sent to Holloway prison. While in prison she went on a hunger strike in protest about the appalling conditions, prisoners were kept in. She describes a time in prison" like a human being in the process of being turned into a wild beast" In 1918 women over the age of 30 were given the vote by 1928 women were granted equal voting rights with men at 21. However in 1928 Emily Pankhurst fell ill and died. It is thanks to Emily Pankhurst and her group who enabled us to vote. Today we take it for granted all the freedom us women have and we must always remember the women who campaigned for us. So I'm very privileged to think that I am attending the same art school as Emily Pankhurst who changed the way of life for us women.  |
