AMC Blog - Lycée Mona Ozouf de Ploërmel

During the 19th century, consciences awakened, especially in women's mind. This is the start of feminism and important social fights, which are still relevant today. 

Responding to an increasing demand of British women to obtain more rights, Millicent Fawcett created the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) in 1897. Millicent Fawcett who led the movement during almost 20 years was an author and a politician who fought her entire life for her rights, including the right to study.

Her movement was on the rise and collaborated peacefully with the politicians in ordrer to ask for constitutional and societal changes during several years. More than 50 000 members, known as the "suffragists" had joined it in 1913, mostly middle class women.   

However, after six years of cosmetic changes, some members of the movement such as Emeline Pankhurst and her daughters, started to question Fawcett's method. For them, it was time to move into action. Waiting for change all of those years made Emeline Pankhurst's pacific involvement became more violent. In an act of protest, she set the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) up in 1903.  "Deeds not words" was her slogan. 

In opposition with Milicent Fawcett, she chose violence : physical confrontations, smashed windows and assaulted police officers were commonplace in their organisation. Emmeline Pankhurst was arrested 7 times and was even sentenced to jail. During one of her trials on October 21, 1908, she declared to the court “We are here not because we have violated the law; we are here because of our willingness to make the law”. Her efforts were finally rewarded by the People's Representation Act of 1918 which gave the right to vote to women over the age of 30.

It's only 10 years later that the Equal Franchise Act of 1928 finally allowed women to vote at 21, the same age as men. This progress became a milestone in women's emancipation in England and inspired a lot of women from other countries to fight for their rights.