Who Were The Suffragettes? What Were They Fighting For?
Today in the UK, men and women have equal rights. This was not always the case! Only 100 years ago women did not have the right to vote in Parliamentary Elections. [We have elections to decide who will run the country.] Can you believe this?
The suffragettes fought really hard for women to be able vote. Most people thought that the suffragettes were crazy! Even Queen Victoria said that the fight for women’s rights was a “mad, wicked folly”. The fight for the women’s vote clearly needed some heroes and heroines! (and probably some healthy munchables to cure hunger pangs)
Fun Fact #1: ‘Suffrage‘ means the right to vote in political elections.
Who Were These Heroes and Heroines?
Two women really stood out:
Millicent Fawcett
In 1897 Millicent Fawcett founded the suffragists group. The suffragists campaigned very peacefully but did not achieve a lot despite their efforts.
Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst created the suffragettes movement in 1903. This group of women used violent protests to get their message across.
There is a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst in Victoria Tower Gardens – have you seen it?
Compare these two very brave and motivated women. They both had the same goal but used very different tactics: peace vs. violence. Which tactic would you choose?
Fun Fact #2: Not all suffragettes were women.
Fun Fact #3: The suffragettes wore purple, white and green.
What Happened Next?
In 1914 the First World War started. Women still did not have the right to vote!
The men went to war and the women stayed at home to help their country. For many women, this was the first time they had to work. They took on the jobs that men would normally do, such as working in factories and coal mining.
By doing this, women gained a lot of respect. Finally!
Did Women Finally Get The Right to Vote?
Yes! In 1918, 15 years after the suffragettes started protesting, men older than 21 years old and all women older than 30 years old who were married or owned a house won the right to vote. 10 years later, in 1928, all women over the age of 21 were allowed to vote. Women and men finally had equal voting rights.
How Does This Relate to Who We Are and What We Do?
Thanks to the suffragette’s movement, more people started sharing their opinions. We believe that everyone’s view should be heard. The more we learn about people that are different to us, the better. We can learn new ideas and ways of thinking. This curiosity will encourage creativity. We wrote a fascinating blog about this. Curios to read more? Click here!
Munchachos lives to make children more curious about different countries and cultures. We believe that childlike curiosity is essential as the world becomes more complicated and multicultural – read more here!
Sign up to Munchachos here and download our FREE app to explore, have fun, learn loads and get worldwise.