Emmeline Pankhurst

Emmeline Pankhurst was one of the most influential and renowned women’s rights activists of the 19th and 20th centuries. She dedicated her life to the cause of women’s suffrage, or the right to vote, in the United Kingdom and around the world. She founded and led the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), a militant organisation that used direct action, civil disobedience, and even violence to draw attention to the injustice of women’s disenfranchisement. She was arrested, imprisoned, and force-fed many times for her protests, but she never gave up her fight for equality. She inspired millions of women to join her movement and demand their political rights. Pankhurst was born on July 15, 1858 in Manchester, England. Her parents were both politically active and supported various social reforms, such as abolitionism, temperance, and education. Pankhurst inherited their passion for justice and became involved in the women’s suffrage movement at the age of 14. She married Richard Pankhurst, a lawyer and a supporter of women’s rights, in 1879. They had five children together, three of whom became prominent suffragettes as well. Richard died in 1898, leaving Emmeline a widow with a young family. In 1903, Pankhurst founded the WSPU with her eldest daughter Christabel and some other women who were dissatisfied with the slow progress of the suffrage campaign. The WSPU adopted the motto “Deeds, not words” and engaged in various forms of protest, such as heckling politicians, smashing windows, setting fire to buildings, and chaining themselves to railings. They also endured brutal treatment from the police and the public, who often assaulted them physically and verbally. Pankhurst was arrested more than a dozen times and went on hunger strikes in prison to protest her conditions. She was force-fed by the authorities, which caused her severe pain and damage to her health. Pankhurst’s radical tactics earned her both admiration and criticism from different sections of society. Some praised her courage and determination, while others condemned her violence and lawlessness. She also faced opposition from some members of her own family, who disagreed with her methods or her political views. Her younger daughters Sylvia and Adela left the WSPU in 1913 over ideological differences. Sylvia became a socialist and a pacifist, while Adela moved to Australia and became a communist. Pankhurst suspended her suffrage campaign during World War I and supported the war effort. She urged women to take up jobs vacated by men who went to fight, hoping that this would demonstrate their value and capability to society. She also travelled to several countries to promote the British cause and rally support for the Allies. After the war ended, she rejoiced when some women over 30 were granted the vote in 1918 by the Representation of the People Act. She continued to campaign for universal suffrage until her death. Pankhurst died on June 14, 1928 in London at the age of 69. She had been ill for some time due to her years of activism and imprisonment. She was given a state funeral and buried in Brompton Cemetery. Her grave is marked by a simple headstone that reads “Emmeline Pankhurst: Wife - Mother - Rebel”. Thousands of people attended her funeral service and procession, paying tribute to her legacy as a leader of the suffrage movement. A year after her death, women were finally granted equal voting rights with men in Britain. Pankhurst is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of women’s rights and democracy. She has been honoured with several statues, plaques, and memorials in various places, including Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, and Victoria Tower Gardens in London. She has also been featured on stamps, coins, and banknotes. She was named one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century by Time magazine in 1999. She is remembered as a rebel, a visionary, and a heroine who changed the course of history for women and for humanity.