Feminism is the ideology that aims to improve the treatment and role of women in what they believe to be a very patriarchal society. Feminists also believe that men and women should be treated equally in the best way possible. The Suffragettes are known to most as famous feminists who advanced this political movement greatly since the early 1800s. They are mostly known for their action against the unequal treatment of women where women were not allowed to vote in most political elections. Their campaigning contributed to the cause, granting women the vote in Britain in the November of 1918, through the Eligibility of Women Act.
We decided to explore places around London to find out more about the Suffragettes' movement with a tour from our teacher and politics enthusiast, Annabel Swift. Our first stop was at St George's Church in Bloomsbury Way. This was where the famous Suffragette who threw herself under King George's horses, Emily Davidson's memorial service was held. In protest to the ban against attending Davidson's funeral, thousands showed their support for her commitment and bravery at St George's Church as they celebrated her dedication with a memorial service campaign. We visited this location in remembrance of the so called 'terrorist' on the anniversary of the memorial service on the 14th of June 1913, marking the 103rd anniversary for the campaign against her unruly branding as a terrorist instead of the title she deserved as a brave activist who paved the way for women to be considered equals to men through their ability to vote. Standing on the steps of the Church, we felt a sense of pride and gratefulness that as young women, we have the ability to express our political beliefs and are given the opportunity to vote in free and fair elections.
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| St. Georges Church - we visited this on the 14th June, marking Davison's memorial |
As women living the twenty-first century, we often take advantage of the rights and freedoms we have been given when women such as Emily Davison and Silvia Pankhurst had to cry out and risk their lives just to be heard. This empowered us to speak out and ensure that as women, we should never have to settle for less and we vowed that we would not accept any unequal treatment due to our genders nor would we allow ourselves to be forgotten or subsided by men when we can and should stand amongst men and others on an equal path to success.
We hope that you can also allow yourself the same chances and that the world can move forward on issues such as the gender pay gap or gender discrimination to give everyone the equal chances they deserve in life.