Female suffrage

In the middle of the 19th century women began to fight for the right to vote. In this they were supported by male politicians as well. One of the most famous proponents of the franchise for women was John Stuart Mill, Member of Parliament since 1865. He filed several petitions for women’s right to vote. However, all of them were turned down. Consequently, the National Society for Women’s Suffrage was founded in 1867, fighting forcefully for female suffrage. Over the years more and more similar groups emerged so that by 1897 about sixteen such groups joined in the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. By 1913 the number of groups had increased to 400.

Emmeline Pankhurst (14 July 1858 - 14 June 1928) was one of the leading figures in the ambitious efforts to obtain female suffrage. She established the Woman Franchise League in 1889 and the [WSPU|Women's Social and Political Union]] in 1903, which was a more radical group. Its members were often called 'suffragettes' (as opposed to the more moderate 'suffragists'). They called the people’s attention to the existent injustice by breaking windows in the streets of London or even by arson attacks.

In 1918, at the end of World War I, women finally got the right to vote, but only if they were at least 30 years old. Not until 1928 were women allowed to vote when they had reached the age of 21.

Sources

• <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/pankhurst_emmeline.shtml>.
• Bassnett, Susan. Feminist Experiences. The Women’s Movement in Four Cultures. London: Allen&Unwin, 1986.
• Maurer, Michael. Kleine Geschichte Englands. Stuttgart: Reclam, 2007.