‘The fight for women’s equality has always been about breaking rules’
100 years ago today the Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed, the piece of legislation that gave some women the vote.
The act widened the franchise to all men over 21 but only women over 30 who owned land or a home. 1918 is also the year women were able to stand as MPs.
In order to secure the right to vote, the Suffragettes waged a war of direct action.
Emily Wilding Davison was one such woman. In 1911 she hid inside a broom cupboard in the Houses of Parliament so that she might list parliament as her place of residence on the night of the census.
In 1913 Davison died after stepping in front of the King’s horse at the Epsom derby, a moment steeped in potent symbolism. Before her death Davison was jailed eight times, went on hunger strike seven times and was force-fed 49 times.
To memorialise her rebellious night in parliament, Tony Benn broke the rules by screwing a plaque into the wall of her cupboard.
Today co-leader of the Green party Caroline Lucas echoed the sentiment.
The fight for women's equality has always been about breaking rules. So I'm celebrating 100 years of suffrage by ignoring No Photographs sign in my favourite place in Parliament where Emily Wilding Davison hid for 1911 census
Let's never stop the rule breaking 💪#VotesForWomen pic.twitter.com/bOVO39wMZa
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) February 6, 2018
Pardoning suffragettes now is nice gesture, but I worry it erases their radicalism. They took direct action, they broke the law, becos their cause couldn’t be won by petitions & letters alone. Remember them as rule breakers & don’t allow their radical actions to be forgotten. 💪
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) February 6, 2018
Others have marked the milestone too.
https://twitter.com/sarahwollaston/status/960807023393824769
On our way to work – you know, as female MPs! – thanks to the campaigning of Emmeline Pankhurt (behind us) and all those amazing women (& men). Today 100 years ago women in the UK got the right to vote. #Vote100 @SuellaFernandes pic.twitter.com/Sw7vnypYLs
— Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP (@annietrev) February 6, 2018
100 yrs after women won right to stand for @ukparliament now+200 women MPs! #vote100 pic.twitter.com/5Idv9Gm8fs
— Harriet Harman (@HarrietHarman) February 6, 2018
I’m playing a fun game in my head where, if all of us on Twitter went back in time to 1918, who here would be railing against votes for women #Vote100 #100years #Suffragette100
— Jane Merrick (@janemerrick23) February 6, 2018
#Vote100 #suffrage pic.twitter.com/GuyUUYn300
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) February 6, 2018
This was once the site of Calton Jail where many Suffragettes were imprisoned. Today, it is the seat of @ScotGov and the Suffragette flag is flying high. Thank you to all the women who fought for our right to vote – and enabled a woman to occupy the office of FM. #vote100 pic.twitter.com/efmGJ0VGqu
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) February 6, 2018
Conservative colleagues in the House with our female PM on this red letter day for women 100 years since getting the vote #Votes100 #VotesForWomen pic.twitter.com/JbCjhgsTPY
— Rt Hon Dame Cheryl Gillan MP (@CherylGillan) February 6, 2018
One hundred years ago today, for the first time in our country's history, some women gained the right to vote.
The actions of the suffragette Emily Wilding Davidson, and other campaigners, stay with us as the struggle for women’s equality continues. #Suffrage #Vote100 pic.twitter.com/IxvwMfvE2J
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 6, 2018
100 years after *some* women were granted the vote, we are still fighting for equality. Me in the @Telegraph #100years #vote100 #Suffragette100 https://t.co/zGzPZ5zcmp
— Ruth Davidson (@RuthDavidsonPC) February 6, 2018
Historic setting for our #vote100 programme : suffragettes once chained themselves to these statues pic.twitter.com/Prixy7Kz5F
— Mishal Husain (@MishalHusain) February 6, 2018
https://twitter.com/SirWilliamD/status/960560274494271488
The right to vote was won for some women 100 years ago, but we still have a way to go to win equality.#VotesForWomen #Vote100 >>https://t.co/uXiddXzjKe
— Emily Thornberry (@EmilyThornberry) February 5, 2018
“I would rather be a rebel than a slave.” – Emmeline Pankhurst
