Today, February 6th marks 100 years since
some (but not all) British women were given the right to vote.
The Representation of the People Act was passed on this
day in 1918 which enabled selected women to vote in the elections…So what were the
requirements?
- Were you a woman over 30?
- Or did you own a property?
- Or were you a graduate voting in a University constituency?
If you ticked any one of these boxes, today was your lucky
day. You were given a voice and now had the power to vote. As a result, over eight
and a half million women were added to the electoral roll. But that still left
a huge percentage of the population powerless to use their voices and vote…
Now 100 years on from this landmark occasion, a lot has changed,
and we have a lot to be thankful for to the women who changed the world before
us…The Suffragettes.
Three Mancunian women; Emmeline, Christabel and Sylvia
Pankhurst changed the landscape of the world forever and they did it through…’Deeds
not words’
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| Emmeline, Christabel & Sylvia Pankhurst |
Their determination, tenacity and focus to always act upon
what they knew was right in their hearts and continue to stand up, march and fight
for women’s rights led to these massive changes and shifts in history. They
stood up and took action. They didn’t watch from afar. They were in the mix,
pushing for progress.
Now 100 years on, women are still marching and still
fighting. With cultural landslides like the #MeToo movement, #TimesUp, gender
pay gap related scandals and so much more, it feels like we are at another
tipping point. Another moment in history where things are going to change, for
the better.
So, today on this landmark day, we are asking YOU...Where
are you going to stand in the history books?
Will you go down as someone who marched, who fought, who
made a change and pushed for gender equality?
We know that we will…
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| A 2018 march |
To celebrate this important day, here’s a few of our
favourite quotes from some incredible women…
Our friend and great granddaughter of Suffragette,
Emmeline Pankhurst, Helen Pankhurst has said;
“Let’s keep up the feminist
pressure throughout 2018 – not just because it’s a centenary year but because
it has the markings of being a remarkable year in its own right. What we are
seeking is a world in which the voice of everybody counts, irrespective of sex,
gender, sexuality, colour, ethnicity, creed, disability, class, age, political
persuasion and whatever other category is introduced to demean those who are
not like us. What we are demanding of society is dignity within a rich tapestry
of differences.”
Helen Pankhurst who launches her book ‘Deeds Not Words,
The Story of Women’s Rights, Then and Now’ this Thursday and you can read her full blog here
And If you remember Helen visiting us back in 2016, check out the blog we wrote about this amazing day here!
“As we celebrate #100years since some women got to vote,
let’s honour those who went before us and paved the way; look forward to where
we want to be in the future; and most importantly, be mindful about the role we
all play today” – Kate Richardson-Walsh, Olympic gold & bronze medallist.
OBE. Former GB & ENG hockey player
“100 years since women got the vote, fewer than 1/3 of
MPs are female, all chancellors to date have been men, more than 90% of PLC
executive direcots are men, and women are yet to serve in close combat roles
(though some are in training). History still needs to be made – Cathy Newman,
Channel 4 Presenter
Join in the conversation today on Twitter by following the hashtags #100Years #Votes100 #Suffragette100
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