Emily Wilding Davison and the Suffragette Movement - Essay Example

Introduction The agitation for the achievement of equal rights for women is thought to have started after Mary Wollstonecraft published a book referred to as “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” in 1792. In the 19th century, women were very active in the fight for their suffrage just as were the men. It was not until 1893 when New Zealand women achieved the same rights and Australia in 1902. America, Britain and Canada gave women the rights to vote after the end of World War I.1 A woman called Emily Wilding Davison, born in 1872 and died in 1913, was a radical activist who fought for the suffrage of women in Britain. Many women view her as a martyr since she died because of their cause.2 The agitation of women to be allowed to vote bore fruits since, in all the democracies, women have the rights to vote. Primary source (Emily Davison: the girl who gave her life for her cause) The book “Emily Davison: the girl who gave her life for her cause” was written by Claudia FitzHerbert. It discusses the life of a Suffragette called Emily Wilding Davison, who dedicated her life to the rights of women. The book shows the time of birth of the activist, educational background, and her later life as an activist. It finally discusses the circumstances that led to her death. Emily Wilding Davison The activist was a member of the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) where she became a violent and militant crusader of women. Emily often acted alone and independent of the WSPU and was arrested several times. Her offenses included stone throwing, arson, and assault.3 Emily was one of the Suffragettes who was involved in a hunger strike and was force-fed while in prison. Besides violent protests, she also made several non-violent ones, including spending a night in a cupboard. As a young woman, she defied all odds by graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at London University and later graduated with a degree at Oxford University. Emily was disgusted by the many things women failed to enjoy during her time. She was not particularly pleased by the stigma attached to all women by not getting a chance of voting.4 She could not believe how a woman of her status could not vote at that time while her male counterparts had a chance to exercise their democratic rights. She did not like the idea of Queen Victoria, who believed that women were not supposed to get involved in matters politics. The Suffragettes felt that denying women the power to vote was regarding them as inferior to men, something that was not true.5 Emily was a natural disciple of the Suffragettes where she took part in attacks on property and public meetings. She was a leading member of the Suffragettes and was arrested several times where she was forced to eat. She even barricaded herself in a prison cell so as to avoid force-feeding, and her cell was filled with cold water. Emily became even more determined after every hardship she endured. On a different occasion in prison, she intentionally threw herself from a prison’s upper gallery floor where she was severely injured.6 Emily Wilding Davison last act of protest happened at the Epsom racecourse. Emily tried to disrupt the Derby race that was attended by King George V, Queen Mary, and thousands of people. She kicked the basket a few days later after being hit by the horse that belonged to King George V. She had positioned herself in front of still cameras and film that were owned by the media.7 The moment of the collision was captured by cameras and film recorders and made headlines the next day. After her demise, she became a hero for the rights of women. She was perceived as a martyr where she transformed from a normal member of the WSPU to a famous Suffragette. Emily Wilding Davison was the only suffragette to die as she fought for the rights of women to vote. Suffrage movement in Britain In Great Britain, suffrage movement started to gain prominence when John Stuart Mill presented a petition to Parliament in 1867 requesting that women be allowed to vote. At the same time, Lydia Becker formed a women’s suffrage committee in Manchester, where they could discuss matters pertaining to women. Other committees were formed, but they united in 1897 establishing the National Union of Womens Suffrage Societies. Millicent Garret Fawcett was appointed as the first president of the group.8 The great pioneer personality of British feminism was Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote the book “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”. The work was one of the main feminist writings of the 18th century. Between 1830 and 1850, British suffrages received financial and moral support from the Chartists who fought for human rights.9 In the coming years, the issue of womens suffrage was articulated before the public by a section of legislators. The liberal legislators included John Stuart Mill, Richard Cobden, and John Bright; Mill helped in the formation of the first woman suffrage association in Britain. Every attempt to secure the freedom of women to vote was opposed by anti-feminists such as the then Queen Victoria. The others were William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli, who were both Prime Ministers in Britain.10 The woman suffrage movement in Britain got a boost in 1897 when different women’s groups came together and formed the National Union of Woman Suffrage Societies. Some members argued that their policies were fearful and indecisive. In 1903, a more militant splinter group led by Emmeline Pankhurst started the Womens Social and Political Union, which won the reputation of being bold and militant. Some of the tactics used by the group included boycotts, throwing bombs, breaking windows, picketing, and harassing anti-suffragists.11 One of the most dedicated suffragettes made public her cause by deliberately colluding with a racing horse; her name is Emily Wilding Davison. Since the suffragettes used forceful and provocative behavior, they were mishandled by the police and even jailed.12 During World War I, the suffragettes temporarily stopped their protests and made a significant contribution to the war by influencing the public.13 In 1918 women aged 30 years old were allowed to vote. In 1928, the Parliament reduced the voting age for women to 21. The women were given a complete political equality with their male counterparts. Further empowerment of women happened in 1979 when Margaret G. Bondfield was named as the first woman member of cabinet in the history of the country. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher was elected the first woman Prime Minister since democracy was initiated in the Great Britain.14 Suffrage movement in the United States The agitation for the suffrage of women in the United States got serious attention at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. The struggle for women’s suffrage was even lively after the Civil War. There was a rift among the suffragettes in 1869 over the proposed 15th Amendment that allowed black men to vote. Activists such as Susan Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton among others did not approve the amendment since it failed to give women the power to vote. However, activists such as Lucy Stone and Julia Ward Howe claimed that once black men were allowed to vote, women will realize their goals very soon hence the need to accept the amendment.15 The conflict cause Stanton and Anthony to form the National Woman Suffrage Association that worked at the federal level fighting for rights such as giving married women property rights. On the other hand, Lucy Stone formed the American Woman Suffrage Association that fought to secure the rights to vote through state legislation.16 Later in 1890 the two groups came under the umbrella of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). In that year, 1890, Wyoming joined the Union and became the first state with general womens suffrage.17 As the old generation of suffragists retired, a new generation took over to manage the issues of women. One of the most well-known suffragists was Carrie Chapman Catt, who assumed the leadership of NAWSA in 1915. The other one was Alice Paul, who was forced to quit NAWSA due to her insistence on the use of use to fight for the rights of women. She managed to organize the National Womans Party that used mass marches and hunger strikes.18 Determination on the part of suffragists of the organizations led to victory since on August 26, 1920, an amendment of the law gave women the right to vote.19 Other Countries Countries such as Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland (1915) allowed women to vote in the years 1906, 1913, 1915 and 1915 respectively. The other countries in Europe quickly amended their laws to allow women to vote after the World War I. The USSR and the Netherlands recognized womens suffrage in 1917. The other countries such as Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Sweden granted suffrage in 1918. Womens suffrage occurred in Germany and Luxembourg in 1919, Spain 1931, France in 1944 while Italy, Belgium, Romania, and Yugoslavia in 1946. Switzerland allowed women to vote in 1971 while Liechtenstein did the same thing in 1984.20 In Canada, some regions such as Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan granted women the right to vote in 1916. After the achievement of the federal suffrage in 1918, the other regions did the same. In Latin America, the right of women to vote occurred in the following order Ecuador (1929), Brazil (1932), and El Salvador (1939). In the Dominican Republic, it happened in 1942, Guatemala (1945), and Argentina (1946). In India, after independence, the Indian Constitution that started operating in 1950 allowed adult suffrage.21 In the Philippines, women were permitted to vote in 1937. The same rights were extended to Japanese women in 1945, China (1947), and in Indonesia (1955).22 In African countries, the two genders received the vote at the same time after they attained their independence. In the Middle East, many countries achieved universal suffrage after World War II, although some countries such as Saudi Arabia suffrage do not exist. Conclusion Women around the world fought for women suffrage for a long time. Women especially in Europe and America joined suffragettes’ groups so as to advance their cause. Some of the tactics used by the women included dialogue, boycotts, picketing, harassing anti-suffragists and using other violent ways. By the end of the World Wars, many countries in Europe and America had embraced women suffrage. Emily Wilding Davison will go in the history books as one woman who fought for women suffrage without fear. She did not mind dying if women could be allowed to participate in elections and get other rights. In all the democracies today, women have the same rights as women when it comes to voting and seeking elective posts. Bibliography Buechler, Steven. Womens movements in the United States: woman suffrage, equal rights, and beyond. Rutgers University Press, 1990. FitzHerbert, Claudia. Emily Davison: the girl who gave her life for her cause. London: Short, 2004. OConnor, Sandra Day. "History of the Womens Suffrage Movement, The." Vand. L. Rev. 49 (1996): 657. Wingerden, Sophia A. The womens suffrage movement in Britain, 1866-1928. New York: St. Martins Press, 1999. Read More