As Britain entered the 20th century, the list of things British women weren’t allowed to do was depressingly long: among other things, they couldn’t serve on juries, they couldn’t open bank accounts or apply for loans, they couldn’t take on certain professional roles like lawyer or accountant, and they weren’t allowed to vote. At the time, most single women had little to no social standing and married women had to surrender all of their property and earnings to their husbands upon saying, ‘I do’. Many people believed women had smaller brains than men and were therefore unprepared for the world of work and politics.
Countless activists campaigned to bring about change for the country’s female citizens, with varying degrees of success. One particular fight that frequently hit the headlines was that in favour of women’s suffrage – the right to vote in political elections – and a mixture of persistent parliament pressure and unusual demonstration techniques helped to bring about the victory. A key player in the campaign was Emmeline Pankhurst: activist, feminist and the original suffragette. Fuelled by an unmatchable passion for voting equality, she dedicated much of her life to the cause and, almost a century after her death, is still remembered as one of Britain’s most influential women’s rights advocates.
THE ICON IS BORN
Pankhurst’s story began in Manchester in 1858. Born Emmeline Goulden, she was one of ten children and the eldest of five Goulden daughters. Her mother, Sophia, was from the Isle of
