Suffragettes and after

Warning: there is a 'Risque warning' on the penultimate paragraph


I went on a 'Females of the Family' outing to see Suffragette at the cinema this week. I thought it was a great film and would recommend it to you all, however this is not written as a review but as a musing upon the position of women in society since 1912, the year in which the film opens.


I have written before in celebration of the politically active women I am so proud to have in my family tree! If you haven't read it, Is Political Activism Hereditary? which I wrote in 2008 explains about these lovely women.

 My political activist Grandmother, the original Elizannie 

[and Grandfather, another politico] circa 1913.

                                              
So watching the film with my family, sitting with my 13 year old granddaughter who has already been on a political rally with me and been interviewed on television about the reasons for her attendance on that occasion, led to me pondering how far we 'working class' women have really come.


Obviously, remembering the way the working class women in the East End - portrayed in the film so ably by Cary Mulligan and Anne Marie Duff - were treated when at work and in their living conditions, 'working class' women and men are  undoubtedly better treated just over 100 years later. In the film men are expected to keep their wives in order, to behave and a good slapping if they 'misbehave'But I am also thinking about the way women are still viewed in society as a whole. Listening to & watching/studying lots of media programmes and reading lots of articles and books I have always been struck by how many women still complain that when they come home from work they are still expected to 'run' the home and family. And how many still allow their husband/partner to have the last word.


And it doesn't always apply to the view of 'working class women'. I remember reading a comment many years ago made by the actress, comedienne and writer Maureen Lipman. Her husband, the writer Jack Rosenthal was then alive and Ms Lipman had just published a book or an article and someone asked her if he had written if for her. An empty headed comedienne obviously could not have written something herself. I have found myself that when producing politcal stuff I have been asked if my then other half 'helped' me! Mind you, I was only asked that once. I once mentioned, very many years ago, to another [male] political activist I had campaigned with for many years, that I had started a degree course. He said 'What in, pizza making?'. He apologised later .....


I have always been an independent thinker and decision maker. I come from a family of independent women, as I as so proud to repeat. Possibly that is why Other Half became ex! However although that hasn't changed the way I run my life, it has noticably changed the way I have been treated by society! So much so that I find I have had to talk about my sons when asking for quotes from workmen or my boyfriend when buying goods to get taken seriously. When I had an Other Half lurking this didn't seem necessary and I find it totally annoying. When I discovered that my computer had been hacked I actually had expressions of disbelief from friends, especially males - who thought me incapable of such knowledge 'as a woman' but admitted that they would not know how to find such a thing. Well I did know, found it, sorted it and got the culprit to admit to it. Yes I am a woman. And incidentally know these things. Although I am not a very good cook. But I can set up a new lap top and email account when I have been hacked.


Risque Warning:
So always remember, we women have so much strength. As the old saying says, 'If men had periods they would go to bed and call their Mum. And their Mums would come .......'


Nb: 'Working class' is a term far more difficult to define in the 21st century when compared to pre WW1. So I haven't tried and leave it up to the reader to make their own decisions!

Warning re the current political situation

                       The Great Chartist Meeting on Kennington Common, London in 1848*

Warning: Some of you may have noticed that there is a General Election in just under three weeks time. I happen to think this is quite an important occasion especially with regards to the National Health Service, Education, Welfare Services and much, much more. 

So here's the thing, politics of the left wing variety have been a large part of my life for as long as I can remember. Some of you may have already noticed that every now and then - not that often really! - I comment on something which I find interesting. This is likely to increase in the coming days! 

I am not apologising but quite understand if any of you don't join with me in that interest. BUT please remember that the privilege of voting is something which many of our ancestors fought for us to have. Many were attacked, arrested, injured, deported and died - especially women - to get us that privilege [see footnotes re Chartism and Suffragists] Please don't waste it. 

BTW, I do love a good discussion [argument] so feel free to comment. But as David Dimbleby pointed out to Nigel Farage in last night's BBC debate [16th April], insulting one's audience is never a good idea!

*Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in Britain which existed from 1838 to 1858. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement.......Support for the movement was at its highest in 1839, 1842 and 1848 when petitions signed by millions of working people were presented to the House of Commons.........

The People's Charter called for six reforms to make the political system more democratic:

1. A vote for every man twenty-one years of age, of sound mind, and not undergoing punishment for a crime.
2. The Secret Ballot – To protect the elector in the exercise of his vote.
3. No Property Qualification for Members of Parliament – thus enabling the constituencies to return the man of their choice, be he rich or poor.
4. Payment of Members, thus enabling an honest trades-man, working man, or other person, to serve a constituency; when taken from his business to attend to the interests of the country.
5. Equal Constituencies, securing the same amount of representation for the same number of electors, instead of allowing small constituencies to swamp the votes of large ones.
6. Annual Parliament Elections, thus presenting the most effectual check to bribery and intimidation, since as the constituency might be bought once in seven years (even with the ballot), no purse could buy a constituency (under a system of universal suffrage) in each ensuing twelvemonth; and since members, when elected for a year only, would not be able to defy and betray their constituents as now.

                                        [Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartism ]

As the charter only 'covered' men, the Suffragette movement was formed to demand 'Votes for Women': 

Suffragettes were members of women's organization (right to vote) movements in the late 19th and early 20th century, particularly militants in Great Britain such as members of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).^[1][2] Suffragist is a more general term for members of suffrage movements, if radical or conservative, male or female.

The term "suffragette" is particularly associated with activists in the British WSPU, led by Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, who were influenced by Russian methods of protest such as hunger strikes. [ Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragette ]

Elizannie electioneering with the brilliant Labour candidate for Castle Point, Joe

 Cooke [4th from right] supported by Richard Howitt MEP [centre]

Do You Value Your Vote?

As so often when I am looking for a subject to write about, suitable items seem to multiply and push themselves forward in my mind. Yesterday during some family history researching I found a male ancestor was able to vote in 1873. This led me to check the qualifications for voting at that time. They were not - as I had thought - ownership of property, but that a man was a householder and could be renting a property, thanks to the provisions of the 1867 Reform Act. This led of course to an investigation of exactly when and to whom voting rights were extended and a good, quick explanation can be found here. This link also shows how men and women campaigned - many dying - in their attempt to gain universal suffrage. We often glibly talk about the Chartists [the picture shown above is taken from one of their campaign banners] yet how many of us know the six points of the charter?:

• Votes for all men
• Equal electoral districts
• Abolition that Members of Parliament be property owners
• Payment for MPs
• Annual general elections
• Secret ballots. 

All men over 21 and women over 30 achieved the vote in the Act of 1918, and I suppose most school children who have studied the First World War would know this and quote that the Suffragettes who had laid aside their campaigning at the start of the war to help the war effort were thus rewarded - especially as so many had worked hard in munitions factories, nursing, in men's jobs to free them for war service etc etc. [I would like to point out that my feisty, trade unionist Grandmother - the original Elizannie - who had worked in a munitions factory all through WW1, whilst my Grandfather was at the front, did not get the vote at this point as she was under 30. Women had to wait for total equality to men until 1928 when their age for the right to vote was lowered to 21 also in the Equal Franchise Act.

So why am I writing today? Well perhaps you have noticed in the media that it is 100 years ago today that Emily Wilding Davison was fatally injured by the King's horse at the Epsom Derby in her campaign to obtain Votes for Women. There have been over that one hundred years many discussions about her motive for stepping out onto the race track and some can be found here. 

Emily belonged to the Women's Social and Political Union, WSPU, commonly called the Suffragettes. Their aim to extend suffrage - the vote - to women seemed hopeless at their start, madness during the campaign yet was successful in the end. It must be emphasised that Emily belonged to what is perhaps the more 'militant arm' and not all members and supporters believed that breaking windows and chaining themselves to railings etc was the way to get the vote. The WSPU has also been criticised for only worrying about  middle-class women and their higher class 'sisters'. However, as all women eventually received the vote, all women have a lot for which to thank them.

The composer Dame Ethel Smyth was a member of the WSPU and wrote this anthem for them when in 1911:


When we look at this very brief history of the campaign for universal suffrage, please let it inspire you all to vote in the next election that comes your way. Even if you 'spoil' your ballot paper to show your distaste of politicians, please take the time to go to the polling station and draw your voting slip. Remember that people, especially women, have died to get you the privilege to vote. Remember them by using that privilege and valuing your vote. Please.