Anna Faszcza Deeds Not Words!

Getting the right to vote wasn’t easy for women. In the 19th century it was assumed that men made all the decisions while women’s role was in the home. It was not until 1918, with Lloyd George’s electoral reform introducing the  „principle of universal suffrageprinciple of universal suffrageprinciple of universal suffrage” that women „were granted the right to votewere granted the right to vote [be granted the right to vote]were granted the right to vote”. That was an unbelievable success, but it wouldn’t have happened if not for the determination of some courageous women.

A. Historically, the UK and the USA make good examples of the fight and struggle for women’s suffrage in the 19th and 20th century. You may come across two similarly sounding names: suffragettessuffragettes [suffragette] suffragettes and suffragistssuffragists [suffragist] suffragists. Both were women’s movements fighting for their rights but the methods they used were different. The word suffragists appeared at the beginning of the 19th century and denoted women’s rights campaigners who were characterised by their dedication to nonviolencededication to nonviolence dedication to nonviolence. They believed that peaceful marchespeaceful marches [peaceful march]peaceful marches, handing out pamphletshanding out pamphlets [hand out a pamphlet] handing out pamphlets and giving public speechesgiving public speeches [give a public speech] giving public speeches would convince men that women deserved equal rights.

B. The name suffragette first appeared in print in 1906 as an offensive term given by a British reporter to women’s suffrage activists. Instead of being displeased with the name, some more radical British groups adopted it. Suffragettes didn’t feel like distributing pamphlets or giving speeches at a public meeting. They were demanding their right to vote by more radical meansradical means [radical mean]radical means. They damaged public propertydamaged public property [damage public property] damaged public property, set things on fireset things on fire [set a thing on fire] set things on fire, spat at police officersspat at the police officers [spit at a police officer] spat at police officers. They even chained themselves to railingschained themselves to railings [chain oneself to a railing] chained themselves to railings. When caught by the police, they often ended up in jailended up in jail [end up in jail] ended up in jail.

C. Many arrested suffragettes went on hunger strikeshunger strike hunger strikes: they refused to eat. After a couple of days they were force fedwere force fed [be force fed]were force fed, which was a very brutal process. The prison management and doctors decided to do it for fear of a sudden deterioration in the prisoners’ health and their risk of death. Hunger strikers gained a lot of sympathy and the word about their determination was widely spread. Even when the hunger strikes left the suffragettes weak and in bad health, they didn’t intend to give up. The authorities decided to break their spirit and introduced the Cat and Mouse ActCat and Mouse ActCat and Mouse Act which forced the prisoners who became weak and at risk of death to go home but only until they recovered. After a short while they were rearrested and the whole process repeated.

D. In 1914 when the First World War broke outbroke out [break out]broke out, many women had to take on the jobs that used to be done by men who were now forced to join the army. Suffragettes limited their violent actions as they concentrated on giving support on the war front. They proved they could work as well as men even at the time of war. In 1918 the government introduced a new law that allowed soldiers to vote. Women demanded to be also included due to their devoted roledevoted role devoted role during the war. Finally, in 1918 the British Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act, which granted the right to vote to women but only those who were over 30 and owned property. This right was not extended to all women until 1928.

“Deeds not words”, the famous slogan that suffragettes adopted, meant two things: instead of promises, they demanded the actual right to vote and in case it wouldn’t work, women were willing to act in protests, sacrificingsacrificing [sacrifice]sacrificing their families, their health, sometimes their lives. The principle of universal suffrage was finally introduced, but bear in mind that the price for it was high.

1 Źródło: Anna Faszcza, dostępny w internecie: https://www.britannica.com/topic/woman-suffrage [dostęp 16.11.2023], licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.