(1858 – 1928) + (1880 – 1958)
Victoria Tower Gardens South, Westminster, London SW1
This is the memorial to Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the suffragettes who campaigned for women’s right to vote, including a relief to her daughter Christabel, both poignantly erected in the shadows of the Houses of Parliament.
Born in Manchester, in 1903 Emmeline was one of the founders of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). Along with her daughters Christabel and Sylvia they were active in demonstrations and direct action to fight for the right to vote. Like many suffragettes, Emmeline was arrested on numerous occasions over the next few years and went on hunger strike herself, resulting in violent force-feeding.
The outbreak of war of World War Two in 1914 meant many activists, including Emmeline focused on the war effort. By 1918 the Representation of the People Act gave voting rights to women over 30. Emmeline died on 14 June 1928, a month before all adult women could finally vote in elections (then at the age of 21).
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