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| Remembering Sylvia, the forgotten Pankhurst | Remembering Sylvia, the forgotten Pankhurst |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Letters | Letters |
| Fri 2 Feb 2018 16.53 GMT | Fri 2 Feb 2018 16.53 GMT |
| Last modified on Fri 2 Feb 2018 22.00 GMT | |
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| We write as patrons of the Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Committee on this centenary of the first limited franchise for women to ensure that Sylvia, sometimes the “forgotten” Pankhurst, is central to the celebrations. She was the author of the definitive history of the suffragette movement, a leading figure in the votes-for-women struggle, imprisoned and force-fed. Sylvia was severed from the Women’s Social and Political Union by her mother Emmeline and sister Christabel because she opposed the WSPU suspending their campaign for voting rights in favour of supporting the war effort in 1914. The other factor was their impatience with her prominent role in socialist politics, both domestic and international, which indeed shaped the rest of her life. Unlike many of the suffragettes and suffragists, Sylvia was aware of the link between feminism and other forms of oppression – in this respect she was ahead of her time. She addressed the practical constraints facing women – employment, education, creches, low-cost food – the whole role and rights of women in society. She was the socialist Pankhurst, the political campaigner and for this reason we have been fundraising to erect a statue to a woman who devoted her life to the causes of peace, freedom and equality for all – whatever their gender or race. She deserves recognition. Please visit @sylviastatue to find out more.Baroness Brenda DeanBaroness Margaret ProsserLord Chris SmithHelen PankhurstMaxine Peake | We write as patrons of the Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Committee on this centenary of the first limited franchise for women to ensure that Sylvia, sometimes the “forgotten” Pankhurst, is central to the celebrations. She was the author of the definitive history of the suffragette movement, a leading figure in the votes-for-women struggle, imprisoned and force-fed. Sylvia was severed from the Women’s Social and Political Union by her mother Emmeline and sister Christabel because she opposed the WSPU suspending their campaign for voting rights in favour of supporting the war effort in 1914. The other factor was their impatience with her prominent role in socialist politics, both domestic and international, which indeed shaped the rest of her life. Unlike many of the suffragettes and suffragists, Sylvia was aware of the link between feminism and other forms of oppression – in this respect she was ahead of her time. She addressed the practical constraints facing women – employment, education, creches, low-cost food – the whole role and rights of women in society. She was the socialist Pankhurst, the political campaigner and for this reason we have been fundraising to erect a statue to a woman who devoted her life to the causes of peace, freedom and equality for all – whatever their gender or race. She deserves recognition. Please visit @sylviastatue to find out more.Baroness Brenda DeanBaroness Margaret ProsserLord Chris SmithHelen PankhurstMaxine Peake |
| • Fern Riddell (G2, 31 January) expresses the new modern disapproval of the suffragettes and their direct action. By 1910 the parliamentary route to women’s emancipation had been tried for half a century and got nowhere; Britain was still not a democracy. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell and his supporters went to war to assert the supremacy of parliament over the monarch. Thousands died, churches, towns and castles were laid waste but despite this collateral damage the English civil war is generally regarded as an upheaval that had to happen, en route to parliamentary democracy and the right to representation. The suffragettes’ courageous fight was the last chapter in the same story. Except for one thing – the suffragettes never killed anyone.Vivien BaileySt Albans, Hertfordshire | • Fern Riddell (G2, 31 January) expresses the new modern disapproval of the suffragettes and their direct action. By 1910 the parliamentary route to women’s emancipation had been tried for half a century and got nowhere; Britain was still not a democracy. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell and his supporters went to war to assert the supremacy of parliament over the monarch. Thousands died, churches, towns and castles were laid waste but despite this collateral damage the English civil war is generally regarded as an upheaval that had to happen, en route to parliamentary democracy and the right to representation. The suffragettes’ courageous fight was the last chapter in the same story. Except for one thing – the suffragettes never killed anyone.Vivien BaileySt Albans, Hertfordshire |
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| Women's suffrage | Women's suffrage |
| Emmeline Pankhurst | Emmeline Pankhurst |
| Women | Women |
| Women in politics | Women in politics |
| Gender | Gender |
| letters | letters |
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