Suffragettes – Stories from Parliament (Part 1 of 2) Video Lecture | How does UK Parliament's Education Service works? - Personal Learning

stories from Parliament votes for women
part 1
deeds not words that was our cry that
day in 1909 we suffragettes
were marching to Parliament to demand
the vote for women but women as well as
men should be allowed to vote in
electing our government our prime
minister mr. Asquith had promised it
should be sell but now he'd had second
floors he feared the too many women
might vote against his party and bring
his government down so he did precisely
nothing that cry of ours
meant two things instead of mere
promises that the vote would be given to
women we wanted the government to do as
its said and if they wouldn't then we
were willing to act as well as speak in
protest
we'd come from our meeting in a nearby
hall and the words we'd heard from our
movements leader mrs. Pankhurst were
still ringing in my ears we shall be
marching to Parliament not as lawmakers
but because women should be lawmakers
my name is Constance Lytton my full name
is Lady Constance bulwer-lytton some
people thought it's strange that I from
a family of the ruling class should ever
have been a part of such a crowd but
mrs. Pankhurst was a well born lady too
and listen to what she said next a
society that allows women no part in
decision-making cannot flourish beyond
the home what lives are we permitted
important posts are barred to us in all
professions posts in government are just
for men yet all their decisions affect
women they must either do us justice by
giving us the vote or do us violence
when we reach the houses of parliment
lines of policemen barred our March some
women broke through and chained
themselves to the railings by the
entrance meanwhile I was still outside
wedged by the crowd behind me nose to
nose with a policeman back back keep
back I'm only doing my duty
yes and we are doing us you should be
ashamed of yourselves go home the lot of
you and behave like women like women
yeah get home and do the washing I must
see mr. Arif I mean to see the Prime
Minister I don't think so
you're coming with me and I was marched
to the nearest police station and from
there to court where I was sentenced to
a months imprisonment and it was there
in Holloway prison that I truly realized
why our cause was so important why women
had to be allowed to vote to change
things for now I was mixing with women
whose lives we could improve women
without money for their children's food
and even if they found work their pay
was half that of a man's I remember on
my very first night the prison chaplain
came to my cell I'm surprised that a
lady of your class feels the need to
interfere in politics I am a woman what
women face in life is not understood by
men yet men are the only lawmakers so
they are so women's concerns are always
put to one side forgotten there I didn't
come here to discuss your views here I'm
told you may have these what letters
from my family indeed but prisoners are
not allowed to have them oh I think we
can make an exception in your case my
lady
I want no privilege you prefer to stay
in all this stink stink yes
that is the right word there's no air in
here indeed there isn't
how will you bear it my lady I'm not
sure I will and we are condemned to this
merely for demanding the vote votes for
women votes for women but I have a
confession because I have a heart
condition I gave in I finally accepted
the offer and spent most of my month out
of the stink and in the prison hospital
I was ashamed of myself I decided that
as soon as I was released
I'd been marching with the suffragettes
again and if it landed me in prison a
second time I'd make sure I was offered
no special treatment I would suffer
whatever the others suffered for I would
go not as lady Litton but as an ordinary
working woman my treatment so far had
been bad enough but worse much worse was
to come
you