suffragette

The term "suffragette" refers to a member of the militant wing of the British women's suffrage movement, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). Founded in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst, the WSPU was impatient with moderate approaches and sought to achieve votes for women through direct action and civil disobedience.

Suffragettes engaged in disruptive tactics such as large demonstrations, chaining themselves to railings, and property destruction. These actions, often met with arrests and imprisonment, included hunger strikes, which led to force-feeding by authorities. This controversial practice was countered by the "Cat and Mouse Act," allowing for temporary release and re-arrest. The WSPU's militancy brought significant public attention to the cause of women's suffrage. The movement's activities ceased during World War I, and full voting rights for women in the UK were eventually granted in 1928.1234