What was the cause Emmeline Pankhurst passionately fought for?
Emmeline Pankhurst was a leading figure in the British suffragette movement, which campaigned for women's right to vote in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Before the Representation of the People Act in 1918, women were excluded from voting in parliamentary elections. Pankhurst founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) in 1903, which adopted more militant tactics like protests and civil disobedience to draw attention to their cause. The suffragettes believed that women deserved the same political rights as men, including the right to choose their representatives in government. While liberty, freedom of expression, and fair trials are all fundamental rights, Pankhurst and the suffragette movement were specifically focused on achieving women's suffrage, meaning the right for women to vote and participate in the democratic process. Their tireless efforts eventually led to women over 30 gaining the right to vote in 1918, and full equal voting rights with men in 1928.
Emmeline was pioneering in the women's suffrage movement, pushing for female voting rights.