A call to live with courage and hope

THE unveiling of a statue in honour of suffragist Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square is a reminder that commitment, dedication and sacrifice can transform a society.

She is portrayed holding a banner stating: “Courage calls to courage everywhere.”

This is a message that needs to ring out around our world. It is heartening to think of the millions of people from every continent who will pass through this square and read these words.

The groups that battled for universal suffrage were often divided on tactics. The suffragists sought to exert political pressure in very different ways from the more militant suffragettes, but all could see the denial of votes to half the population was an injustice and to the detriment of Britain.

A century on, society can honour all those who fought so hard to end obscene discrimination and edge Britain closer to being a true democracy.

The work of reforming this country of nations will never end, and individuals, charities and pressure groups will have vastly differing priorities. But in 100 years’ time it will be clear that all those who today work to build a fairer and freer society were allies in pursuit of a common good.

On June 10 thousands of women are expected to walk in processions in Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and London in tribute to those who won them the right to vote in what the organisers hope will be “a living portrait of women in the 21st century and a visual expression of equality, strength and cultural representation”.

Male politicians had been nervous about the consequences of dramatically increasing the electorate (there had also been odious restrictions on less wealthy men playing a full role as citizens). The extension of the franchise has given political power to people who were once not allowed to cast a ballot, but true equality remains a distant prospect.

Just as the suffragists struggled to convince the establishment that a male-only electorate was not the natural state of affairs, we need to abandon the notion that families across Britain – and the rest of the world – must endure poverty, sickness and the absence of opportunities we take for granted.

If the statue of Ms Fawcett came to life and she crossed the square and walked into Parliament she would have no shortage of causes to champion.

We can celebrate her memory by living her values with courage.