The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
How women won their war
Today marks exactly 100 years since some women first won the vote, with 8.5 million women eligible. Caroline Lindsay finds out more about the suffragettes’ epic struggle for equality
Women had more than proved themselves during the First World War, as Dr Derek Patrick of St Andrews University pointed out: “Dundee’s women made a tremendous contribution to the war effort. They had always been predominant in the textile industry but during the war worked in munitions, the Caledon shipyards, and occupied a range of jobs usually reserved for men.
“Many women served as nurses on the Home Front and in various theatres of war, tending the wounded in several locations in and around Dundee including the Eastern Hospital, Royal Infirmary, the Caird Rest, the lodge, Broughty Ferry and Messrs Cox’s Schools, Lochee.
“Away from the workplace, women had a key role in fundraising which helped support soldiers at the front and fund other initiatives,” he continued. But once peaceful methods had failed to win them the vote, they stood by their motto – “deeds not words” – and chained themselves to railings, disrupted meetings and damaged public property – including setting a fire at Leuchars station – in their fight for equality.
Their action provoked a great deal of anger and lost them support, yet their passion, courage and conviction are widely admired today. Author and historian Dr Norman Watson believes Perth and Dundee played a pivotal role in promoting the votes for women campaign.
“Scotland’s first act of militancy, the first disruption of a public meeting, the first arrests and the first hunger strikes all took place in Dundee,” he said.
“Although there was no leader of the suffragette movement in Scotland, its recognised figurehead was Dundee’s Ethel Moorhead, who became the first woman to be forcibly fed in Scotland, while Perth was the scene of the
forcible feeding of four suffrage prisoners in 1914.”
In 1905 Emmeline Pankhurst decided on militant methods to generate the publicity they thought would be needed in order to obtain the vote. By 1906 Dundee had its own branch of the WSPU, led by Annette Wilkie, who, in 1908, became the city’s first campaigner to be jailed.
“What really focused attention on Tayside was not only the fact that Liberal Prime Minister Herbert Asquith had his seat in North Fife,” Norman continued. “The real catalyst was the arrival of Winston Churchill in Dundee in 1908 to stand for election as a Liberal MP.”
Churchill was by then a powerful political figure and was greeted at the city’s railway station by thousands of Liberal supporters. However, his appearance was also awaited eagerly by growing ranks of women protesters and 27 of the movement’s big guns – including Mrs Pankhurst and her daughters – converged on the city.
“Mary Gawthorpe was cheered again and again at Dundee Stock Exchange. Mary Leigh invaded The Courier office but left with three cheers from the staff. Helen Fraser spoke to 10,000 people at Dundee High School gates. And up at Dens Park, the entire Rangers team was persuaded to wear Votes for Women badges before a cup-tie with Dundee,” said Norman.
Above all, however, the Dundee by-election of 1908 is remembered for Mary Maloney’s bell. “Whenever Churchill spoke, she produced a large hand bell, which drowned out what he was saying.”
In July of that year, the jailed Scottish suffragette Marion Wallace Dunlop refused prison food and undertook the first hunger strike. “By the summer of 1914, four women were being forcibly fed in Perth Prison, causing outrage throughout Scotland,” said Norman.
“It took great courage to finally achieve a partial victory in 1918.
“They often risked their reputations and career success – and sometimes their chance of marriage. They were even certified as insane.”
Dr Kenneth Baxter of Dundee University reflected: “In Dundee the suffrage movement had been strong and although the suffragettes must be said to be part of the reason the parliamentary vote was granted to some women in 1918 (those over 30, who fulfilled certain property criteria), we also need to remember other factors were involved.
“The non-militant campaigns of suffragists were important, as was the work women did during the war, which made the anti-suffrage case much more difficult. Equally, other countries were moving to enfranchise women and political parties could no longer afford to have male-only organisations. Electioneering aimed at winning female voters quickly became key.”
But it wasn’t until 1928 that the Equal Franchise Act was passed, ensuring that all women aged 21 and over finally had equal voting rights with men.
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They often risked their reputations and career success... They were even certified as insane.