Marking 100 years since (some) women won the vote

'The fight for women's equality has always been about breaking rules'

100 years ago today the Representation of the People Act 1918 was passed, the piece of legislation that gave some women the vote. The act widened the franchise to all men over 21 but only women over 30 who owned land or a home. 1918 is also the year women were able to stand as MPs. In order to secure the right to vote, the Suffragettes waged a war of direct action. Emily Wilding Davison was one such woman. In 1911 she hid inside a broom cupboard in the Houses of Parliament so that she might list parliament as her place of residence on the night of the census. In 1913 Davison died after stepping in front of the King's horse at the Epsom derby, a moment steeped in potent symbolism. Before her death Davison was jailed eight times, went on hunger strike seven times and was force-fed 49 times. To memorialise her rebellious night in parliament, Tony Benn broke the rules by screwing a plaque into the wall of her cupboard. Today co-leader of the Green party Caroline Lucas echoed the sentiment. https://twitter.com/CarolineLucas/status/960794484786237440 https://twitter.com/CarolineLucas/status/960817876503617536 Others have marked the milestone too. https://twitter.com/sarahwollaston/status/960807023393824769 https://twitter.com/annietrev/status/960786349686181889 https://twitter.com/HarrietHarman/status/960806971665502208 https://twitter.com/janemerrick23/status/960791089258139648 https://twitter.com/YvetteCooperMP/status/960780754987954176 https://twitter.com/NicolaSturgeon/status/960788865052299264 https://twitter.com/CherylGillan/status/960800728058089472 https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/960770048892723200 https://twitter.com/RuthDavidsonMSP/status/960791707460800513 https://twitter.com/MishalHusainBBC/status/960762218517270528 https://twitter.com/SirWilliamD/status/960560274494271488 https://twitter.com/EmilyThornberry/status/960603837907243010 "I would rather be a rebel than a slave." - Emmeline Pankhurst