WEEKLY NEWS 16: Suffragettes celebrated 100 years on
Vote 100: Theresa May hails suffragettes 'heroism' amid calls for pardons as UK marks centenary since women given vote
Today, Theresa May has hailed the "heroism" of the suffragettes as her Government faced calls to pardon women who were treated as criminals for fighting for the right to vote 100 years ago.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson are among those leading calls for pardons.
It comes on the centenary of the passing of the Representation of the People Act, which granted the vote to many women aged over 30 who met certain property qualifications.
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has announced a £500,000 fund to drive greater representation of women in Scottish politics in "tribute" to the suffragettes.
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| An image of the original 'Representation of the people Act 1918' |
Events have been held across the country to mark the centenary.
This evening, the Prime Minister addressed a reception in Parliament to launch a year-long Vote 100 programme of events to celebrate a century of female suffrage.
All female MPs past and present were invited, in what is expected to be the largest gathering of the UK's women politicians ever organised.
In her speech, Mrs May praised the "heroic, tireless struggle" of the suffragettes, adding that the right to vote "was not handed over willingly".
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A group of students re-creating the suffragette movement
Labour's shadow cabinet met at the Museum of London, currently home to an exhibition on the suffragettes.
Mr Corbyn told his top team that the convictions of suffragettes "were politically motivated and bore no relation to the acts committed".
He said: "Labour in government will both pardon the suffragettes and give an official apology for the miscarriages of justice and wider persecution they suffered."
Ms Rudd said the issue was "complicated" when looking at cases of arson and violence, but promised to analyse individual proposals.
(Historian Lucy Worsley with children at an exhibition in Trafalgar Square)
Britain still has "a long way to go" to achieve true gender equality almost 100 years on from women winning the right to vote, 'three generations of women' told ITV news.
They said "significant" strides had been made but more needs to be done, with gender pay gaps and pregnancy discrimination still existing much like they did a century ago.
But they told ITV News that the legacy of Emmeline Pankhurst lives on and continues to inspire many people.
This whole story shows the representation of women of the past 100 years and how the way women are viewed in society has changed in the sense that some men support the idea that there should be equality between both genders.
In 1918, women weren't allowed to vote, however, because of the actions made by the suffragettes, gave women in modern society the right to vote, although being allowed to vote is one of many changes that has been successful as there is still inequality of the work environment in terms of the gender pay gap even though we live in a modern society that seeks for change and makes those changes take place. e.g. Gay marriage became legal a few years ago, even though gay marriage was not accepted many years before.
In my opinion, think that it is a good thing that the suffragettes have been pardoned for what they have done for women around the world and by this being done, it will give children in the upcoming generation something to be proud of and reflect on.
The story is taken from ITV news.
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