Who was Emmeline Pankhurst?
Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist who led the suffragette movement in the early 1900s, campaigning for women's right to vote. She founded the Women's Social and Political Union in 1903.
Pankhurst was born in Manchester in 1858. Her parents were involved in social reform, and she attended her first women's suffrage meeting at the age of 14.
She married Richard Pankhurst, a lawyer who supported women's rights. After his death, she founded the WSPU with her daughters Christabel and Sylvia.
Militant campaigner
Under her leadership, the suffragettes used direct action, including window smashing and arson attacks. Pankhurst was arrested many times and went on hunger strike.
During World War I, she suspended militant activities and supported the war effort, encouraging women to work in industry.
Pankhurst died on 14 June 1928, weeks before women gained equal voting rights with men. A statue of her stands in Victoria Tower Gardens next to the Houses of Parliament.
Time magazine named her one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. A statue of her was also unveiled in Manchester in 2018.