Fighting for People’s Rights: Votes for Women and Amnesty

Votes for women. Voting rights are taken for granted, in 2018, in the UK. But 100 years ago votes were a new experience for women. 100 years ago, those who fought for the right for women to vote were rewarded with a partial victory: the Representation of the People Act of 1918 was passed. It was legislation that for the first time enabled all men over 21 to vote and some women. It paved the way for universal suffrage 10 years later, so women had to fight for a further 10 years before they were given the right to vote on equal terms with men.

The idea that women should be allowed to vote was suggested to Parliament in 1868 (and was laughed at). Today we celebrate all the suffragists and suffragettes who campaigned valiantly to enfranchise UK citizens.

GMS students are fighting for people’s rights, too. The Amnesty Group meets every Friday lunchtime in T1. The group actively encourage more to join them.