Deeds not words!
They cried in their protest
Marching on Parliament
Intent on their quest
To the corrupt politicians
Who recorded their struggle
But denied them the vote
And left them to juggle
Their lives that equaled
Less than their brothers
Where they had no rights
Not even as mothers
As wives they were thwarted
Their wages their spouses
They worked long hard hours
And still kept their houses
Tea on the table
Washing hung out
The children looked after
To their husbands - devout
They stood up for their choices
The injustice they faced
Were imprisoned & tortured
And fired in disgrace
Children were taken
Away from their mothers
Who were labelled as mad
Their opinions were smothered
Yet still they continued
To rally & fight
Secure in the knowledge
That they deserved rights
That equaled the men
That ruled their world
So they took up arms
And fists were curled
When one was killed
That brave young girl
Who in front of a horse
Her body she hurled
Votes for Women
Her banner announced
So simple & honest
The message pronounced
To hundreds of people
Who just stood & stared
As her breath left her body
The women prepared
To fight their fight
Be true to their cause
Take down the men
And change the laws
So thank you to those
Brave women of old
Who did what they did
Without being told
We now have the right
As women, to fight
Without risk to our freedom
And stand up for our rights!!
(C) Pixievic 2016
My Great Grandmother was a Suffragette - they were an amazing group of women in Britain who campaigned for women's rights. Deeds not Words was their battle cry! The movement started properly in 1901 but it wasn't until 1928 until women were given the vote properly (1918 saw a law that meant women could vote if they were over 30 & married) in 1925 the law was changed so that women had rights to their own children. In 1914 Emily Davison threw herself under the Kings horse in protest & was killed - this marked a change from peaceful protest to a more militant action. Women were imprisoned & tortured for their beliefs regularly force fed when peacefully protesting through hunger strikes. My GGM was part of this movement - it's her birthday today so I wanted to acknowledge what she & her fellow campaigners did - Here ends my brief history lesson!!