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Emmeline Pankhurst On Women's Suffrage

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On November thirteenth 1913, Emmeline Pankhurst presented a speech on women’s suffrage called “freedom or death.” In her speech she brings to light the inability women have when it comes to being heard in government. She explains to the men in the audience that if they were in women’s’ shoes they would respond in the same way these suffragettes currently are and how their forefathers have in the past. She delves even further into the issue of inequality towards women by expressing the fact that women are just as capable and as smart as men and are willing to do anything, even sacrifice their lives for their cause. Emmeline Pankhurst was in the frontlines of gender equality in Britain. Her beliefs and convictions had gained ground further …show more content…

was used to describe what we were doing.” Emmeline herself was imprisoned for standing up for her beliefs and for demanding representation. She basically begins her speech with this fact. “I am here as a person who, according to the law courts of my country, it has been decided, is of no value to the community at all.” Because the needs of women were not being met, they decided to prove to the government that they were intelligent and capable. “We entirely prevented stockbrokers in London from telegraphing stockbrokers in Glasgow...if women can do that, is there any limit to what we can do except the limit we put upon ourselves?” She not only forces the audience to empathize with her, but she also gives credible examples of the intelligence of …show more content…

She was able to draw comparison between her cause and the cause of their forefathers. She even draws attention to the severity of the situation, and the fact that women were giving their lives for this cause. I believe that she was successful in making her convictions heard and I would not be surprised if a majority of her audience left with an entirely different stance then when they had entered. Emmeline Pankhurst gave this speech over one hundred years ago, and looking around, I find it apparent that her words truly spoke to the audience. In today’s world, women have more freedom than ever before. Though there is always room for improvement, it is obvious that these suffragettes really did make a difference. As a whole, I think that her speech was exceptional. She connected the audience, pulled at their emotions, and gave logical and credible

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