Women's Freedom League
Encyclopedia
The Women's Freedom League was an organisation in the United Kingdom
which campaigned for women's suffrage
and sexual equality.
The group was founded in 1907 by seventy members of the Women's Social and Political Union
(WSPU) including Teresa Billington-Greig
, Charlotte Despard
, Elizabeth How-Martyn, and Margaret Nevinson
. They disagreed with Christabel Pankhurst
's announcement that the WSPU's annual conference was cancelled and that future decisions would be taken by a committee which she would appoint.
The League also opposed violence
, instead using non-violent forms of protest such as non-payment of taxes
, refusing to complete census
forms and organising demonstrations
, including members chaining themselves to objects in the Houses of Parliament. It grew to over 4,000 members and published The Vote newspaper. They continued their pacifism
during World War I
, supporting the Women's Peace Council
. On the outbreak of war, they suspended their campaigns and undertook voluntary work, but in 1916 they restarted their lobbying activities.
In the 1918 UK general election, Despard
, How-Martyn and Emily Phipps stood unsuccessfully in London constituencies as independent
women's rights anti-war candidates. They celebrated the achievement of suffrage and refocussed their activities on equality, including equal pay and equality of morality. The group declined in membership, but was not dissolved until 1961.
, ref 2WFL
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
which campaigned for women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
and sexual equality.
The group was founded in 1907 by seventy members of the Women's Social and Political Union
Women's Social and Political Union
The Women's Social and Political Union was the leading militant organisation campaigning for Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom...
(WSPU) including Teresa Billington-Greig
Teresa Billington-Greig
Teresa Billington-Greig was a suffragette who created the Women's Freedom League. She left another suffrage organisation the WSPU as she considered the leadership too autocratic.-Life:...
, Charlotte Despard
Charlotte Despard
Charlotte Despard was a British-born, later Irish-based suffragist, novelist and Sinn Féin activist....
, Elizabeth How-Martyn, and Margaret Nevinson
Margaret Nevinson
Margaret Nevinson was a British suffrage campaigner.Nevinson was one of the suffragettes who split from the Women's Social and Political Union in 1907 to form the Women's Freedom League...
. They disagreed with Christabel Pankhurst
Christabel Pankhurst
Dame Christabel Harriette Pankhurst, DBE , was a suffragette born in Manchester, England. A co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union , she directed its militant actions from exile in France from 1912 to 1913. In 1914 she became a fervent supporter of the war against Germany...
's announcement that the WSPU's annual conference was cancelled and that future decisions would be taken by a committee which she would appoint.
The League also opposed violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
, instead using non-violent forms of protest such as non-payment of taxes
Tax resistance
Tax resistance is the refusal to pay tax because of opposition to the government that is imposing the tax or to government policy.Tax resistance is a form of civil disobedience and direct action...
, refusing to complete census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
forms and organising demonstrations
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
, including members chaining themselves to objects in the Houses of Parliament. It grew to over 4,000 members and published The Vote newspaper. They continued their pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, supporting the Women's Peace Council
Women's Peace Council
The Women's Peace Council was a group that, during World War I, campaigned for a negotiated end to the conflict. The group's membership was mainly from the Women's Freedom League, a group made up of suffragettes. Many of its members were also pacifists....
. On the outbreak of war, they suspended their campaigns and undertook voluntary work, but in 1916 they restarted their lobbying activities.
In the 1918 UK general election, Despard
Charlotte Despard
Charlotte Despard was a British-born, later Irish-based suffragist, novelist and Sinn Féin activist....
, How-Martyn and Emily Phipps stood unsuccessfully in London constituencies as independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
women's rights anti-war candidates. They celebrated the achievement of suffrage and refocussed their activities on equality, including equal pay and equality of morality. The group declined in membership, but was not dissolved until 1961.
Archives
The archives of the Women's Freedom League are held at The Women's Library at London Metropolitan UniversityLondon Metropolitan University
London Metropolitan University , located in London, England, was formed on 1 August 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and the London Guildhall University . The University has campuses in the City of London and in the London Borough of Islington.The University operates its...
, ref 2WFL
External links
- Google News Archve of The Vote
- The Women's Library which holds extensive suffrage collections