I took a class on American suffrage this semester, and only briefly mentioned the situation in the UK, but the millitant methods in the later period of the American suffrage movement were all learned from the UK. The first generation of suffragists in the United States rallied indoors because women had no right to march on the streets. Although there have been arrests, they are far less intense than the latter. Later, from the first wave of suffragists to the second wave, in the 1910s, millitant methods were absorbed by Alice Paul of the National Women's Party and began to become the second method in addition to lobbying. Later, the passage of the 19th Amendment in the United States definitely had the credit of the NWP, because their indomitable spirit in the face of police abuse moved the public. Like the movie says, they know what they're going to do. Although there will be unrest in the streets during the parade and when the windows are smashed, all of this has a purpose.
In fact, we only read books, look at pictures and discuss in class. Although we know a lot of history, it is far less intense than movies. I saw the police beat up the suffragettes who were marching, saw them being ostracized by everyone, saw the pain of being force-fed in their hunter strike, and saw how these women came together and would rather sacrifice themselves for the revolution to continue . Women in those days had nothing, the law didn't treat them as human beings, and they didn't even have custody of their own children. I cried when Maud's son was sent, I really felt so helpless. Women have no human rights at all, maybe not even 3/5 of men. They make up half the population, they have the same abilities as men, why do they earn less than men, experience harassment, and be treated like this? Because they don't want their daughters to live like them, why should they be ridiculed by other women when they stand up against it? What struck me the most about the film was Maud's refusal to sell out her companions because she realized she was a suffragette. In fact, she didn't ask for much. She just wanted to be with her son and wanted the factory not to exploit child labor. But society couldn't even satisfy her with these small demands, so she had to stand up against it. The police laughed at her saying she would be a cannon fodder and her voice would not be heard, but there are so many women in the UK and people who are willing to sacrifice themselves. War is the only word that men hear, so they must fight, believing that someone's voice will always be heard.
While the first feminist movement was not perfect, such as oppressed people of color still being denied the right to vote, and society becoming more hierarchical, it marked the first step for women to go from zero to one. In fact, after the end of the first feminist movement, Alice Paul proposed ERA, but because the working environment of American male and female laborers was too difficult at that time, the government did not issue relevant policies to improve the working conditions of all people, and there were a lot of women's organizations within the organization. resistance because they hope that women who are exploited in labor will continue to enjoy some of the protection policies provided by the government. The ERA was later shelved until the second wave of feminism was mentioned. Although it failed to meet the ratification requirements in 1982, it has not been denied and is still waiting to be put back on the agenda. So, even today, the war for affirmative action is not over. Last week I had an argument with my parents about something else and they made me adapt to the changing times because I can't change anything by myself. But if the times are unfair to women, and women hold back and do not fight back, then their descendants will live the same life as them, and we will always be inferior. So sometimes the trend of the times can be changed, but it requires the power of many people. In my opinion, many parades abroad are now normalized, and no one has thought about how to proceed and how to make the upper levels change. Most people have no goals because they refuse to define things. I just hope that these people can unite again, set a goal and fight, rather than act individually. Otherwise, this group of people will be used by politicians, and they will be called stupid and worthless by people like my parents.
Post the title of my course here and some photos I saw in the course. The teacher also said how we remember it is the focus of the lesson. We have to accept that this movement is not perfect, but also understand how difficult it is for women to take their first steps, and let these pioneers inspire us to continue the struggle.
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