The fact she was a pacifist during the First World War, but wasn't by the time of the Second World War, because she was warning of the dangers of fascism. The suffragette issue but also, within that, working class women's interests. I was particularly aware of the diversity of her interests.
I never knew Sylvia she died four years before I was born, but I have her name as a middle name and, growing up, her room in Ethiopia became my room, so I was always very aware of her influence.
What influence did your grandmother have on your life? It's important to celebrate what the Representation of the People Act achieved, but its partial nature also still resonates, because even today we have that sense of partial success. Having a Parliamentary vote for the first time was about citizenship and political power, and opened the doors to policy change, including women becoming MPs that same year, so it was critical.Īs the flag-bearer of the Pankhurst family now, 2018 feels like an important moment to acknowledge the fight that got us to this point. Why was 1918 such a pivotal year, and what does the centenary mean to you personally?ġ918 was absolutely pivotal because, after years of false dawns, this was the final moment where some women got the vote. We spoke to Helen about dealing with disagreement in the feminist movement, and what it was like growing up with such an iconic surname. She's also the great-granddaughter of suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, and the granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst. Helen Pankhurst is a campaigner on international development and women's rights, and senior advisor to charity CARE International.
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