Our Emmeline Check linen is a homage to a pioneer of womens rights, leader of the British Suffragette movement, Emmeline Goulden.
Emmeline was born in 1858 in Manchester, England to a family invested into politics, and while Emmeline’s parents encouraged her to harbor an interest in politics, they believed that girls were not entitled to the same education as their sons, despite Emmeline being academically gifted.
Emmeline went to her first meeting about the lack of women rights in the UK at age 14. She was frustrated with women being treated as inferior to men - lack of education, no voting rights, unable to own property, lack of job options, lack of equality in marriage.
In 1879, Emmeline married Richard Pankhurst, a lawyer and keen supporter of women rights. Richard was the author of the Married Women's Property Acts of 1870 and 1882, which allowed women to keep earnings or property acquired before and after marriage. He passed away in 1898, learning Emmeline broken hearted.
Emmeline founded the WSPU (women’s social and political union) in 1903, which would become the very foundations for the Suffragette movement. Emmeline even travelled to America in 1912 to inspire and encourage the industrial mobilization of women.
Emmeline spent her life tirelessly working to give women the right to vote, a law that was partially passed in 1919 (allowing women over the age of 30 to vote, then in 1928, the right to vote for all women was finally passed.)
In 1999, Time named her as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.
“Deeds, not words” - Emmeline Pankhurst
