the forgotten

figures from ‘Climate Rush’ show that fewer than 1 in 5 mps are women, less than 1% of the world’s money is controlled by women and yet you can pick up a newspaper, look on the news or listen to the radio, and it's still unlikely that you've heard about black friday. 


on 18/11/2010 women marched outside parliament carrying candles in remembrance of 'black friday' to show their support for 100 years since the mistreatment of the women that protested against the dismissal of a bill that would allow women the vote.

The same day 100 years ago, 300 women marched to Parliament. This was after the then Prime Minister, announced that the Conciliation bill was considered unworthy of parliamentary time. The Conciliation Bill being a promise from the liberal government that women may be able to get closer to equality, and the vote would be given to some women.

 The 1910 demonstration proved less than successful with the suffragettes receiving around 100 arrests, 200 assaults reported and the death of two women. Modern day feminists revisited the same spot outside parliament on 18th, to celebrate 100 years in the progression of equality, and to show there's still people that will fight for it now. the irony being, the lack of media support and publicity goes to show that feminism is still considered taboo. a belief either ignored or mocked. people who fought for egalitarianism should be celebrated, how is it in modern times we're allowing real heroes to be forgotten? we're in danger of letting momentous parts in history pass us by, in 200 years will anyone be stood outside parliament with a candle? 

modern society still shows us gender inequality, our government has liberal influences - an ideology that claims to have equality at the heart of it, but equality of opportunity is still suffocated by the glass ceiling.

feminism for me is the fight for women's freedom. if you want to be a house wife, a judge, a landscape gardener, a surgeon...   then that is your prerogative and you should be considered for that job as a person over a woman. 

this is my tribute to the women who fought for our future, and to the people who are still fighting.