Christabel Pankhurst came from humble means, and believed, like her parents, in devotion to a cause over comfort.  She obtained a law degree in 1906 from the University of Manchester, but was unable to practice law because she was a woman.

Educated as she was, she was frustrated by the hypocrisy of the laws of England.  In 1905, Christabel and Annie Keeney (pictured left) were arrested for interrupting a Liberal Party meeting, unfurling a banner reading "Votes for Women."  Rather than pay the fine for their public protest, they were both sentenced to two months in prison. 
 

Peaceful protests like these were met with police brutality, government cover-ups and fake news.  The inhumane treatment of women who spoke out and spoke up for themselves gave birth to more militant tactics by groups like the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).  It was clear that protests by peaceful means were not furthering the cause of women's enfranchisement.

We can look back on that time in history with disdain, or we can look at it for what it was - women had no power, were treated like second class citizens and were driven to desperate measures to get their point across.   

Despite the fact that today we have the right to vote, we are still being treated as less than our male counterparts.  Now is the time to wake up.  Now is the time to pay attention to what history can teach us and propel us forward with dignity and hope.