The History of Feminism in London

The capital of the United Kingdom has consistently found itself at the heart of various political shifts, and feminism is no exception. London became the crucible where women fought for the right to be free, demanding equal rights in voting, education, and property ownership. From the 19th century onwards, they made their presence known, their actions ranging from peaceful campaigns to radical protests that had a profound effect on the entire nation. More on this history is available on londonka.

The Genesis of the Feminist Movement

Feminism in London effectively began with Mary Wollstonecraft. Her father’s alcohol abuse led the family into poverty, and the young woman quickly grasped how the lack of education for women was detrimental to households. In 1792, she published “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” a seminal work that denounced society’s reduction of women to merely mothers and wives. In this publication, she strongly asserted that women ought to have an education. Her book became immensely popular, with bookshops struggling to meet the demand. Wollstonecraft directly challenged the prevailing notion that women were inherently weaker and incapable of sound reasoning, laying the foundation for a completely new way of thinking.

A pivotal moment arrived in 1866 when a group of women organised a petition demanding political rights for women. They presented it to Henry Fawcett and John Stuart Mill—Members of Parliament who were already advocates for suffrage. Mill put forward an amendment to the Reform Bill, but its rejection led directly to the formation of the London National Society for Women’s Suffrage (LNSWS).

The movement flourished throughout the 19th century against a backdrop of social reforms and the industrial revolution. The Kensington Society, a British women’s society based in Kensington, became a crucial organisation. It began tackling issues of women’s rights and campaigning for their access to higher education and the ability to own property. Women felt that as long as they were denied the vote, they would continue to face oppression, despite any significant achievements. A key highlight was the “Women’s Sunday” demonstration in London on 21 June 1908. Over 500,000 people gathered in Hyde Park to protest the restrictions on women’s suffrage.

The Suffragette Movement

At the turn of the 20th century, feminism in London became notably more radical. Back in 1897, seventeen women’s groups had united under the leadership of Millicent Fawcett to form the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). Restaurants and coffee shops across London generously provided their premises for the women’s meetings.

In 1903, Emmeline Pankhurst, her daughters, and a group of women established the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) with the aim of awakening the nation. The organisation relocated its headquarters to London in 1906, operating thirty-four offices across the city. This marked the start of the true battle for women’s rights. They raised funds, organised demonstrations, and even published a newspaper that, by 1909, boasted a circulation of 22,000 copies.

The suffragettes targeted Whitehall, heckling MPs and even chaining themselves to government buildings. Their protests could be highly disruptive, with suffragettes damaging historic monuments and works of art, smashing windows, and setting fire to buildings. Over a thousand protestors were imprisoned. Some of the women held at Holloway Prison in North London went on hunger strike. In response, the government introduced force-feeding, followed by the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act, which allowed for their release and re-arrest. This piece of legislation became infamously known as the “Cat and Mouse Act”.

Contemporary Feminism

The late 1960s saw the emergence of the British Women’s Liberation Movement (WLM), born out of the radical upheavals of the time. This included the student protests of 1968, the anti-colonial civil rights struggles, and the global rise of second-wave feminism. In the UK, the WLM developed as a decentralised, grassroots movement, bringing together a broad spectrum of feminist thought: socialist, radical, liberal, Black, lesbian, and Asian traditions. The movement was united by a shared critique of gender inequality and a desire for societal transformation.

From the 1980s onwards, feminism in London became even more diverse, with issues of sexual orientation, race, and immigration background rising to prominence. New movements and publications emerged, focusing on the concerns of women of Asian descent and lesbians. An example is the magazine “Mukti,” founded in 1983. It focused on British Asian women and published texts in multiple languages, striving to be accessible to the diaspora.

The third wave of feminism, beginning in the 1990s, was intrinsically linked to the internet. The Web allowed online campaigns to spread rapidly through hashtags and shares. Online petitions successfully compelled companies such as “Victoria’s Secret” to abandon their “Perfect Body” slogan and forced “Dove” to withdraw an advertisement accused of racism. All of this demonstrated the power of social media to pressure even major brands. Yet, some problems persist today, including the gender pay gap, male dominance in many decision-making circles, violence, inflexible working hours, and sexualisation.

Ultimately, the legacy of the suffragettes and the organisations and campaigns fighting for women’s rights continues to inspire new generations. In their honour, one of London’s railway routes has even been named the “Suffragette Line”. Even in the modern era, the metropolis remains a crucial centre in the ongoing struggle for equality.