Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the birthday of suffragette Millicent Garrett who campaigned for women’s right to vote in the UK during the early 20th century.
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She was born on 11 June 1847 and went on to become a leading women’s rights activist, leading the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies for over 20 years.
In 1918 many British women over the age of 30 were given the opportunity to vote for the first time, something that Millicent had worked hard to achieve,
She remains a key figure for the suffragettes and a symbol of the fight for women’s rights across the UK.
Suffragette Millicent Garrett Fawcett (Photo by Michael Nicholson/Corbis via Getty Images)
What is the Fawcett Society?
The Fawcett Society is a charity that campaigns for gender equality and women’s rights in the UK, carrying on the work of Millicent Fawcett.
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The London Society for Women’s Suffrage was renamed The Fawcett Society in 1953 to honour her legacy and show appreciation for her impact on gender equality.
Some of the current campaigns include closing the gender pay gap, securing equal power and defending women’s rights post-Brexit.
The charity produces various reports and briefings, as well carrying out research and special projects focusing on equality in all areas of life.
The statue of women’s suffrage leader Millicent Fawcett is the first monument of a woman and the first designed by a woman, Turner Prize-winning artist Gillian Wearing OBE, to take a place in parliament Square. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Where is the Millicent Fawcett statue?
Millicent was given her own statue in Parliament Square in April 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of voting rights being given to some women over 30 years-old.
The decision was made after a campaign that saw over 80,000 people sign an online petition.
It features her displaying one of her most famous quotes that she said during a speech in 1913 – ‘Courage calls to courage everywhere’.
It is the first statue of a woman to be erected in Parliament Square and it was designed by artist Gillian Wearing.
A march of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage, 1908. From left to right, Lady Frances Balfour (1858 – 1931), Millicent Fawcett (1847 – 1929), Ethel Snowden (1880 – 1951), Emily Davies (1830 – 1921) and Sophie Bryant (1850 – 1922). (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Millicent Fawcett quotes
Millicent Fawcett made many famous quotes during her time campaigning and as president of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies.
Here are some of her best known quotes –
‘However benevolent men may be in their intentions, they cannot know what women want and what suits the necessities of women’s lives as well as women know these things themselves.’
‘What draws men and women together is stronger than the brutality and tyranny which drive them apart.’
‘The evil state of the law, the evil state of the general tone of public opinion in regard to morals, is an outcome of the subjection of women, of the notion that women are possessions or chattels, with whom men are freely justified in dealing as they please.’
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‘The real protection women needed was the power to protect themselves.’
‘The women brought under [the influence of female emancipation] will have a wider intellectual horizon…they will have more dignity and more happiness in their lives…in a word, we shall see “the utmost expansion of which the female nature is capable”.’
‘I feel that no one, man or woman, ought to be forced into marriage by fear of social or legal penalties. That is one main reason why I should like to see honourable and honoured careers, other than marriage, open to women.’
‘Those who write and speak against the extension of liberty of action and conscience to men and women have always said that the change they deprecate will undermine or decompose the foundations of society. A few years pass by, the change is accomplished, and it turns out that society is not undermined or decomposed at all, but is all the healthier and more vigorous, through being possessed of a larger proportion of free citizens.’
‘We would greatly prefer an imperfect scheme that can pass to the most perfect scheme in the world that could not pass.’– on campaigning tactics, in 1917
‘My husband took care that I should hear important debates in the House of Commons, and the Speaker and Serjeant-At-Arms were very kind in frequently offering me a seat in that portion of the ladies’ galleries which they controlled.’
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Today's Google Doodle marks the 171st anniversary of the birth of British feminist trailblazer Millicent Fawcett.
Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett GBE was a leading suffragist and instrumental in securing votes for women in 1918.
Born in the seaside town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk, on June 11, 1847, she was sent to a London boarding school and took an interest in women's suffrage aged 19 after hearing a speech by radical MP John Stuart Mill.
Her sister, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, faced an almighty struggle to become the first female doctor in the UK and this fight spurred on Fawcett in her campaign for female equality.
(Image: Hulton Archive)
She married Henry Fawcett, a politician and professor of political economy at Cambridge, in 1867 and made her first speech on women's suffrage in 1868.
(Image: Collect Unknown)
(Image: Collect Unknown)
She became a well-known activist and speaker before becoming president of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies in 1897. This group joined together lots of suffrage factions, including Emmeline Pankhurst's suffragette movement.
Fawcett was an advocate for peaceful protest, using non-violent demonstrations and petitions to MPs. She believed that by demonstrating that women were intelligent, law-abiding citizens then they would be seen to be responsible enough to participate fully in politics.
(Image: PA)
(Image: Getty)
In 1913, Emily Davison threw herself under King George V's horse at Epsom in a bid to draw attention to the plight of women in the UK. Shortly afterwards, Fawcett made a speech in which the line "courage calls to courage everywhere" was said.
The phrase is on the banner which Fawcett is holding on the bronze statue in Parliament Square.
(Image: AFP)
In 1918, the Representation of the People act was passed, granting voting rights to some women in the UK. To qualify, you had to be over 30 years old and hold £5 of property, or have a husband who did.
In 1928, voting rights were extended to all women over 21, in line with men, and an 81-year-old Fawcett watched on in the public gallery in the House of Commons as the bill was passed.
She died one year later.
Today, the Fawcett Society, named in her honour, continues to fight for gender equality and in February this year Fawcett won a BBC Radio 4 poll for the most influential women of the past 100 years.
Today's Google Doodle honours the 171st anniversary of the birth of British feminist Millicent Fawcett. Millicent Garrett Fawcett was a leading suffragist and played a huge role in securing the vote for women in 1918. Ms Fawcett won a BBC Radio 4 poll earlier this year for being the most influential women of the past 100 years. The feminist was born in the seaside town of Aldeburgh, Suffolk, on June 11, 1847. She was the eighth of ten children.
GETTY Today's Google Doodle honours the 171st birthday of Millicent Fawcett
She was sent to a London boarding school and took an interest in women's suffrage at the aged 19 after she heard a speech by radical MP John Stuart Mill. Her sister Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was the first female doctor in the UK. Ms Anderson faced a huge battle to achieve this and this struggle helped spur on Ms Fawcett in her campaign for female equality. She married Henry Fawcett, a politician and professor of political economy at Cambridge, in 1867. She made her first speech on women's suffrage in 1868.
Suffragettes: 150th anniversary of women's vote petition Tue, June 7, 2016 A campaign for a statue of suffragette Millicent Fawcett to be mounted in London's Parliament Square is being stepped up today, on the 150th anniversary of the first petition for women’s votes. Play slideshow Heritage Images/Getty Images 1 of 13 Daisy Dugdale leading a procession, London, 1908
Ms Fawcett became a well-known activist and speaker before becoming president of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies in 1897. This group joined together lots of suffrage factions, including Emmeline Pankhurst's suffragette movement. Ms Fawcett was an advocate for peaceful protest, using non-violent demonstrations and petitions to MPs. The suffragist believed by demonstrating women were intelligent, law-abiding citizens then they would be seen to be responsible enough to participate fully in politics.
GETTY She was an advocate for peaceful protest, using non-violent demonstrations and petitions to MPs
In 1913, Ms Fawcett made a speech where she said "courage calls to courage everywhere" in response to Emily Davison throwing herself under King George V's horse at Epsom. Ms Davidson’s act was in a bid to draw attention to the increase of awareness for women’s rights in the UK. The line is on the banner which Ms Fawcett is holding on a statue in Parliament Square. In 1918, the Representation of the People Act was passed, which allowed some women to vote in the UK. To be allowed to vote you had to be over 30 years old and hold £5 of property, or have a husband who did.
GETTY Millicent Fawcett made her first speech on women's suffrage in 1868
Today’s Google Doodle is a homage to the indefatigable campaigner for women’s rights, Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett GBE. The image shows Ms Fawcett leading a group of other suffragists protesting peacefully with banners held aloft. Ms Fawcett was a suffragist - members advocated peaceful methods of protests to achieve women’s rights unlike suffragettes - and is viewed as one of the most instrumental voices in helping British women to gain the vote in 1918. A statue commemorating her life and legacy was unveiled on April, 24 1918, with Prime Minister Theresa May praising Ms Fawcett’s “lasting impact”.
She also won a BBC Radio 4 poll this year for being one of the most influential women of the past 100 years. Who was Millicent Fawcett? Millicent Garrett Fawcett was born on June 11, 1847, in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the eighth of ten children. Her eldest sister, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, became the UK’s first female doctor and was the person to introduce her to influential suffragist Emily Davies.
Getty Who was Millicent Fawcett? Google Doodle honours British suffragist
The young Millicent attended a private boarding school in Blackheath. Her passion for women’s rights was ignited by hearing a speech in 1919 by Liberal Party politician John Stuart Mill, the first MP to argue for universal women’s suffrage. Ms Fawcett married the Cambridge academic Henry Fawcett in 1867. He had originally proposed to her sister Elizabeth but was rejected by her due to her aspirations to become a doctor.
Getty Who was Millicent Fawcett? Google Doodle
After making her first speech on women’s suffrage in 1868, Ms Fawcett former the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) in 1897. The group advocated moderate, law-abiding methods of change rather than the more militant activities of suffragettes, such as Emmeline Pankhurst and the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). NUWSS a majority of support over WSPU and had surged to 50,000 members by 1905. Although activities were ceased after World War One broke out in 1914, the NUWSS continued to campaign for the vote by highlighting the contribution women had made to the war effort.
Getty Who was Millicent Fawcett? A campaigner poses next to her statue
