A professor at the University of Glasgow has criticised the modern portrayal (‘girl bossification’) of the Suffragettes, arguing that the movement’s controversial history—including classism and links to eugenics—has often been overlooked by feminist historians.
Talking to BBC History Magazine, modern history professor Sarah Richardson called out the Suffragettes’ “pretty horrific” attitudes towards the working class and links to the eugenics movement.
Richardson also condemned the marketing of Suffragette activists as inspirational, ‘consumable motivational figures,’ arguing that this has led to many of these issues being forgotten or ignored.
She said: “The Pankhursts, for instance, have been eulogised – and understandably so, because without the activism of such individuals, it’s unlikely that women would have got the vote.
“So on the one hand these are women who have long been seen as inspirational, and who have had statues erected to them. But, on the other, there’s a dark underside that has been neglected until quite recently.
“Feminist historians sometimes haven’t really wanted to expose the controversial aspects of the suffrage movement. In my own work on gender and political culture, a lot of the really interesting and successful women in politics have been pretty unpleasant people.”
The suffrage movement campaigned for women’s legal right to vote in elections, succeeding through acts of Parliament in 1918 and 1928 respectively. However, the movement initially excluded working class women, instead only accepting those over 30 who met their property qualifications.
Moreover, one of the best-known suffragette activists, Emmeline Pankhurst, spoke in favour of eugenics, stating that it would lead to ‘race betterment’.
Professor Richardson added: “[…] in order to make an impact and get their message across, people have often trodden on lots of marginalised groups.
“So the women we think are successful are often the ones who, when you scratch the surface, may perhaps not be as motivational or as heroic as we would like.”
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