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Originally Posted by Kizzy

In the early days I would say it helped to bring the subject to the fore...
I wouldn't dismiss the efforts of these women offhand as it discredits their memory and what they fought to achieve for women in the future.
I have heard this said before and I find this attitude very sad, there is truth of course that the war enabled women to prove they are competent in many fields.
However the sacrifices those who instigated the movement years before had their part to play too....I cannot accept that the tireless efforts, campaigns and protests are consigned to history as nothing more than a series of unfortunate events?

Well I don't feel any particular obligation to pay lip service to them because I don't approve of their actions no matter how justified their cause might be. Thousands of other women put in just as much tireless effort to female suffrage without having to bomb homes, vandalise property, attack politicians etc. Sure it helped raise awareness of the issue, but turned most senior politicians even more strongly against giving them the vote, and even a lot of other women suffrage campaigners came to view the suffragettes as damaging their cause and jeopardising their hard work

I don't think that is a very sad attitude at all, I find it more sad that the campaign for female votes is now often equated with the suffragettes violence and Emily Davison chucking herself under a horse, while the role of the moderates and the peaceful activists is often forgotten