Patrick Doyle 05/05/2007
Aims and Methods Used by the Suffragists
Although they seemed less active than the W.S.P.U., the N.U.W.S.S. were active in trying to convert public opinion. Unlike the Suffragettes, Suffragists welcomed male members in an effort to convince more men to their point of view. They had several methods that they used to persuade the harsh public opinion.
peaceful, e.g. reasoned argument, meetings, issuing leaflets and collecting petitions.
Met with politicians to argue their case.
In elections they supported candidates who were in favour of female suffrage.
They trained women to speak at public meetings.
In 1866 a group of women from the organised a petition that demanded that women should have the same political rights as men. The women took their petition to and , two MPs who supported universal suffrage. Mill added an amendment to the that would give women the same political rights as men. The amendment was defeated by 196 votes to 73.
Members of the were very disappointed when they heard the news and they decided to form the London Society for Women's Suffrage. The following year, joined the group. Although only a moderate public speaker, Millicent was a superb organizer and soon became the leader of the London suffragists. Similar Women's Suffrage groups were formed all over Britain. One of the most important of these was in , where emerged as a significant figure in the movement.
In 1887 seventeen of these individual groups joined together to form the (NUWSS). was elected as president. Three years later, when Becker died, became the new leader of the organisation.
The NUWSS held public meetings, organised petitions, wrote letters to politicians, published newspapers and distributed free literature. believed that it was important that the NUWSS campaigned for a wide variety of causes. This included helping in her campaign against the white slave traffic. The NUWSS also gave support to and her attempts to persuade the government to help protect low paid women workers.
