a statue of emmeline pankhurst ‘s.e to her courage and commitment. as leader of the conservative party and that co—founder of women to win which works to encourage more women to stand for public office, i'm proud that emmeline pankhurst was one of our pioneers. being selected as the conservative candidate for an east london constituency in 1928. we don't have nearly enough monuments to the women of this country's past and i'm pleased we are beginning to set that right. today we celebrate a huge and irreversible step towards creating a truly universal democracy and the beginning of a representative public debate. but i also want to take this opportunity to reflect on the nature of our public life today. as we remembered the heroic campaigners of the past who fought to include the voices of all citizens in our public debate we should consider the values and principles that guide our work today and how we can maintain a healthy public debate for the future. for while there is much to celebrate, i worry that our public deb

its leader was emmeline pankhurst. 0ur correspondent elaine dunkley looks back at her legacy.the banner has the message on it... emmeline pankhurst led a group of women, notoriously resilient in their quest for votes, on a course that would shock the world and radically change democracy in britain. in the representation of the people act 1918, there was notjust some women who won the vote, it was all men as well, who were able to vote and the electorate tripled in that time. so, it's incredible that the people who are able to vote now were working class men and working—class people. working—class women of course still couldn't do that, but that would have radically changed what was being talked about in parliament at that time. the suffragettes used extreme methods to promote their cause. they felt words hadn't worked and used a wave of violence and vandalism as a way of making their political voice heard. there is a fall. in 1913, emily davison died after running into the path of the king's horse at the epsom derby as part of the protest. today, the prime minister was in manc

mrs pankhurst was arrested, tried and imprisoned several times.ge the crimes for which they had been jailed as political acts. the start of the first world war in1914 acts. the start of the first world war in 1914 lead to the suspension of all politics including the suffragette campaign. then on the 6th of february 100 years ago today the representation of the people act was passed allowing men aged over 21 and some women aged over 30 to vote. 0ne and some women aged over 30 to vote. one year later nancy astor became the first woman to take a seat in parliament. she won a by—election in the constituency of plymouth sutton replacing her husband as mp. in 1928 equal franchise act allowed women over 21 to vote come increasingly number of women eligible to vote to 15 million and finally gave women the same voting rights as men. tonight hundreds of women are gathering at westminster hall to celebrate the centenary. throughout the day bbc news has been speaking to many key figures to find out what it means to them. 100 years ago women not only won the r

, the great-granddaughter of the pankhurst who led the suffragette's movement. dr. helen hank says the movement lives on, the suffragette movement. she was despairing, feeling a bit -- felt despair at the state of the women's rights movement until recently, with the me too movement, which has given her hope that young feminists will continue the battle. she says young feminists today are standing on the shoulders of giants. genie: the only female pilot of the free french forces during world war ii has died. analyst: she passed away in chile yesterday at the age of 97. she fought for the free french forces against the nazis in the second world war, as the sole female pilot. she battled gender stereotypes and let her dream as a pilot. awards in france, the u.k., and chile. 2007, age 86.t in she was basically flying all her life. genie: that is very impressive. we are starting to see the fruits of all the feminist work. formula one just announced they will be doing away with the infamous grade girls. analyst: they announced that. they will be replacing the grid gir

a women's history professor june purvis says they were not terrorists she claims that a million pankhurst if she were alive today and i quote here she would be horrified by the actions of the present day suicide bombers who ruthlessly kill and injure and run the of course because their islam is militants backed by the british government in syria arguably but actually i'm going to slightly agree with you here because at the end she slips in this phrase christabel pankhurst the w.s.p. used brilliantly strategist decided that more confrontational tactics were necessary well that was the gaffe on her she basically agrees with you maybe they were terrorists after all just. why don't women and men want to order that we will only go to vote by bombs. and letter it wasn't only by that so don't oversimplify it but it was one of the tools they used but as you say you advocating violence for political causes on this program i'm i really don't that we should encourage anyone i'm not hating some humility here the suffragettes were not beyond blame themselves they got something which i would like to th

it was noisy and sometimes violent as well, women like emmeline pankhurst used to come here and standedible that women, even to watch proceedings in malls of common tag, had to watch it behind these grills, they had to peer through, they said it was smelly and dark and disgusting. they chained themselves to those in protest. the grills were removed, and around the house of commons here in the central lobby they are now adorning the windows around here. it definitely was a place where they came off, they were blacklisted and eventually banned from coming here for 11 years until it all changed. this rather remarkable act of parliament was brought in, it is on display here today in central lobby. we normally don't see it. it's incredibly precious, of course. we normally don't see it. it's incredibly precious, of coursem is many inches thick, it's worth pointing out. this was for men as well as women, it wasn't all women, but it did make a big difference, of course. in terms of where we are today, theresa may might not do this in her speed and a little while, this is not just in her speed

the first act of militancy was in 1905 when one of the pankhursts spat at a policeman to hopefully getbed is may be misguided. it was a key part of what they were trying to achieve to get publicity. that is interesting. have you written a book about this as well? i'm afraid not. laughter last year we had the so—called turing law in which gay men who had been prosecuted would be pardoned, and so eusebius as the government doing this —— and so you can see this as the government doing this to mark a big event like a centenary, but whether this is the right thing to do, and lucy makes a good case that those convictions were badges of honour and it allowed them to campaign and get the vote. and now the guardian. we have a picture of a very elated lauri love, the british student accused of hacking who has won his appeal against his extradition. i suppose the big question, what happens to him now? there is the possibility that the cps might appeal this decision, but they have 14 days to decide whether they have 14 days to decide whether they do that or not. even if they don't, he will likely

pankhurst a founding member of the suffragette movement. a way to work in order to supplement her father's wage but to still be at home and meet them at the school gate. it means the jobs were paid less and had lower status, but her mum was extremely bright and did a brilliant job of bringing them up. the point we are making, this is 100 yea rs the point we are making, this is 100 years since the first woman got the votes, not all women got the votes them. selina talked a little bit earlier and mentioned head teacher at saint luke's secondary school. she was a force for change and inspired me, i ama force for change and inspired me, i am a teacher and hope to be as effective at encouraging others as she was. i will never forget her. we talked about how different it is what mps in parliament and how much that has changed over the years, how they are treated and all the rest. we will speak to amber rudd later. lots of men have got into edge about women who have inspired them. steve says the woman who inspires me and a lwa ys says the woman wh

the great granddaughter of suffragette emily pankhurst has told the bbc this is not a priority.d difficult the journey would be so they would understand that 100 yea rs later we so they would understand that 100 years later we are still fighting those same issues. s i think they would also say, grab the moment now when there seems to be something in the airand use when there seems to be something in the air and use it to the maximum advantage. i also feel we have a decade of action ahead of us because 2018 is the centenary of the first vote. 2028 will be the centenary of the equal franchise so let's use the ten yea rs the equal franchise so let's use the ten years we have now and come together, different organisations, different individuals saying, what do we really care about. we can show you part of a lovely interview from earlier, greta was just two years old when women were granted the right to vote and cheese but to victoria derbyshire from her care home in the south—east of england. it is very important, the women thought, wait, during the first world war, we did a man'sjo

she no doubt would agree emily pankhurst leader of the suffragettes and great grandmother of helen who wonders if the glass is only half full if every single measure of political equality we still have so far to go in every single parliament and in particular i need you k. we only have thirty two percent representation if you look at all other aspects of democracy so the legal system the the media reporting of parliaments and of politics we still have a lot to go so what. comedy throws light on women struggles today it's humiliating but it also made it a fantasy the first week in our relationship that i earned. with british institutions from parliament to the b.b.c. by revelations of gender discrimination. and it feels like we're just failing over and over but we have to remember the suffragettes failed for over fifty years they only succeeded once and we only need to succeed once they are impossible is our normal life and we are the hopes of the suffragettes. our debt to the heroines of the past maligned in their day as misguided radicals we remember them as being on the right side of

it actually carried mrs pankhurst.lice rushed the platform, there was a phalanx of women before she was taken away. we need to engender girls from an early age with a strong and resilient self belief. we also need to give their ambition going through their lives. they have the pay act for women, including maternity leave, in 100 years of progress, only 34% of women of mps are women, and it seems unbelievable that only until 1968 women have been in this house. we packaged demands according to the male template. we adjusted demands to the male norm. unfortunately we followed their idea to get there on merit. but you have to ask yourself who decides who is meritorious, who decides the values to be attributed to the roles that should be available to men as well as women, women as well as men. treated as equal. those who are not equal, it does not create equality. it's great to see so many women now being propelled into high—level positions, here in parliament, and that includes women of colour too, but not enough. my lords

she no doubt would agree emily pankhurst leader of the suffragettes and great grandmother of helen who wonders if the glass is only half full every single measure of political equality we still have so far to go in every single parliament and in particular i need you k. we only have thirty two percent representation if you look at all other aspects of democracy so the legal system the the media reporting of parliament and of politics we still have a lot to go so i think. comedy throws light on women struggles today this is humiliating but it also made the families because the first week in our relationship that i earned him. with british institutions from parliament to the b.b.c. hit by revelations of gender discrimination. it feels like we're just failing over and over but we have to remember the suffragettes failed for over fifty years they only succeeded once and we only need to succeed once they are impossible is our normal life we are the hopes of the suffragettes was. our debt to the heroines of the past maligned in their day as misguided radicals we remember them as being on the

i'm going to slightly agree with you here because at the end she slips in this phrase christabel pankhurst the w.s.p. used brit key strategist decided that more confrontational tactics were necessary well that blows the gaff on her she basically agrees with you maybe they were terrorists after all this is so why don't women and men not torture that we will only go to vote by bombs. and letter it wasn't only by that so don't oversimplify it but it was one of the tools they used but as you say you advocating violence for political causes on this program i'm i really don't that we should encourage anyone i'm advocating some humility here the suffragettes were not beyond blame themselves they got something which i would like to think most people agree with that's votes for women but some of their measures are not exactly completely free of blood is in people in hollywood will be incur. start a violent hashtag need to movement i don't think so or right let's go to the most powerful man in the world shelly yes here's another chance not donald trump not satisfied with annoying us on other things

about the site for suffragette for my late godmother whose mother was a suffragette and know the pankhurst. he raises the issues of these numbers and crime and what we actually have seen the crime survey is the crime is now down at records low levels. that is -- that is what has been achieved and been achieved by conservative government at the same time it's been protecting the budget. >> mr. speaker, reported crime is up by one fifth since 2010. violent crime is up by 20% and during the periods the prime minister was home secretary 2.3 billion was cut police budgets. we are warned neighborhood policing wrist being eroded in the short of a detectives is a national crisis. does the prime minister think the inspector is a scaremongering? >> they mention the issue about reported crime. one of the challenges that we have seen in recent years is ensuring that we get proper recording of types of crime and i'm pleased to say that we have seen improvement over the last seven-eight years in the recording rightly of certain types of crime. he also talks about the issue of police budgets. as i said,

about the site for suffragette for my late godmother whose mother was a suffragette and know the pankhurst. he raises the issues of these numbers and crime and what we actually have seen the crime survey is the crime is now down at records low levels. that is -- that is what has been achieved and been achieved by conservative government at the same time it's been protecting the budget. >> mr. speaker, reported crime is up by one fifth since 2010. violent crime is up by 20% and during the periods the prime minister was home secretary 2.3 billion was cut police budgets. we are warned neighborhood policing wrist being eroded in the short of a detectives is a national crisis. does the prime minister think the inspector is a scaremongering? >> they mention the issue about reported crime. one of the challenges that we have seen in recent years is ensuring that we get proper recording of types of crime and i'm pleased to say that we have seen improvement over the last seven-eight years in the recording rightly of certain types of crime. he also talks about the issue of police budgets. as i said,

i was very pleased yesterday to have an opportunity to meet helen pankhurst, the great granddaughterthe fight by the suffragettes from my late godmother, whose mother was a suffragette and both of whose pa rents suffragette and both of whose parents knew the pankhurst family. he raises the issue of police numbers and crime. what we actually have seen from the crime survey is that crime is now down at record low levels. that is what has been achieved and it has been achieved by a conservative government that at the same time has been protecting police budgets. jeremy corbyn. mr speaker, recorded crime is up by a fifth since 2010. violent crime is up fifth since 2010. violent crime is up by fifth since 2010. violent crime is up by 20% and during the period the prime minister was home secretary, £2.3 billion was cut from police budgets. her majesty ‘s inspectorate of constabulary warns neighbourhood policing risks being eroded and the shortage of detectives is at a national crisis. does the prime minister think the inspectorate is scaremongering? the right honourable gentleman mentions

she no doubt would agree emily pankhurst leader of the suffragettes and great grandmother of helen who wonders if the glass is only half full it every single measure of political equality we still have so far to go in every single parliament and in particular a new u.k. we only have thirty two percent representation of all other aspects of democracy so the legal system and the the media reporting of parliaments and of politics we still have a lot to go knowing. that. comedy throws light on women struggles today this is humiliating but it also made the families because the first week in our relationship that i earned him. with british institutions from parliament to the b.b.c. hit by revelations of gender discrimination. it feels like we're just failing over and over but we have to remember the suffragettes failed for over fifty years they only succeeded once and we only need to succeed ones their impossible is our normal life we are the hopes of the suffragettes. debt to the heroines of the pos maligned in their day as misguided radicals we remember them as being on the right side of h

emmeline pankhurst, along with her daughter christabel, founded the women‘s social and political unionlike a mad idea then. and i think it took a long time, that‘s why the campaign was so long, because they had to change people attitudes towards women and what they could do. and shouting at politicians, all unprecedented behaviour. some were arrested. but rather than pay a fine, they were sent to prison. but their protest didn‘t stop there. some of those locked up refused to eat, whilst others on the outside continued the violence, vandalising churches and burning down buildings. they said, there‘s a suffragette round the corner speaking. so, i went round the corner and i thought myself, this woman is talking sense. when i actually joined, i went to an open—air meeting and heard the speaker say, lunatics, criminals, paupers and women may not vote. well, i hadn'tjoined before then although all of my instincts had been that way, but ijoined them and then. they were charming women who were in it, and they were absolutely smothered with eggs, rotten tomatoes, and you never saw anything lik

perhaps the most famous among them, emmeline pankhurst. return. suffragettes were on the streets, ringing bells, summoning people out of their homes, somebody grabbed a kitchen chair as a makeshift grabbed a kitchen chair as a ma keshift rostru m grabbed a kitchen chair as a makeshift rostrum and emmeline pankhurst climbed the top. enough is enough, you know, time for deeds, not words. this was the message that inspired women up and down the country, ordinary women like alice hawkins in leicester, a mother of six who worked in a shoe factory. that is what drove alice fulwood, she wanted equal pay and the vote was the route to getting that. everyone that went off one of these? five times her great—grandmother was jailed. they still have her hunger strike medal, her prison badge, the sash she wore on every protest. never before spending days baking in the kitchen, making sure herfamily would be fed if she were arrested. if they were going to protest that was a chance to be arrested, not only be arrested but imprisoned, and so they anticipate

perhaps the most famous among them, emmeline pankhurst.very room. here, the suffragette movement was born and here, in december, emmeline will return. suffragettes were on the streets, ringing bells, summoning people out of their homes. somebody grabs a kitchen chair as a makeshift rostrum and the 5—foot emmeline climbs atop. "enough is enough", you know, "time for deeds, not words". this was the message which inspired women up and down the country — ordinary women like alice hawkins in leicester, a mother of six who worked in a shoe factory. that's what drove alice forward — she wanted equal pay and the vote was the route to getting that. everybody that went on a hunger strike got one of these? from 1909. absolutely right. five times, their great—grandmother was jailed. they still have her hunger strike medal, her prison badge, the sash she wore on every protest. but never before spending days baking in the kitchen, making sure her family would be fed if she were arrested. if they were going to protest, where was a chance to be arrested —

mrs pankhurst spoke about. vote, but it was also about financial equality. financial equality. things as well in addition to infidelity. infidelity. to us today, i think you are the first woman to be the lobby? first woman to be the lobby? chair of the press gallery are both women. women. journalist for those who don't know these weird political terms. these weird political terms. the debates and votes in the house of commons. of commons. report on things outside the commons. commons. then you have the secret briefing set up by number 10 row. briefing set up by number 10 row. there were so secret that you could not mention they existed. not mention they existed. top of that, and here we are outside the houses of parliament. the houses of parliament. nation was not parliament only has 32% female mps in the commons. 32% female mps in the commons. interested in both your takes on that. that. it is a real increase from what it used to be. what it used to be. blair poels map are that saw the big increase of women. i