>>Speaker of the House of Commons: The Ayes to the right; 385.
The Noes to the left; 55.
So the Ayes have it!
The Ayes have it.
>>Crowd: [Cheering] >>Florence Hill: We have done it!
After more than 50 years of struggle, a battle centuries in the making has been won.
We have earned the right to put a simple cross on a piece of paper.
Women have won the right to vote.
My name is Florence Hill.
I am old now but the journey we have taken is still clear in my mind.
It started with a small group of women and a simple question.
>>Woman 1: You mean should women be able to vote in a General Election?
Well, I really don’t know.
>>Florence Hill: The Kensington Society discussed and debated and decided that…
>>Woman 1: Yes!
You’re right!
Something should be done.
>>Florence Hill: Something should be done.
But what?
>>John Stewart Mill MP: If you could collect 100 names…
>>Florence Hill: Mr John Stewart Mill was a Member of Parliament who believed in equal
rights for all races, the poor and yes, women.
If we had sufficient support he agreed to fight for us in the House of Commons and so
a petition was organised.
My sister asked…
>>Rosamund Hill: Do you believe it will do any good?
>>Florence Hill: It must Rosamund, however long it takes.
How can it be right that half the world has no say in how it is governed?
That we women can run a home and bring up children, we can teach and do all kinds of
useful work but we cannot choose who represents us in Parliament.
This petition must change our country and set us on the road to fairness and justice
for all.
>>There was no time to lose.
The message was carried across the land and sea.
Some brave women signed despite their friends or families disapproval.
>>Man 1: Votes for Women?
What next?
A woman disgracing herself in Parliament?
A woman Prime Minister?
>>Florence Hill: But our supporters were determined.
We needed 100 names.
We collected over 1500.
And so the petition went to Parliament.
>>Speaker of the House of Commons: Order!
Order!
>>John Stewart Mill MP: Let us replace the word ‘man’ in our Bills with the word
‘person’ so that women may have the opportunity to full participate in our democracy…
>>Florence Hill: The vote was lost.
73 for, 196 against.
>>Woman 1: So we've lost a vote.
We haven’t lost the argument.
Justice is on our side and so we fight on!
>>Florence Hill: Other groups were formed across the country.
People were becoming convinced but it was slow, hard work.
We needed a change in the Law and we women had no vote to bring about that change.
Over the next 52 years Parliament received more than 16,000 petitions.
There were speeches, marches, protests and debates across the land.
>>Women: Votes for women!
>>Speaker of the House of Commons: The Noes to the left; 55.
So the Ayes have it, the Ayes have it.
>>Florence Hill: We have done it!
What started with a question and a humble petition in 1866 has lead, more than 50 years
later, to a turning point in British history.
And now it is Election Day and I am going out.
Out to vote.