COVE

During the 19th century in Britain, women were fighting hard for their rights. Women suffragetts had become a huge thing in the time period and it was a war zone. Many women did many dangerous things such as pouring acid on mailboxes, threatening police, and one member of the WSPU foundation (Womens Social and Political Union) vandelized the prime ministers car. Another member had even died when she threw herself under the kings horse at the derby as a protest. When women were arrested for these movements, they would often go on hunger strikes in order to gain media attention and be heard. The prisons responded to this by force feeding the women. Even the leader of the WSPU was arrested and had to force fed. This was used against them however, as many advertisments came out into the public displaying how gruesome it was and pushing people to vote men out of the office unless they supported the suffragett cause. In 1913, as a response to these strikes, the "Cat and Mouse" act was formed. This act said that prisoners who went on hunger strikes were to be released until they had recovered, and then were re-arrested. Evidence shows that this did not affect the movement as the government had hoped, and the only thing that stopped it was when World War 1 came around and everyone had to buckle down for a new reason.