The tool that empowered generations of women to unite.
"1908::Women's Suffragists Advertise Meetings On Fences With Chalk"
Photo Clip: Saturday Sunet (1908)
Vancouver, British Columbia
In the mid-1800s, a powerful movement to support women's right to vote gained worldwide attention. This movement, known as women's suffrage, faced mixed opposition and support from both men and women and encountered its most significant challenges in the United States and Great Britain. Loud-voiced opposers often crashed their meetings, and promotional posters were frequently torn down and ripped up. But the suffragists refused to back down. They armed themselves with chalk, which they used to write public notes to each other that were sometimes encoded. The notes were also sometimes erased by those who wanted to sabotage their efforts, but it took effort to keep up when they began appearing everywhere. Sidewalks, fences, and even buildings were chalk-marked with suffrage schedules, updates, and messages, and soon, the movement started to gain momentum.
"1907::Promoting Suffragette Movement On Sidwalks With Chalk"
Photo Clip: The Daily Mirror (1907)
London, England
By the turn of the 20th century, New Zealand was the only country that had accorded women the right to vote in a national election. However, other countries, such as Australia, Finland, and Norway, soon followed suit, recognizing the importance of women's voices in shaping their nations. At the end of World War One, the struggle of the suffragists, who had redirected their energy to the war effort, finally ended. The relentless efforts of women worldwide and their wartime contribution led to their right to vote or the granting of equal voting rights as men.