Westminster to gain new Blue Plaque to mark work of Suffragists

A Heritage Blue Plaque is to be installed at 22 Great Smith Street in Westminster, London to make the building’s use as the HQ of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. It was in use, mainly by the more peaceful suffragists, in the years leading up to the change in voting law in 1918.

The suffragists used more legal campaigning methods and were led by Millicent Garrett Fawcett who was honoured with a statue in Parliament Square in 2018. Unlike the suffragettes who used more extreme measures of campaigning, the suffragists continued to raise awareness for their cause during the First World War. In 1918, some women were given the right to vote, something that continued to evolve over the years.

Speaking about the new plaque, Anna Eavis, Secretary of the Blue Plaques Panel, said: “The NUWSS are today perhaps less well known than the militant and much higher profile suffragettes. But their consistent campaigning […] was a driving force behind the partial enfranchisement of women and Millicent Garrett Fawcett was congratulated on her role in bringing about that reform in these very offices at the last meeting of the organisation, here in February 1918.”

This new plaque is part of English Heritage’s campaign to mark more notable women across London. This came after a survey found that out of the 1000 plaques in the capital only 140 celebrated women.