Maud Joachim

Suffragette Maud Joachim 1910. Blathwayt, Col Linley

Maud Joachim (1869–1947) was a prominent British suffragette and social reformer. She was an active member of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), an organization dedicated to securing women's suffrage in the United Kingdom.

Early Life

Maud Joachim was born in 1869 in London, England. She came from a well-to-do family and received a good education, which was uncommon for women at the time. Her early exposure to social issues and inequality influenced her later activism.

Activism

Joachim joined the Women's Social and Political Union in the early 1900s. The WSPU, founded by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughters, was known for its militant tactics in the fight for women's suffrage. Joachim quickly became an active member, participating in various demonstrations and protests.

Imprisonment

In 1908, Maud Joachim was arrested for her involvement in a protest outside the House of Commons. She was sentenced to one month in Holloway Prison, where she joined other suffragettes in a hunger strike. The hunger strike led to her being force-fed, a common practice used by the authorities to break the will of the suffragettes.

Later Years

After the Representation of the People Act 1918, which granted voting rights to women over the age of 30 who met minimum property requirements, Joachim continued to work for full suffrage. She remained active in various social causes, including education reform and workers' rights.

Legacy

Maud Joachim's contributions to the women's suffrage movement were significant. Her dedication and willingness to endure imprisonment and force-feeding highlighted the lengths to which suffragettes were willing to go to secure voting rights for women. She is remembered as a key figure in the struggle for women's rights in the United Kingdom.

See Also

• Women's suffrage in the United Kingdom
• Emmeline Pankhurst
• Women's Social and Political Union
• Holloway Prison
• Representation of the People Act 1918