In , Time named her as one of the Most Important People of the 20th Century , stating that "she shaped an idea of objects for our time" and "shook society into a new pattern from which there could be no going back".
Born in the Moss Side district of Manchester to politically active parents, Pankhurst was introduced at the age of 14 to the women's suffrage movement. She founded and became involved with the Women's Franchise League , which advocated suffrage for both married and unmarried women.
When that organisation broke apart, she tried to join the left-leaning Independent Labour Party through her friendship with socialist Keir Hardie but was initially refused membership by the local branch on account of her sex.
While working as a Poor Law Guardian , she was shocked at the harsh conditions she encountered in Manchester's workhouses. It became known for physical confrontations: its members smashed windows and assaulted police officers. Pankhurst, her daughters, and other WSPU activists received repeated prison sentences, where they staged hunger strikes to secure better conditions, and were often force-fed.
As Pankhurst's eldest daughter Christabel took leadership of the WSPU, antagonism between the group and the government grew. Eventually, the group adopted bombings and arson as a tactic , and more moderate organisations spoke out against the Pankhurst family.
