TheHouse of Parliament: A Man’s World

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Among the lavishly tiled ceilings, detailed floors, ornate statues, and plush couches of the Houses of Parliament are several metal grates that decorate the windows of the Central Lobby. The grates fit in well with the gothic style of the building, a nice decoration that upgrades an otherwise dull opening in the wall. However, the Central Lobby was not the original home of the grates. The grates originally adorned the windows of the Ladies’ Gallery in the House of Commons, installed in 1834. Any woman wishing to see the proceedings and debates had to sit behind the grates, blocking the view and limiting the ability to hear. As feminist and suffragette Millicent Fawcett stated, “it was like using a gigantic pair of spectacles which did not fit, and made the Ladies’ Gallery a grand place for getting headaches” (The Ladies' Gallery). The grates barred women from political participation in an all male Parliament. Since the installation of the grates, women have advanced in strides, and today there are 143 female MPs and 172 women in the House of Lords. The grates represent the challenges women faced to gain seats in Parliament and the continuing struggles of representing themselves in a male-dominated system. Before the construction of the Ladies’ Gallery, women listened to proceedings from a ventilation shaft. The Ladies’ Gallery allowed women a proper seating area, but the grates still denied them a full view of proceedings. Women wanted to have a voice in politics and break free from the idea that their only role was in the home. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, women were able to emerge from the home and enlist in jobs. With jobs, women could meet with groups to discuss issues, such as suffrage and political represe... ... middle of paper ... ...-ugly-but-tomorrow-i-shall-be-sober-and-you-will-still-be-ugly-winston-churchill-tops-poll-of-historys-funniest-insults-8878622.html>. "Women and the House of Lords." UK Parliament. UK Parliament, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2014. . "Women in the House of Commons." UK Parliament. UK Parliament, n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2014. . "Women's Battle for the Vote." BBC News. BBC, 02 June 1998. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. . "Women's Freedom League." UK Parliament. UK Parliament, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. .

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