Forgotten Women Series: Emily Wilding Davison — The Scholar, The Suffragette, and The Cost of Defiance
Here’s the thing about history: it’s rarely told by women, let alone for them. Without women telling their own history, we are forced to sift through metaphorical—and often literal—rubble to unearth the stories of extraordinary women, erased or reduced to footnotes.
After years of speaking out about gender equality, diversity, and cultural change in the music industry—only to be met with silence, blacklisting, and the label of being “difficult”—I know firsthand how tough this fight can be. I’ve felt the sting of being ignored, sidelined, and dismissed—my perspective deemed unimportant. I’ve been called an aggressive man-hater, a lesbian dyke—you name it, I’ve heard it. The message is clear: speak up, and you become a target. Yet, if history—and women like Emily Wilding Davison—has taught me anything, it’s that disobedience is not just necessary but invaluable, no matter how uncomfortable it makes others.
Emily is often remembered for her tragic death at the Epsom Derby, but her life was far more than that single event.
The Scholar Behind the Suffragette
Emily Wilding Davison was more than just a suffragette; she was an incredible genius. She studied literature and medieval history at Royal Holloway College and then at Oxford University. They declined her degree based solely on her gender. Imagine putting in all of the effort, acing examinations, and still being told, “Sorry, you’re the wrong gender.” It’s enough to inspire you to start a revolution—which she did.
This academic background mattered because it shattered the stereotype of suffragettes as hysterical radicals who didn’t understand the world they wanted to change. Emily knew her history and understood power dynamics better than most men of her time. It wasn’t just about casting a vote; it was about dismantling centuries of patriarchy.
Emily’s story feels painfully familiar — so much so that it’s almost laughable, if it weren’t so tragically real. Whether it’s the music industry, academia, or politics, women still have to fight twice as hard for half the recognition. I’ve been in meetings where male colleagues only accepted my expertise after another male colleague restated my words. Emily’s struggle to be taken seriously feels far too familiar.
The Price of Defiance: Hunger Strikes, Forced Feeding, and Prison
Emily fought not just with words, but also with her body. Authorities detained her several times, and she was subjected to atrocious prison circumstances, including force-feeding—a state-sanctioned form of torture intended to break the will of hunger-striking suffragettes.
Consider this: a tube is put down your nose or throat, and liquid is pumped into your stomach as you choke and gag.
Emily captured this violence in her diary, revealing the government’s desperate attempt to suppress women who simply wanted to be regarded as humans. For her, this was more than just suffrage; it was a struggle for bodily autonomy and the freedom to exist without violence.
Why Does It Still Matter? Let’s not kid ourselves. Women continue to fight these issues today. Whether it’s for reproductive rights, freedom from violence, or simple respect, the parallels between Emily’s period and ours are obvious. And believe me, having been spurned by some of music’s most powerful decision-makers for just pushing for equality, I understand what it’s like to fight a system that wants you to shut up and sit.
The Epsom Derby: Martyrdom or Miscalculation?
Let’s talk about the moment that defined Emily’s legacy. On June 4, 1913, she walked onto the racetrack at the Epsom Derby and was struck by King George V’s horse, Anmer.
She died four days later.
Was this a deliberate act of martyrdom? Did she intend to attach a suffragette flag to the horse as a symbolic gesture? We don’t know. And honestly, we may never know. What we know is this: her death was a radical, public declaration of defiance.
Radical acts, especially by women, are so often misinterpreted or dismissed as reckless. We could say the same about modern protest movements. We criticise the methods without asking why such drastic measures are necessary. Emily’s death wasn’t just a headline; it was a question thrown at society: “Why do we have to go to such lengths to be heard?”
The Medievalist Mindset Behind the Revolt
Emily Wilding Davison was more than just a suffragette; she was a medievalist, intensely interested in power, resistance, and revolt. Her studies in medieval history and literature at Royal Holloway and Oxford informed her perspective on societal hierarchy, oppression, and long-standing fights for justice. There are numerous examples in medieval history about people who opposed kings, questioned authority, and risked all for ideals larger than their own. Emily regarded the suffrage campaign through this lens: not as a single political conflict, but as part of a centuries-long struggle against established power structures.
She recognised that strong disobedience had always been the spark for change, whether in medieval peasant revolts or the actions of rebels such as Joan of Arc, who, like the suffragettes, was reviled for straying beyond her “place.”
Emily’s dramatic protest at the Epsom Derby — stepping onto the racetrack in front of the king’s horse — was not a desperate act; rather, it was a premeditated manoeuvre inspired by past traditions of sacrifice and public defiance. Medieval rebels frequently used public areas to question authority, forcing those in power to face their own wrong in front of an audience. Emily transformed her body into a symbol of resistance that the world could not ignore by taking the most visible platform possible. In her opinion, history had already demonstrated that individuals who follow the rules rarely make history.
Her Legacy and Why She Still Matters
Here’s the thing about Emily: she didn’t live to see the suffrage movement’s victory. Five years after her death, women in the UK gained partial voting rights, and by 1928, they achieved full suffrage. But Emily — and countless others like her — paid the price.
Today, the fight continues. Whether it’s women in Iran protesting for freedom, women in the West demanding equal pay, or advocates like me trying to reform the music industry, Emily’s story reminds us that progress is messy, painful, and rarely linear.
I often think about what Emily would say to women like us today. I think she’d tell us to keep going, to raise hell, to make people uncomfortable. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that change doesn’t come from being polite.
Emily Wilding Davison did not die so that we might forget her. She died because she believed in something greater than herself. Her bravery, ingenuity, and defiance remind us that the liberties we have today were earned, not guaranteed.
So, to the women who came before us, those who support us, and those who will follow us, keep fighting. Continue shouting. And when the system tries to silence you, remember Emily.
Because no matter how much the world tries to keep us in our place, we were never meant to stay there.
This article is part of my Forgotten Women Series. Stay tuned for more stories about incredible women who I refuse to allow to be forgotten. You can find out more about me here.
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