Suffragettes Went on Hunger Strikes as a Form of Protest
Not many people truly appreciate all that Suffragettes went through to get women the right to vote. Whenever women were arrested and sent to jail for their protests, they would often go on hunger strikes. In many cases, these women would fast for several days. Jailers would become so afraid that the women might die, that they would decide to set them free so that they would stop their fast. Eventually, they stopped letting women go when they fasted, and decided to force-feed them down their throat or nose instead. Doctors and nurses would hold these women down and force the tube into them. Struggling Suffragettes could suffer broken teeth, bleeding, vomiting and choking as food was poured into the lungs. These women would later describe the experience as “torture”.