Key dates

1832
The Great Reform Act excludes women from the electorate by defining voters as 'male persons'

1832
First petition on women's suffrage presented to Parliament

1867 
First debate on women's suffrage in Parliament, led by John Stuart Mill 

1884
Women campaign to be included in the Third Reform Act, without success

1889
The Women's Franchise League is formed and aims to win the vote for married women as well as single and widowed women

1897
Formation of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), led by Millicent Fawcett (1847-1929), drawing together peaceful campaign groups under one banner

1903
The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) is founded in Manchester by Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928)

1905
Suffragette militancy begins

1907
The Women's Freedom League is formed after a break from the WSPU

1908
Hunger striking by Marion Wallace-Dunlop adopted as a WSPU strategy

1909
Forcible-feeding begins

1910-1912
Parliament considers various 'Conciliation Bills' which would have given some women the vote, but none pass

1911
The suffragette Emily Wilding Davison (1872-1913) hides in a cupboard in the House of Commons on census night

1913
The Prisoners' Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Act, also known as 'The Cat and Mouse Act', is introduced, targeting suffragettes on hunger-strike 

1914
Britain declares war on Germany on 4 August. During the war years, 1914-18, an estimated two million women replace men in traditionally male jobs

1916
A conference on electoral reform, chaired by the House of Commons Speaker, is set up and reports in 1917. Limited women's suffrage is recommended

1918
The Representation of the People Act is passed on 6 February giving women the vote provided they are aged over 30 and either they, or their husband, meet a property qualification

1918
The Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act is passed on 21 November allowing women to stand for Parliament

1918
Women vote in a general election for the first time on 14 December with 8.5 million women eligible

1928
The Equal Franchise Act is passed giving women equal voting rights with men. All women aged over 21 can now vote in elections. Fifteen million women are eligible

1929
On 30 May women aged between 21 and 29 vote for the first time. This general election is sometimes referred to as the Flapper Election