Why did they call it the Cat and Mouse Act?

The Act became popularly known as the Cat and Mouse Act as the imprisonment and release of the women resembled that of a cat playing with a mouse. The repeated imprisonment of the women was held in distaste by the general public and proved to be counter-productive.

Who introduced the Cat and Mouse Act?

The Cat and Mouse Act (formally known as the Prisoners (Temporary Discharge for Ill Health) Act 1913) was an Act of Parliament passed in Britain by Asquith’s Liberal government in 1913.

Did the suffragettes use hunger strikes?

The Suffragette prisoners’ hunger strike protest remains one of the most poignant and disturbing aspects of the struggle for the vote. Suffragettes refused to eat and often drink while imprisoned, threatening to starve themselves to force a response from the authorities.

What is the full name of the suffragette movement?

This cause was taken up by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), a large organisation in Britain, that lobbied for women’s suffrage led by militant suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst.

What is the Cat and Mouse Act for kids?

The Cat and Mouse Act is the name given by journalists to the 1913 Temporary Discharge for the Ill Health Act in the United Kingdom. This law sought to thwart the hunger strikes of imprisoned Suffragists.

What was the Cat and Mouse Act BBC Bitesize?

In 1913, the government passed the ‘Cat and Mouse Act. ‘ This was a law that women could be temporarily released from prison when they were becoming ill from refusing to eat. When they were recovering and eating again, they would be arrested and sent back to prison.

When was the Cat and Mouse Act abolished?

Their violent actions only ceased with the outbreak of war and their support of the war effort. However, the start of the war in August 1914, and the ending of all Suffragette activities for the duration of the war, means that the potentially full impact of the ‘Cat and Mouse Act’ will never be known.

What were the Colours used by the suffragettes?

White, purple, and yellow British suffragists were the first to use the colors purple, white, and green and, inspired by that example, the National Woman’s Party, the militant U.S. organization dedicated to enshrining women’s suffrage in the Constitution, adopted white, purple and yellow as its colors.