The death of suffragette Davison

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The death of suffragette Davison

Published: 05 Mar. 2026, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Shin Bok-ryong

The author is a former emeritus professor of history at Konkuk University.

Since Korea opened its ports in the late nineteenth century, Western missionaries, scholars and explorers who visited the peninsula often portrayed the country as having a barbaric society, particularly due to the mistreatment of women. But Western societies themselves were hardly egalitarian toward women. In the Bible, women were not counted in population figures and were barred from participating in church worship. Until the nineteenth century, they also lacked the right to vote.

Emily Davison, left, a women’s suffrage activist, lies injured after stepping onto the track during the Epsom Derby on June 4, 1913. [WIKIPEDIA]

Against this backdrop, Emily Davison (1872-1913) in Britain emerged as a leading activist for women’s suffrage. A graduate of Oxford University’s English department, she joined the Women’s Social and Political Union. She took part in militant protests, including throwing stones at officials’ homes and setting fire to postboxes. Her actions led to imprisonment. While in jail, she attempted voluntary death through starvation but survived after being force-fed 49 times.

On June 4, 1913, Davison entered the Epsom Derby, one of Britain’s most prestigious horse racing events. Anmer, the horse owned by King George V, was one of the competitors. During the final lap of the race, Davison ran toward the king’s horse while holding a suffragette flag. She grabbed the stirrup and was dragged before being struck and fatally injured by the horse.

The government reported that she had mistakenly believed the race had ended and was attempting to cross the track when the accident occurred. That explanation, however, was widely regarded as untrue.

At her funeral on June 14, held after she succumbed to injuries sustained at the Epsom Derby and died on June 8, about 5,000 mourners gathered to pay their respects. The following year, World War I broke out. Seeking to prevent domestic unrest, Britain released imprisoned suffragettes. In 1918, the government granted limited voting rights to women with property. The episode served as a reminder that political rights are rarely given freely, and that Western societies did not necessarily respect women’s rights as readily as later narratives might suggest.

Many times throughout history, events have carried decisive significance. Today, as the nation faces questions about the direction of its next century, public attention in Korea often centers on the National Assembly. Some argue that while the country ranks around 12th globally in national power, its politics remain backward. Such claims, however, may be overly simplistic. The level of a country’s lawmakers inevitably reflects the level of its citizens. The same observation applies to female lawmakers.

As March 8, International Women’s Day, approaches, Davison's story comes to mind once again.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.