Events

Throughout the year Bristol is marking the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act and related milestones with a variety of events, celebrations, debates and more.

January

February

  • 6: Event: Celebrating Suffrage - Lantern parade and City Hall Reception
  • 21: Gender and Feminism Reading Group: Queer Theory and Sexuality (University of Bristol)

March

May:

  • 18: Global Challenges in Securing Reproductive Rights and the Empowerment of Women and Girls (University of Bristol) - An interdisciplinary workshop bringing together experts within and outside Bristol University from Law, International Development, Education, Anthropology, Policy, and Health, as well as UN, NHRI and think tank representatives, to share and contextualise various approaches to implementation of reproductive rights and empowerment of women and girls.
  • 24: Furthering Women’s Democracy in a UK Brexit Environment (University of Bristol) - A symposium led by academics from the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England and the University of Bath under the auspices of PolicyBristol. This event brings together researchers, activists, voluntary organisations and unions, public sector specialists and policy makers from different nations and regions seeking to influence policy around gender equality, anti-discrimination and women’s rights.

June

July

  • 28 – 30: Upfest: Women & Walls - Europe’s largest, free, street art & graffiti festival plans to commission four female Street Artists to mark the centenary with work exploring and celebrating the Suffrage Movement.

October

  • 10 – 16: Local Democracy Week. Actors dressed as Bristol suffragettes will be out and about in the city to engage people in conversation about the importance of women gaining the vote and why it is important for modern day women to use their vote to raise women’s policies up the political agenda.
  • 29: Make More Noise: Suffragettes in Silent Film – A film screening highlighting the suffragette’s struggle.

Key Dates

6 February - Centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act: Allowed all men over 21 and some women over 30 years old to vote.

30 April - 60th anniversary of the Life Peerages Act 1958: Allowed women to sit in the House of Lords.

2 July - 90th anniversary of the 1928 Equal Franchise Act: Gave women electoral equality with men.

21 November - Centenary of the 1918 Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act: Gave women over 21 the right to stand for election as an MP.

14 December  - 1918 General Election: First election in which women over the age of 30, and all men over the age of 21, could vote.

Bristol Lantern Parade - Celebrating Suffrage!
Bristol Lantern Parade sign
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