Women's Suffrage 2018

Celebrating women's journey towards suffrage, this collaboration includes TORCH (The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities), City and County Council representatives, and other cultural organisations in the city, including Modern Art Oxford. 

Over a year-long programme of activities, this group will bring together city-wide initiatives, exhibitions, and public lectures.

Events have included:

100 years since the Representation of the People Act
Tuesday 6th February 2018, which marked 100 years since the Representation of the People Act which granted the vote to women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification. The same Act gave the vote to and enfranchised all men over the age of 21 for the first time.

On 6th February 2018, 21 University of Oxford Colleges, along with the Humanities Division in Radcliffe Humanities (originally the Radcliffe Infirmary), the Music Faculty, the County and Town Halls, Modern Art Oxford, Shepherd & Woodward, and Oxford Castle raised flags which read ‘Votes for Women’ printed on a backdrop of purple, white and green – the colours of the Women's Social and Political Union, which was led by Emmeline Pankhurst.

In the evening, TORCH and City and County Council representatives hosted an evening of celebration of the birth of Olive Gibbs. Known to many as a political trailblazer and leading female activist of her time, Olive was a Labour Councillor on the City and County Councils. She saved Jericho from destruction and got the Cutteslowe wall demolished. She was also a founding member and the national chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). The celebration of Olive Gibbs took place at 6pm, Tuesday 6 February 2018 at Oxford Town Hall. You can watch the video here.

Forthcoming activity will be shared on this page and through the TORCH Newsletter.

Contact:

Victoria McGuinness
victoria.mcguinness@humanities.ox.ac.uk