The University of Greenwich celebrates 100 years of women's suffrage with one day event – Saturday, 9 June 2018, 10:00-16:00
The year 2018 marks 100 years since the Representation of the People Act 1918, which extended the right to vote in Britain to the first women (aged over 30), as well as all men over 21.
The University of Greenwich will be hosting Greenwich100 – Next Gen on 9 June, a series of talks, workshops and activities centred around gender equality to celebrate the centenary.
Greenwich100 – Next Gen will focus on four themes: Youth, Voluntary & Public Sector, Teachers and Campaigners. The event will help ensure that 2018 not only marks a turning point for gender equality, but also that the issue remains in the spotlight for the next generation of children and young people.
Dr Claire Eustance, leader of the Greenwich100 Project, said: "Gender equality has come to the fore in 2018, with movements such as #MeToo and Time's Up placing the issue front and centre in the news agenda.
"The suffrage movement, whilst ultimately successful in 1918, was the result of almost 50 years of concerted effort from groups such as the National Society for Women's Suffrage, formed in 1867.
"Gender equality is a marathon, not a sprint, and Greenwich100 is committed to ensuring it remains a talked about issue, whilst also celebrating the strides that have already been made. We can only move forward towards a more equal society if we consistently push for the changes we would like to see."
The event is limited to 50 places and is particularly aimed at young people and their teachers, mentors, voluntary sector workers and campaigners.
Tickets are £10, young people and those on low incomes will not be charged. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
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Keynote speakers for the event include:
Dr Naomi Paxton: Performer, expert on women's suffrage and author of upcoming book Stage Rights!: The Actresses' Franchise League, Activism and Politics, 1908-58.
Dr Claire Eustance: Leader of the Greenwich100 Project and a senior lecturer in the School of Humanities at the University of Greenwich.
Confirmed contributors include the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust and the Women's Equality Party.
For further information and interviews, or to arrange a press pass for the event, please contact the media team:
Telephone: +44(0)20 8331 8937
Email: public.relations@gre.ac.uk
Website: www.gre.ac.uk
Out of hours: +44(0)20 8331 8937
Notes to editors:
University of Greenwich has been providing higher education for over 125 years. It has over 20,000 UK and international students studying at three campuses in the UK, and an additional 17,000 students studying overseas.
University of Greenwich is a public, research university with four faculties: Architecture, Computing & Humanities; Business School; Education & Health; and Engineering & Science. It's part of the University Alliance group and is silver rated in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
The university operates across three campuses: Greenwich and Avery Hill in London and Medway in Kent. Its renowned research has been globally received and endorsed by nine Times Higher Education Awards and four Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher & Further Education.
Notable alumni include Nobel Laureate Sir Charles Kao, Blur musician David Rowntree and campaigner Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon.
