Date/Time
Date(s) - 10/02/2018
12:00

Location
Broadgate, Coventry

Categories

• Celebration

This February marks the 100th anniversary of the Suffragettes winning the right to vote and Coventry is set to mark this special occasion with a public ceremony and a significant “message in a bottle” campaign, which will share messages of support and inspiration to women from across the world.

The right to vote was won in February 1918 after a long and hard struggle. Former Mayoress of Coventry, Gladys Stringer who came from Ffestiniog in North Wales, was one of the campaigning suffragettes who helped achieve this triumph of emancipation.

Based in Birmingham at the time and, although one of the more moderate members of the party, she met Emmeline Pankhurst and other prominent leaders of the movement on several occasions, and in Coventry she was associated with leading local women who fought so hard for suffrage.

Coventry is set to celebrate the 100th anniversary of winning the right to vote with a “Message in a bottle” campaign that will encourage women from the City to send messages of support and inspiration to different cultures from across the world. In addition a public ceremony will be held on Saturday 10th February in Broadgate at the Lady Godiva Statue at 12.00 noon to symbolise sending our messages out to the other side of the world. There will also be workshops and stalls promoting cultural diversity and providing information and advice specifically for ethnic minority groups on Friday all day at Foleshill Library Broad St, Coventry CV6 5BG

Pru Porretta, Coventry’s Lady Godiva who is organising the celebration explains:

“We have drawn such inspiration from what the suffragettes did 100 years ago. Women have been fighting so many battles so that we have many of the privileges that we have today. We will review the amazing spirit that women have to bring greater equality. We are part of a global suffragette movement today – joining together with women worldwide to bring greater equality to those who most need it, especially the women in war-torn countries”.

In addition to the public ceremony the flower bed around the Godiva statue will be planted in violet, green and white to symbolise the suffragette colours of dignity, white purity, and green hope.

Councillor Linda Bigham, Member for Community and Development added:

“We are delighted to be celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s right to vote right in the heart of Coventry City Centre. Women gave up their lives to give others this opportunity and what better way to mark this occasion than bringing women together to send messages of hope, support and inspiration to others throughout the world. We encourage everybody to come to Broadgate on Saturday 10th February to mark this significant occasion”.