100th anniversary of women’s vote in Britain
Jan 29, 2018
2018 marks 100 years since women have had the right to vote in Britain, under the 1918 Representation of the People Act.
The law granted women aged over 30, and who met a property qualification, the right to vote. But it wasn’t until 10 years later that women had the same voting rights as men. Millicent Fawcett, who formed the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies in 1897 and spent decades advocating for equal rights, will become the first woman with a statue in London’s Parliament Square.
Our women’s vote collection available on Reuters Connect stands out for its video archive assets from the era, including:
- A suffragette march in New York from 1910
- Coverage from 1913 of the death of Emily Davison at Epsom racecourse
- The unveiling of a statue of Suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst in 1930 (which co-ordinates with this year’s expected unveiling of a statue of Millicent Fawcett).
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USA: Suffragettes march in New York. 1910.
In addition, a curation of photo images of women voting in the UK, the Houses of parliament and female Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May add colour to the present day narrative around women’s issues.
At a time when the #metoo effect is in the spotlight, amplified by the recent nationwide protests across the USA for the second women’s march, our rich archive provides historical context to a topic which has current, global resonance.
A number of additional events are planned to mark the centenary. The Royal Mint is launching a 50 pence commemorative coin, hashtag #vote100 will be used for related events at the Houses of Parliament and nearby Westminster Hall will put on a public exhibition “Voice and Vote”.
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