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Category: Local Business News  States Assembly

Votes for Women: The Countdown is On

Jul 02, 2019


The countdown has officially begun: in 10 days’ time, on Friday 12th July, it will be exactly 100 years to the day since some women – those aged over 30 and ratepayers – received the right to vote in Jersey. It was also the first time that all men received the right to vote. The States Assembly, Jersey’s parliament, is hosting two more exciting and insightful public events in July to mark this vital moment in Jersey’s political history.

Parade for women

The 1km celebratory parade will be kick-started with a top-secret flash-mob at 2pm in Charing Cross [confidential]. The parade will then be led by local groups, ‘Women in Politics’ and the ‘Soroptimists International Jersey’, while local choirs, Concordia and Vocalize, sing ‘March of the Women’ up to the Royal Square. In the Royal Square participants will hear from influential speakers such as Charlotte Valleur, Chair of the Institute of Directors; Minister for Education, Senator Tracey Vallois; and high profile champion of equality in the workplace, Lucy Layton of Jersey Heritage. The parade is open to all and we invite participants to wear purple, green and/or white.

Date: Saturday 13th July

Time: 2pm-3pm

Location: Charing Cross, St. Helier

Price: FREE

Booking: Register your interest on Eventbrite.co.uk by searching for "Parade to celebrate 100 years of votes for women in Jersey"

Votes for women exhibition

Join us on a historic journey to discover how courageous women of all ages and from all backgrounds fought for the right to vote and stand for election in Jersey. There will also be an opportunity to vote for a permanent public memorial to mark this momentous anniversary in Jersey’s history, as well as the opportunity to win a meal for two and two tickets to see ‘Margaret Atwood: Live in cinemas’ at the Jersey Opera House. One of the exhibition’s highlights follows on from the ‘Are you related?’ appeal in June which called for members of the public to get in touch if they believed they were related to anyone who signed petitions in 1924 calling for equal rights for women. We are pleased to announce that we will bring seven brave women’s signatures to life with photos, documents and anecdotes of their respective lives. These women were a handful of the hundreds and hundreds of individuals who helped pave the way for women to vote and stand for election in Jersey today. You can also discover how the States Assembly developed during the medieval era right through to the current day.

Date: 9-20th July

Time: 10:30am-4:30pm Tuesday 9th July | 10am-4pm 10th to 20th July (Mon-Sat)

Location: Old Magistrates Court, Seale Street (next door to St. Helier Town Hall)

Price: FREE

Booking: None required

Deputy Louise Doublet of St. Saviour No. 2 is heading up the ‘100 years of votes for women’ campaign and says, “We want to pay tribute to the hundreds of strong and courageous women and men who bravely campaigned at a time when women’s civil and political rights were severely restricted. These events are a celebration of how hard they fought to achieve the right of women to vote, at a time when women were perceived as second class citizens. Of course, many of us take for granted the fact that women can vote today; but 100 years ago, it showed bravery, fearlessness and courage to stand up and demand such a vital change in Jersey’s democratic history. The women of Jersey have come a long way over the past 100 years, but we still have a long way to go – please come and show your support.”

Find out more about the ‘100 years of votes for women’ campaign at statesassembly.gov.je/votes4women.

LEAFLET

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