Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2018 to Question 124453, what further plans there are to celebrate the centenary of women being allowed to vote.

The government’s £5 million suffrage centenary fund supports a whole range of projects throughout 2018.

In December 2017, the Women’s Votes Centenary Grant Scheme opened and has funded 94 projects awarding around £750,000, including in Essex. More information regarding the application process and criteria can be found online: www.womensvotecentenaryfund.co.uk

April 24th marked the unveiling of the first female statue in Parliament Square, honouring leading suffragist Millicent Fawcett. The funding for the statue came from the £5 million centenary fund.

Projects are ongoing in the seven centenary towns and cities that received a share of £1.2 million from the fund- Bolton, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, London, Manchester and Nottingham.

The fund has contributed to PROCESSIONS, a public artwork by Artichoke and 1418Now who are working with a range of collaborators. On 10 June, the procession will see crowds of people dressed in green, white and violet moving as a live suffragette flag through the streets of the four capital cities.

More information on future events across the country can be found on the events hub here: https://celebratingvotesforwomen.campaign.gov.uk/

The Centenary fund is supporting a suite of education projects to increase young people's knowledge of UK democracy and its importance, and increase their democratic participation.

The remainder of the £5m will fund projects including:

• A programme to help develop the leadership potential of young women
• The closing ceremony for the 3-month festival of The Great Exhibition of the North, which will commemorate the centenary and encourage more women to participate in politics