A major public exhibition at Westminster Hall takes place this summer: Voice and Vote: Women's Place in Parliament.
Groups can combine a tour of the Houses of Parliament with a visit to the free exhibition, which is open 27 June-6 October.
The exhibition uses interactive technology to tell the story of a century of women’s voices in Parliament, the journey towards universal suffrage and the first female MPs. Lost historic spaces known as 'The Ventilator', 'The Cage' and 'The Tomb', which were used to segregate women from the business of Parliament, are recreated.
One of the star exhibits reveals the story of Alice Hawkins, a Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) suffragette from Leicester who was jailed five times for campaigning for women’s rights. The loan from Alice’s family to the Voice and Vote exhibition includes her original WSPU sash, a ‘Holloway’ portcullis brooch, and her hunger strike medal, awarded by the WSPU for “a gallant action”. It is the first time these items have been put on public display.
Joanne Marriott, Alice Hawkins’ great-great-granddaughter, says: “I am proud to loan these objects to Parliament, it is a fitting tribute to the vital work that Alice carried out. She was just one woman, but now we can really appreciate how crucial her, and all the other women’s, dedication and sacrifice was to our democracy. Alice was an inspiration to our family and to the women of today and the future.”
Melanie Unwin, Co-curator of the ‘Voice and Vote’ exhibition, says: “This exciting exhibition should really give the public a sense of the barriers that women had to overcome to participate in democracy.
“We are delighted to be able to feature Alice Hawkins, whose extraordinary story will be brought to life by these rare surviving items which celebrate her bravery and commitment. We are very grateful to the family for allowing them to be displayed in public for the first time in the ‘Voice and Vote’ exhibition, where I’m sure they will prove inspirational.”
