Thousands mark women’s vote centenary in Edinburgh parade

Thousands mark women’s vote centenary in Edinburgh parade

Thousands of women took to the streets in Scotland’s capital to celebrate 100 years since the first women in Britain secured the right to vote.

The Edinburgh parade was part of Processions, a mass participation artwork taking place simultaneously in the capitals of the UK to mark the achievements of the women’s suffrage movement.

The women and girls on the march wore suffragette colours of green, violet and white and were choreographed to appear as a moving suffragette flag.

The Edinburgh participants gathered at the Meadows before heading off through the city, ending by marching down the Royal Mile to the sounds of a piper playing Flower Of Scotland and past the Scottish Parliament.

Centenary of the Representation of the People Act
Female MSPs Linda Fabiani and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the Garden Lobby of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, wore scarves in the colours of the suffragettes (Jane Barlow/PA)

These included embroidered banners thanking the “sister suffragettes”, others proclaiming the suffragette slogans “Equality for Women” and “Deeds Not Words” and some simply stating “100 years”.

Modern political causes were also in evidence, with banners for the WASPI women fighting for pension equality.

Procession artwork march
Thousands of women marked the occasion in Edinburgh (Lesley Martin/PA)

The event was produced by Artichoke and commissioned by 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary.

Procession artwork march
Thousands of women took part in the colourful procession (Lesley Martin/PA)

“As we mark this anniversary and while we have come a long way since 1918, this event also offers an occasion for us all to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that still lie ahead.

“Equality for women is at the heart of the Scottish Government’s vision for an equal Scotland and our Programme for Government set out our ambitions, including legislating for gender balance on public sector boards, creating a new Advisory Council on Women and Girls, and piloting a returners project to help women back in to the workplace after a career break.

“Our goal for all women and girls – in Scotland and around the world – is that they have a fair chance to succeed in life, no matter their gender.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the event a “spectacular tribute”.

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