Holyrood to host suffragette exhibition
088/2006 | 21 November 2006
 Visitors to the Scottish Parliament will be able to view a unique historical exhibition focusing on the actions of the suffragette movement in Scotland this winter.
The free exhibition will open in the main hall of the Scottish Parliament on 15 December – 88 years after women were able to vote for the very first time in the general election on 14 December 1918 .
Entitled ‘If I can’t vote, I don’t count’, the exhibition will focus on the different approaches used by women in Scotland to gain support for their campaign for the vote and the sense of achievement when the law was finally changed.
As well as showcasing rare archive materials, documents and objects sourced from the National Museums of Scotland and the National Archives of Scotland, the exhibition also features present day video footage with a cross section of MSPs being interviewed about women’s rights.
Speaking about the exhibition, Presiding Officer George Reid MSP said:
"I’m delighted that the first exhibition we have organised is one that continues to have a very real relevance today, where women are still fighting to have their political and civil rights recognised across the world.
"Closer to home, as the video footage shows, the impact and legacy of the Scottish suffragettes continues to influence and inspire our politicians in parliament today.”
This is the first public exhibition organised by the Scottish Parliament. The Parliament has previously hosted the prestigious World Press Photo Exhibition, back in August this year, and displayed the Declaration of Arbroath in 2005, both as part of its award-winning Festival of Politics.
The exhibition will also highlight what progress has been made in the UK since women got the vote, and what rights women have today around the rest of the world.
Background
The exhibition will open at the Scottish Parliament on 15 December and runs until 9 March 2007.
Currently 50 of the 129 MSPs in Holyrood are women.
Parliament opening times are:
Business days (normally Tuesday-Thursday)
All year 09.00 to 19.00
Non-business days (normally Mondays and Fridays and every weekday when Parliament is in recess)
- April to October 10.00 to 18.00
- November to March 10.00 to 16.00
Weekends and public holidays
All year 10.00 to 16.00
Last admission 45 minutes before closing; last orders in the café 30 minutes before closing.
For further information, the Scottish Parliament media contact is:
Sally Coyne: 0131 348 6265
RNID TypeTalk calls welcome
email: sally.coyne@scottish.parliament.uk
For public information enquiries, contact: 0131 348 5000 or
0845 278 1999 (local call rate)
Text phone: 0131 348 3415 RNID Typetalk calls welcome
email: sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk
Visit our website at: www.scottish.parliament.uk
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