Suffragette success celebrated 100 years on

A group of isles women are attending a mass event this weekend to celebrate 100 years of women having the vote.

Thousands will walk together in the UK capitals on Sunday wearing the colours of the suffragette flag and carrying handmade artwork.

A total of five women from Shetland will travel to Edinburgh to take part in the televised event, organised by 14-18 Now and Artichoke.

Gail Wiseman, 37, of Lerwick, says she remains grateful for the fight shown by women in the early part of the 20th century.

She said: “I feel it’s important to thank the suffragettes for what they did 100 years ago to give us the right to vote.

“I’m also taking part because I think there are a lot more things that we need in order to be equal and have our rights further explored.”

Ms Wiseman was one of 26 isles women who joined forces to create a large piece of patchwork art which echoes the suffragette movement while also voicing women’s hopes and concerns today.

The work was done between March and mid-May over eight sessions in Mareel, Lerwick.

Fine art graduate Christina Inkster, 25, from Sandwick, was in charge of the final design.

She said: “I just lay the pieces on the floor of my bedroom and stood on my chest of drawers so I could get a bird’s eye view and moved things around until it sat well on the eye.”

Jennifer McLeaskintosh, 34, of Burra, said she thoroughly enjoyed taking part.

“It was great – I felt really inspired,” she said. “It inspired me to do the MA in Art and Social Practice and go back to college.”

Zara Pennington, 34, of Wester Skeld, said she has always felt strongly about promoting equal rights and women’s involvement in public life.

“One of the quotes I helped come up with [for the artwork] was, ‘Being a woman is a revolutionary act’,” she said.

Alice Manson-Brodie, 23, of Scalloway, said she had learnt a lot from the project and looked forward to taking the group’s piece to the capital.

The ‘Processions’ event will be covered live on BBC One on Sunday from 2pm – 4pm.