Women’s Vote 100 Online Resources
Women’s Vote 100 is a project empowering Dorset’s Young Women and Young Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) people to have a voice in their community.
Funded by the Women’s Vote Centenary Grant Scheme, this project has created a partnership between DEED, the Arts Development Company, Dorset Race Equality Council, Kushti Bok and Life Changing Choices.
Artistic Director, Sharon Muiruri Coyne worked in collaboration with project partners to lead workshops with young GRT students in St Aldhelm’s Academy, Poole. During these sessions, the young women learnt about the Suffragettes, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture; and how local decision making can often affect their communities.
Together with Kushti Bok, a GRT community group giving local GRT communities a voice, and Life Changing Choices, a GRT led community non-contact boxing club, they created a film called Ghost Gypsy. This featured a young Traveller woman, travelling through time which helped her to understand where she came from and be proud of her identity.
DEED Programme Co-ordinator, Louise Boston-Mammah, worked with Sharon to lead workshops with young women in Bourne Academy, Bournemouth. During these sessions, the students each delivered a compelling speech about an inspiring woman they had researched. Students were engaged and passionate throughout.
Inspired by these workshops and the film Ghost Gypsy, DEED has produced online learning resources for secondary and middle school teachers. These are suitable for students aged 11+ studying Drama, Performing Arts, English, History, Politics, Sociology, Citizenship, PSHE. They are also valuable across whole-school approaches to SMSC, British Values and Rights and Responsibilities.
The learning resources are divided into 3 main areas of learning: Inspiring Women; Justice and Equality for All and Many Voices. Each has a supporting introduction and includes teaching materials. Each area contains a variety of resources and activities to explore issues of votes for women and gender equality; identity and diversity; racism and bullying; political and peaceful protest; rights and responsibilities; democracy and voting; justice and the law; culture and tradition. A variety of drama techniques and learning activities are employed.
Follow these links to access the resources:
Inspiring Women Learning Resources
DEED wishes to thank it’s partners:
And it’s funder: The Women’s Vote Centenary Grant Scheme
“At school they don’t teach about my culture because no one knows – but the film can teach others.”
— Shannon from St Aldhelm’s Academy
“I considered myself a feminist before this. I have a big passion for women’s rights and equality for both men and women, but I never spoke out about it. The people at school didn’t really have an opinion, but now I feel like there’s so many other people that are just like me. I now feel like I need to get my voice out there, especially if I could teach the younger generation about it.”
— Jess from Bourne Academy
“I’ve learnt how important it is now to vote. They fought so hard, and we’ve finally got the privilege to vote. We need to get that across to the new generations.”
— Sophie from Bourne Academy