About this Display

Following the Centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which gave the first British women the vote, this display celebrates the diverse and inspirational stories of Essex women.

From the Suffragettes to the Land Army, those working in Nursing, Police, the Red Cross and our local industries, Snapping the Stiletto will retire the negative stereotypes of “Essex girls” and celebrate the lives and accomplishments of strong Essex women.

This touring display has been created by volunteers as part of ‘Snapping the Stiletto’, a county-wide project, researching how much Essex women’s lives have really changed since 1918. Has the vote really given women equal opportunities with men? How much work is there still to do?

Essex County Council has supported a partnership of 11 local museums to try and answer these questions. Our project volunteers have been working with curators to re-examine their collections and research what is has meant to be an Essex woman during the last century. More information can be found on the Snapping the Stiletto website.