Students Reflect On Suffragette 100
A century after women won the right to vote in the UK, Andover College students, alumni and staff shared their thoughts on the opportunities in education for women today.
Student, Charlotte Duffy expressed her immense gratitude to suffrage campaigners including Emmeline Pankhurst, saying: “Thanks to women fighting for our rights all those years ago, we now have access to education and careers that wouldn’t have been accessible otherwise. Some of my lecturers are strong females, however all of my teachers inspire me daily through their individual support, understanding and encouragement for me to succeed as a young woman soon to head into higher education.”
STEM student Emily Porter said: “Andover College has supported me and instilled the belief that I can do anything as a young woman in today’s society. I chose to study Maths, Further Maths, Physics and History and in both my classroom and the college community, I’m treated as an individual learning on the same level footing as everyone else regardless of my gender, age or ethnic background.”
However even in the one hundred years since women gained the right to vote, recent media coverage has shown there is still some way to go to gain gender equality, particularly in for women in the workplace.
Meg Bullock, Digital Marketing Officer and former student at Andover College explained how the College is helping to bridge the gap by making great strides in education for women. She said: “In the past, we’ve see young women steer away from subjects stereotypically branded as ‘masculine’, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and particularly Digital. To inspire and encourage more young girls to think about going into these fields we have created a bespoke event, ‘Women into Digital Industries’ for students from local schools. Held on International Women’s Day on 8 March 2018, this exciting opportunity for Year 9 students, supported by forward-thinking local businesses, will showcase how a technological career path is both possible and desirable across a diverse range of business sectors. Our aim is to open up young girls’ perceptions of what is possible when you choose a future you enjoy and can excel in.”
Choose the future you want most when you study at Andover College. Learn more and apply for September at our upcoming Open Event on Thursday 8 February 2018, 4:30-7:30pm.