WOMEN marched through the streets of Hereford bearing brightly coloured placards and dressed as suffragettes in the movement's colours of green and violet to mark International Women’s Day.
Women from across Herefordshire held a traditional poster parade dressed as suffragettes from the early 1900's.
Suffragettes would put on demonstrations with ballads and signs to fight for women's right to vote.
Activists Clare Wichbold and Lin Mathias held the parade to raise awareness around equality and keep the message going.
Ms Wichbold wrote the first book devoted to exploring the story of the women’s suffrage campaign in Herefordshire called Hard Work – But Glorious.
The group started their parade at Hereford Cathedral with their gowns and posters at 2pm yesterday (Sunday, March 6).
The Dean, The Very Reverend Sarah Brown, gave a short speech in the Cathedral Close before the suffragettes marched down St John’s Street and Offa Street to the bull statue in High Town.
The parade gathered around the bull to listen to Elena Rodriguez-Falcon from NMITE (Hereford's university) give a short speech on the need for equality in the workplace.
The parade then made its way through High Town via Maylord Street, Widemarsh Street, through the Old Market, across Edgar Street and finished at The Courtyard.
Jo Anderson, chief executive of West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) gave a short speech outside The Courtyard to round up the parade.
The centre, which works with survivors of rape and sexual violence in Herefordshire, took the difficult decision to close its waiting list due to issues with funding,
She said it needs funding and support from the government and the community.
Small figurines were sale, in aid of WMRASC, with people encouraged to write the name of an inspirational woman on them and place them on a grassy area outside the theatre building.
International Women's Day will take place tomorrow (Tuesday, March 8) to celebrate women's achievement, raise awareness against bias and take action for equality.
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