Stand with Hope
A cross-disciplinary initiative generating discussion on history of women's suffrage, gender inequalities still present in UK society, and raising awareness of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s research in this area.
1 April 2022
This collaborative project brought together ten teams from across ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº to encourage, enable, and facilitate conversations on gender equality and intersectional inequities, and to make a space for showcasing the work taking place across the university on inequalities in the UK – including within research, policy, public engagement, central initiatives and the EDI office.
As part of the Stand with Hope campaign, from 14 February to 7 March 2022, the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Student Centre hosted 'Hope the Lego Suffragette’ from the House of Commons. A life-size Lego figure, 'Hope' was built to help tell the story of women’s suffrage in the UK. Through a suite of activities and events, open to both the ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº community and the public, the campaign generated significant impact, facilitating debate on gender equality in the UK and showcasing ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s research and engagement on this important topic.
The campaign aimed to encourage ¹û¶³Ó°Ôºâ€™s communities to share diverse, untold stories around suffrage and inequalities and what needs to change to create a truly equal society today. Over 700 people attended events, over 92,000 people visited the Student Centre during Hope's visit, and more than a 1000 people listened to podcasts in the Stand with Hope series. ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº's Portico was also illuminated in the colours of the suffragette movement, to mark Hope's time at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº.ÌýÂ
In addition, a Twitter campaign involved more than 32 departments across ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº and received hundreds of shares in the lead up to International Women's Day 2022. Hope's visit was also covered in news stories and in the national media, including , and featured under 'What to do in London for International Women's Day' in .Ìý