A NEW exhibition in Glasgow will highlight the life story of Scottish suffragette Jessie Stephen.
Born in 1893, Jessie Stephen was working-class woman who became a figurehead in the women’s suffrage movement. She dedicated her life to championing workers’ rights and women’s suffrage.
Her activism extended beyond the suffragette movement, leading her to a lifelong political career as a trade unionist and councillor.
The exhibition was spearheaded by women’s history expert Anabel Marsh, who seeks to outline Stephen’s journey from a young domestic servant in Glasgow to a national activist.
Stephen’s great-niece, Sheana Stephen, provided some items for the display. She said “It is a real privilege to see an exhibition dedicated to Aunt Jess [shown] to the world.
“After going into service at 15, she became an activist, setting up her own union of domestic workers, having experienced awful conditions. I feel she would have been delighted to be honoured in Maryhill, having had a life dedicated to socialist politics, right from her early years until her dying breath.”
Marsh continued: “She was ahead of her time, never receiving the recognition she deserved, as she would today. The exhibition will perhaps put things to rights.”
Aurora Segnan, heritage and operations co-ordinator at Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust said: "We are very honoured to share Jessie Stephen's story as she was raised locally but not a lot of people know about her.’’
She continued: "She was a truly inspirational figure, and this exhibition is a chance to celebrate her achievements and ensure that her contributions are never forgotten."
"We are also proud to have finally brought Anabel Marsh’s vision to life. About 10 years ago, Anabel was asked by the Trust to look into stories of local women to create a dedicated tour in the Burgh Halls.
"Anabel found so many that she developed the Maryhill Women’s History Walk. This exhibition is important as it’s the first one we dedicate to one of the women Anabel found and highlighted.’’
The free-to-attend exhibition will be hosted at Maryhill Burgh Halls on March 11 until June 13. The exhibition's opening hours are Monday – Friday, 10am-5pm.
