THE OXFORD suffrage flag is flying across the city today, to mark 100 years since British and Irish women first voted.

More than 30 Oxford University colleges, as well as a number of university departments and some local schools are taking part in the initiative.

The flag – depicting the city’s patron saint, St Frideswide – was produced by a local women’s suffrage group in 1908 and has been recreated for the centenary based on a pencil sketch that featured in the Oxford Times.

Today's scheme is part of a year of ongoing commemorations.

The 1918 election was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act, which gave women over 30 the right to vote.

Oxford Professor Senia Paseta, who co-directs Women in Humanities, said: "The history of suffrage, and women’s history in general, are really vibrant areas of research at Oxford University, and it has been a pleasure to see this reflected in the high-profile events held throughout 2018 to mark 100 years since women won the vote.

"Oxford itself has a rich history in the campaign for women’s suffrage, beginning in the late 19th century and gaining real momentum with the foundation of the Oxford Women’s Suffrage Society in 1904."

Among Oxford’s most prominent women’s suffrage campaigners is Emily Wilding Davison, who died at the Epsom Derby in 1913, when she was fatally injured by the King’s horse.