PerSIStence Theatre is hosting a luncheon today to mark the 100th anniversary of women in Newfoundland gaining the right to vote.

Tomorrow is International Women’s Day.

Producing artistic director Jenn Deon says the luncheon will also serve as a fundraiser for their #RaiseHerUp fundraising campaign which will see the erection of a statue of Armine Nutting Gosling, who led the Suffragist movement in Newfoundland.

Deon says despite that achievement, and the century that’s passed, there’s still a long way to go.

“It just seems like we haven’t made a lot of progress in terms of women’s voices being underserved, under heard…and them having to be very loud, very forthright, to go with extra measures, extreme, just to have a seat at the table” says Deon. “We do not have gender parity in any level of government, even in the beautiful country of Canada, so the importance of feminism…is as relevant now as it was 100 years ago.”

Today’s event is taking place at the Delta Hotel starting at 11:30.