The ties of sisterhood are strong. Emma Green spoke to four very different women’s organisations in London about why International Women’s Day (IWD) is so important to them and their community, and how they mark this momentous day, which is celebrated around the globe on the 8th March.
IWD has been commemorated annually on the same day for well over a century now, with the first IWD gathering taking place in 1911. IWD has become a day of celebrating the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women around the world, as well as being a focal point for highlighting issues such as gender inequality, reproductive rights, and violence against women.
This year’s International Women’s Day campaign theme is #BreakTheBias
The focus is on empowering everyone to call out gender bias, discrimination, and stereotyping and to embrace a gender-equal world where difference is both valued and celebrated.
South London Women Artists
The South London Women Artists (SLWA) is a critically acclaimed group of visual artists living and working in South London and has exhibited across the UK as well as internationally.
This March sees them hosting an exhibition at The AMP Gallery in Southwark, aptly titled ‘I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR’ in celebration of International Women’s Day. Inspired by Helen Reddy’s 1971 hit song, ‘I am Woman’, the exhibition will form a tribute to the extraordinary creativity of women, past, present, and future, and of their remarkable strength, power, and resilience.
Curated by Alice Lenkiewicz, Jennifer Merrell, and Natalie Webb, thirty of SLWA’s talented members will be displaying their work in response to the question, ‘What drives us to make art, and what are the reasons we as women, choose visual media to project our views and opinions?’ With the artists’ choice of materials ranging from moving images and photography to painting and sculptures, the group hopes that the exhibition will prove to be a conversation starter in improving the visibility of women in the arts, as well as introducing their work to a wider audience.
“International Women’s Day is very important to us”, says Lenkiewicz, Secretary and Acting Chair for SLWA. “As a group of artists, we feel it provides a voice for women on an international level, allowing us the opportunity to express ourselves as women while connecting with each other, discovering, and learning about women’s experiences today.” Previous years have seen the group showcase work at a number of galleries and events in celebration of IWD, including for ‘The Women of the World (WOW) Festival’ at the Royal Festival Hall in 2014.
For further details on the group or their upcoming event, please see their website, South London Women Artists, or send an email to info@slwa.co.uk.
The Korean Women’s International Network
The Korean Women’s International Network (KOWIN) is a global association made up of women of Korean descent who are leaders in their respective sectors. They organise networking opportunities and discussions on issues concerning members within their local communities, as well enabling women to find success in their chosen fields.
KOWIN’s UK branch hosts seminars every March regarding women’s rights and equality. Many of the attendees are local to New Malden, which has been lovingly dubbed ‘London’s Little Korea’ due to its large Korean population and an estimated 20,000 residents living in the suburb and its surrounding area.
The group’s last seminar took place in March 2019 where their guest speaker Yoon Jung Lee, an expert in Korean history, spoke about the Samil Independence Movement. This was a series of protest demonstrations taking place throughout the country for Korean National Independence from Japan. 2019 marked the 100th anniversary since the movement began. The speaker also told the story of one young girl who played a leading role in the uprising, KWANSOON RYU, and who would tragically lose her life to the cause.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the group has been unable to host any face-to-face seminars since then. An online conference was held in March 2021 to discuss the contributions of some of history’s most influential women such as Emily Pankhurst, Melanie Wollstonecraft, and Virginia Woolf, along with Korea’s ‘first feminist’, Ms. Hyesuk Na.
This year, KOWIN hope to run a cultural day with costume and food in celebration of International Women’s Day at New Malden’s HAN restaurant. Invitations have been extended to other similar UK-based organisations with members originating from the Philippines, China, and India.
For further details on the group or its upcoming event, please contact Jakki Park by email at jakkipark@hotmail.com.
The ConveHERsation Network
The ConveHERsation Network was established in 2017 by Priscilla Oshunremi to empower and amplify the voices of both women and non-binary people. Having attended other events designed specifically for women, Priscilla found these to be quite stuffy and so she decided to create a community that would enable more interaction and conversation between its members.
The network is currently based in London, but other hubs will be opening across the country this summer. They currently have a new residency at The Stratford (Hotel in East London?) where they will be hosting their first face-to-face event since the COVID-19 pandemic began on 5th March, just in time for International Women’s Day. Details are yet to be confirmed, but the event will involve a mixture of stalls, speed networking, and a panel discussing women who have defied the odds, as a nod to this year’s IWD theme, #BreakTheBias.
Although the group hosts monthly events, Priscilla sees International Women’s Day as a powerful time of year to hold events on a much larger scale, and to create an even bigger impact within their community. “IWD is so important because sometimes the world forgets to acknowledge and celebrate the input women and non-binary people have to our societies,” she says. “We forget to discuss the disparities that exist in order to help us find ways to close these gaps.”
For more details on events or how to become a member, follow them on Instagram@theconvehersationnetwork or contact Priscilla at hello@theconvehersation.com
WOW – Women of the World Festival
Each year, to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, world-class speakers, activists and performers come together for WOW – Women of the World festival at London’s Southbank. The 2022 festival will take place from 11th to 13th of March and will deliver many unmissable events in true WOW fashion. Book ahead to avoid disappointment.
Here are some of the highlights from past WOW Festivals:
Black Lives Matter co-founder and former Executive Director Patrisse Cullors talks about her new book; How to Fail broadcaster and author Elizabeth Day; bestselling writers Lisa Taddeo and Pandora Sykes; Lucy Kirkwood’s searing, timely play Maryland; and the riotous Figs in Wigs: Little Wimmin – a brilliantly satirical adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott classic. You can also see bestselling author Marian Keyes, poet Warsan Shire, comedian Deborah Frances-White, activist Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, as well as The Urgent Conversation, a panel on the most pressing gender equality issues.
A digital programme will be accessible to all worldwide.
For tickets go to southbankcentre.co.uk
You might also enjoy reading our Women to Watch section and the amazing and inspiring women featured.
You may also enjoy reading about the inspiring women we feature in our our Women to Watch section
The ConveHERsation Network was established in 2017 by Priscilla Oshunremi to empower and amplify the voices of both women and non-binary people. Having attended other events designed specifically for women, Priscilla found these to be quite stuffy and so she decided to create a community that would enable more interaction and conversation between its members.
The network is currently based in London, but other hubs will be opening across the country this summer. They have a new residency at The Stratford, East London, where they will be hosting their first face-to-face event since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The meeting is on 5th March, just in time for International Women’s Day. Details are yet to be confirmed, but the event will involve a mixture of stalls, speed networking, and a panel discussing women who have defied the odds, as a nod to this year’s IWD theme, #BreakTheBias.
You may also enjoy reading about the inspiring women we feature in our our Women to Watch section
