From panel events to club nights, Ceini Bowen gets us up-to-date with the events in Bristol celebrating International Women’s Day happening this weekend and later in the month.

This year International Women’s Day falls on Thursday 8th March. With 2018 marking the centenary of the vote for (some!) women in the UK, this year’s International Women’s Day seems a particularly poignant time to remember how far we’ve come, and also how much more progress there is to be made. The theme this year is, fittingly, #PressforProgress:

“Now, more than ever, there’s a strong call-to-action to press forward and progress gender parity. There’s a strong call to #PressforProgress motivating and uniting friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.” (https://www.internationalwomensday.com)

Here’s some exciting Bristol-based events happening on and around IWD, so you can press for progress too.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2018 @ CITY HALL, SATURDAY 3RD MARCH, HOSTED BY BRISTOL WOMEN’S VOICE

https://www.facebook.com/events/127952364567870/

Bristol Women’s Voice are marking International Women’s Day 2018 with a super exciting and packed programme of music, interactive theatre, workshops, hot topic debates and more:

“Bristol Women’s Voice are taking over City Hall to remember the influential suffrage movement in Bristol and draw attention to the successes we have achieved and the challenges still ahead. […] The day will open with a performance from Bristol’s female brass band, Burning Brass. The Wonderful Women Awards will celebrate the women making a difference in our city. Bristol Women’s Voice will launch ‘The Women Who Built Bristol’, a new book celebrating the women who made Bristol what it is today. […] The Bristol Radical History Group will explore women’s history with talks about Black and Asian women and the suffrage movement, the Lady Blackshirts, and women in prehistory. Inclusive singing, dance, creative writing, photography and theatre workshops will celebrate the creativity of Bristol’s women. Panel talks about representation, women in the media, and sex work will open up discussions about some of the big issues that face us today. Workshops on health and wellbeing, maternity discrimination, recognising domestic violence and FGM will tackle pressing issues.”

BAD REPUTATION @ THE OLD MARKET ASSEMBLY – INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, SATURDAY 3RD MARCH

https://www.facebook.com/events/367948446948752/

“A brand new night celebrating women everywhere in honour of International Women’s Day: Bad Reputation is a club night dedicated to playing multi genre spanning, female fronted music ALL NIGHT LONG! This month it’s free entry, but there will be buckets and fundraising all night long for various women’s charities across the city. Gather your besties and let’s get dancing!”

POLICY & POLITICS 2018 ANNUAL LECTURE BY LADY MARGARET HODGE @ WILLS MEMORIAL BUILDING, WEDNESDAY 7TH MARCH

https://www.facebook.com/events/573502372988981/

Press for progress in the political sphere by coming along to this free annual lecture by Lady Margaret Hodge:

“Calling Government to Account – how corporate bad behaviour and government waste combine to cost us millions. Based on her term as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge will horrify and amaze us with her jaw-dropping account of tax avoidance and wasted money by successive governments: revelations which will shock – and appeal – right across the political spectrum.”

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A WOMAN ARTIST – PANEL DISCUSSION @ RWA, THURSDAY 8TH MARCH

https://www.facebook.com/events/1466079530113275/

“On International Women’s Day, the RWA is hosting a panel discussion exploring what it means to be described as a ‘woman artist’ and why we still attach this prefix. The panel will explore and unpack the archetypal distinctions traditionally applied to male and female artists, as well as examining contemporary assessments of gender roles. Chaired by Claire Doherty, the new Director of Arnolfini, panellists will include RWA Academicians, Artist Network Members and specialists from the University of Bristol.”

DIW OPEN MIC NIGHT: DOES ISLAM OPPRESS WOMEN? @ SCHOOL OF CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL, THURSDAY 8TH MARCH

https://www.facebook.com/events/585371968468926/

“For International Women’s day, we’re bringing Muslim women from all backgrounds to reclaim what it means to be a Muslim woman through expression of passions, culture, interpretation of faith, religious views, experiences of misconceptions faced through poetry, nasheed(songs), storytelling and comedy.

We will also be joined by the following external speakers:

-Sahar Al-Faifi: Muslim Engagement and Development

– Saiha Maaz: The Ahmadi Muslim Women’s Association

-Amanda Morris: The Muslim Council of Wales

All are welcome, Muslim or not, to listen to the stories shared by Muslim women to challenge the misconceptions made from the media about Muslim women by listening to real stories – spread the word!”

WOMEN’S NETWORK INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY CELEBRATION @ ANSON ROOMS, THURSDAY 8TH MARCH

Facebook event coming soon!

The Women’s Network are hosting a small celebration in the Anson Rooms on the 8th, including a special screening, inspiring stories from students and more!

WHO RUN THE WORLD? GIRLS!, HOSTED BY BUMP AND GRIND @ THEKLA, FRIDAY 9TH MARCH

https://www.facebook.com/events/400374040384129/

“International Woman’s Day is on the 8th, so we’re calling all the independent women, all the single ladies, all the holla back girls (and all the girls that don’t holla back, obv s) to come vibe with us!

Doing what we do, but with extra tracks from our favourite female artists! You know we’re gonna play Whitney.

Why…? Because WE RUN THIS MOTHHHAAA!”

SUFFRAGETTE + PANEL DISCUSSION: WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN COMMUNITY @ WATERSHED, SUNDAY MARCH 11TH

https://www.facebook.com/events/169123507041143/

“To celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day (8 March) and to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage, join us for a screening of Sarah Gavron’s Suffragette, which depicts the growing suffragette movement in early 20th Century Britain and the brave and diverse group of women fighting for equality and the right to vote…

Following the screening change maker, activist and influencer Lynne Franks (recently awarded an OBE for her services to women) will be chairing a panel discussion about women’s leadership in our community, discussing how we find it, how we exercise it, and how we can mentor young women to be leaders of the future.

The event marks the launch of Lynne’s Power Of Women series, and they will be starting a mentoring scheme for young women, so there will be an opportunity for you to put your name down to help mentor girls and young women in order to help them find their power and equal rights in the workplace and at home.”

BRISTOL WOMEN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL @ SPIKE ISLAND, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MARCH 17TH/18TH

https://www.facebook.com/events/170046773725060/

“Bristol Women’s Literature Festival returns this March with an exciting programme of talks and panel discussions from the country’s leading women writers, academics and feminist commentators. Throughout the festival, we’ll be celebrating female creativity and artistic achievements while discovering some of the best contemporary women authors around today.

Choose from six diverse events to attend. Be inspired by your favourite young adult writer in Writing YA (Sun 18 March) or experience chills by re-discovering your love of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 200 Years of Frankenstein with Professor Marie Mulvey-Roberts (Sun 18 March). Don’t miss the chance to hear from speakers such as Louise Doughty, Meena Kandasamy, Patrice Lawrence, Samira Ahmed, Sheila Rowbotham and many, many more.”

Collage by Fran Newton.