A Global Panel

Join Alliance for Choice in conversation with activists from Malawi, Gibraltar, Hawaii and Ireland, all breaking abortion barriers in their own phenomenal ways.

15th March 7-8.30pm

Join Alliance for Choice in conversation with young activists, including Maria Hassan and others from NI tackling our lack of Sex Ed in their own phenomenal ways.

13th March 12noon

As the International Women's Day 2021 programme draws to a close join WRDA and Here NI on Zoom for an online quiz. Co-hosted by HereNI and WRDA

No team needed.

Prizes to be won!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/quiz-for-international-womens-day-tickets-141825699485

READING RENOIR: FEMINIST MUSEUM READING GROUP

04 MARCH 2021 — 11 MARCH 2021

Tired of feminist voices being left out of art history? Mad about the male gaze in the Impressionist era? Ready to celebrate feminist artists? So are we – let’s talk about it!

A special new online event to coincide with International Women’s Day – this reading and discussion group will be run by Emma Campbell (Facilitator, Artist, and Activist, Array Studios), Anna Liesching (Ulster Museum, Curator of Art), and RRR.

You’ll hear more about Ulster Museum’s latest exhibition, Renoir & the New Era, as we respond to one of its major themes – the portrayal of women in art.

Participants will be supplied with readings, participate in discussions and create a response to these in a medium of their choice, which will then be showcased on Reimagine, Remake, Replay’s website.

There will be 2 workshops on Thursday 4th & 11th of March (7-8.30pm), followed by a deadline for creative responses.

Sign up before 1st March to access the readings in advance of our first session.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXgGShkC0V_V12Givm-hu70o-vKIsU8-CBmyjH_prE6HlShQ/viewform

Image Credit:
‘Renoir and the New Era: Impressionist works from the Courtauld Collection, Ulster Museum 2020-21’
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

*Free
*No experience required
*16-25 year olds from Northern Ireland
*Using free apps Zoom and Slack

Log in for some stories of phenomenal women and girls, real and imaginary!

email grainne.gibson@hereni.org to register

Jenny Nelson who will speak on the play she is writing about her great aunt: Betty Sinclair, secretary of the Belfast Trades Council for many years.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/141732875847

International Women’s Day Festival is a time for debate, education, and celebration. We’re creating shared digital spaces for you, the audience, along with academics, community organisers, activists and artists to explore universal feminist topics.

Women continue to face pay disparity, multiple barriers to career progression and are under-represented in the arts across the UK. So what can we do?

Led by Esther Andare, Golden Thread Gallery’s New Needs Intern, we will hear from women who have led successful campaigns or projects with regards to revealing the imbalance, holding organisations to account, and importantly, building programmes of work that make real, positive change.

Together, we will look at some of the most prescient barriers and understand where gender imbalance is felt most acutely. The session aims to arm you with the tools, knowledge, and network to take action, speak truth to power, and expertise for building a better, more representative, arts sector. 

Pay what you can afford

https://themaclive.com/event/gender-representation-in-the-arts

Informative talk on women’s experiences of environmental challenges in Uganda and Peru and the spread of eco activism happening in NI.

Extinction Rebellion NI - Regenerative Culture & Well Being Group

Women’s Rights are Earth Rights - cherishing the home we all share

This talk is part of Reclaim the Agenda’s International Women’s Day 2021 programme.

Talk & discussion via Zoom

Speakers:

Eithne McNulty, Self Help Africa

Lynda Sullivan, Friends of the Earth

Women are bearing the brunt of climate chaos and eco destruction in the Global South, facing decimation of livelihood and community, famine and forced migration. In the Global North women’s rights have been rolled back years by the effect of COVID 19 on job losses, and an enforced return to being housebound with kids and little or no support.

Feminists have always recognised that women’s rights are indivisibly linked to the rights of others including children, BME women, disabled women, LGBT communities, and impoverished women.

Our planet is running out of time, being destroyed by the madness of fossil fuel use and over-consumption driven by corporate greed. It is now clear that to achieve women’s full rights we must protect and defend the rights of the planet. Let’s reclaim lives that are more than that of machines and give our children the gift of a future on a healthy Mother Earth. Our speakers will share women’s experiences of environmental challenges in Uganda and Peru and the spread of eco activism happening in NI. Everyone welcome for this informative talk and discussion on how best to help bring about change, connect the feminist agenda here with women’s global eco struggles and build collective well-being in the face of the planetary crisis.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-rights-are-earth-rights-cherishing-the-home-we-all-share-tickets-142347131101

Our session on abortion pills, details the drugs used for early medical abortion, the methods of taking the pills for the most effective outcomes, the safety measures for afterwards, how to look out for complications and what to do if they arise. Alliance for Choice have been running similar workshops for almost 7 years and the medical advice and evidence we use is based both on the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and the advice of providers such as BPAS, Women on Web and Women Help Women, all of whom follow strict clinical guidelines and ask patients to go through either an online or telephone consultation before accessing the pills.

The home use of abortion pills following consultation with a medical professional is safe and it is healthcare that should be commissioned by the Department of Health in NI following the regulations. People should not be forced to travel to GB to access abortion care, which the NIO and DoH suggest as an acceptable pathway. Currently across GB there are measures for telemedicine and home use of pills in place, NI once again stands as a place apart failing to offer those who need abortions care even though there is now a legal obligation for these services to be provided.

The Maternity Rights Clinic offers you an opportunity to ask questions and seek free advice with regards to your rights as an employee.

It also provides insight for employers to better support staff. Whether you just want to know a bit more about maternity discrimination and your rights, are reflecting on past employer/employee relationships, or have an ongoing concern, this will be an informative session covering the basics, before tackling some case studies.

If you have experienced pregnancy or maternity discrimination and need advice, this is not to be missed. 

Questions can we asked live at the clinic using Zoom’s chat function, or you can email them to IWDF@themaclive.com. Communication through this channel will be treated confidentially.   

Pregnant Then Screwed exists to end the motherhood penalty. They campaign on the many issues which impact working mothers and offer free advice and support to those who face pregnancy or maternity discrimination.

Sex Worker Rights are a Feminist Issue

Learn about the issues experienced by sex workers in Northern Ireland and how to be an ally in eliminating discrimination against sex workers in this workshop by The Rainbow Project and Belfast Feminist Network. All welcome! Limited number of participants.

RSVP to receive the zoom link at: mardi@rainbow-project.org

This session has been designed for people working in leadership roles, or those who might be interested in being a leader, who work in arts and/or culture.

Led by relational and leadership coach Alex Mecklenburg, this two-hour participatory session, limited to 25 participants, explores what it takes to keep our own worst critic in check and how to take ownership of our professional journeys and accomplishments.

Participants will work with one another and Alex through a series of creative exercises that will help them to build authentic stories about themselves and their relationships. Through these explorative and reflective exercises, participants will discover their intent-driven leadership identities and design their own personal "radiating intent toolkits".

Comprising practical exercises around intention, resilience, and increased situational self-confidence, each toolkit will nurture the courage and curiosity one needs as a good leader, as well as support future career planning rooted in value led leadership.

Participants should bring note-taking materials to this session. This workshop encourages participation, the more energy you put in, the more you will get out. It will include break out room working-groups.

To support the attendance of Northern Ireland based freelance or self-employed arts workers, the MAC can offer £30 payment contribution to support your participation. Once you have secured a ticket for the event, email IWDF@themaclive.com with an invoice for £30. If you require particular access support, please contact the MAC on tickets@themaclive.com.

This event is suitable for people interested in developing leadership skills who could be considered mid-career. This event is only open to women and non-binary or gender non-conforming people.

International Women’s Day Festival is a time for debate, education, and celebration. We’re creating shared digital spaces for you, the audience, along with academics, community organisers, activists and artists to explore universal feminist topics.

Women are bearing the brunt of the economic and social fallout of COVID-19. Women are 1.5 times more likely to be furloughed, be made redundant, or experience job insecurity.

Women are also carrying out most of the non-developmental childcare; 75% of mothers have said they are carrying the lion’s share of looking after the household and children.  

In 2020 Equal Pay Day, the date women effectively start working for free compared to men managed to move 6 days later in the year from 14 to the 20 November – a small but positive change. As well as the gender pay gap, the gender pension and gender savings gaps have also seen positive change. However, as the impact of the pandemic becomes more apparent, will we see this work undone? 

Feminism is about financial freedom and a fairer, more equitable economy is central to that. An expert panel will discuss the impact of the pandemic and what a gender-equal economy might look like. 

Thank you to Lynn Carvill, Chief Exec at WOMEN'STEC, who co-curated this event. Panellists include Siobhan Harding, Women’s Support Network, Janine Maher, Money and Pensions Service, Roseann Kelly, Women in Business, and Lynn Carvill.

Pay what you can afford

https://themaclive.com/event/money-money-money-a-gender-equal-economy

The traumas that we endure can be very complex and can range from emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental.

The results may appear suddenly or they may appear over time. This event will speak to where trauma can manifest within our bodies, our actions and how that may affect us in the bedroom. We will talk about how to reclaim bodily agency and how to reconnect to your sexuality - which isn't just about sex. We will look at our entire bodies and beings.

Jimanekia Eborn, host of podcast Trauma Queen, sex educator specialising in sexual trauma support and supporting survivors, will speak to some of the wide-ranging effects of trauma, and importantly, the tools and exercises that support healing and a reconnection with your sexuality.

Mardi Kennedy, of The Rainbow Project, will facilitate this conversation, weaving in questions and queries from audiences.

Join us for an enjoyable and engaging workshop with Health Coach, Lisa de Jong, where we will explore the deeper layers to our daily mental health.

During the current pandemic, many of us are struggling and feeling pulled around by outside circumstances in addition to challenges in our private lives. This workshop will take a holistic mind, body, spirit look at how we can empower ourselves and create more ease, flow and resilience in our everyday lives.

This workshop is open to all genders and ages. Bring pen and paper for note-taking and your queries and questions for Lisa.

Join the Vagina Museum for a closer look at their inaugural exhibition Muff Busters: Vagina Myths and How To Fight Them.

With this exhibition, it was important to start with the basics. Like any under-represented topic, more myths and legends exist, about all things ‘down there’, than fact. This misinformation has a real and negative impact on people’s lives.

This series of events with the Vagina Museum has highlighted just a handful of the myths that circulate in popular culture, the internet, and media about gynaecological anatomy and hopes to prove that myths and legends are for fairy-tales, not our bodies. Last in our Vagina Museum series, contraception! Bring your questions and queries, there will be time for discussion.

This may the quote of 2020 but is it a reality for women creating change?

Sarah Simms NI Human Rights Commission, Rachel Powell Women’s Policy Group, Louise Close NIA
ECNI TBC.
Email to register helen@reclaimtheagenda.org

Future Tuesdays Presents Closing the Gender Gap: Diversity and Inclusion in Tech with Antonia Forster

It is no secret that technology is having a diversity crisis. Despite initiatives to diversify, engineering & technology are still perceived as predominantly white, male, middle-class spaces. But this wasn't always the case - in 1943, computing was dominated by women, especially women of colour. What happened? Join Antonia Forster, XR Technical Specialist, for a data-driven exploration of the gender gap:- how it affects your bottom line; how AI and machine-learning reinforce bias; and crucially, how we can employ evidence-based, highly effective strategies to combat it. 

Antonia is a keynote speaker and self-taught programmer, working in the field of AR, VR, and haptics.  She travels worldwide, speaking on inclusion and diversity in the workforce. She is a passionate advocate for Women in STEM, a TEDx speaker and mentor, and has been shortlisted for Nature's John Maddox Prize for her work in LGBTQ+ inclusion. 

Antonia is a genre-defying science presenter, comedian, and lyricist. A published biologist with an MSc in animal behaviour, she is known for blending scientific expertise with radical science communication techniques. She is a member of the Science Showoff Talent Factory - a collective funded by the Wellcome Trust - and has performed at Kew Gardens, At-Bristol Science Centre, Wilderness Festival, BBC Radio, and more. Find out more about Antonia here: https://antoniaforster.com/  

This event is delivered in partnership with Reclaim the Agenda as part of the International Women's Day Programme.   Find out more here: https://www.reclaimtheagenda.com/iwd-2021 
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/future-tuesdays-presents-closing-the-gender-gap-with-antonia-forster-tickets-143277608183

Stress at home. Stress in work. Stress even when you're asleep!

Very few of us are currently unaffected by long-term stress. It is normal to experience stress but over long periods of time, it can lead to more serious challenges and doesn’t make for an enjoyable life.  

If this doesn't sound like much fun, join us for an empowering workshop with Health Coach, Lisa de Jong, where we will look at the biology and neuroscience of stress, learn to understand our own personal triggers of stress and gain some simple hacks to prevent stress from taking over our day.

This round table will focus on the issues single mothers are facing in Northern Ireland. Join TOD, the single mother’s activist group, and members of the NI Single Parent Forum as they discuss the issues members face as single parents and discuss strategies for acting collectively.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/143067704355

Queen’s University Belfast’s Project Choice, Feminist and Equalities Society IWD ONLINE RALLY

We’re so excited to team up with @projectchoicequbsu in hosting an international women’s day rally on the 8th of March. We’ve got a variety of speakers joining us and it’s a huge opportunity for activism to take place

feministequality_soc@qub.ac.uk

https://www.facebook.com/events/435419131106228

Chair: Gaye Partridge, chair, Ireland Regional Women’s Committee

Keynote speaker: Therese Moriarty (labour historian)

Panel (chair: Taryn Trainor, Regional Women’s Officer)

Dympna McGlade, Catherine Mallon, Amy Ferguson, Michelle Byrne

Monday March 8th, 1pm – 2.30pm

Five decades on: From chains to change

Register in advance for this meeting:

Equalities.Ireland@unitetheunion.org

During the 1970s, women throughout the island of Ireland came together to demand action on a range of issues from equal pay to domestic violence, childcare, the rights of single parents and access to contraception.

The Irish Women’s Liberation Movement was formed in the Republic in 1970, while the Northern Ireland Women’s Rights Movement was established in 1975 and joined by women from both nationalist & unionist communities. 50 years ago, in May 1971, members of the IWLM took a train from Dublin to Belfast where they bought contraceptives (then illegal in the Republic) before returning with them to Dublin. We stand on the shoulders of the women who went before us. Join us on International Women’s Day to look back on women’s struggles in the 1970s, reflect on the victories won by women over the past five decades and what they mean for women today, and discuss the challenges still facing us.

On IWD itself, March 8th, we’ll be sharing solidarity greetings from near and far as well as speeches from some of our favourite phenomenal women.

Danielle Roberts, co-chair of Reclaim the Agenda, said ‘ there has been a lot of talk about ‘the new normal’ recently, but why should we settle for going back to normal? We’ve a chance to reshape society into one that is more equal for everyone.”

https://www.facebook.com/ReclaimtheAgendaNI/posts/3936298313089124

Help co-write your own folk song with leading industry musicians and showcase your work on International Women's Day

About this Event

Folk Songwriting is an exclusive online programme that will explore the significance of folk music and help you to create your own song!

The programme will feature sessions with leading musicians from across the island as they delve into the importance of folk songs and music in society.

How will the programme work?

- Ruth Smith, presenter of RTÉ Radio One’s Simply Folk Show and multi-instrumentalist with The Evertides, will discuss the country's vibrant folk scene

- Take part in music creation workshops with Rioghnach Connolly (The Breath, Afro Celt Sound System and Honeyfeet)

- Co-write your own song and have it showcased as part of an online performance on International Women's Day, 8th March

- Sessions will be delivered on Zoom and Slack with the opportunity to share songs and continue to conversation

- This programme is open to musicians and non-musicians alike

This programme will take place on:

Tuesday 23rd February, 11am - 1pm

Thursday 25th February, 11am - 1pm

Monday 1st March, 11am - 12.30pm

Wednesday 3rd March, 11am - 12.30pm

Monday 8th March , 11am - 12pm

This programme is FREE and open to anyone based in Northern Ireland or border counties only. Previous Making the Future participants are not eligible to take part. Numbers are limited. Sign up early to avoid disappointment.

For more details, or to discuss any disability access requirements, please contact Danielle Carragher: Danielle.Carragher@nmni.com

Making the Future and its project partners would like to share information and imagery from the programme through social media to highlight ongoing progress and to showcase the good work. This may involve sharing screenshots of online meetings and examples of the content being created. Any content shared will be credited to its creator. By signing up to this programme you consent to content being shared on social media.

Join the Vagina Museum for a closer look at their inaugural exhibition Muff Busters: Vagina Myths and How To Fight Them.

It's important to start with the basics. Like any under-represented topic, more myths and legends exist, about all things ‘down there’, than fact. This misinformation has a real and negative impact on people’s lives. This is our second Vagina Museum event and focuses on all things clitoris!

This series of events, highlighting just a handful of the myths that circulate in popular culture, the internet, and media about gynaecological anatomy, hoping to prove that myths and legends are for fairy-tales, not our bodies.

Bring your questions and queries, there will be time for discussion.   

This will be an extended session with the Vagina Museum and includes a conversation between Museum founder, Florence Schechter, Curator, Sarah Creed, and Margaret Middleton which goes a little deeper into the museum’s story and Florence’s practice. 

PMS and period pain are common difficulties that women often put up with in private. They can be very distressing and impact other areas of our lives. But do you know what exactly causes pain and how to improve it?

Join us for this workshop with Women’s Health Coach, Lisa de Jong where we will dive into the neuroscience, biology and psychology of pain and PMS. Learn the tricks and tips to ease suffering and prevent pain in the first place. Yes, it’s much more than hot water bottles and painkillers! 

This will be an engaging workshop open to all genders and ages. Bring pen and paper for note-taking and your queries and questions for Lisa.

The University of Atypical is delighted to host I’M NOT NORMAL as part of the International Women’s Day 2021 programme. 

 Responding to this year’s theme The New Phenomenal, join us online for an evening with the unique talents of multimedia artists Hari MacMillan and Michael Curran, both currently residing in Scotland. 

Hari and Michael will converse on the impact identity and experience have had on their lives and art practice.

More Info: www.harimacmillandotcom.wordpress.com

TICKET LINK HERE

Access: Please let us know your access requirements in advance by emailing - deirdre@universityofatypical.org

#thenewphenomenal #IWDNI21 #IWDNI2021

Photo Credit: 2016 Ulyssa MacMillan

Image ID: Video still of a woman with a bright pink inflatable covering her torso wearing red shoes. A person dressed in black to the right of the image is touching the inflatable. The background has artworks hung on a white wall.  

About University of Atypical

University of Atypical is a disabled-led arts charity, taking an empowerment based approach towards supporting disabled and D/deaf people’s involvement in the arts. The organisation specialises in developing and promoting the work of disabled and D/deaf artists and in reaching disabled and D/deaf audiences.

www.universityofatypical.org

The Body Politic – a series of short films

6th March, 7pm

Join Here NI and Alliance for Choice for a selection of queer and feminist short films around the politicisation of our bodies. All films are free to view and there will be time for discussion.