Events 10 June – 16 June
Some national events for and about women for your diary for the week 10-16 June.
Activism:
12 June: Attend the Adjournment debate on Media Sexism
Westminster Hall, access from Parliament building on Parliament Square, London at 11am
Caroline Lucas MP has an adjournment debate slot to talk about media sexism and an appropriate Minister has to attend and respond to the points Caroline makes. It won’t be specifically focused on Page 3 but that will definitely be in there! The debate is open to the public and will be held in Westminster Hall, which anyone can access via the main public entrance to Parliament on Parliament Square – so allow plenty of time. While members of the public cannot speak, there’s a gallery for visitors so you can see and hear the whole thing.
Entertainment:
11 June: Alternative Jack the Ripper tour
Toynbee Hall, 28 Commercial Street, London, E1 at 6pm
Tired of the Jack the Ripper tours that sensationalise women’s murders on the exact streets where women continue to be exploited today? Living In Freedom Together (LIFT) have created a tour which remembers and celebrates the lives of the five women murdered by Jack the Ripper – Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly – and investigates the link to women’s lives in Tower Hamlets today. Place are limited so email info@liftcampaign.org.uk or follow the link above.
14-15 June: To Freedom’s Cause Riverside Leisure Centre, New Market, Morpeth at 7.30pm
It was reading Margaret Davison’s moving last letter to her suffragette daughter, who lay gravely ill in Epsom Cottage hospital, which inspired Kate Willoughby to write To Freedom’s Cause. Working in partnership with the Emily Inspires! project, Kate is proud to be able to bring this fresh look at Emily Wilding Davison, a remarkable woman, who can inspire us all.
14 June: Bridget Christie’s ‘A Bic for Her’ Norwich Playhouse, 42-58 St George’s Street, Norwich at 8pm
Last year, comedian Bridget Christie noticed that misogyny, like shiny leggings, had made an unexpected comeback. But did it ever really go away? Why did Bic launch the ‘Bic for Her’ – a pen specifically designed for a woman’s hand? Do we really need to spend £11.99 on a Smooth Groove camel toe solution; this and much more serious questions will be asked.
Festivals:
13-16 June: The Wilding Festival St Georges Church, 6-7 Little Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A
The Wilding Festival is about equality. It’s about protest and it’s about hope and however these ideas resonate or conflict in our day to day lives. Wherever you stand on the issues, everyone has something to take away from Emily Davison’s story. By presenting a wide and varied range of brand new art works and presentations the Festival hopes to provide an inspiring environment for people inviting discussion, reflection and discovery.
15-16 June: Meltdown’s Activism weekend Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1
What is activism and are we all responsible for making the world a better place? Join artists, activists and others to discuss caring, change and action. Featuring a lecture from Guerilla Girls and ‘Let’s Start A Pussy Riot’ book launch.
Lectures:
13 June: The criminalisation of sexually exploited girls and young women University of Sussex, Friston 117, Brighton from 3-5pm
Professor Jo Phoenix will give a guest seminar based on her research project ‘Girls on the Edge: the criminalisation of sexually exploited young girls’, which was funded by the Howard League.
14 June: Intimate Citizenship through a Comparative Lens Birkbeck Institute for Social Research, Malet Street, London, WC1E from 2-5pm
This seminar will explore some of the empirical challenges and conceptual dilemmas encountered by three researchers in their recent comparative research on intimate citizenship as law, policy and everyday lived practice. Registration is free but essential.
Workshops:
13 June: Women Taking Direct Action with Angie Zelter Feminist Library, 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1, from 7pm
As a founding member of Action Atomic Weapon Eradication, Angie will talk about the need for more women’s action to eradicate atomic weapons in the world, followed by a discussion on direct action more generally.
13 June: Seeing Gender in the Economy: A feminist exploration of the crisis University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1E, from 5-7pm
Part of the Spark Festival, with UK Feminista. In the UK and across the globe women bear the brunt of austerity as they lose jobs, crucial benefits and pick up the tab for vital services once provided by the government. But why? This participatory workshop is an opportunity to explore the role that gender plays in our economy, what a feminist economy might look like, and how we start building it.
15 June: Feminism, farming and the politics of food Feminist Library, 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1
How much of our food is produced by women workers? Are mothers going hungry to feed their kids in austerity Britain? Want to know how to grow your own, or set up a community kitchen?
The Feminist Library will be holding a day event around the topics of feminism, farming and food; a day of discussions, skill-shares, food, films and more. All genders are welcome. The library is wheelchair accessible and family-friendly and there will be activities for children.