Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. That’s what is being celebrated on 8th March as International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
Now well into its second century, International Women’s Day was first held in 1911 and marks a call to action for continued acceleration of women's equality. Leicester has so many great stories of strong and successful women to tell and this year we’re highlighting some specific stories and events to mark the day!
Women of The Guildhall – Free Guided Tour
Leicester’s Guildhall is one of the oldest buildings in the city and has a whole host of female heroes throughout its history. On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 March, free guided tours allow you to explore the 600 year old building from a new perspective and celebrate the 'Women of The Guildhall'.
Alice Hawkins – Suffragette
Her statue stands in Leicester’s Green Dragon Square as a testament to her struggle for women’s suffrage. On Saturday 5 March at 1pm, Alice’s great grandson Peter Barratt and actress Ruth Pownall reprise their Edinburgh Fringe spoken word show. This stirring account of her hard-fought campaign for women's right over 100 years ago will be illustrated throughout by the suffrage collection still with her descendants, including Alice's sash, hunger strike medal and much more. A procession to Alice's statue will follow.
Mary Annie Sloane – A Fine Discerning Eye
Mary Annie Sloane (1867-1961) was one of Leicestershire's most distinguished artists during the Victorian and Edwardian eras, painting and etching Leicestershire framework knitters, London weavers and city and country views. This talk at the Guildhall on Saturday 5 March at 5pm looks at her work and career which came at a time when opportunities for women to develop a career were extremely limited and few female artists, however talented, were given the recognition they deserved.
"Full Circle" – Esua Jane Goldsmith
The University of Leicester has been at the forefront of the fight for equality for many years. On International Women’s Day itself, Tuesday 8 March, former Students’ Union President Esua Jane Goldsmith will talk about her time at the University in the 1970s and how it shaped her personal and political journey. She’ll cover how she became the first woman of colour to become President and how her struggle connects with the social justice movements of today.
Our local Tourism Superstar
Leicestershire is still full of women who are making a difference. Every year the Daily Mirror and Visit England select their Tourism Superstar – a shortlist of ten people who have ensured that tourists in England have an amazing and unforgettable visitor experience are selected and put to a public vote. This year Dr Sharon Redrobe OBE, CEO of Twycross Zoo has been nominated as one of the final 10. She is responsible to making Twycross one of the region’s premier visitor attractions, you can read the full story here.
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