Women's festival marks a step forward (From Oxford Mail)

Women's festival marks a step forward

4:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News By Emma Harrison, Reporter covering Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley. Contact me on 01865 425430

OXFORDSHIRE residents will come together today to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The 24th annual Oxford International Women’s Festival is recognising it with a packed programme of activities. There are lectures, craft sessions and performances organised as part of the two-week festival.

Festival co-ordinator Debbie Hollingsworth said: “We have organised the festival to showcase women’s talents, to raise awareness about women’s issues and issues that have a specific impact on women. It is celebrating women’s achievements and reflecting on women’s struggles and looking to the future and how we can progress over the next couple of years.”

The festival’s theme this year is Step forward, looking back.

Ms Hollingsworth said: “We want to do things different in the future and get younger women involved.

“You talk to young women who don’t have a clue who the suffragettes are, which is sad really when I think about what they went through to get us where we are.”

One of the main events is the Reclaim the Night march this evening, which aims to highlight the need for victims of sexual violence to be heard. The march begins at 6.30pm from the corner of Magdalen Road and Cowley Road.

From 7pm to 9.30pm, women and men are welcome to celebrate at Oxford Town Hall in St Aldate’s, with music from Oxford Young Women’s Music Project.

Fiona Joines, 35, a lecturer from Headington, is going to shave off her long locks today to raise money for girl’s rights around the world. Ms Joines, who teaches early years education at Oxford and Cherwell College, is hoping to raise £1,000 for Plan UK’s Because I am a Girl campaign. The campaign aims to help girls complete their education.

Sponsor Ms Joines by visiting justgiving.com/fiona-joines/ or text FIFI54 to 70070 to donate £5.

The community of Rose Hill marked International Women’s Day yesterday with activities for women and their children, including face painting, crafts, dancing and food.

Earlier in the week the Slade and Headington Children’s Centre also held an activity day featuring baking and other traditional crafts. Mum Sylwia Kulaga, 35, of Headington, whose daughter Eliza took part, said: “We had a lovely time. We made bread and she enjoyed it and ate it all.”

For a full list of what’s on during Oxford International Women’s Festival, visit http://oxfordinternational womensfestival.co.uk

MORE EVENTS

Tomorrow
 

• Network of Oxford Women for Justice and Peace, Inaugural Lecture, 4pm, JCR, Mansfield College
• Step Forward and Be Vocal, karaoke and music, The Cape of Good Hope, 7pm
• The Vagina Monologues, Mansfield College, 7.30pm, £6, £3 concessions
• Smoke and Mirrors, performance, Old Fire Station, 9pm, £10, £8 concessions
• Romance is Boring, music night, Baby Simple, Cowley Road, 9pm, men £4/women £3.40

Sunday
 

• Courage to Step Forward, creative workshop, Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University Global Retreat Centre, Nuneham Courtenay, women only, 2pm, free
• Love Your Body, Love Your Life, women only dance workshop, South Oxford Community Centre, 2pm, free
• ShawStone Jazz Duo, James Street Tavern, 4pm
• Oxford Film and Video Makers (OFVM) film screening, Film Oxford, 7.30pm, free

Monday

• Ditch the diets and lose weight for good, St Clement’s Family Centre, 6.30pm, £6

Tuesday
 

• Work-life balance talk, Oxford Town Hall, 6pm
• Red Box Cabaret, Baby Simple, 8pm, £6

Thursday
 

• Women campaigning and organising making the fightback against cuts visible, discussion, West Oxford Community Centre, 8pm, free