International Women’s Day celebrates women all over the world. It aims to promote gender parity and raise awareness of barriers to women’s equality in many aspects of life. Although gender equality has improved, there is still a long way to go. The Day is also an opportunity to celebrate all the achievements of women around the world: in the economic and financial fields, arts and culture, politics or in education and social affairs.
Leeds has played an active part in raising the profile of women around the world by hosting many events to celebrate the day. This year, a group of Intercultural Ambassadors from the University of Leeds organised a special celebration for the migrant and refugee communities in Leeds. Migrant communities can often feel detached from local life due to the impractical UK immigration process. The event aimed to provide a relaxing environment for the women to get together and have some pamper time! It also brought together many different communities which really evoked the spirit of International Women’s Day.
The hall was decorated with purple banners and balloons, purple being the official colour of Women’s Day. As well as looking festive and inviting, it also appealed to the children who came along with their mothers.
Belly Dance Society launched the celebrations with three dances. The first was a traditional Egyptian piece with fantastic costumes to match. They then performed two fusion pieces; mixing the traditional style with Western music. All the dances were impressive and were enjoyed by everyone who attended.
Bellydance Society
One of the most inspiring points of the day was a speech by Bahar Khesrawi. Bahar had to uproot her life in Afghanistan and flee to the UK. Her story was incredibly moving and it touched many of those in the audience. Bahar is an inspiring woman who has started her own foundation in Leeds to help other women and children from the Afghan community. Bahar aims to empower women and give them the tools and skills to succeed. The Bahar AFG Women’s Association offers English and communication classes for women. It also offers solid support to local families and runs homework classes, first aid training and computer classes. Bahar’s work is invaluable to the local community as she understands the problems people face and the kind of support they need to move forwards. Bahar has also fundraised for people in Afghanistan and has personally travelled back herself to deliver coats for children having to work on the streets.
Bahar’s speech was also one of empowerment. She encourages women to speak out if they are suffering and to overcome any hurdles which are preventing them from achieving their potential. Too many women keep their suffering a secret due to fear – something that Bahar wants to tackle by encouraging women to use their voice. https://www.facebook.com/baharafgwomens/
Bahar speaking on the day.
Another message of empowerment came from WAST (Women Asylum Seekers Together). This organisation aims to support and fight for women’s rights and raise awareness of the injustice of the UK immigration system. On International Women’s Day, the group performed a play about the dangers of genital mutilation. An estimated 137,000 women are affected by genital mutilation in the UK and the consequences can be deadly. With a light hearted take, the play encouraged women to seek help if they are suffering. The group was also on hand all day to provide information about the UK asylum seeking process.
University of Leeds student, Kari Medalla, performed three songs on her guitar. The hall fell silent to listen to Kari’s beautiful voice. Even the children stopped playing without any prompting!
The day finished with a Zumba session that brought everyone to their feet! Everyone was put through their paces and the atmosphere was amazing. Throughout the day, volunteers painted nails and created henna patterns. All the visitors had a chance to have a manicure or experience henna art. A team of face painters catered for the younger guests! There was fresh fruit and snacks available all day for in between the activities and busyness.
The day was a huge success, with so many of the guests commenting on what a great time they had had. The group hosting did a fantastic job coming up with a brilliant variety of talks, dance, song and cultural experiences. But this kind of event doesn’t just happen. So much work and planning had clearly gone into making sure that everyone was both included and welcomed. Credit must also go to all the volunteers who helped out on the day and all the talented performers. It’s definitely an event that should be a fixture in the Leeds calendar for many years to come!
The Ambassador group who put the day together
Sources
Author’s own