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York International Women’s Week Events are back – in person and online

Indian Artist Aqui Thami who founded India's only feminist library who will be speaking at the event, Image: YIWW

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With International Women’s Day taking place tomorrow (8 March), we take a look at some of the events taking place in York not only on the day but spanning across a few weeks. 

For the past five years York International Women’s Week have held events and welcomed all self-identified women and anyone who supports women’s rights to celebrate with them.

Resurfacing after the pandemic, it is going ahead with a hybrid programme with events taking place solely in person, online and a mixture of both, finishing on 2 April.

This year’s events come with the theme Climate Feminism, with most of the events addressing aspects of this whether that’s in a political or personal way.  

I caught up with volunteer Ann Kaloski, about the events taking place this next week and beyond. Asking her about what events she would recommend: 

“Everything! I would say: do something for fun, and something to learn new ideas, whether it’s arty (auto-photography, poetry, making knickers), information (e.g. women’s lives in Afghanistan, Uganda, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, India and locally), wellbeing (e.g. non-plastic products promoted by GPs, making menstrual kits), nature (go wild in Rowntree’s park) or music (Barbarella’s, Femme Fortissimo)”. 

With the resurgence of in person events we asked Ann whether the availability of online participation allowed them to reach a wider audience after they were forced online by the pandemic last year.  

“We learnt a lot, and many of the online workshops worked very well – some gained lots of participants from outside the UK,” she said. “So, it’s not just an audience from outside York, but also speakers, though all events are organised by people in York.” 

Looking to the future, she said: “We are very keen to open up YIWW to as many people as possible. As well as offering support to people who have practical or financial barriers to attending events, we welcome new ideas, and new people to our friendly coordinating group.”

The Barberellas quintet, performing at the Accomb’s Bluebird Bakery Image: YIWW

Events at a glance 

  • Promoting Plastic-Free Menstrual Products – Monday 7th March- Friday 11th March 8:30am-6pm. 
  • Abortion is not a bad word – Wednesday 9th March 10am-11am. 
  • Thinking about Feminism and Climate Migration – Thursday 10th March 7pm
  • Knickers! – make your own – Tuesday, 15 March 10.30-3.30pm

Full list of all the available events here (PDF)