Before I begin this post, it could so easily be a frustrated pile of paragraphs. What we’ve seen in the last 12 months or so is that racism is a live and well and not only living in a semi in a suburb, but a big ornate building in the centre of London. That we’re still battling the stereotypes of ‘you don’t look like a scientist (politician, lawyer, astronaut, bartender, any other profession of your choice). Classism and inequality are still causing massive schisms across the globe. Homophobia and transphobia are on the rise, and more vocal than ever. And that still the model of ‘the perfect woman’ is slim, young and straight. Oh and happens to have a lot of money.
And I can understand how it seems impossible to change it. What can you do to help fix it? Just one person, at home, in the middle of a pandemic? After all we’ve have 100 years of International Women’s Day, and yet here we are, still with inequality all over the place.
Aside from more serious things we can do – believe women, learn from women, support women, ensure our feminism and drive for equality is free from bias, and is utterly inclusive, I’ve got a list of things you can explore today, and going forward. Events that are happening in all sorts of fields. From beer to cider and wine, through to science and the arts. Even the day job gets a mention or two!
8 March 2021
Food and Drink:
International Women’s Collaboration Brew – is the global March 8 Unite Brew event for beer industry women & homebrewers to learn, network & make friends. You can find the Instagram live chats throughout the day, including beer tastings and discussions about the beers, (and revisit them at your leisure if you missed any) here.
Salut Wines are hosting a Zoom tasting, featuring fabulous wines from around the world, all produced by female-run vineyards, this case includes a donation towards Manchester’s People’s History Museum Join the Radicals campaign.
More details can be found here (wines can be picked up directly from the venue itself).
Science:
The University of Manchester’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health’s School of Health Sciences (SHS), is delighted to host an event to mark International Women’s Day (IWD). The event features four fantastic speakers all at different stages of their careers. They will be talking about their experiences and accomplishments under this year’s IWD theme, ‘Choose to Challenge’.
Free and open to all, details can be found here.
Arts
Creative Manchester are hosting an in conversation event with Maxine Peake, who has been appointed as Honorary Professor of Literature and Performance at The University of Manchester. The event coincides with International Women’s Day, a worldwide celebration of the role that women play in society.
Free and open to all, details can be found here.
9 March 2021
Social Sciences:
The challenges of prosecuting rape from the perspective of a former prosecutor and senior policy advisor. Charlotte Triggs OBE has over 30 years experience in criminal justice. As a prosecutor she specialised in prosecuting rape and sexual offences as well as being responsible for cases ranging from motoring offences to murder.
Free and open to all, you can register here.
Across the Month:
Food and Drink
One for those of you based in London – Wander Women at Home from Wander x Wine is a series of dinners themed around women in hospitality. Showcasing food and drinks from women producers, there are a selection of banquets, and one or two delicious options for Mother’s Day too. The events will continue through til 27 March.
For those of us outside London, we can enjoy the Wander Women at Gift Packs, featuring wines, ciders and books.
Full details can be found on the website here.