Sunday 8th March
The IWD theme for 2020: “An equal world is an enabled world”.
Chris Game, Honorary Senior Lecturer (Institute of Local Government Studies), considers the political impact of IWD, particularly its effectiveness in responding to issues such as the Gender Pay Gap.
The official IWD website explains the history of the day:
"The day has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911.
The day is not country, group or organization specific - and belongs to all groups collectively everywhere.
It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity."
According to the IWD website, purple is a colour for symbolising women, signifying justice and dignity. The colour, along with green and white, was historically associated with The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) ; a women-only political movement and leading militant organisation campaigning for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom from 1903 to 1917.
The above image is taken from the V&A: It depicts the weekly newspaper of The Women’s Social and Political Union.
The are many events taking place across campus to celebrate IWD such as the Cadbury Research Library's tour of the Save the Children archive.
Check out the following Resource List that brings together the most influential and popular works relating to Gender and Women's Studies.The list also suggests novels and poetry to read that engage with themes of equality and women's rights.
UOB has recently commemorated one of its most distinguished graduates, the actor and humanitarian, Madeleine Carroll, through the unveiling of a new Blue Plaque.
Carroll, who was born in the West Midlands, graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1926 with a BA in French with Honours. During her studies she appeared in some productions for the University’s Dramatic Society, before later going on to star in films in the UK and in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.
