International Women’s Day 2023 at SOAS
International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on 8 March to bring attention to gender equality concerns. IWD traces its origins to suffrage and labour movements in New Zealand, North America and Europe. The United Nations observes IWD with a specific theme and this year it is "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality".
This year we will be celebrating the political origins of IWD by examining some of the pressing concerns on gender equality across the regions we teach and research.
We will be updating this page over the course of this week with related events and blogs celebrating our *women alumni.
Events
Event: IWD 2023 Evening Celebration and Showcase
SOAS Equality, Diversity, Inclusion
Join us on 8 March for an evening of Swahili food, music, an exhibition and conversations on gender equality. The event will profile the efforts of alumni, frontline staff and our collective progress to advancing gender equity at SOAS. All staff and students are welcome especially our *women staff and students.
Event: Body Politics Panel
SOAS Equality, Diversity, Inclusion | part of the Thought Leadership Series
We will also be hosting a panel event on 9 March as part of our Thought Leadership series to mark IWD 2023. The event will explore the ethics and implications of contemporary 'self-care' and the panel will discuss body politics, community and individualism. Speakers will include:
- Adwoa Darko (she/her): an alumnus of SOAS Law, former Co-President of the SOAS Students' Union, and former member of staff, who had various roles at SOAS, specialising in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), retention and student success.
- Dr Sophie Chamas (they/she): Lecturer in Gender Studies at SOAS, whose research sits at the intersection of feminist and queer political theory, Middle East Studies, political economy, and cultural studies
- Jackson King (he/him): a writer, editor and journalist. He is the founding editor of Irresistible Damage, a magazine for queer trans men/mascs.
Event: Embracing Equity in the Middle East and Asia
SOAS School of Law
In this conference (8 March), the aim is to promote Women's empowerment, to smash gender stereotypes, and to explore how to embrace equity. Our distinguished panel of practitioners will cover the MENA region, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan and Indonesia.
Attendance is free, but registration is required. There will then be the opportunity to network with our fantastic host of legal experts and enjoy a free cocktail reception from 8pm to 9pm.
Blogs
Blogs:
For International Women's Day, we look back at some notable alumni from SOAS, University of London, who have broken barriers and made significant contributions in their respective fields. From lawyers to writers, activists to politicians, these women have challenged stereotypes, fought for justice and equality, and inspired future generations. Join us as we celebrate the achievements of these remarkable women who have left a lasting impact on the world. Read our IWD 2023 blog here.
