Celebrating International Women’s Day 2019

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2019 with Wimbledon’s Fabulous Women!

Founded in 1911 with one million followers, International Women’s Day has become a global phenomenon, and rightly so. Celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political successes of women everywhere, the day also highlights where gender parity still needs to be accelerated. Gender balance saves economies and makes for a better working world. This is truly apparent in Wimbledon which has a richly deserved reputation for being the home of fierce females!

Arts and Culture Editor, Janie Smith, sought out some of Wimbledon’s amazingly creative women to ask them just what IWD means to them.

Revvy Victoria – Illustrator and Writer

Revvy Victoria – Illustrator and Writer

To me IWD is a day to celebrate all women and their achievements no matter their race, religion, creed or the gender they were born with. If you identify as a woman then it’s your day too. The 8th is a day to celebrate our successes and progress in the world as humans with equal rights. I believe that we still have a way to go yet to achieve gender balance so today is a day that reminds us to carry on and stand together to create a better equal future for our daughters.

Fi Crispin – Jennings, Regional Housing Manager

Fi Crispin – Jennings, Regional Housing Manager

IWD has been important to me since I heard the author Sarah Maitland speaking at a College event. Since then I take part in some way, often going to events with my sisters and now nieces too. For me it offers a sense of community and recognition of a continuing struggle and is a source of energy and creativity to keep going with that struggle with light and love.

Loabat Dashtabadi – Fund Raising Manager

Loabat Dashtabadi – Fund Raising Manager

”Keep your heels, heads and standards high”. It is very important to have this empowering day to remind us of women in power and how every one of us has the power and the ability to change and mend the world. I hope that the future will bring us more balance in many fields as women are gems on this planet who can and do enrich the mindset of the world.

Alex Richardson – Graphic Designer/Creative Business

Alex Richardson – Graphic Designer/Creative Business

I feel thankful to have been born in an era when opportunities for women in the western world were greater than at any time before in history. The 8th of March, International Women’s day embodies all the work that previous generations have done to improve the lives of women today, and all the work our collective sisters are doing now to change the lives of women around the world. It is a day to celebrate the powerful voices we have in society and our achievements over the decades. We have come so far but there is still work to be done to create a gender balanced world.

Jo Holdsworth – Award Winning Painter

Jo Holdsworth – Award Winning Painter

IWD is a celebration of women’s rights and how much women have achieved. It reminds us all to be instrumental in working towards gender equality and to recognise the value women give both individually and collectively to the world and its communities. It is also time to celebrate female friendship, our hopes for the future, our compassion. It also makes me think about powerful role models. In art I think about Frida Kahlo whose beauty and truth are present in all her paintings, whilst suffering a life time of pain.

Alison Young – Co-Owner of Stephen Young Salon

Alison Young – Co-Owner of Stephen Young Salon

IWD is a true celebration of all the varied and valuable work women do across the globe from all walks of life. Women supporting other women is beautiful to behold and demonstrates true sisterhood.

What does International Women’s day mean to you? Did you take part in an event or reflect upon a personal achievement? Who are your inspirational women? We would love to hear – let us know on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Written by Janie Smith

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