Events for International Women's Day 2021

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge #iwd2021

A challenged world is an alert world.  Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.  We can choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality.  We can choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements.  Collectively, we can create an inclusive and more gender-equal world.  From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge.

The Institute for Women’s Health will be hosting four, free, online events to celebrate #iwd2021. Please book via the Eventbrite links. All events will be available on YouTube.

Sunday 7th March - 7 - 8pm: Your Fertile Years - What you need to know to make informed choices

 Have you ever been taught about how your body works; from the menstrual cycle to the menopause? Do you know that a woman’s fertility declines from her mid 30s? Do you know when your fertile window is? Or what you need to do to have a healthy pregnancy and birth? Professor Joyce Harper, author of Your Fertile Years, will be joined by a panel of fertility experts to discuss why we need fertility education with a Q and A from the audience. Chairing the event will be Dr Larisa Corda, and on the panel will be Dr Raj Mathur, Chair of the British Fertility Society, Dr Mara Simopoulou, Chair of the Greek MyFertility campaign, and Emma Haslett, Journalist and co-host of @bigfatnegative podcast.

Book your place here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/your-fertile-years-what-you-need-to-know-to-make-informed-choices-tickets-139717377437

Monday 8th March 2021 - 1.00 - 2.15 pm: Panel: Race & Reproduction

This event brings together four amazing women from minoritised backgrounds and they will be discussing baby loss, infertility, female genital mutilation, periods, pain and pelvic floor. The panellists for the event are Le'Nise Brothers a registered nutritionist who specialises in women’s health, hormones and the menstrual cycle and hosts the Period Story podcast, a programme where she talks to women about their first period and the myths and misconceptions about periods.  Seetal Savla, a freelance writer who aims to banish the extra stigma faced by women of colour struggling with infertility, Dr Shema Tariq (Academic and Consultant in HIV/Sexual Health, and Trustee of Tommy's Baby Charity) will share her personal experience of infertility and baby loss, and Dr Sohier Elneil a Consultant urogynaecologist will be talking about FGM: addressing the hidden problems of chronic pain and other pelvic floor problems.  The event will be chaired by Asma Ashraf a nurse who works in HIV/Sexual Health research at UCL’s Institute for Global Health & a member of the UCL Race Equality Steering Group.

Book here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/race-reproduction-tickets-139465634467

Monday 8th March, 8-9.30 pm:  Panel: Women open water swimming.

A growing number of women are turning to open water swimming to enjoy a vibrant community, getting back to nature and the health benefits. We will talk to some inspiring women who can tell us all about it. 

On the panel are Professor Sasha Roseneil, University College London, Pro-Vice-Provost (Equity and Inclusion), Dean of the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences and Professor of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Jessica Hepburn, fertility advocate, founder of Fertility Fest, channel swimmer and author of 21 Miles, Dr Heather Massey, University of Portsmouth, a channel swimmer and ice 1km swimmer and currently researching the physiology of cold water swimming and its impacts on physical and mental health, Dr Ruth Williamson, Radiologist and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at University Hospitals Dorset, a channel relay and winter swimmer with research interests in the health benefits and risk management of cold water swimming and Rachel Ashe, founder of Mental Health Swims, a community that empowers people of all body shapes, age, colour, background, gender, sexuality and ability. The event will be chaired by Professor Joyce Harper, Institute for Women’s Health at University College London, author of 'Your Fertile Years' and a novice open water swimmer.

Book here:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-open-water-swimming-tickets-139459243351.

This event is almost full – if you wish to attend please register now. 

Tuesday 9th March 2021 - 2:00 – 3:30 pm - Performance: Interpreting Ovarian Cancer through Dance

Interpreting Ovarian Cancer through Dance” Intro: Ms Adeola Olaitan Discussion lead by Ms Olaitan, A Gentry Maharaj and A Lanceley

Book your place here - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/iwd-event-interpreting-ovarian-cancer-through-dance-lea-tirabasso-tickets-144691956537

Tuesday 9th March 2021 - 8.00 - 10.00 pm - Film Screening: Picture a Scientist

This independent documentary follows a groundswell of researchers who are writing a new chapter for women scientists. Featuring geologist Jane Willenbring, chemist Raychelle Burks, and biologist Nancy Hopkins, as well as key social scientists working to understand and reduce gender bias in the sciences, Picture a Scientist brings diversity in science into sharp view at a critical time. The current pandemic is a call to action for scientists to work together globally, with a multitude of different perspectives, to defeat COVID-19. For too long, women and other minorities in science have been left out or driven out, stymied by a system of harassment, discrimination, and general bias. “Any impediment to advancing minorities in science is an impediment to science itself,” says Sharon Shattuck, co-director of Picture a Scientist. The film is 97 minutes long and will be followed by a short Q and A chaired by Dr. Rajvinder Karda, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Women’s Health, University College London.

Book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/picture-a-scientist-film-screening-tickets-138885356841