International Women’s Day – ain’t no stoppin’ us now

What do Burkina Faso, Russia and Uganda all have in common? They all enjoy a day off on International Women’s Day – and so do Afghanistan, Mongolia, Vietnam and others.

While I love a good national holiday (and I always think we could squeeze another into the calendar!) International Women’s Day excites me for all sorts of other reasons.  It’s a celebration, and an opportunity to highlight the great achievements of women throughout history and across the globe, and to call for equality once and for all.

This year,  to mark 100 years of International Women’s Day, Save the Children is teaming up with the South Bank Centre, Women for Women International and Mumsnet, amongst other organisations.  On our own, we’re powerful organisations, but together, We Are EQUALS.

We’ve been furiously planning an exciting programme of events.  Save the Children will have a stand at a couple of events organised by our partners – Join me on the Bridge and the WOW festival. So come and say hello. And then there’s the big event, organised by the whole gang, the EQUALS Soul Train.  All the information you need is below.

There’s so much going on – take your pick from panel discussions to live music to marching through the streets of London.

These are my top picks:

Join me on the Bridge: A march on Tuesday 8 March, 10am – 2.30pm
Organised by Women for Women

Join women from 10am at Borough Market for coffee and banner making prior to the march. The London march, led by Annie Lennox, will leave Borough Market at 11am and finishes at 12.30pm at the Royal Festival Hall with speeches. We have a stand at the Royal Festival Hall – come and see us after the march!

EQUALS Soul Train: Tuesday 8 March, 3 – 6pm (3pm photo call) Organised by the EQUALS coalition

Head to the Jubilee Gardens by the London Eye and get ready to strut your funky stuff. To celebrate 100 years of International Women’s Day through the international language of dance, we’re creating the EQUALS soul train. We’re inviting you to get down and groove with your EQUAL of the opposite sex – a friend, a relative, or a stranger. Whether you’re fresh to the scene or have been dancing for years, we can all disco! Our anthem for the EQUALS soul train will be McFadden and Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”. Why? Because when it comes to equality, “we’ve got a long long way to go” and to get there, “we won’t let nothing hold us back”.  Jazzie B will be spinning the wheels of steel, and Annie Lennox and Paloma Faith will be getting their groove on!

Watch this film for inspiration — there ain’t no stoppin’ us now from joining the EQUALS soul train!