Middlesbrough will celebrate International women’s day with three different events beginning with Middlesbrough Libraries presentation of live and pre-recorded screenings from the British Library.
Beginning at 5pm Harriet Harman MP, former deputy leader of the Labour party and author of A Woman’s Work will appear at Middlesbrough Central Library via a pre-recorded screening from the British Library.
Ms Harman will be in conversation with Joan Bakewell, discussing 100 years of the vote for women, what has been achieved and how much is still to be done.
At 6pm all are invited to the Bottle of Notes in Centre Square which will be illuminated with the colours of International Women’s Day.
The colours of illumination will be those used by the Women’s Social and Political Union, which was led by Emmeline Pankhurst and was one of the leading groups in the suffrage movement.
The same colours where adopted by Unison who sponsor this year’s lighting ceremony.
June Stubbs, Unison Local Government Branch Chair, said she was “delighted that the Branch could contribute towards the marking of this special day”.
Representatives from the Middlesbrough Labour Party Women’s Forum will join local schools and community groups in sharing a moment and saying a few words about what International Women’s Day means to them. Anyone wanting to join in with the service is encourage to attend.
At 7pm celebrations return to Central Library to hear leading women’s rights campaigner Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst, Jill Liddington and Robert Wainwright discuss the struggle for the vote and ask how far women have come since the suffragettes, how far they still have to go and how they will get there. The discussion will be chaired by Julia Wheeler.
The IWD theme for 2018 campaign is #PressforProgress - A strong call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.
Last year, organizations and individuals around the world supported the #BeBoldForChange campaign asking women, men and those who identify as non-binary – to help form a better working world, a more gender inclusive world.
The Bottle of Notes lighting ceremony is free and unticketed.
Tickets for Middlesbrough Libraries presentation of live and pre-recorded screenings are £1 - to reserve a place call 01642 729002.
