International Women’s Day to be celebrated at the Senedd

The National Assembly for Wales will mark International Women’s Day today (8 March) - a global celebration of the achievements of women - with a series of events across the Assembly estate. In the Senedd, Deputy Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM will speak at a ‘world cafe’ event, organised by the British Council and training course-provider Women Making a Difference. The world cafe will see women telling stories of the many women who have made history across the globe during the last 100 years – including those who’ve played a part in women’s rights and displayed acts of courage and determination. Exhibitions from equality organisations MEWN Cymru, Chwarae Teg, Merched y Wawr, Women’s Archive Wales and Self Help Africa will also be displayed in the Senedd to mark the day. In the Pierhead, the Women’s Arts Association will hold an event including a performance from female dance group India Dance Wales and a clog dancer. The Association will also launch a textile exhibition that will be displayed in the Pierhead’s Futures Gallery. The exhibition - Bonded by Threads: Old Crafts by Modern Women – will showcase the work of Welsh female artists. The day will also see the Assembly launch a competition to decide on a Welsh female hero from the past to be displayed in the ‘heroes room’ at the Pierhead from a shortlist which can be viewed on the National Assembly’s website at www.assemblywales.org. In north Wales, the Assembly’s Outreach bus will be present at the Mill Arts and Craft Centre in Holywell, where women’s day celebrations will be taking place, and sixty members from Merched y Wawr will also visit the Colwyn Bay visitor centre to learn about the Assembly. Click the picture to view the full album. Deputy Presiding Officer, Rosemary Butler AM, said: “International Women’s Day is a day of global significance that gives us all an opportunity to reflect on the economic, political and social achievements of women, both past and present. “The day is particularly significant here in Wales, where the National Assembly for Wales has become widely recognised as a beacon of progress in establishing higher levels of representation for women in politics. “The Assembly has taken a number of positive steps to increase the participation of women in democracy and, over the three sessions since devolution, the percentage of female Assembly Members has never dropped lower than 40%. “Other steps have been taken by the Assembly to increase the participation of women in the democratic process. This includes the Step-Up Cymru political mentoring scheme - run in conjunction with the Welsh Government and the Welsh Local Government Association – within which 75% of mentees were female. “It is positive achievements such as these that should be celebrated on International Women’s Day, and I look forward to the events here at the Senedd.”