2008 -The March Photo Album -2
2008 -The March Photo Album -3
2008 -Speakers Photo Album -1
2008 -Speakers Photo Album -2
2008 march
On 8th March 2008, approximately 5,000 women and girls attended the march and rally in Trafalgar Square. Women on the march were from all over the UK as well as some women from overseas. The march included an enormous diversity of women with a significant representation of Black and Minority Ethnic women and a visible representation of disabled women. We provided a fleet of wheelchairs, a minibus to transport women with mobility support needs and/or wheelchair users and British Sign Language signers on the stage at the rally. 18 speakers and poets took to the stage at Trafalgar Square. Women from BME organisations were actively encouraged to lead the demonstration. The speakers were from a wide range of campaigning organisations and included female survivors of male violence. The information about the speakers was accurate at the time of the march in 2008.
Speakers from 2008
Akima Thomas, Women and Girls Network
An inspirational teacher and holder of truths from Women and Girls Network, London, which offers a space for the recovery for women who have experienced violence. They offer a comprehensive and integrated range of services, which aim to promote total and sustainable recovery, including individual counselling, group work, a helpline and young women and girl’s project.
Awet Yohans, Young People Speak Out /FORWARD UK: Female Genital Mutilation
The Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development FORWARD is committed to eliminating gender-based violence against African girls and women, particularly Female Genital Mutilation and child and forced marriage.
Caroline Lucas, MEP for the South East Region
Caroline is an outstanding inspirational speaker on issues ranging from abortion, protection and action for rape victims, climate change and the environment, energy policy and Green politics, to supermarket dominance, food and farming, and sustainable living.
Emma Burnell, Women's Environmental Network
Women’s Environmental Networks is the only organisation in the UK working consistently for women. Empowering women to make positive environmental change.
Gona Saed, Middle East Centre for Women’s Rights
Exposes and aims to eliminate all forms of violations of women’s rights within the Middle Eastern communities in the UK and the Middle Eastern countries.
Isla Arendell, Women’s Institute
The National Federation of Women’s Institutes is a member of the End Violence Against Women Campaign and actively campaigns to raise awareness of violence against women and improve the level of funding and resources available to survivors.
Jane Gregory, Rape Crisis, England and Wales
Living at the Women's Peace Camp at Greenham Common taught me the importance of loving the world around me and making connections. Currently I am actively involved in Bradford Immigration & Asylum Advice & Support Network's Women's Club, Bradford Palestine Solidarity Campaign, the protests at Faslane nuclear submarine base, the anti capitalist social movement to try and prevent further climate chaos, I am one of the Co-ordinators of Bradford Rape Crisis & Sexual Abuse Survivors Service and the Vice Chair of Rape Crisis (England & wales)
Jean Bintabreeze, Poet
Jean Bintabreeze is joint-editor of Critical Quarterly in London where she works as a lecturer and performance poet. She has performed her work throughout the world, touring in the Caribbean, North America, Europe, South East Asia and Africa. She read a survivors truth and message: Lisa and her four children somewhere in London.
Jenni Moss, Kalayaan Justice for Migrant Domestic Workers
Migrant domestic workers are often unfamiliar with the UK system and unsure of their rights in this country. Often they speak little or no English and are made vulnerable by their dependence on one employer for information about their status in the UK, their job, their housing and their immigration status. They can face physical, psychological and sexual abuse, discrimination, low pay and long hours. Employers often use passport retention as a means of control.
Kay Smith, Million Woman Drummer
I live and work in London and I am currently a Disability Employment Adviser. I caught the drumming bug 3 years ago. It quickly became a passion and an increasingly important part of my spiritual journey. Many of us have had experience or know of someone, who has experienced violence in their lives. It is important for me to be present at this gathering to support the ongoing struggle against violence against women. Together we are strong.
Lucia Matibenga, Dignity! Period
Millions of women and girls across Zimbabwe face unnecessary suffering and hardship, ACTSA campaigns to ensure that women are afforded their most basic human rights.
Lindsey German, Stop the War Coalition
Lindsey is Convenor of the Stop the War Coalition, which she helped found after the events of 11th September 2001. She has been an active socialist for over 35 years and has a lifelong commitment to women’s liberation and anti-racism. She was part of the original National Abortion campaign in 1975, as well as the fight for equal pay. She has written several books on women, most recently Material Girls (2007), which argues that women are still a long way from liberation. She was one of the tens of thousands who marched to the Anti-Nazi League Carnival in Victoria Park in 1978, and sees it as one of the turning points in beating back racism in London.
Lynne Franks,
She is the founder of SEED - Sustainable Enterprise and Empowerment Dynamics - a provider of women's learning and coaching programmes on economic empowerment, sustainable business practices and community leadership, as well as a global on and
off-line women's support network.
Maryam Shafique,
16 year old Maryam Shafique is a lyrical artist who writes about her own childhood experiences and those of other young people in her community.
Maureen Bailey, Ministry of Justice
Maureen is Head of Women's Issues Network at Ministry of Justice “remember, it could be your sister, brother, mother, or friend so don’t be afraid to talk about the issue.”
Michelle Springer-Benjamin,
Michelle is a Women's Social Leadership Champion 2007 and works for the National Society for the Protection of Children.
Mussurat Zia, Lancashire Police Hate Crimes
Mussarat Zia, who works for Lancashire Police Hate Crimes division, specialising in so called honour crimes, said: "People don't want to talk about so called honour crimes, they want to sweep it under the carpet."
Nicky Norman National Women’s Aid
Nicky Norman is the Deputy Chief Executive of Women's Aid Federation of England. Nicky has over 30 years experience of providing local and national domestic violence services, and has played a key role in responding to legislation and policy affecting abused women and children.
Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters
Southall Black Sisters, a women's rights group, campaigned for Kiranjit Ahluwalia's release from Bullwood Hall prison. Pragna talked about women with no recourse to public funds campaign.
Ruthanna Barnett, Co-ordinator Lancaster and District Women’s Aid
Ruthanna Barnett works to empower women using a rights-based approach and considers that informed choice is key in enabling women to make changes in society. She believes that the shared experiences of women and girls provide the understanding necessary to build the foundations of an equal and peaceful society.
Sawson Salim, Kurdistan Refugee Women’s Organisation
Founder of the Kurdistan Refugee Women’s Organisation (KRWO). Sawson came to the UK ten years ago and realised that Kurdish women suffered many of the same family pressures as they do in Kurdistan. This led her to start the organisation KRWO based at Caxton House Community Centre. Sawsan highlights domestic violence and immigration as two of the main problems for Kurdish women.
Shahida Choudhry,
Domestic Abuse Coordinator Stepping Stones Birmingham. Since 1987 I have been closely involved in the area of domestic violence, having started working at the Crisis Centre Women’s Refuge as a volunteer offering a childcare facility, later as a Project Worker within an Asian Women’s Refuge in Birmingham, a committee member for Jyoti Ashram, a volunteer counsellor for the Rape Sexual Violence Project and more recently as a Domestic Violence Project Coordinator for Barnardo’s children’s charity.
Sue Ingram,
Following in the step of her great great great aunties Millicent Garrett Fawcett (founder of Fawcett Society) and Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1st UK woman doctor, London's hospital for women and first woman mayor) is such a privilege.
Suzanne Sibilin, Women In Prison
Women in Prison (WIP) was founded in 1983. An ex-prisoner, Chris Tchaikovsky gathered together a group of women who were worried about the numbers of disturbed and minor offenders held in Holloway Prison, London, and concerned, too, about the standards of safety and care maintained in the prison. But, in 1983 there were already plenty of organizations in the UK, which claimed to campaign for better conditions for all prisoners, though only one of them, Radical Alternatives To Prison, had seriously campaigned against the rebuilding of Holloway Prison in the early 1970s. WIP therefore based its case for a new and distinct campaigning group especially for women.
Val Lunn, Solace Women's Aid
Feminist and activist. Has worked in the domestic violence sector since 1986 in the East Midlands and now London. Also worked in Rape Crisis Federation Wales and England. Currently involved with Camden Abu Dis Twinning with Palestine network. Assistant Director for Community Services with Solace Women’s Aid, London.
Women from Palestine,
10 Palestinian women came to take part in a speaking tour of Britain to talk about their lives for International Women’s Day. Women from all over the Palestinian West Bank bring their stories to enrich twinning links all over England. The tour was organised by the Britain Palestine Twinning Network to coincide with International Women’s Day in March 2008. “We hope on our visit to build relations with women and societies in U.K, and to exchange experiences” writes Wasfia Othman, a social worker and chair of a women’s committee in Beit Leed, a village near Tulkarem. Her village has a new relationship with people in Pendle, Lancashire, one of about thirty places in England now with friendship links with Palestine.