Jenessa Williams learns Bradford is full of badass women at the Women of the World festival
Here in 2017, there has never been a more powerful time to be a woman. While the battle for equality is long and there are still many injustices to fight all around the world, visible progress has been made, with solidarity movements such as #metoo exposing the need for things to change - and fast.
Initially established in London in 2010, Women Of The World Festival was established by Jude Kelly as a means to facilitate these important conversations, inspiring new generations of young women and girls to campaign for change. Now with 25 satellite events all over the world, it returned to Bradford for it’s second year this November, bringing with it some hugely inspirational stories and panels that left us feeling inspired to get involved in some serious activism. Here are just five of the key messages we took away from a Saturday spent at the event…
Bradford is full of some pretty badass women
Our fairly humble northern cousin, Bradford is a city that tends to keep itself to itself, remaining somewhat humble about its achievements. Little did we know that it has raised some pretty inspirational women over the years, as voiced in a powerful opener seminar to the event – ‘Badass Women Of Bradford’.
RECLAIM founder Ruth Ibegbuna shone a light upon Bradford playwright Angela Dunbar, a prodigious talent who premiered her play at London’s Royal Court Theatre aged just 19. The head of a charity that works with young people, she highlighted the need to believe in the potential of the working class and encourage diverse engagement in feminism – “If you look around a room and everybody is the same as you, then your movement isn’t achieving what it should.”
There’s definitely a responsibility to be inclusive and encourage positivity.
The internet has helped women find their own voice
The internet has become a huge part of all of our lives, but social media has gained something of a bad reputation for how it has enabled some of the worst members of our society to spread hateful propaganda (we’re looking at you Katie Hopkins).
In a discussion about trolling, British YouTubers Hannah Witton and Nabiilabee had plenty of sage advice to those growing up on the internet, and shared their stories as to how the platform had helped emancipate them from the expectations of society. For Nabila, YouTube helped her to connect with other fashion-loving Hijab-wearing young Muslims, subverting the stereotypes of her community and allowing her to put forth ‘the sort of diversity I would have loved to have seen growing up’.
For Hannah, life as a sex and relationships vlogger and author is all about being relatable, bridging the gap for her audience where school education fails and for recognising the privileges that being a heterosexual white female allows. “As an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, I’m educated by my audience and do what I can to promote a safe space on my channel. There’s definitely a responsibility to be inclusive and encourage positivity.”
You have to work hard to gain self acceptance.
Your hair can make a powerful political statement
For most of us, hair is something we don’t really think about. Bury a little deeper, and you’ll find that the choices you make (or can’t make) with your hairstyle can make a significant impact on how others view you, and in turn, how you view yourself. For Amy Johnson from Alopecia UK, losing her hair led to a journey of reclaiming her femininity and learning to ignore the views of others. “You have to work hard to gain self acceptance. I could wear a wig, but why should I – I had to learn that bald women can be beautiful too.”
For creative writer Season Butler, wearing her hair in it’s natural afro state saw her labeled as an ‘angry black woman’, something she feels proud to reclaim as a positive. “Straightening my hair was a sign that I was conforming to other peoples standards. Wearing my hair like this, I’m making a statement before I open my mouth.”
Men need equality too
Naturally,Women Of The World Festival is about females and those who identify as such but for any real progress to be achieved, it is vital for men to join the cause.
In a panel dedicated to men and their part in gender equality, poet and educator Anthony Anaxagorou explained the need for men to own their past mistakes and take accountability, even when doing so isn’t easy. “Everyone I know has behaved in a laddish way or said something silly growing up, and it is all of our responsibilities to challenge that when we see it. But men cannot be removed from the conversation – in order to be accountable, we have to have a voice, even if it is a secondary one.”
As artistic director of Bradford initiative Raise The Roof, Sikh faith advisor Priptal Singh also reinforced the need for men to get involved before they can truly call themselves a feminist ally. “Trumpism has created an air of reduced accountability, where men feel like they deserve a medal just for not being awful. This isn’t the case – armchair feminism is better than armchair sexism, but it’s still not enough.”
Feminism is for everyone
On the strength of the day’s discussions, there really is no reason why any right-thinking person wouldn’t support the feminist cause. Far from bra-burning and man-hating, the positivity and inclusiveness in the room is palpable, and there is barely a corner where there isn’t a hive of poster-making, face painting or friend-making going on. All generations, all races and all genders – consider this war fully waged.
