Dundee Women’s Festival will be a largely online affair this year and will celebrate International Women’s Day.
The annual event has been forced to go predominately digital because of the ongoing pandemic.
This year’s festival, dubbed ‘The Power of Women’ will run between March 5 and 14.
The line-up includes talks about Jessie M. King — “Dundee’s first professional female journalist” — and female entrepreneurs in Palestine.
A handful of events, such as lessons on sewing reusable period pads at Dundee and Angus College, will take place physically.
Organisers hope that by having the festival online this year it may widen the interest beyond Dundee and find new audiences.
Prue Watson, chairwoman of the organising board, said: “Despite these challenging times, the festival is taking place thanks to the power or women, and I and my fellow trustees hope it will bring some light and positivity to the confusion which many of us are feeling right now.
“The events tackle concerns currently affecting many people, men as well as women — including the art of sleep, online pressures, and resilience and wellbeing.
“Some events address issues around periods, menopause, gender based violence and the climate crisis.
“All of these make up a diverse, powerful and thought provoking programme, which we know will have broad appeal.”
A physical programme will not be published this year, but is available to read on the festival website.
Ms Prue added: “We will also be relying on our contacts and partner organisations to spread the word. Excitingly, for the first time, posters advertising the festival will be erected throughout Dundee — look out for them.
“They are eye-catching and will raise awareness throughout the city.
“Bringing the festival together has brought different challenges this year, but it has been worth the hard work, and we look forward to virtually sharing the power of women far and wide next month.”
Dundee Women’s Festival was one of the few cultural events in the city which went ahead despite coronavirus last year as the 2020 edition took place just weeks before lockdown was announced. Some specific events were cancelled, however.
International Women’s Day
The celebration of women has been taking place on March 8 annually for more than a century.
The earliest event of its type took place in New York in 1909, albeit on February 28.
From there, other cities and countries around the world held their own events and it became an international celebration taking place in early March.
The UN began celebrating it in 1975.
