International Women’s Day is coming up on Wednesday and for Dundee, it is important to celebrate the women who have been at the forefront of some of the city’s successes.
I’m talking about achievements that have helped shape the world we live in.
Dundee women are known to be feisty and strong-willed, something which I’ve written previously. I cited the city’s jute mill workers as a brilliant example of this.
Working with Dundee Heritage Trust, who operate Verdant Works, has helped me learn more about the significant role of women in the city’s jute industry.
It has been very interesting learning new things about the female jute workers of the city, from the stories of Daisy Tasker to Mary Brooksbank.
I’ve previously cited Williamina Fleming as one of my favourite Dundee heroines, simply because she managed to prove even more that women were just as capable as men in the field of astronomy and science, which up to that point was very male dominated.
When the American men struggled, Williamina, with her strong Dundonian wit, managed to break expectations and went on to discover white dwarf stars and the breathtaking Horsehead Nebula.
I also admired Williamina’s tireless campaign for better pay for women in her field of work – and she never stopped.
Timex strikes showed Dundee women never give up without a fight
This type of courage was evident during the Dundee Timex strike 30 years ago.
Watching a documentary on the strikes, it was amazing to see the female Timex workers standing their ground against a large corporation led by men in suits and ties.
Dundee women like the Timex workers never give up without a fight and it is something that makes me proud to be from this city.
In recent years, we have watched Dundee women excel in the field of sports.
Eilish McColgan is one shining example of this. Just at the weekend, she broke the 10,000m British record which stood for over two decades.
Last year was an incredible one for Eilish and I’ll never forget the moment she took Gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
I remember cheering her on in my studio as she beat Kenya’s Irene Chepet Cheptai – a fantastic moment to watch as well as a stunning upset on the track.
And with this new 10,000m record in the bag, Eilish now has a total of five British records, following in the footsteps of her mother and coach Liz who won Olympic and Commonwealth medals and broke records of her own.
Doing Dundee Culture has given me the privilege of learning more about the people behind the city’s art and creative industries – many of them are amazing women.
Art Night Festival is a great example of this. The festival is coming to Dundee in the summer and I along with many Dundonians are looking forward to it.
But what is brilliant about the festival is the fact that all of the creative and art organisations which helped bring it here – the likes of Dundee Contemporary Arts, V&A Dundee, Creative Dundee and NEoN Digital Arts – are led by women.
Dundee simply wouldn’t be the place it is today without the incredible women who have shaped our city.
