IWD at the Adiaha Antigha Centre

“International Women’s Day means a lot to me because women have been subjected to discrimination in all walks of life since creation. When I talk about discrimination, none more, in my opinion, than the Black woman. This day gives us the opportunity to raise the issues of discrimination that women and Black women face. It gives us the opportunity to get our voices heard.” Delia Mattis, Hackney CVS

Last week, on 8 March 2024, we held an Open Afternoon and invited the voluntary and community sector and partner organisations to join us in celebration of International Women’s Day.

A hot Caribbean lunch was accompanied by a celebration of African music from drummers Red, Green and Black.

The theme for this year’s event was Inspire Inclusion. Our first speaker, Nya Chen, from the Hackney CVS youth team, quoted organizer, educator, archivist and curator Mariame Kaba,”Why be a star when you can make a constellation.” In a thought provoking speech Nya spoke about her career as a student midwife, detailing the lack of adequate and early prenatal care that Black and Asian women experience. Chen stated: “These things could be prevented if the medical professional did everything in their power to ensure that women of colour felt heard.”

Sarah Watson from Hackney Giving spoke about the gender pay gap, quoting the Office for National Statistics figures on wage disparity: for full time employees it is currently 7.7% in favour of men, and for all workers (full time and part time) it is 14.3%.

Watson also referred to a Third Sector magazine figure that charity staff are paid 7 per cent less than other sectors and pointed out that the voluntary and community sector’s staff is two thirds women. Watson said that adequate funding is essential to allowing voluntary and community sector organisations to pay their staff fairly, and she ended by urging decision makers to consider the impact of wage disparity when making choices about services and about funding.

Janette Collins MBE, founder and CEO of youth project The Crib, spoke about her life and career and spoke movingly about the founder of Hackney CVS Adiaha Antigha. Click here to read about the awards we make each year in memory of Adiaha.

The afternoon was a celebratory and inspiring event. Thank you to all who joined us.

See our video vox pops below for contributions from the Mayor of Hackney, Caroline Woodley, and Janette Collins MBE. Also, see our photo gallery below.

Click here to read our statement in support of Diane Abbott following the racist and misogynistic comments from Frank Hester which became news the week after IWD 2024.

Images from the event