Women’s History Month is back and so are dozens of outstanding activities in London to celebrate the women in your life and around the world. Here’s a London guide for girls
Last year was rough for the ladies. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the States, and violent reborn oppression against women in Iran, this Women’s History Month can be used to reflect, educate and support the women around us. Luckily, London has plenty of female-led events and activities to discover this March and beyond.
Honour female figures like Cleopatra at The British Museum or novelists Jane Austen and Emily Bronte in The British Library. Head down to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich where a series of talks and courses will be hosted throughout the month, acknowledging the contributions and resilience of women in history.
Visit the Florence Nightingale Museum and celebrate England’s original independent woman who fought for women’s education and healthcare. The Africa Fashion exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington showcases Nigeria’s first designer Shade Thomas-Fahm, along with female fashion icons like the creative director of the contemporary womenswear brand, IAMISIGO, Bubu Ogisi, and Cape Town’s sustainable textile designer Sindiso Khumalo.
Sophie Tea’s art gallery off Carnaby appreciates the divine feminine form. For a more permanent memory, get some ink done at Velvet Underground Tattoo in Barbican. The tattoo shop is run by an incredibly creative and skilful all-female staff that specialises in a variety of styles and bespoke tattoos for all (appointments only).
Support literal leading ladies this International Women’s Day (8 March) at West End shows that feature female leads like Matilda the Musical, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical or the Shakespearian-inspired &Juliet. Relax and unwind at the Top Secret Comedy Club where the Ladies of Laughter are throwing a four-act performance featuring Sukh Ojla (Life Sukhs), Maria Shehata (Dave, Showtime, Comedy Central), Laura Smyth (Funny Women Winner), Emily Lloyd Saini (Mock The Week). Afterwards, stroll by Parliament Square in Westminster to see the statue of England’s leader of the constitutional women’s suffrage movement, Millicent Fawcett.
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Need to wait ‘til the weekend? The Women of the World (WOW) Festival at the Southbank Centre (10-12 March) features dozens of artists and exhibitions on site. It’s one of the world’s biggest festivals that celebrates women and includes inspirational talks, workshops and performances dedicated to gender equality. WOW hopes to share achievements while also discussing solutions that women and nonbinary people face today like climate change, poverty, reproductive rights and mental health.
On 11 March, the Novotel London West Conference Centre in Hammersmith is hosting the 2023 International Women’s Day Celebration for Black Women and Girls and will feature insightful wellness activities that honour and highlight the experiences and needs of everyday Black girls and women in London.
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Indulge on Mother’s Day (19 March) by treating mum to a women-owned restaurant like Gaia Enria’s Italian restaurant and Pastificio Burro e Salvia, where you can feast on fresh pasta and wine – they offer pasta-making workshops, too! Alternatively, sip locally roasted coffee or tea while enjoying some of the spectacular cakes and pastries at The Lily Vanilli Bakery, just off Columbia Road. Feeling lavish? Visit Notting Hill and try the Michelin-star-winning restaurant Core by Clare Smyth.
Stop at an independent woman-owned business (pun intended) on the way home and support locals like Prick LDN in Dalston for new plant babies or Alkemi for contemporary home decor. For a fun and boozy finale, buy tickets to Drunk Women Solving Crime on 30 March at 21Soho. Join podcast hosts and comedians Hannah George, Catie Wilkins and Taylor Glenn as they invite guest panellists to solve crime cases while hilariously inebriated.
Regardless of choice, let us be thankful that we can choose, help those who cannot and hope for a better future.
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