York International Women’s Week (YIWW) is based in York, UK.
The Programme is organised by volunteers and based in the local community, with growing links to women’s organisations in other parts of the world. The coordinating group decide on a theme, send out a Call for Events in Autumn, and pull together the Programme from the submitted events. Our core values are that we are open to all self-identified women (although most events are open to people of all genders or none); that accessibility of events must be addressed by organisers; and that events in women’s week must be not-for-profit.
The coordinating group welcome new members and new ways of thinking and organising YIWW, and are currently looking for new members – see below for brief details, and contact us for an informal chat if you think this might be for you.
YIWW has existed in various forms for a couple of decades. Each year we welcome all women and everyone who supports them to organise events and participate in activities to find out about women’s rights locally and globally and to be activated by art and cultural activities. We hope as many people as possible will come together to celebrate women’s achievements, to witness women’s struggles, and to work towards justice and equality for all.
Check out some of the past programmes in the YIWW Archive.
What’s on offer each year depends on local organisers, and each year we are delighted by the variety of activist, art, craft, health-related and celebratory events that come in from our Call for Events.
Covid forced us online in 2021, and many discovered that this virtual space worked in surprising ways: for access, offering people a chance to participate from any internet-connected place in the world and opening up events to those for whom leaving home is difficult; economically, with no venue costs and the ease of presenting online exhibitions; and for connection, as many organisers of small events discovered an intimacy in online discussions.
Of course, we recognise that online events also have their limits, in preventing access for some and in changing the nature of events, and from 2022 onwards we welcomed both in-person and online events. Together, we work to enable all women and those who support them to gather together, to learn about women’s and girl’s lives and cultures locally and globally, to have fun learning new skills, and to work towards justice and equity for all.
In solidarity from the 2023 coordinating group:
Marilyn, Ann, Penny, Erin, Georgia, Lola, Candi, Lizzie, Margaret and Rose
To get involved in YIWW:
- If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please email yorkwomensvoices@gmail.com. It is a low-volume list. Once added you will be notified of unfolding plans for YIWW each year, and will be the first to receive our ‘Call for Events’ in autumn. You can unsubscribe at any time by emailing or contacting us on the form on the ‘contact’ page.
- Join the coordinating group. We are currently looking for new members. If you have some time and would like to consider joining the informal, friendly group of volunteers who organise the overall programme, feel free to email us for a no-obligation chat. The time commitment is mainly in September – April when we meet online every four-six weeks. One of the most important tasks is to keep in touch via our internal group email and to take an active part in making ongoing decisions as YIWW comes together. Volunteers also take on various tasks singly or with others, for instance coordinating the Programme, proofing, or taking responsibility for social media. We welcome all interested people who can spare some time, whether you are new to this kind of volunteering or you have specific experiences or skills to offer.
- Let us know what kind of YIWW you would like, and if you participated in any of the events, email us your feedback.
YIWW 