International Women’s Day was celebrated at NEW College with a series of events including sporting activities to celebrate women in sport, a debate, and guest speakers headed by shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, MP.
Mike Tomlinson, husband of the late Jane Tomlinson, began the day by giving an emotional and thought provoking speech about Jane and her determination to achieve her goals, to an audience of female sports students in a packed John Godber Theatre. This was followed by a succession of sporting activities with Lindsey Anfield, a member of the Ladies England Rugby Team.
The afternoon saw the mixed-gender NEW College debating team explore the role of feminism in the 21st century. After this, a series of inspirational female speakers including Yvette Cooper, Kate Bratt-Farrar (Leed’s Women’s Aid), Angela Towers (No More Page 3) and Gemma Yates (Hepworth Gallery), explored what feminism meant to them and the challenges facing women today. The hundred-plus students then had a chance to question the speakers about their experiences.
