Global

The welcome session will officially launch the day’s events, recognise those involved, and set the tone for the rest of the day
 

Speakers: Hazel Robertson, EUSA, and Dr. Esther Breitenbach, ESRC Research Fellow in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, and Iain MacFarlane, Chair of Scottish Women's Hospitals Committee/Trust
 

Hazel Robertson will give background and relevance to the renaming the University Buildings.
 

Dr. Esther Breitenbach will discuss how feminism has given rise to both ‘women’s history’ and ‘gender history’, making women visible within historical narratives and insisting on the importance of a gender analysis. She will outline developments in the history of Scottish women, discussing new insights that this has brought and highlighting the work of Women’s History Scotland. In addition to introducing the Scottish Women’s History network, she will offer an overview of Scottish women’s history and how the women’s movement shaped how we think about history.

 

Iain MacFarlane will speak about Dr. Elsie Inglis, the founder of Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Service, and other iconic women volunteers of World War I.

There were about 1,000 Edinburgh women volunteers of the Great War, yet they have never been recognised by the British Government, for whom there are still no retrospective Edinburgh University honours, nor a monument to them in the city of their origin. 
 

Speaker: Catalina Predoi, Visible Women

Catalina Predoi will speak about the Visible Women Campaign, a student led women in leadership campaign that seeks to further raise the aspirations and achievements of women and encourage greater diversity within the workplace.
 

This networking lunch provides a chance for those meet with those involved in International Women's Day at the University of Edinburgh.
 

Speaker: School of Social and Political Science

A discussion of the role of women in Scottish politics 
 

Speaker: Kelley Temple, Women’s Officer for the National Union of Students Scotland

Kelley Temple will look at the importance of the student movement and in particular the women’s campaign within it, in terms of building the women leaders of the next generation and shaping the future of education and access to education for women in the short term and long term future. Since education is a key factor in empowering women across the world, it is crucial that we track the achievements of women who have led the fight for defending and extending the rights of women to access education and move our societies forward. To honour International Women’s Day, Kelley will be looking at the recent and past achievements of the women leaders in the student movement and in NUS and celebrate the passion and dedication of women in education worldwide. 

 

Speaker: Shakti Women’s Aid Shakti Women's Aid

Shakti Women’s Aid Shakti Women's Aid provides information and support to BME women and their children and young people experiencing or fleeing domestic abuse from their partners, ex-partners and/or other members of the household. The presentation will look at the experiences of BME women in dealing with domestic abuse and accessing services. The barriers they experience can be broadly classified as cultural and institutional. These barriers will be explored through an exploration of the concept of "Honour" and the impact of "No Recourse to Public Funds" on migrant women experiencing domestic abuse.

 

Speakers: Liz Rawlings, President of EUSA, and Tania Porqueddu, Postgraduate Representative.

Liz Rawlings and Tania Porqueddu will speak about their experience at Womensphere’s 'Emerging Leaders Global Summit: The Next Generation of Women Leaders Transforming the World' in New York this past January. They will discuss how they will use their experience with Womensphere to inspire other women and the next steps within the community and university. There will also be a question and answer session following.