This year, the theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Embrace Equity’. As a women dominated workforce, we understand the myriad ways in which women do not experience the world in the same way as men. This can often manifest as low self confidence or a reluctance to try new things out of our comfort zone, which is most apparent when it comes to those things that society might term ‘men’s jobs’. We wanted to provide some really practical workshops to help local women feel more confident and become more self-reliant. So, in celebration of IWD23, North Halifax Partnership NHP, in partnership with Womanic and The Phoenix Shed, are hosting a number of practical workshops for Halifax women.
On Thursday 9th March, Phoenix Shed will be hosting two small classes aimed at understanding and improving confidence to use power tools. Have a go at hanging a picture frame and make a simple repair to a drawer whilst learning about the functions of a power drill, the different bits and maintaining safety.
On Friday 10th March, Natalie Ratner, Ward Link Worker from North Halifax Partnership, will be showing participants how to hang wallpaper, how to measure up a wall, mix the paste and match the pattern so that everyone will feel confident enough to try this in their own homes.
On Monday 13th March, we are excited for Lou from Womanic to be visiting all the way from Birmingham to teach a small group everything they need to know about basic car maintenance from checking oil, to changing a wheel which will all be done on their own cars so they can keep this going year after year.
The celebration will culminate on Tuesday 14th March with a Women’s Circle where there will be practical tips on speaking more confidently before sharing our stories of womanhood over afternoon tea.
We hope the legacy of these events will lead to more women turning their hand to something new, finding a renewed sense of belonging, achievement and self-confidence. But more than that, we will listen to local women about their experiences of being a woman living in North Halifax, what services are missing and how we support one another going forward. Happy International Women’s Day 2023 to every Haligonian woman – we hope you’ll come and celebrate with us.
