All About Women 2017

words by o.k. glynn

We all know a woman – roughly half the world’s population is made up of them; you either are one, love one, or hate one, but you are sure as hell here because of one. For such a large section of the world, women have had their fair share of trials and tribulations, and as society creeps forward in an effort to establish equality across the board, we are seeing groups of humans band together in solidarity, hoisting up everyone to any even playing field. Did you see the turn-out across the globe for the Women’s Marches? Doesn’t matter what may have been happening down the road, thousands upon thousands of men, women and children marched together to show their support and love for the fearlessness that is women.

March 8 is International Women’s Day, and befittingly Sydney Opera House is playing host to the festival day All About Women just three days before. Sunday, March 5 will see the iconic masterpiece become a treasure trove of speakers and panels coming together to celebrate and discuss all that it is to be a woman. With talks ranging from what can be hard, to what is just the downright damn-diddly-best. The line-up this year is extensive and very exciting, jump on HERE to read through the list and check out times and tickets.

You have the option of just purchasing each ticket individually, but if you’re planning on making a day of it, you’ll find the multi-pack is your best friend; just don’t accidentally buy tickets for overlapping events.

To give you a brief little tidbit to whet the old appetite (that’s a weird saying, I don’t want to say that ever again). An international gathering of spectacular women will see topics covered from every walk of life, including, and very importantly, Women and Media a solo talk by actress and Academy Award Winner Geena Davis. Davis will lend her innate experience to discussing and brainstorming ideas on how women and gender as a whole can be better represented within every aspect of media, a product which we unknowingly consume every day.

On a completely different end of the spectrum comes Mei Fong in her solo talk titled One Child, discussing how China’s radical ‘one-child’ policy shaped and impacted the future of such a densely populated country.

We have a solo talk by the homegrown hero, Clementine Ford. Ford has built a massive following within the online community and will step forward to chronicle how the internet has shaped the way women are treated. Ford is not backwards in coming forwards about her experiences, and will happily name and shame those who send her abusive and vile attacks.

If you’re all solo-talked out, give the panel discussion Nasty Women a visit – famously hashtagged all over the marches. Originally coined as a term to downplay a strong woman. Nasty Women has been taken back as a badge of honour, and the panel of Lindy West, Van Badham and Yassmin Abdel-Magied come together to discuss how women once scorned by the masses for having too much to say are taking back their right to free-speech and how that will affect the lives of women everywhere, and generations to come.

All About Women is at the Sydney Opera House March 5.