THE Time Is Now — Women Rise Up is the theme for Northern Ireland International Women’s Day 2019, decided by Reclaim the Agenda, which campaigns on six key themes.  

A life free from poverty and discrimination where women are equally represented as decision-makers.  

To have a life free from domestic violence and sexual abuse, to have access to good affordable and flexible childcare and to have a healthcare that meets our particular needs which covers full abortion rights, and we make no apology for that. 

This has been a year of highs and lows for the feminist movement. While on the one hand we have seen the continuation of the Me Too movement, on the other we have lived through a series of trials for sexual crimes that have shown us how far we have to go. 

While we campaigned, marched and celebrated with our sisters in the South of Ireland in their fight for full bodily autonomy and abortion rights, our own struggles for the same rights have yet to yield the same results. 

All of this is against a backdrop of continuing poverty and welfare cuts that disproportionately impact women; continuing discrimination and inequality; and endemic racism, homophobia and transphobia. 

In Northern Ireland we have been left behind on legislation on domestic violence, coercive control, “upskirting” and stalking and we still have no childcare strategy. This is unacceptable.

At the same time, there is reason to be optimistic. This year has seen a resurgence of the women’s movement here in Northern Ireland. 

We are united around the issues, focused and working relentlessly towards our goals, and we are tired of being told to wait. The time is now, and we will use International Women’s Day to call on all women to rise up.

We are an unstoppable force to be reckoned with — together we will make the change, we will lead the way for our younger sisters to take our place and we know this fight is long and sometimes a lonely road but sisters remember we are marching it together. Never before have we been so united, never before have we been so strong.

The programme of events is bursting with energy. We have talks, films, plays, performance art, markets, conferences, picnics and even rowing the women’s boat on the river Lagan.  

We are taking on issues like Magdalene Laundries, female genital mutilation and period poverty. We have conferences on abortion policy, childcare for all, universal credit, talks on toxic masculinity, disability and feminism and why is women’s imprisonment a feminist issue?  

There is the feminist quiz, the girls’ rock school zine workshop, health workshops, breastfeeding with Breastiville, and Reclaim the Streets is back, honouring Inez McCormack and Nan Joyce. Alternative Ms Ulster is set in Stormont Buildings where our members of the legislative assembly refuse to take their seats and govern. We will take it over with some very powerful messages from women.   

There are over 40 contributors to the programme that captures what’s on in our community. Most of the events are free, open to men and women and most of the events are fully accessable for disabled people. 

It’s a real tribute to everyone working and volunteering in the women’s movement that we have the largest programme of events for International Women’s Day in the UK and Ireland.  

The line-up is really outstanding and we can use this to recruit more women into the movement, creating an even more powerful voice that will not be ignored. 

The highlight is of course the rally tomorrow, as we march in our thousands through the streets of Belfast, shouting, singing and dancing, stopping the traffic taking over the city and showcasing to the rest of the world Northern Ireland may be small but we are strong and we will not be silenced. Women rise up!