By Louise Kiernan

Rooted back in the early 1900s, International Women’s Day (IWD) began as a way to highlight equality for women. Prior to this, it had been very difficult for women to have access to the same things as men including the right to vote, equal pay (I think you’ll find that is still an issue…) and adjustments to working hours. The first International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 19th 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. This was mostly activists aiming to get rights of women changed. The date was changed a few years later in 1917 when the Russian Revolution happened.

Today we use March 8th as a day to celebrate the journey women have had to take to ‘level up’. A time to celebrate the women in history who paved the way for the life we may often take for granted today. Imagine not being able to go to university or get the job you want because you’re a woman? I for one am very grateful!

Fun facts!

  • IWD has its own colour- purple
  • The UN assigns a theme each year- 2025’s is Accelerate Action!
  • Everyone of any gender is encouraged to participate and support equity and equality and address bias.
  • IWD inspires creativity- many events take place. DMU has events on including a panel discussion on Women’s Health on March 5th. See what you can find to attend!

So, who can we celebrate and what did they do?

Aphra Behn (1640–1689) Celebrated as a trailblazing figure in women’s history, particularly in literature and the arts. Her contributions helped pave the way for women’s equality in an area dominated by men during her time. So, for those of us interested in the arts, we have this lady to thank!

Sojourner Truth (1797–1883) -Abolitionist and women’s rights advocate who challenged racial and gender discrimination.

Emmeline Pankhurst (1858–1928) Leader of the British suffragette movement- aiming to get women the right to vote.

Baroness Brenda Hale (1945–Present) Serving as the first female President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2020, Baroness Hale is renowned for her contributions to family law and human rights. She has been a trailblazer for women in the legal profession.

Malala Yousafzai (1997–Present) Advocate for girls’ education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban and continues to champion global education rights.

And there are many more! Often forgotten, but always important. Maybe check out who else you can find and see if they can inspire you to make changes that you feel are needed. This doesn’t have to be anyone famous or in the public eye either. I can think of quite a few staff at DMU who inspire me and my friends on my course too. Take a moment to pause and be grateful for all of them.

Women’s Health

This piece of writing could fill the whole magazine! Women’s health has many topics to be considered! So, I will try to refine it!

Let’s start with the importance of knowing yourself and your body (which also to applies to everyone, not just women). When you are more mindful and present you will learn what is ‘normal’ for you. And when something doesn’t fit that ‘normal’ that is when you should check yourself and perhaps seek out some help too. Because after all, You know you best!

Let’s talk periods first- they usually happen once a month, they’re usually pretty rubbish and can hurt like hell! But, did you know that there are some conditions that mean every moment of every period can be agony? Conditions such as endometriosis, PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome), PCS (Pelvic Congestion Syndrome) and more. Some of these conditions don’t have enough research on them to understand why they happen, meaning treatment isn’t great. Speaking from experience of *two* of these, I can say that there is one particular day every month where the pain just grabs me and I can’t move! Then the other days surrounding that are less intense but still painful. Hot water bottles and resting help which – I’ll be honest – are rubbish when you have things to do or a lecture to attend! Constant trips to the toilet also make it pretty inconvenient, but what can you do? I don’t know about you but at times I find it so embarrassing too. Having to sneak a tampon or whatever into my pocket…but I don’t know why. Most women have periods, and for so many years. I want to promise myself that I won’t’ feel embarrassed anymore- maybe this is my late new year’s resolution!

As well as periods, there are – as I said – so many more conditions. Here are just a few:

  • Reproductive health- fertility/ infertility, cysts, fibroids
  • Breast health- changes, mastitis, cancer, cysts, general lumps
  • Bone health- osteoporosis
  • Mental Health- anxiety, depression, post-natal depression
  • Cardiovascular health- high blood pressure, heart disease (which is the leading cause of death in the UK for women!)
  • Urinary and pelvic health- UTI’s, pelvic floor issues (do those squeezes!)
  • Menopause and hormonal changes-these happen throughout a woman’s life but can be more pronounced around peri-menopause onwards.
  • Sexual health- STIs, pain during sex (keep safe, get checked!)
  • Skin health- acne and general changes (for the record, even in my 40s I still get spots damn it!)

Top tips on what’s important:

  • Learn to know what your ‘normal’ is and any variation to that, get checked.
  • Make sure you have someone you can talk to if you aren’t feeling great- talking can help you see you aren’t alone.
  • If you do find out your normal has a variation, do some research about what that means. For example, finding out I had PCS was a shock- I’d never heard of it! Google did help but so did finding research papers on it and talking to the GP.
  • Preventing something is always better than having to find a cure. That’s why it is so important to know what is normal for you. Be proactive- don’t wait for something to get worse.
  • Do some research into what your body needs. Often there are vitamins and minerals that our bodies are lacking, for example, low iron. In that particular case, it could be why you have felt so tired and drained- not just because you are studying so much!
  • Keep track of what’s going on. Keep it simple, use your phone calendar, or download one of many health apps that are available. You can then take this info to the GP if you do need to talk to them.
  • If you are talking to a health professional, ask loads of questions! Prepare them before you go to the appointment and write down what they say. Or take someone with you to listen. Sometimes you are so worried about what’s going on you don’t always take it all in.

But mostly remember- YOU know YOU best!