Women on the Grenadine Island of Bequia got together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on Monday, March 8 at Sweety Bird Cafe in Port Elizabeth.{{more}}

The gathering of women from around the world and locally enjoyed an evening of poetry, drama, stories and song. Performances came from Coordinator of the Event and Proprietor of Sweety Bird Café Cheryl Johnson, dramatist La Fayette Johnson, artist Leslie Quashie and junior pannists Ella Mitchell-Sutton and Blossom Walker, among others.

According to Co-coordinator of the event, Sally Erdle, the event continues a tradition started on the island by former resident, the late Marian Palmborg of Sweden. Palmborg organized Women’s Day celebrations on Bequia for some ten years, prior to her passing in January 2009. This year’s celebrations were observed under the theme: “Continuing the tradition of Mariann.”

IWD is a global event which celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In places such as China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, International Women’s Day is a public holiday.

The first IWD was held on March 8, 1911, and followed unanimous agreement at an International Conference of Working Women the previous year. It was pioneered by Clara Zetkin, the influential socialist German politician and fighter for women’s rights.