The Lord Mayor of Coventry is celebrating International Women’s Day by giving women in the city and its twins around the world a chance to highlight their stories.
Lord Mayor Cllr Rachel Lancaster has launched a new initiative called Wise Women’s Words that highlights and supports the voices, experiences, and achievements of women.
The Lord Mayor launched the project at the Foleshill Women’s Training Group, where she met women from Yemen, Syria, and Eritrea and received their messages.
As well as raising the profile of women in Coventry, the Lord Mayor has extended the project to Coventry’s twin cities and friends around the world. This week she is visiting Northern Ireland, where she will be encouraging women from Armagh and other towns and cities to take part.
The Lord Mayor said: “When I became Lord Mayor, one of my key priorities was to support and celebrate the women of our city and the incredible work they do.
“Through Wise Women’s Words, my aim is to gather the stories, insights and perspectives of women both here and across our twin cities, to bring this information together, and to share it widely so that it can inspire collaboration, understanding and positive change.”
Women are being asked to complete a brief postcard message, offering personal insight, an experience, challenge, a piece of advice, or message to others. The project runs until the end of March.
These can be written in any language or recorded as a short video on a mobile phone. All contributions will form part of an international compilation showcasing the diverse voices of women from Coventry and its Twin Cities.
The Lord Mayor added: “Women across different countries often face similar challenges, and by contributing to this shared international collection of stories, Coventry will be part of a powerful global snapshot of women’s voices, experiences, and reflections.
“This is a unique opportunity for our local communities to connect with women worldwide, learn from each other, and build solidarity across borders.
“We have had some great feedback, and our twin cities have said they are delighted to be taking part and are already sending in responses.”
The project is being held to coincide with International Women’s Day on 8 March. The annual event this year has the theme ‘Give to Gain’ , which emphasises the power of support and sharing knowledge.
To take part in the project, contact wisewomenswords@proton.me