Women’s Week 2022

From new House names to the spectacular showcase of HERStories, Island School’s Women’s Week from the 14-18th of March was organised by Girl’s Rising and Island School’s Social Action Committee. Women’s Week is a celebration of influential women. 

This year Island School’s six Houses were renamed in honour inspiring women from around the world who have accomplished remarkable achievements. This includes: Dangarembga for Da Vinci, Ebadi for Einstein, Fry for Fleming, Nanny for Nansen, Ride for Rutherford and Wai-Sze for Wilberforce. The names were shortlisted and voted on by students.  The Girl’s Rising group decided to promote the new House names by creating virtual backgrounds for students to use on Zoom. 

HERstories is a creative showcase that invites Island School students to express their thoughts and opinions on this year’s theme, ‘Break the Bias.’ The submissions have been published on Island School’s student news platform, Island Currents. This year, there were many submissions from students across different year groups. Submissions included poetry, short stories, covers of songs etc. HERStories participant, Eunice Wong (11D) said, “By showcasing students’ creative achievements, HERStories advocates  for gender equity and makes an impact on young and seasoned minds alike. Apart from female empowerment and smashing the chains of gender stereotypes, HERStories also educates and unites the Island School community in their stance against societal gender norms.”

Two whole school workshops were hosted and joined by students of all year groups. The workshops included Delving Into Disney, focusing on the evolving portrayal of female characters and a screening of Killing Us Softly 4, with the topic question of “Is Advertising Adverse?” Both events took students on a deep dive into the role that the media plays in shaping society’s view on gender roles and expectations. The events were hosted on Zoom and sparked discussions on students’ personal views of how the media could change for future generations. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to socialise with their peers whilst learning about the significant impacts of media through fun and entertaining activities for an afternoon. 

Article by Naomi Pang and Kaydence Yeung