In partnership with One Billion Rising, join Arwa Mahdawi, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Aja Monet and more for an evening of discussion, poetry and music.
Date: Monday 1 March 2027Times: 7.30pm-9.30pm (GMT)
Tickets for this event will be available Friday 13 November at 8pm GMT
What would a world beyond patriarchy look like? And what will it take to get there?
The 2025 National Audit Office report found that misogynistic violence in the UK is getting worse despite years of government promises and strategies. In England and Wales, an estimated 3.2 million women have experienced domestic abuse, sexual victimisation or stalking last year. Meanwhile, the jailing of Russell Brand for rape and sexual assault and allegations that David Walliams used his celebrity status to prey on young women for sex, which he denies, bring renewed urgency to questions of power, accountability and whose voices are heard.
As the institutions responsible for protecting women continue to fall short, how do we turn anger into collective action? How can we hold power to account, demand better protection and challenge the attitudes that allow abuse to persist?
Ahead of International Women’s Day, join us with One Billion Rising as we bring together activists and artists to question power, celebrate resistance and discuss what comes next. Arwa Mahdawi, Guardian columnist and author of The Week in Patriarchy, will chair the discussion with playwright, Guardian contributor and founder of V-Day and One Billion Rising V, (formerly Eve Ensler); One Billion Rising’s global director, Monique Wilson; and its South Africa coordinator and activist, Lucinda Evans.
We’ll ask what patriarchy actually means, who upholds it and how it shapes our lives. From our homes and workplaces to the government, we’ll also explore how power operates, how it differs around the world, and what we can learn from the people organising to challenge it.
After the interval, poet and community organiser Aja Monet and V (formerly Eve Ensler) will be among the contributors to a programme of poetry, dance, readings and film, including a special reading from musician Anoushka Shankar, with further guests to be announced. Join us to celebrate the imagination and determination of those working towards a more equal world through conversation and art. Ask your questions, share your frustrations and your hopes – and leave with ideas for how to turn them into action.
The evening will also raise funds for V-Day’s work to end violence against women, gender-expansive people, girls and the earth. Every ticket purchased also supports the Guardian’s independent journalism.
More speakers and artists to be announced.
You can join this event in-person at Soho Theatre Walthamstow, 186 Hoe St, London E17 4QH, or via the livestream. Tickets start from £31.99 to attend the event in person, or £15 to watch it online. See tickets for further details.
Details
Tickets for this event will be available to buy Friday 13 November at 8am GMT
Date: Monday 1 March 2027 Time: 7.30pm-9.30pm (GMT) Or see this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time. Location: Soho Theatre Walthamstow, London, E17 4QH, or join via the livestream Accessibility: Soho Theatre Walthamstow is wheelchair accessible. For detailed access information for the venue, please see their website here. If you have any access requirements you are eligible for 1 x free companion ticket, to notify us of this and your requirements, please email customer.help@theguardian.com
If you miss this live event, a recording will be sent to you. It will be available for two weeks so you can catch-up or revisit the event in your own time.
