Girl's dancing in a just for girls session

WEST Youth Zone supports International Women’s Day as it is our aim to make the youth zone accessible for all young people in the local community no matter how they identify.

What is International Women’s Day?

Today, 8th March 2024, marks this year’s International Women’s Day. The focal point of the movement is to support women’s rights and highlight issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and abuse towards women. 

This year’s theme is #InspireInclusion. International Women’s Day wants to imagine a world with gender equality; a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. This day brings people together to collectively highlight these women focused topics and #InspireInclusion. 

Why does WEST Youth Zone support International Women’s Day?

WEST Youth Zone supports International Women’s Day as it is our aim to make the youth zone accessible for all young people in the local community no matter their gender, race, faith, identity, ability, and how they identify. We embody our name “WEST – Where Everybody Sticks Together”. Therefore, always enabling IWD’s focal point of gender equality. 

What will WEST offer to support girls inside the Youth Zone?

Once open, WEST will offer a “Just for Girls” session each Sunday. The weekly sessions will allow members that identify as female to have exclusivity of the building. The sessions will be led by what our young girls want to do. Here at WEST, we will listen to what activities are needed to create invaluable and rewarding girls only sessions. 

In Hammersmith and Fulham, there are a wide variety of races and faiths. According to the 2021 Censes, the West London postcode area have 40.8% of people identifying as non-white compared to 18.3% in the whole of England & Wales (see Plumplot). It is important our Youth Zone supports women no matter their race, faith, and wider identity to ensure belonging and inspire inclusion within the local community. 

No matter how you identify, WEST will provide young people with “Somewhere to go, Something to do, and Someone to talk to”.

Our Just for Girls sessions aim to enable female empowerment away from the potentially uncomfortable mixed gender club sessions. Some examples are: 

  • Just for Girls Gym Classes to improve strength and confidence.
  • The discussion of female topics in our Health and Wellbeing room such as women’s sexual health and social media pressures for girls.
  • Female self defence classes in our Boxing Gym.  
  • Arts and Crafts activities to enable creativity and release emotions.
  • A variety of sports lead by women Youth Workers such as Netball, Tennis, Football, and Hockey.
  • Just for Girl cooking sessions in our Teaching Kitchen to support Women’s Health. 
  • Girls only music sessions will embrace their race, faith, ability, and how they identify. 
  • and much more!

View our TikTok to take a look inside WEST

Sign Up Today!

If you are interested in being a member at WEST to access to our Just for Girls sessions, sign up today here: Become a Member!

Do you think you can add more to our Just for Girls sessions? You can volunteer at WEST Youth Zone by filling out this form: Become a Volunteer!