Mayor of West Yorkshire to welcome hundreds of guests at International Women’s Day Celebration

Women across the region will join the Mayor of West Yorkshire to celebrate International Women’s Day in Leeds today (9 March 2025).

More than 200 people have registered to attend the free event at Leeds City Museum, which will feature inspirational speakers and discussions on what matters to the women of West Yorkshire.

Creator of Happy Valley Sally Wainwright will headline the event with an hour-long chat with the Mayor. They are expected to discuss how women can overcome barriers in the entertainment industry, with Ms Wainwright sharing her journey into the creative arts.

There will be sessions around breaking the stigma surrounding menopause and women and girls’ safety, where we will hear from the region’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe.

Other speakers include former West Yorkshire Police officer Lisa Farrand QPM, who was on the force for 30 years before she retired. Lisa also advised the cast of Happy Valley on her experiences serving the public.

The Mayor will also be joined by Alice Smellie, Co-Author of Cracking the Menopause and Co-Founder and Director of Menopause Mandate, Gabby Jahanshahi-Edlin, Social Entrepreneur and Founder of Bloody Good Period, and more.

Talks at the celebration will be around this year’s International Women’s Day theme Embrace Equity.

Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin said:

“I’m so excited to welcome everyone to our International Women’s Day celebration. We have a wonderful line-up planned and we hope everyone can learn something about the issues women and girls face and the successes they have had – whether that be in their careers or personal life.

Of course, I’m excited to have Sally here with us. She has had and continues to have an amazing career and I’m sure she will captivate the room, much like her fantastic shows have captured the nation.

I look forward to seeing you all there.”

Follow the event across our social media channels @MayorofWY on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.