RSA Virtual Coffeehouse: Women Paving the Way for Community Peace After COVID-19

As we ease out of lockdown we see street protests and hate crimes taking on different forms. What role do women have to play in this?

The RSA Coffeehouse is opening its virtual doors to our global community of Fellows, friends, family and colleagues. Inspired by the origin of the RSA as an enlightenment coffeehouse 300 years ago, our Virtual Coffeehouse Conversations event series offers an interactive space for Fellows to share and discuss ideas for social change. This is an opportunity to find support and feedback from the Fellowship community, with conversation and connection at its heart.

As we ease out of lockdown we see protests on the streets and hate crimes taking on a different form. What role do women have to play in all of this - what lessons have we learned from the Covid-19 lockdown in terms of how it affected women and the wider implications? How can women be at the forefront of creating peaceful and tolerant societies in the face of unrest and tensions in communities?

In this session the speakers will present on the issue of domestic violence, and how vulnerable migrant and refugee women in lockdown have been coping with numerous obstacles and challenges, with a debate on the questions above.

About the speakers:

MP Jess Phillips is a Labour Party politician who became the MP for the constituency of Birmingham Yardley at the 2015 general election.

Jess has committed her life to improving the lives of others, especially the most vulnerable. Before becoming an MP, Jess worked for Women’s Aid in the West Midlands developing services for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking and exploitation. Since becoming an MP, Jess has continued her fight to support those who need it the most and has earned a reputation for plain speaking.

https://www.jessphillips.net

@JessMP

Salma Zulfiqar FRSA is an award-winning international artist who started ARTconnects to stop hate from spreading in communities, promote peace and tolerance, and empower girls and women with a focus on migrant and refugee communities in the UK and abroad. Salma Zulfiqar’s extensive experience spans over a decade and she worked with the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, and in other developing countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Chad and Kenya to lobby the international aid community to direct aid to vulnerable women and children. 

www.salmazulfiqar.com 

Related RSA Article: ''Celebrating Migration''

@salmszee

This event will take place via Zoom online conferencing. Follow the "Book Now" link above in advance to receive joining instructions. You will receive the link to this meeting upon registering for the event, and again in a reminder 30 minutes beforehand.

If you have questions about this event, please email Rachel Godin (RSA Coffeehouse and London Events Manager) at rawthmells.coffeehouse@rsa.org.uk.