International Women's Day at the Museum

About 50 women gathered to take part in a human exhibition at the Imperial War Museum on 7th March, as we felt the Imperial War Museum's exhibition 'Women and War' mainly shows women supporting war. We compiled an exhibition, of photographs, banners and clothing worn by women at demonstrations against war, highlighting women's opposition to war. The photographs depicted women from around the world resisting war or dealing with its consequences.

This photo exhibition was put together as our effort to inform people visiting the War Museum that there is an alternative to militarism and war. Our pictures illustrate women's peace activities around the world, including Guatemala, Israel, the Philippines, the US, UK, Northern Ireland, Uganda, and the Balkans - trashing war machines, stopping tanks, demonstrating in a myriad of non-violent ways. They also show the effects of war on women's lives - a woman in Afghanistan fitted with a new leg, women searching for missing relatives in Sri Lanka and Chechnya, a young woman clearing landmines in Laos, refugees in Iraq and Ethiopia and Japanese women working with Filipina comfort women.

We were not moved on by either the Museum security or the police. In the one and half hours we were at the museum, we handed out about 500 leaflets explaining what we were doing, another 100 leaflets informing the public who were planning to see the exhibition, how to look for the gems on women opposing war.

We engaged with lots of people in conversations and felt it was a huge success. The photographs are now at South Opia (a women's bar in South London) for 2 weeks and will then go to Aldermaston for the Easter Camp. If anyone wants to borrow the exhibition of photos then let us know. Thanks to all the women that made this event happen!