8th March 2012

Women, men and children came out in force to celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day on 8 March 2011 with Women for Women International's Join me on the Bridge campaign. There were 55 events across the UK, and 464 in 70 countries on 6 continents worldwide.

Watch the highlights from last year’s campaign in this short clip.

2012 promises to be even bigger! Women for Women International will be leading the charge in making sure that the 21st century is the woman's century, and will be doing this by growing a bigger and better global movement that joins together in calling for peace.

The idea for this bridge campaign first came about in 2010 when the Women for Women Country Directors for the Congo and Rwanda called for all women, whether they were Hutu, Tutsi, Rwandan or Congolese, to join them on the bridge that connects their two countries, and was the scene of the mass exodus when people were fleeing the genocide that tore Rwanda apart in 1994. Many more people wanted to join them in taking this stand for peace and hope in 2010, not only in other war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Sudan, but also from Australia to Hawaii, where women stood in solidarity with their sisters.

It's very easy - you simply select a bridge, get together with a group of friends, and promote your event to your wider networks. Last year, 75,000 people joined forces with other groups in their area, and this made a great impact in building wider support and solidarity locally as well as globally. Women for Women gives you their full support in organising your events, and can provide you with a campaign toolkit and ongoing advice and support in organising your event.

Quick 5 minute actions:
-Join the global movement and leave your message of peace
-Find a bridge event happening near you
-Stand in solidarity and organise your own bridge event
-Be part of the London march across Millennium Bridge and launching the Southbank’s Women of the World festival!

Congo NOW strongly supports Women for Women International’s Join me on the Bridge event: ‘We Stand Together’.

Further information and the toolkits for organising bridge events and film screenings are available from mybridge@womenforwomen.org. Further information about the campaign can be here, or you can call 020 7922 7765.