Walk into any city rock club, and chances are high the headlining act will be an all-male group.
But women working behind the scenes to promote gender equality need to take centre stage.
This is the message from the ladies coordinating events across the city for International Women's Day – a festival connecting women around the world in a day dedicated to inspiring women and celebrating their achievements.
"It shouldn't seem normal to walk into a venue and see only male-fronted bands," says event organiser and feminist activist Hannah Austin. "You wouldn't think you can feel politically moved at an all-women event, but you really can."
Last year's events in Cardiff had a more cohesive feel – with organisers working together to put on an integrated festival funded by Cardiff Council and National Assembly for Wales. But this year despite lack of funding, organisers have come together voluntarily to run events – calling it an 'accidental festival'.
International Women's Day 2010
The theme is 'promoting women in public life' – but the festival has a more niche feel this year - venturing into Cardiff's cultural underbelly to bring feminist artists together and showcase their music and creativities.
Liz Hunt has coordinated events taking place at Buffalo and 10 Feet Tall over the last weekend featuring hip hop workshops for women, a Femme Fatale clubnight, and craft workshops including recycling accessories, customising fashion and a giant craft meet-up, all the while exhibiting work from local artist Elen Wyn-Jones.
But Liz is also the lead singer of The School band (check out their myspace page). It was after noticing all-male audiences at Cardiff gigs she decided to put on some female-focused events. "Certain bands weren't coming to Cardiff on tour because they didn't think they'd get an audience here – but if they know people will see them they'll come along," she said.
"I think frontwomen should be seen as singers first and foremost, and not record-company manufactured. It's not about wearing the right clothes, but I try and be happy on stage. I'm more worried about the sound of it."
Feminism in Cardiff
Feminist acitivist Hannah Austin works for Welsh Women's Aid – the conference 'Between the Glass Ceiling and the Mud Floor;
Women's Continuing Inequality in 21st Century Welsh Society' will be held at Chapter Arts Centre on Tuesday 16, March 10.30-3pm. She was instrumental in coordinating the festival last year, and has helped organise this year's programme. She said: "I think it's an amazing thing for Cardiff because before there wasn't anything like it."
"There's more feminist stuff going on in Cardiff now and a real women's network has built up from it, so it's brilliant. The point of feminism itself was to be a temporary measure so one day it won't be necessary. But while there's still gender inequality in society we will carry on the activism."
When I ask Hannah why feminist events are still needed in the city she says all you need to do is look at the stats to see gender inequality is still prevelant.
In Wales, 25% of councillors and 9% of council leaders are women. Women make up 15% of editors of daily and weekly newspapers and 24% of police officers.
On weekends of international rugby events in Cardiff, reported incidents of domestic violence increase by around 30%. When Wales played England in Cardiff in February, the number of domestic abuse offences reported rose by 79% compared to the previous Saturday.
Hannah said: "I do think that all of this is still necessary. What's really needed is an attitudinal shift, a cultural change that will make the statistics a history. In the meantime, we need to raise awareness of these ongoing inequalities to as many people as possible provide opportunities for women across our communities and in all spheres of life. And we need to celebrate how far we've come, while hopefully inspiring people to carry on the fight, because there's still a long way to go."
Anne Cakebread set up last year's website which has become a homing ground for this year's events and helped to raise awareness of the festival. She is also co-founder of Peppermint Patti – a night promoting women-fronted headlining acts – and is keen to break idealising images of perfection surrounding women in the spotlight. Anne said:
"Beth Ditto was different because she bounced around on stage and male critics suddenly saw that women sweat too. This kind of thing in Cardiff a couple of years ago would have been a novelty. But now we have four nights of girl bands and that's because of the public figures in the city. I want youngsters to look up and say 'I can do that.'"
But the girls are keen to stress the events for IWD are all male inclusive too.
International Women's Day events
Other events taking place across South Wales showcase women in the public eye who are campaigning on women's issues. Nerys Evans AM is taking part in the Welsh Women's Aid conference at Chapter Arts Centre. About this year's event, Nerys said:
"It's about trying to find new ways to bring attention to it because when you look at the stats they are shocking, but if you see them a lot they become less shocking."
She has been campaigning on violence against women since she joined the National Assembly for Wales three years ago. A blog she set up for victims of domestic abuse to share experiences http://storiesbehindthestats.blogspot.com/ gained attention worldwide. She said:
"Women in the public eye have got a duty to talk about these issues. It's hard to talk about them sometimes but we have a responsibility for people who have gone through these experiences."
Bethan Jenkins will be speaking at the 'Women inspiring women' Chwarae Teg Agile Nation event in Bridgend today.
Other events to watch out for across the city include:
'Welsh Women in the Media' at St Peter's Church Hall, 9am
Promoting Women in Public & Political Life conference on Tuesday 9, March at County Hall
Launch of Women's Day anthology at City Hall on Wednesday 10, March, 6-8pm.
'Promoting Women in Public Life' at Splott Library on Thursday 11 March
'Shake it for Good' evening of burlesque from Dolly Mixtures at C.M.C Sport and Social Clubm University Hospital of Wales, Heath, 8-10.30pm.
A list of all the events can be found on the International Women's Day Wales website and for more info email info@cymruwomen.org.uk
