A MESSAGE FROM OUR NATIONAL DIRECTOR ON COVID-19

Here at the One Woman Project, we have been working hard to ensure that our team, our supporters and our feminist community are as supported, safe and secure as they can be, during the COVID-19 crisis and pandemic.

Whilst the vast majority of our day-to-day operations occur remotely online by our phenomenal team members, we do deliver large-scale educational programs and events, which will be impacted by the recommendations of self-isolation and social distancing made by our health professionals.

From Friday 20 March, 2020, the One Woman Project will not be delivering any large-scale, in-person activities until it is deemed safe by the health worker community. At this stage, this only directly impacts upon our upcoming Seminar Series: Feminist Herstory. Instead of delivering this event in-person, we will replace it with an interactive, online alternative. All those who have purchased tickets will be contacted with details about this.

In addition, we will be moving all of our team activities – our meetings, social activities and planning sessions – to online platforms. As we already work remotely online for the vast majority of our operations, this will not result in a large deviation from business as usual for our team, so do not expect any disruption. Finally, in order to support our feminist community during this time, we will be ramping up our opportunities for you to engage online through:
·        Our eBooks;
·        The release of issue #1 of RARA Magazine;
·        Our blog;
·        Our fortnightly newsletter (with some fab recommended reads); and
·        The delivery of our educational programs (like our Seminar Series via online format).

Whilst we have delivered such online content in the past with our blog and eBooks, have livestreamed many of our in-person events, and have a podcast in the works for release later in the year, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant rethink of how accessible our activities actually are. Disappointingly, it has taken until now for us to devote the time, capacity and resources to the growth of our online educational programs (like the delivery of the Seminar Series via online platforms), programs which should have been accessible to all in our feminist community a long time ago. For that, we are sorry, and we will do better.

The needs of the vulnerable, targeted and marginalised should not only be considered when lives are at stake. They should be a daily part of our feminist practice, and we will do better.

A final note: we understand that many of you will be facing the strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, from impacts upon your mental and physical health, to disruptions in employment, to an inability to access vital medications, to loneliness and isolation in quarantine. Many of our own team members are already feeling these impacts and more.

If there is any way that the One Woman Project can support you at this time, please let us know. We have a large feminist community, a passionate team and an online platform. Let us support you, like you have supported us over these years. Stay safe, stay connected and support your community. We know we will be.

Madeline Price
National Director