2023 International Women’s Day Local Events

By: Hope O’Shaugnessy

International Women’s Day will be celebrated throughout the Boston area in March.
The events will cover issues from digital literacy to abortion rights. Here’s a round up of
diverse ways to honor this international celebration. International Women’s Day has
been celebrated for over 100 years and you can read more about the history of this day
here: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Activity/15586/The-history-of-IWD

Bridging the digital gender divide will be the topic of an International Women’s Day
event being held Tues. March 7, 2023 from 5:30 to 8 pm at The Foundry, 101 Rogers
Street, Cambridge. Pre-registration is required for this free event hosted by the United
Nations Association of Greater Boston. Panelists will include: Tazrin Hossain,
Innovation Officer at the Netherlands Innovation Network; Michaela Jamelska, Founding
Partner, NOVA Virtual World; and Helen Rosenfeld, Executive Director, Massachusetts
Science & Engineering Fair. To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/un-perspective-
series-gender-equality-international-womens-day-2023-tickets-
519915811187?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=bee5c2cf56&mc_eid=UNIQID

Simmons University will host the 25 th Annual Boston Area International Women’s Day
Breakfast on Weds. March 8 from 9 am to 11 am at 200 The Fenway, Boston. The
event is hosted by the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Organization for Women
(MASS NOW), YWCA Cambridge, Boston Area International Women’s Day, and the
Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. For information about this free
event: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/25th-annual-boston-area-international-womens-
day-breakfast-tickets-532467764417

On Weds. March 8 from 6 to 8 pm the Cambridge Women’s Center (CWC) will host
“We Won’t Go Back: A Panel on Pre-Roe.” The talk will be presented by “The Bad Old
Days Posse” and is being held at the center on 25 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge.
(Masks required.) The posse consists of speakers who experienced the era before Roe
v. Wade.
The CWC’s FB page invites attendees to “an honest discussion on what it took to get an
abortion before Roe, the terror of unintended pregnancies, the limited choices available,
and the risk women took to make the right decisions for them.” This is both a call to
action and a historical journey to commemorate International Women’s Day.

The International Institute of New England (IINE) rounds out the week on Fri. March 10
with an event from 3-5:30 pm at the Boston Park Plaza featuring speaker, Dr. Sima
Samar. Samar is a human rights activist, the first Minister of Women’s Affairs for
Afghanistan, and a member of the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on
Displacement. The IINE is involved in the education and support including resettlement
of immigrants and refugees throughout New England with offices in Boston, Lowell, MA,
and Manchester, NH. For more information about ticket purchases:
https://iine.org/iwd23/

Muse: A Salute To Divas of the 90’s Saturday, March 4th at The Cabot in Beverly

The Cabot Theater has been a thing in Beverly, Ma since 1920. Opened orginally to facilitate silent film and vaudeville acts, it was known as The Ware Theater. It became part of the Loews theater chain in 1944, and then was purchased by a magic company in 1976. Since 2016 the theater has taken on the project of restoration to its 1920’s granduer. The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to close, but they have since re-opened and are presenting a Showcase featuring the music of trendsetting female trailblazers of the 90’s. Divas!

Muse: A Salute to Diva’s of the 90’s, is 6 local female artists backed by the Cabot’s “house band” and will sing and celebrate on Saturday, March 4th at the Cabot Theater, 286 Cabot Street in Beverly. The night’s program will feature music from Whitney Houston, Bjork, Toni Braxton, Alanis Morrissette, Mariah Carey, Madonna and more.

Emily Ruskowski – Host

Emily Ruskowski is a one-woman charm offensive. With a style that’s totally approachable and instantly impressive, Emily is equally comfortable diving into personal insecurities or workplace nonsense. With an irrepressibly cheerful demeanor, she commands attention and delivers stories loaded with punchline after punchline. Emily’s comedy combines a quick mind, an infectious energy, and a totally unique eye for observation. She brings a genuine sense of fun to material that ranges from a career in social work to a passion for boy bands. Emily has been featured in the Washington Post and Boston Globe and was a finalist in the 2018 Boston Comedy Festival.

Jacyn Tremblay – Vocalist

Jacyn is a singer, songwriter, and recording artist inspired by the vocal stylings of artists such as Whitney Houston, Pink, Brandi Carlile, and Kelly Clarkson. She currently performs throughout New England with the 11-piece band Beantown. Other musical credits include single releases on Universal/Motown Records in the pop/r&b vocal group Jada, pop/rock singles in the duo Venus Mars Project, performing as a regularly featured soloist with the Hillyer Festival Orchestra and The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra. Her most recent release “When The Tree Goes Up” written by her group Three Second Chances, debuted on all digital music platforms in November 2022. She is currently recording a debut EP for Three Second Chances in Nashville, TN with plans to release a first single in early spring of 2023. You can follow her adventures in music and beyond @jacynthegirl on instagram or at: www.jacyntremblay.com

Whitney Doucet – Vocalist

Whitney is a country singer songwriter from Fitchburg MA. Whitney is no stranger to singing our National Anthem at professional sporting events such as the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins and in front of nearly 100,000 people at New Hampshire Motor Speedways NASCAR race, airing live for millions of viewers on ABC.

Whitney has sang a duet with Keith Urban at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield ma, and has opened for Trace Adkins, Billy Curington and Little River Band with her band (Whitney Doucet and Moonshine Band) who have also performed side stage before Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett. Whitney’s Original songs have aired on Country Radio and are available on all streaming platforms.

Lauren Rhoades – Vocalist

Lauren is a recording artist, songwriter, session and demo singer, and vocal and artist development coach with 20+ years of experience in the music industry. She was a founding member of JADA, the dynamic Boston-based pop/ R&B girl group, which signed with major recording label Universal/Motown Records, collaborated with iconic producers and artists, and performed for large audiences on a nationwide basis. She has continued her passion for music as a Senior Vocal and Artist Development coach at Bristol Entertainment in Boston, MA, while also working on many independent creative projects including collaborations with music producers through Berklee College of Music and Quark Music Group resulting in several charting dance records. Lauren is the Co-Producer of MUSE: A Salute to Divas-a concert experience that celebrates the pop female voice.

Casey Desmond – Vocalist

Sequined siren Casey Desmond enchants from Boston as an award-winning vocalist, songwriter, and producer on the same electro-pop echelon as Robyn and Goldfrapp. Since belting out “Born This Way” on Season One of The Voice and dropping Deja Vu with hit songwriter Robert Ellis Orrall, Casey has continued luring listeners to the dancefloor with a feature on MTV her singles with FIXT Neon, and her independent record label JUNGLE UP. Additionally, Casey’s career has seen releases such as “Settle the Score” with TERRAVITA top the iTunes charts while clad in a unique style that combines her soaring melodies with socially conscious lyrics that keep today’s tastemakers comparing her to Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga — and now, Casey has come full-circle with Struck: her recent venture with electronic bass producer CARV.R that’s an epic release that’s both vocal-forward and legendary, and a collaboration with Willy Beaman called “Live Forever.

Ananda Mitchell – Vocalist

Ananda’s voice is a sublime force of nature. Interpreting jazz or soul, rock or blues, country, Motown, pop or world music, she transfuses her audiences with a powerful joie de vivre. Originally from Trinidad & Tobago, her voice has captured New England & the world for the last decade performing lead vocals at bespoke events for her band Ripcord. She has a wide range of influences from Aretha to Alanis and everything in between. 90s divas hold a special place in her heart and she’s excited to share her interpretation of some of her favorites with you!

Sheree Marcelle – Vocalist

Sheree is an award-winning vocalist from Lynn, MA. Most recently, she performed as herself in the Armelia track in Ain’t Misbehavin with The Front Porch Arts Collective and Central Square Theater. She has also garnered praise for her musical revue tributes to Whitney Houston and Adele at the Post Office Cabaret in Provincetown in 2021 and 2022. In 2017, she was featured singing in the film, The Comedian, starring Robert De Niro, Danny DeVito and Patti LuPone. In 2015, she was named Grand Champion WCVB’s Community Auditions. Most often, she can be seen performing with her band, The Free Downloads, around New England and beyond. When not performing, you can find her teaching voice and volunteering for organizations like The Mass Mentoring Partnership.

From The Cabot Website