[Gayle]

I haven't been on for a while so I've just seen this.

As far as the Civic Arts Centre is concerned on this - the group have hired the room for the afternoon for this show (I actually thought it was Lancashire County Council's youth service that had hired the room but that's by the by). We are promoting it to anyone and everyone who wants to come and see it - as far as I am concerned the production is for anyone. There are no exclusions allowed at the Civic. So please come along, I'm sure you'll find it illuminating.

Also, as Hyndburn Women's Forum sometimes gets lumped into these discussions. HWF was set up in 1994 by a group of women who called themselves Hyndburn Women's Forum. All the events organised this week are for anyone and everyone - nothing is exclusive. We had one man come to the conference on Monday but we do have a few men coming to see the Virginia Ironside show on Sunday.

At the conference we learnt about how young people (boys as well as girls) are being groomed for the sex trade in our own back yards. We learnt how to protect ourselves if we have to walk around at night and we learnt about setting life goals for ourselves. All of those things would have been just as interesting for a man as a woman.

HWF's role is to organise events to recognise International Women's Day, so naturally it's going to appear to be more focused on events that women might enjoy - BUT it's equally important that men in this country realise what is going on in other countries around the world. On International Women's Day we're not just sat around thinking up ways of excluding men from the party, we're actually acknowledging that over here we have it pretty good compared to women in some countries who are oppressed, abused and threatened simply because they are women.

Oh, and on Friday morning between 11am and 12noon we have a spot of Bollywood Aerobics - men dance as well, so come along.