GROUPS across Hampshire will be celebrating International Women's Day (IWD) with a number of events.

Guildhall Square and the clock tower will be lit up with purple lights as part of a national day of action for Women Against State Pension Inequality.

As reported, the WASPI group is campaigning for compensation to women who were born in the 1950s but who say they were not told about changes to the state pension age.

At Solent Showcase gallery on Above Bar artist Sarah Filmer will be making art in an event called 'Sisters Act!', inspired by 'press for progress' - the theme of this year's IWD.

She will be in the gallery from March 8 from 6-10pm and on March 10 from 12 - 4pm.

An IWD lunch will be held at the Art House on Above Bar from 12.30 -2.30pm. There will be a chance to talk about current projects, meet other creative people and community workers, parents, carers and activists.

A 'red tent' event will also be held in the venue from 7-10pm, and will give women the chance to take part in a sharing circle, creative activities, and chat over cake.

A cocktail evening will take place at Wild Lime on Portswood Road, with money raised going towards the Malala Fund, an organisation that works to increase female literacy internationally.

On March 9 Bright Club No.11 will host a "Women in Research Special".

From 18.30 at 104 Kitchen & Cocktail lounge five women will talk about their life in research and the work that they do. It's on Above Bar Street.

Maxine Room, Principal at Totton College said the importance of IWD's theme this year inspires her to help young women to learn. She said: "I was born in London into a single parent family and it was thanks to my mother, who believed that education changes lives, that I took the decision to embark on a teaching career.

“I trained as a home economics teacher in Bath and eventually got my first principal job at Swansea College in 2003. Since then, I have been fortunate to have been the principal for a number of UK colleges.

“My leadership journey has definitely been influenced by my mother, who was always very supportive of my decision to teach, but also women who have ‘pressed for progress’. In coming to Totton College, I want to use the experience of life and work to enable others to learn and earn.”

Gill Gould, Founding Partner at PR firm Carswell Gould added: "I started work when I was 20 in Fleet Street and, early in my career journey, I was really lucky to have an amazingly successful female boss who was an incredible role model for me. She certainly gave me the confidence to believe in my own ability and, thanks to her, I developed the belief that I could succeed in business. Though this took a load of knocks on the way, the resilience was there to cope.

“As a single parent bringing up two boys it was a challenge, but I couldn’t afford not to make it work. I founded Carswell Gould in Southampton 25 years ago and am extremely proud of the team who have worked alongside me to make it what it is today. It’s wonderful to nurture the next generation of women who will set the industry alight. We also work with some amazing companies and I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some truly inspirational women leaders.”