Famed feminist Angela Davis proclaims ‘trans women are women’ at star-studded Women of the World event

Women of the World’s (WOW) Royal Albert Hall celebration highlighted the need for solidarity and support for the trans community amid US president Donald Trump’s second term.

On 8 March, WOW – a global organisation celebrating women, girls and non-binary people, helping them to achieve their potential – celebrated its 15th anniversary, coinciding with International Women’s Day, at the Royal Albert Hall for the very first time.

WOW founder Jude Kelly was in good company as she was joined on stage by inspiring activists, who each shared the mission of creating an equal future for all, including iconic Scottish singer Annie Lennox.

Lennox, who has long been a leader in trans inclusivity, said in 2014 that she was happy to see trans women and men coming “out of the shadows”. She once again reiterated the importance of standing in solidarity.

The HIV/AIDS campaigner, who sported a jumper with the text “Global Feminist”, said: “We need to stand in solidarity now more than ever — I implore it.

“We can disagree, but we don’t have to hate each other,” she added, referring to opposing views amid the crackdown on inclusivity in the US as a result of Trump’s second term.

Trans ally Sandi Toksvig was also among the line-up and spoke out against Trump, calling him a “c**t”, a remark that evoked huge applause.

She also shared her current project: building a new Wikipedia that spotlights women’s stories.

Toksvig joked about Wikipedia: “It’s 85 per cent by and about white men, and I don’t know—I thought there might be something more interesting.”

One half of Rizzle Kicks, Jordan Stephens, who is dating former Little Mix member Jade Thirlwall, spoke about toxic masculinity and the importance of men having role models who aren’t Andrew Tate.

Lesbian activist Liz Carr, who has also spoken out in support of trans rights, was also among the line-up.

The evening concluded with a conversation between Kelly and world-renowned American activist and philosopher Angela Davis, best known for her 1981 book Women, Race & Class and, more recently, 2016’s Freedom Is a Constant Struggle.

Davis, who admitted she can sometimes feel “depressed” due to political circumstances, emphasised the importance of activism in creating the change people want to see in the future.

“Those are the people that change the course of history, not presidents,” the 81-year-old said, adding: “We have to keep repeating ourselves until change happens.”

To huge applause, Davis declared that trans women are women, bringing the evening’s message of worldwide solidarity to the forefront of attendees’ minds — at a critical time for human rights amid the continual erosion of such freedoms.