The Woman is Present: Women’s Stories of WWII

The Woman is Present: Women's Stories of WWII is a creative reimagining of moments from the lives of women during WWII recalling stories of bravery, sacrifice and love amidst the horror of war, as women stood up against Fascism and totalitarianism, and refused to accept oppression. Each performance is followed by a post-show discussion with the artists and invited guest speakers to explore powerful women's stories in history and themes of gender equality and peace in Ireland, Northern Ireland and internationally. The performance goes on national and international tour to Ireland, Northern Ireland and Germany from September 2017 to February 2018.

The women's stories can be found in the Women War and Peace Digital book, with a foreword by Marian Harkin, MEP, which contains 23 stories of women's experiences during World War II and is now available online. The book was launched at the Mansion House, Dublin on 8 November 2016 by Mary Lawlor, Front Line Defenders and Cllr Rebecca Moynihan, Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin. The editor of the book is Mary Moynihan, Artistic Director, Smashing Times Theatre and Film Company and Lecturer, BA in Drama (Performance), Conservatory of Music and Drama, and key contributors are Edyta Pietrzak, Inga Kuzma, Fernando Benavente Tendillo Kilian Cuerda Ros, Arne Schrader, Freda Manweiler, Mary Moynihan, Jessie Smith, Bernard Wilson (writing about the life of Mary Elmes) and Nadia Clare Smith (writing about the life of Dorothy Macardle).