A bridge-building exercise

The bridge partners in West Hampstead

For International Women's Day, the Commission on Women in Jewish Leadership organised a "Join me on the Bridge" event outside the Pears Foundation's JHub in West Hampstead.

It furthered a campaign started in 2010 when women from Congo and Rwanda congregated on the bridge connecting their two countries in a symbol of peace and hope.

The London gathering also marked Purim, whose story features two determined women - Queen Vashti and Queen Esther.

Commission chair Laura Marks said: "It is a tragedy that so many women around the world continue to suffer terrible injustice and oppression on a daily basis. We are so fortunate in the UK to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities which are denied to so many."