#8M: "Art can provide a fresh perspective"

Inmaculada López-Liñán was working on her PhD in Valencia when she became part of a group using art to mobilise social change. This was the inspiration for the organisation, which was founded in Malaga in 2012.

"Art can provide a fresh perspective, making us re-evaluate the way that we think about things and see the world," explained Inmaculada.

Azul Violeta's creative process is often community focused, beginning with a period of reflection and research before each project. These can be written publications, art exhibitions or films, with contributions from professional artists or ordinary women who want to express themselves and their experiences through art. The women living in Malaga's municipalities come from many different parts of the world, adding cultural diversity to the projects.

A recent documentary Referentes tells the story of women who carry out professions traditionally considered masculine, in Rincón de la Victoria. The film will be shown at the upcoming Malaga Film Festival.

For Inmaculada, International Women's Day is a chance to demonstrate the fight for women's rights. It's also about celebrating the achievements of women, which she believes are often overlooked. "Women have been made invisible in the past. Azul Violeta is using art to make them visible and to help people to understand the inequality that exists."

The organisation is marking International Women's Day with a series of shirt-painting workshops, collaborating with different associations around Malaga province.

A long-term project is a series of workshops in educational centres in Malaga, Granada and Almería. The focus is on issues such as gender equality, gender based violence, and female empowerment.

"The challenge is that women are working and living in a society which has been conditioned by patriarchal ideals. It's important to keep educating ourselves, so that we can reach gender equality in society."