”Who you calling a ’bitch?!’” On March 8, dancers at Åsa folk high school take inspiration from rapper Queen Latifah’s “U.N.I.T.Y.”, an empowering hiphop song demanding respect for women, to confront misogyny in hiphop and society.

Sunday March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day recognized across the world. Åsa folk high school is no exception.

In collaboration with the democracy festival Åsadalen, the school’s street dance courses are organising a FLINTA‑focused dance event.

The title, Who You Calling a Bitch?!, is a famous line in the song ”U.N.I.T.Y.” by the American artist Queen Latifah. In the lyrics, the artist raps against the disrespect for women and the use of deragotory terms like ”bitch”.

A FLINTA tribute
The purpose of the event is to honour and highlight FLINTA people – that is, women, lesbians, intersex people, non-binary people, trans people and agender people – within the hiphop culture.

The initiators and event MC’s Alena Reimer and Marjana Skans, want to create a space for particulary FLINTA people in hiphop and freesyle battles.

– We want to uplift and bring together women and FLINTA people through dance and music. As a collective, we become stronger. Hiphop is very male‑dominated, even though women have always been there and done enormous work, says Alena.

Prefers Feminist Fight Day
The event combines various street dance styles in competition format with music, cultural history and activism.

For the organisers, it is natural to link the event to International Women’s Day, or – as Alena prefers to call it – the Feminist Fight Day.

– Women’s Day is sometimes a bit like a second Mother’s Day. For me, the original intention is then lost. The Feminist Fight Day has a clearer purpose, I think, and it is also more inclusive in terms of gender identities. We want to create something that reminds people of the political edge of Women’s Day and that can inspire people.

Rap artist map
Ahead of the event, Alena and Marjana have created an extensive hiphop map to be displayed in the school’s dance studio, Studio 1. It is a map of hiphop’s homeland, the USA, but among the more than 50 artists presented, there are also important European rappers.

– We want to highlight the many strong women and FLINTA voices that exist within hiphop. It is about representation, but also about inspiring and spreading knowledge, says Marjana.

The map is complemented by a QR code leading to a 16‑hour (!) playlist.

An event for all
During the competition, the audience chooses an artist from the research. The participants then dance to that artist’s music. At the same time, the audience receives a short presentation of the chosen artist.

The competition section is open only to FLINTA participants, judges and DJs – but the event itself is aimed at everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and age.

– Bring your family, friends and children! We’ll go on for a couple of hours, then we’ll have fika and spend time together. There will also be handicrafts, jewellery and crochet work, for sale by the school’s dancers.

A not yet equal world
The aim of the event is not only to entertain. Alena and Marjana hope that the audience and dance participants will also learn something new, be inspired, feel empowered by the history and continue to celebrate the work and contributions of FLINTA in hiphop.

– Women’s Day is a good day to remind ourselves that we all have a responsibility to learn more, increase our awareness and not forget that the world is not yet as equal as it should be, says Marjana.

Who You Calling a Bitch?! starts at 14:30 on March 8 in Åsa’s dance house. Free admission. For those who want to continue celebrating International Women’s Day, a free film screening will also be held at 19:00.