Students and Faculty Take International Women’s Day Dip

On Friday, 6 March, University students, staff, and members of the wider St Andrews community came together for a morning dip on East Sands in celebration of International Women’s Day.

The ‘dook,’ which is now in its third year, was organised by Victoria Herd and Lindsey Alexander from the University’s Communications, Marketing, and Public Affairs team, designed to both honour the day and to raise money for the selected charity, Fife Women’s Aid.

“Whether you’d prefer to run into the water and out again as fast as you can, or you’re a dedicated wild swimmer who’d like to make the most of an early morning dip, everyone is welcome,” Herd and Alexander advertised on the official Eventbrite page. 

The event suggested a £10 donation for all participants, though attendees were invited to contribute whatever they were able to afford, with Herd and Alexander noting that, “All proceeds from the ‘dook’ will go to Fife Women’s Aid, supporting their work with women and children affected by domestic abuse.”

Fife Women’s Aid, the event’s charity of choice, is an organisation based in Glenrothes, which provides confidential support, advice, and emergency refuge accommodation for women, children, and young people experiencing domestic abuse.

According to Fife Council’s most recent statistics, published in a report prepared by their Research and Insight Team, 4,903 incidents of domestic abuse were reported in Fife between 2022 and 2023. 

While this number shows a 17% decrease from the 2021 to 2022 statistics, Fife Council says that this was still above the 2019 to 2020 figure, appearing to be “a legacy of the increase in incidents seen during the Covid pandemic,” as stated in the report.

According to their website, Fife Women’s Aid has managed to support 260 affected women and 130 affected children and young people in February 2026 alone, with the help of donations and volunteers across Fife. 

While no official numbers for this year’s event have been announced, the University reported that, in 2024, donations for the ocean dip totalled almost £800, all of which went to Fife Women’s Aid.

That same year, following the ‘dook,’ The Vice-Principal of Education (Proctor), Professor Clare Peddie, reflected on the event, telling The Saint: “I must admit, there was a moment as I stood in the freezing wind waiting to go into what looked like a wholly uninviting sea that day, that I did briefly question why I was participating. But then, it only takes a few seconds of thought to reflect on the horrific situations in which women, and sometimes their children, find themselves with apparently no option but to continue to endure.” 

The Proctor added that Fife Women’s Aid “offers both practical assistance and genuinely supportive advice to help women find a way to recover and to be safe.”

Photo by Ada Newton