Dana International: United, women would be so powerful

Transgender superstar and Eurovision winner Dana International has urged domestic abuse and women’s rights to be “talked about all year long, not on just one day”, during a candid chat this week with radio and TV presenter Yigal Ravid.

More than 350 people from all over the world joined the virtual event, which was hosted by Israel Bonds UK and World Zionist Organisation UK in celebration of International Women’s Day.

The glittering Israeli singer, who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 with her song Diva, added: “Women around the world should be uniting to support each other. They don’t know how much power they would have if they became more united.”

As the first trans winner of Eurovision, the singer – who is also known as Sharon Cohen – said she was propelled to international fame and people still recognise her in the street 23 years on.

“It changed my life. In Israel, everyone says ‘hi’, everyone feels like a friend. They shout out, ‘You are a queen, we love you.’”

She also admitted that the past year with the pandemic has been “horrible”, adding: “I’ve been like a prisoner in my home.”