International Women’s Day offers us an annual opportunity to celebrate the pioneering individuals who have led the struggles to create a society that promotes diversity, tolerance, safety, social justice and equality between women and men.
Even in a country as young as Canada, there is no shortage of courageous women who led the struggle for voting rights, reproductive rights, child care, employment equity, peace and disarmament and many other worthy causes whose impacts resonate to this day.
It is only fitting that we honour the accomplishments of these women of vision and courage who provide inspiration for today’s generation of women, and men.
Their inspiration is doubly important because International Women’s Day is also an opportunity to take stock of how far we have come and how far we, as a society, have yet to go.
While the recession has left more women carrying family finances, women still earn less than men. Women are more likely to live in poverty, even when they are working. A new crisis in childcare once again leaves parents, usually mothers, wondering whether they can afford to go to work.
In the spirit of those who went before us, we pledge to redouble our efforts to bring into being a society that will be diverse, tolerant, just and equitable.
