March 8th is International Women’s Day. This day began in the early 20th century when women marched for labour rights and women’s equality. In 1912, Rose Schneiderman, a socialist and feminist in the women’s suffrage movement, coined the phrase “Bread and Roses” which was taken from a line in her speech where she said, “The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too.” “Bread and Roses” would later be adapted into a poem and become IWD’s slogan for women’s struggle for economic equality and their aim towards a better quality of life for women and girls. In its early years the date for International Women’s Day was not agreed upon among various countries, but in 1913 it was decided that IWD would be celebrated on or near March 8th and in 1975, the International Women’s Year, the United Nations reaffirmed IWD being celebrated on March 8th.
This year’s IWD campaign is to #BeBoldForChange and to take action to end violence against women and build a more inclusive future. Canada has developed its own theme this year which emphasizes that #EqualityMatters to benefit women. For more information on IWD, visit the IWD website or the Status of Women Canada website.
For International Women’s Day this year, MOSAIC invites you to be bold for change and to stand up against gender-based violence. Let’s raise awareness of all forms of gender-based violence, but let’s also remember to celebrate women’s empowerment and achievements over the decades. Let’s make our dreams of today the reality for the women we wish to see in the future, one that is inclusive and free of violence.
This spring the Stopping the Violence program is offering a women’s group called “Her Everyday Resilience (H.E.R.) Multicultural Women’s Group” from February to April, and will be holding a group on March 8th (10am-12pm) to celebrate International Women’s Day. This is an open group for women of diverse cultural backgrounds, and those interested in participating can choose which dates to attend if they are unable to attend all of them.
If you or someone you know is dealing with gender-based violence or trauma in their lives and would like to participate in the group or access individual counselling, feel free to contact MOSAIC’s Stopping the Violence and Multicultural Outreach Services for support by visiting mosaicbc.org/stv or calling 604-254-9626.
Please like and share this post on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtags #IWD #BeBoldForChange #EqualityMatters
