Valerie G. Barnes Connell Jordan
Northern Advocate
Women gathered at the Isle-a-la-Crosse Friendship Centre to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) March 8.
During the event 210 women had the opportunity to relax, get haircuts, tattoos and much more.
In honour of IWD, the La Loche Friendship Centre staff hosted a two-day event, “honouring our beautiful Dënësuline women” beginning at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6 and 1:30 p.m. Friday, March 7.
The event included a traditional sharing circle, where a variety of topics were shared by the women.
Piwapan Women’s Centre opened its doors to an afternoon of visiting and celebration for International Women’s Day (IWD) on Thursday, March 6.
People were also invited to recognize women in their lives under two categories: Women who inspired me and a favourite female boss.
There were 11 “Boss Ladies” and 13 “impactful ladies” nominated, who received gifts.
Some women’s story of IWD through the years include: in 1903 Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).
In 1908, women workers in the “needle trades march through New York City’s Lower Eastside on March 8 “protesting child labour and sweatshop working conditions, and demanding women’s suffrage.
In 1910, Clara Zetkin, leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, “tables the idea of an International Women’s Day at the Second International Socialist Women’s Conference.” It received unanimous support from the more than 199 women representing 17n countries.
In 1911, the Sixth Conference of International Woman Suffrage Alliance was held in Stockholm, Sweden.
In 1914, a woman’s suffrage march was held in London England at which, suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested at Charing Cross Station on her way to address the marchers.
In 1922, Vladimir Lenin declared March 8 International Working Women’s Day, thus honouring women’s role in the 1917 Russian Revolution.
IWD was declared a national holiday in Mongolia (1957); Angola (1961); Ukraine (1965); Cuba (1966); Vietnam (1975); Mozambique (1975); Zambia (1996); and Kazakhstan (1998).
In 1975, the United Nations invited its member states to mark “any day of the year” as a Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace. The UN also marked IWD that year and set 1975 as the International Women’s Year.
IWD continues to be celebrated in many countries around the world, many on March 8.
