Written by Chrissy Halliday
International Women’s Day is March 8th of every year. It is one of my favourite days, and not only because it means my birthday is a few days away, but because it is a day for women to unabashedly honor, support, and celebrate each other and themselves.
This year’s theme from the Government of Canada is “Women inspiring Women” and the United Nations theme is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”. Upon reflection of these themes, I quickly realized throughout Prince Albert and area we have so many amazing women who are inspiring other women every single day.
Many of them have inspired others by simply breaking the bias, pushing past the status quo, and creating something new. Over the years with my involvement in the Prince Albert Council of Women I have had the opportunity to not only award some of these women with their place in our Hall of Fame, but I have sat with, coffeed with, and had beautiful inspirational conversations with so many women in our community.
There are three things all these women have in common: humility, drive and determination. Most of these women see holes in our social structure, or the need for a specific community event to continue to move forward, or even just need for a community group to continue to grow and they step up to the plate and work with their teams to make it happen. They work hard on the things that they hold near and dear to their hearts, and the ripple effect can be felt throughout the community. I have had the pleasure of informing a number of women they were being inducted into the Hall of Fame, and I can tell you every single one has been unable to even comprehend the incredible impact they have made on our community. This humble nature is what has allowed them to keep moving forward, continue build connections and most of all inspire others.
As women, it is important that we work to raise each other up and inspire each other every single day. This is how we are going to achieve “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”.
These actions can be big or small. It can be meeting someone new, finding out their passion, and introducing them to someone or a group who shares that. It can be as simple as just letting another woman know how much a kind word changed your day, or even a gesture of appreciation for a woman who has inspired you. I am the woman I am today because of many of these women. They have inspired me to step out of my comfort zone, to become a leader, and to continue to work hard on the things that I hold near and dear to my heart.
Throughout our city and area we have so many women that are helping each other, inspiring each other, and building connections with each other. I encourage you today on International Women’s day to send a message to a woman who has inspired you, or better yet pick up the phone or ask them for coffee. Celebrate yourself and all the amazing women in your life today.
Chrissy Halliday is the president of the Prince Albert Council of Women.
