International Women’s Day 2022
International Women’s Day (IWD) is marked every year on March 8 and has truly become a global day of recognition and celebration.
This year’s Government of Canada theme is Women Inspiring Women. In Canada, women have the freedom to become leaders, be educated, be fortunate to receive health care, and celebrate gender expression, but this is not the case in many countries around the world. We also recognize that women who identify as being transgender, of First Nations, Métis, Inuit communities, living with a disability, Black and/or racialized in Canada do not always enjoy these freedoms. And while women are free to run for government and leadership positions in the corporate world, their numbers are not reflected in those high-ranking positions.
To hear all women’s voices, we must work to dismantle all forms of oppression and push for equality for women. OSSTF/FEESO continues to work with many organizations, including the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Canadian Women’s Foundation (CWF), Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), and the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children to fight for women’s equality and to advance the cause for an end to gender-based violence and the gender pay gap.
OSSTF/FEESO’s Women’s Advocate program, now running in almost every district in Ontario, is helping women find resources safety and ensures that their protections are enshrined in our collective agreements. Through our provincial and local status of women committees, we are active in our communities, celebrating women’s achievements, helping women and children’s organizations with engagement projects and donations, and educating members on the importance of the continued fight for equality for all women.
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