Toronto, ON – International Women’s Day is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.
It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. “At least for one day, it highlights the work performed by women, our participation, not only in the workplace but in our communities as well,” explains Heather Kelley – IAM Grand Lodge Representative for Women’s Issues. “This has been a long and hard fought struggle just to get women some kind of recognition that we are actually people and that we have rights. The Labour movement has been a significant contributor in the fight for our rights and recognition.”
March 8th is International Women’s Day and was celebrated by Union sisters, including the IAM, at a breakfast event in Peel leading up to the day. For far too many women, battling gender stereotypes persist throughout their careers. Although some employers can be sympathetic, it often takes women working together in a union to tackle these biases and deliver fair recognition, pay and conditions for women at work. If people want to change their workplaces this International Women’s Day, a positive first step would be to join a union.
