UFCW Canada Local 1000A activists and staff took to the streets of downtown Toronto on March 7 to participate in the city’s annual International Women’s Day rally and march.
Participants gathered to raise awareness on a variety of issues, including violence against women, affordable childcare, missing aboriginal women and the gender wage gap prevalent in non-union workplaces.
“The reality is that society still has a long way to go when it comes to addressing these issues,” said Diana O’Brien, Coordinator for Local 1000A’s Women’s Issues Network. “International Women’s Day is about empowering women and men to transform our communities and our province for the better.”
Your Women’s Issues Network is pleased to announce your new regional committees. Votes were held across Ontario to help select regional representatives for your Women's Issues Network (WIN). In each of the network’s six regions, a Chair, Co-Chair and an Alternate were chosen to serve as the regional committee for a four-year term.
In 1977, International Women's Day was proclaimed to be held every year on March 8 by the United Nations (UN). They state that the day is "a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities."
UFCW Canada Local 1000A members and staff collected more than 250 pairs of women’s shoes for a memorial tribute in rememberance of all the women who have lost their lives to violence. The tribute, which was displayed at UFCW Canada’s national headquarters, was held to raise awareness about violence against women.
“Thank you to everyone who participated in this memorial tribute—with your support, we are helping to raise awareness about the ongoing tragedy of violence against women in our society,” said Diana O’Brien, coordinator of Local 1000A’s WIN committee. “It was incredibly moving to see so many members step forward to help and to take part in the tribute. I look forward to a day where there is an end to violence against women.”
