Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1456329
22 CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY I mark International Women's Day every year. I want my daughters to learn from the stories of women who came before them and share their own stories to inspire others. I want everyone to contribute to ending gender-based violence and discrimination. And I want women and all people to know their voices matter. Every year, we celebrate women with skill and tenacity who are making these things happen. We lift up women, trans, Two Spirit and non-binary people in our community and recommit ourselves to equality among all genders. I know this work is creating change. But it's also exhausting. It's tiring that women earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, and progress towards parity is so slow. It's tiring that despite advances in medical science, safe access to an abortion here in Canada is still limited by geography, financial resources and stigma. It's beyond tiring that many women will go to sleep tonight unsafe in their own homes because of intimate partner violence. And it's particularly frustrating to see how the pandemic has made things that much more challenging for so many women. In Canada, 10 times more women than men have dropped out of the labour force. In skilled trades, women have been more likely to lose their jobs and stay unemployed for longer. Since women are more likely to be on the frontlines of education, health care and customer service, they face more precarious working conditions and a higher risk of exposure to the virus than men. In many cases, women report doing more than men to care for family members and support remote learners. And if they become sick or must quarantine, those responsibilities become even more difficult. With increased social isolation, many women are at higher risk of domestic violence with reduced access to support services. Please don't forget that Indigenous women, Black women and all women of colour face these realities at the intersection of gender, race and colonialism. Or that women with disabilities must also contend with ableism every day. We cannot allow the pandemic to stall or reverse the progress we've made towards a more equitable society. And those who are most affected by discrimination shouldn't have to shoulder more than their fair share of the work ahead. I want every person reading this — and particularly men — to take action if you aren't already. Write your public representatives. Join a conversation or reading circle. Challenge sexist attitudes and prejudices against those in the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Support businesses and organizations led by women, trans, Two Spirit and non- binary people. Many hands make lighter work. The movement for universal rights and dignity needs your help today. Isha Khan is the CEO of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Visit online at humanrights.ca ◗ PANDEMIC CANNOT REVERSE OUR PROGRESS Reflections on International Women's Day by Canadian Museum for Human Rights CEO, Isha Khan