Flin Flon and area will join the global community in celebrating the achievements of women next week.
International Women’s Day is Tuesday, March 8. A committee of local agencies is putting together a whole week of events to honour women’s contributions to the community.
International Women’s Week events are open to everyone – not just women – said Barb Hopkinson, a counsellor at the Women’s Resource Centre and chairwoman for the International Women’s Week organizing committee.
The week will include a variety of activities targeted at families, including a parent-child healthy body and mind night with yoga and crafts, an evening Zumba class, a nutritional cooking class and a beading session.
On Wednesday, March 9, the Royal Canadian Legion will host a special session called Women on the Homefront: How Women Shaped the War. Flin Flon’s Katie Kawerski will share stories related to her by Margaret Beever, the last remaining female Second World War veteran in Flin Flon.
Richard Trudeau also plans to speak, sharing the experiences of his late mother Elly Trudeau, who was a war bride.
The week will wrap up on Friday, March 11 with an event called Creative Connections, which will include crafts, a reading from one of women’s suffragist and author Nellie McLung’s books, and live music by local singer Jen McLean.
The week’s free activities are partially funded by an International Women’s Day grant from the Saskatchewan government’s Status of Women Office.
Globally, International Women’s Day (IWD) activities aim to draw attention to ongoing struggles for women’s rights around the world.
This year’s IWD is focused on gender parity, which refers to closing the gap between men and women in terms of access to opportunities, education and pay.
