International Women's Week Mar 2-8

This week is International Women's Week. A look back in the historical mirrow shows how far Canadian Women have come and how far we have yet to go.

Let’s face it; compared to much of the world, Canadian women have made pretty good lives for themselves. Safety and security are priorities, property ownership is no longer a problem, ability to vote is now taken for granted, and being a “lesser” person in the household just doesn’t need to happen. Much has changed since our grandmothers’ struggles with equal rights, suffrage and political weight. Education is available to all, healthcare is in place, daycare is available for working mothers (and there are many of them!), and the vista of opportunities is wide.

But we still have a distance to go. Women’s wages in Canada are still about 73% of those made by men in the same positions. We are still not completely free to be out at night without fear, or to be free from violence in the home. There are still too few women in top-ranking business and political power positions. With steady dedication, these can be overcome, too.

The bigger problems lie outside of Canada’s borders, in countries where women are not permitted the freedom to leave their homes, let alone go to school and gain employment. There are countries where women face mutilation just because they are women. Places where AIDS kills so many young mothers that a generation of grandmothers are now raising the grandchildren. Women live subsistent lives because they have no money to start a small business that would feed their family. In some cases the needs are great but the answers are simple, if only someone would understand and help.

Let’s celebrate International Women’s Week and International Women’s Day with thanks for how good Canada has become and with hope that we can somehow help ourselves and others to make life even better for women.