Celebrating pioneering women who made strides toward gender equality while keeping an eye on the hurdles that remain was a theme of community events around the globe Tuesday, and Kelowna was no different.
Several gatherings were organized by student and community groups across the city to mark International Women乌鸦传媒檚 Day in a variety of ways.
乌鸦传媒淲e decided to draw attention to human rights issues across the world that disproportionately affect women,乌鸦传媒� explained Chelsea Grisch, executive chairperson of the Okanagan College Students Union, at the OC event.
乌鸦传媒淔or example, in Saudi Arabia, women still can乌鸦传媒檛 drive and that乌鸦传媒檚 something a lot of people don乌鸦传媒檛 know.乌鸦传媒�
The student union created a trivia game that taught about pioneering women who risked life and limb, tearing down barriers abroad.
Among those being focused on in that game were Malala Yousafzai.
As a child, she became an advocate for girls乌鸦传媒� education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her.
On Oct. 9, 2012, when she was 15, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school.
They also talked about Benazir Bhutto. She inherited leadership of the PPP after a military coup overthrew her father乌鸦传媒檚 government and won election in 1988, becoming the first female prime minister of a Muslim nation.
These women may be remembered as some of the most cobntroversia figures in world history, but they were still less contentious than bringing the f-word out, said Grisch, who acknowledged that 乌鸦传媒渇eminism乌鸦传媒� is a touchy subject these days.
乌鸦传媒淎 lot of people don乌鸦传媒檛 want to align themselves with first world, third wave politics, which tends to be about identity politics and is more radical in nature,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淪o this is about basic fundamentals乌鸦传媒e wanted to find commonality with all students because the idea of feminism can be quite divisive. Nobody can object to us talking about Malala乌鸦传媒dvocating for women乌鸦传媒檚 education, or feminist icons. 乌鸦传媒�
Grisch also pointed out that in a global economy we can all do our part to support regimes who support women by spending wisely.
Added student Danielle Nault: 乌鸦传媒淔eminism is equality of the sexes. What we really need to focus on in this country is domestic violence and sexual abuse.
乌鸦传媒淲e have a really serious problem when one in every three women are affected by this.乌鸦传媒�
Olivia Hoffer, instructor
乌鸦传媒淔eminism means that we need to acknowledge that men and women are equal in value and that a lot of challenges and problems women face are a result of gender inequality. Violence against women, for example, is about gender equality and not about women deserving it.
乌鸦传媒淚n Canada, we乌鸦传媒檙e not faring as well as people think. The years that Harper was in power, the UN dropped Canada from being in the Top 10 for women乌鸦传媒檚 equality to down in the 30s. There are a lot of places that are dpoing a better job than we are and we need to address that. 乌鸦传媒�
Caroline Hansen, student.
乌鸦传媒淚 think there is a lot of talk but no action being taken,e specially to help women with sexual assault and rape. There aren乌鸦传媒檛 the supports or services.
乌鸦传媒淎lso governments will slash basic social services we desperately need. And the lone parent family in Canada is usually led by a woman with children, and these families are living in abject poverty, with $1.25 income a day. There, Canada needs to really get it together. It乌鸦传媒檚 ridiculous we have anybody living like that.乌鸦传媒�
Alicia Goertzen.
乌鸦传媒淚 think we乌鸦传媒檙e doing pretty good when you compare us to the world in general, but I think there乌鸦传媒檚 still some discrimination for when you乌鸦传媒檙e a woman. I also think there are times when we take it too far.
乌鸦传媒淚 think the man does have a special place in relationships and sometimes we should just relax, and not say 乌鸦传媒榶ou don乌鸦传媒檛 have to do that, I can do that.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淛ust because they乌鸦传媒檙e offering to do things for us doesn乌鸦传媒檛 mean they乌鸦传媒檙e undermining us. Sometimes we take things a little too far. 乌鸦传媒�
