4TheRcrd Mag.

Happy International Women’s Day Vancouver! This lovely holiday has been around since the turn of the 20^th century, and today it’s an official holiday in more than 20 countries throughout the world. Every year on March 8^th, thousands of events are held throughout the globe to honor the achievements and experiences of women. While many large-scale international events do take place, its really the diversity of local events – ranging from conferences to rallies to celebrations, parades, art shows, theatre and more – which make this holiday what it is.

The experiences of women are as diverse as our backgrounds – and the sad truth is one of the only things we as women perhaps have in common is our structural relationships to the global patriarchy that we live in. UNIFEM estimates that at least one out of every three women in the world has been beaten, raped or abused in some other way, most likely by an abuser that is known to her. The fact is, women bear a disproportionate amount of oppression world-wide and are faced with a variety of systemic barriers that hinder our social and economic well-being.

So take a moment out of your day to reflect on these issues, and acknowledge and honor the experiences of women in your life– and if you’re a woman, celebrate yourself in the spirit of resistance!

If you’re interested in local events there’s a lot going on, including report launches, feminist happy hours and Sistahood (a month-long celebration and arts festival featuring a wide variety of gender artists). For more info, feel free to contact me and I can pass along some details.

image translation: i am not the woman of your life, i am life
image credit: here