Women Speak to Meaning of International Women's Day at a Celebration

Dylan Woolacoot is an Community Journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE

During the month of March, 2023,  RPTV Community Journalists, Kedar Ahmed and Dylan Woolacoot, visited an International Women's Day event on Ontario Street hosted by The Neighbourhood Group.

Powerful community members - all women - shared their thoughts about what International Women’s Day means to them.

Ashima Chocra said,
“I think international women's day is really multi-layered when it comes to generally people around the world. One of the things I would really highlight when It comes to international women's day is that it's important to look at women's experience in terms of race, ability, class and sexuality-that's number one.

Tati from St. Jamestown Community Corner and Sherbourne Health said.“It’s such a big question, but one of the first things I thought about when I woke up was the acknowledgement and also persecution of femininity and femme-hood and woman-hood as a whole.

Ashima Chocra Spoke on the organization hEr VOLUTION,.“ I would love to talk about hEr VOLUTION, which is a STEM organization equipping young women and gender non-conforming youth with the tools and resources to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Community Members Kaiana Mendoza and Maria Clarencena  spoke to the resources provided by St. Jamestown Community Corner, “If you want somebody up here to talk to help get services, to help get access to care, feel free to come down to St.Jamestown Community Corner and ask for Kaiana.”

This International Women's Day Event also featured collective dancing as an icebreaker, and an announcement by the Children's Book Bank.