Mayor Keith Hobbs’ thoughts were of his mother on International Women’s Day.
“I think of my mom on this day and how she fought during the war for our freedom. She had nine children. She taught high school, just an extraordinary woman,” he said outside of city hall after the International Women’s Day flag had been raised.
“It’s a great day to celebrate women, what they do for this country and the world.”
While there have been many gains for women’s right and equality over the last several hundred years, Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre coordinator Gwen O’Reilly said women are still not equal in any country in the world.
“Women still experience poverty in disproportionate amounts. Women still experience violence both in their homes and on the street and women are not equal at work either,” she said.
“There is still a lot of work to do to address social problems and bring women to full equality so they can participate in their communities.”
O’Reilly said there are steps both small and large that need to be taken to achieve equality.
It starts by tackling social issues like improvements to housing and childcare so it’s easier for women to leave abusive relationships.
“We have to look at access to services like affordable childcare so women can participate in the workplace without being at a disadvantage and we have to recognize human rights,” O’Reilly said, adding she appreciates all the work women advocates have been doing for years.
“And continue to do no matter what the circumstances are in order to make change and make this a better world,” she said.
