THUNDER BAY – For Marg Arnone, the fight for women’s rights is as pressing as ever. As just over 30 people prepared to join Thunder Bay’s solidarity march for International Women’s Day, Arnone said the movement is still desperately needed.
“It’s hugely important, because women have not made very much progress in the world,” said Arnone, secretary of the Thunder Bay and District Labour Council. “Men may think so, but women don’t think so. We still have a long way to go when it comes to equality when it comes to pay, having jobs, basic rights.”
The march, which began at the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) headquarters on Memorial Avenue and doubled back at the corner of Bay and Algoma streets, is a longstanding annual tradition.
It was one of the final events in over a week of programming marking International Women’s Day in Thunder Bay. That began with a flag-raising at city hall and included a sign-making potluck, a day of displays and speakers at Lakehead University, and a pancake breakfast before the march Sunday morning.
Two other events are upcoming: a women leaders’ event hosted by the PARO centre March 12, and women’s self-defense training through the Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre March 14.
Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell said local participation in events around the day has grown, and increasingly reflects Thunder Bay’s diversity.
Monteith-Farrell noted the issues of the day have changed since she became involved in the women’s movement, but the fight remains as important as ever. The MPP said she first got involved in forming Thunder Bay’s first rape crisis groups, and later joined the fight for paid maternity leave, then pay equity.
As she joined in the march Sunday, she said there were a number of women’s issues on her mind.
“The major one in my mind is keeping women safe,” saying there remains a need for greater support for rape crisis centres. She pointed to the ongoing fights for pay equity and access to childcare as other key issues.
Monteith-Farrell said the day is also a chance to celebrate women who make a difference in the community.
“I just celebrate the great women in Thunder Bay,” she said. “We have awesome leaders and organizers. The women that do all that work, I’m just very proud to represent them.”
Arnone added that while the day was about celebrating women and highlighting the ongoing fight for equity, it’s key for men to stand in solidarity with women in those fights.
“You’ll notice that there are men on our march today, and we’re very happy to have that,” she said. “It means to us that they support us and they understand us.”
