International Women’s Day, March 8, was celebrated with several events in Calgary. At the Chamber of Commerce, in the plush fourth floor ballroom, the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA) hosted a luncheon aptly titled Women of the World Celebration. Mayor Dave Bronconnier gave opening remarks, focusing on the benefits of diversity and immigration in major urban centers. Cara Fullerton of Global Television was the master of ceremonies; Gerda Bloemraad of CIWA and Rob Ferguson of Citizenship & Immigration Canada also spoke. The mouthwatering three-course meal included a choice of richly spiced chicken korma on basmati rice or vegetarian lasagna.
Guests were encouraged to network at their tables, and topics of discussion were provided for this purpose. Malgosia Skrzynski, an administrator at CIWA, began by noting the popularity of women’s day in her home country of Poland. More fresh flowers are purchased and delivered to women across Europe on Women’s Day than on Valentine’s Day, she said.
Romantic gestures are not the only thing women are fighting for in this country, others noted. According to fact cards distributed at the luncheon, the number of women in daily newsrooms equals a third of the number of men. In 2006 the Status of Women Department suffered a severe budget cut, and the Court Challenges Program - legislation for legal protection of the rights of low-income and otherwise marginalized women - was abolished. The UN recently asked Canada to investigate the disappearances and deaths of over 500 Aboriginal women. And in autumn 2008 the Finance Minister proposed changes to the rules governing pay equity, a move some say will undermine human rights claims of gender inequality in the workplace.
Writer and Campaign for Real Beauty spokesperson Judy Wark gave the key-note speech. She talked about beauty as the presence of boldness, intellect and compassion, rather than a manufactured aesthetic. With a calm and eloquent dignity, she also spoke about herself; watching her beloved husband loose a struggle with cancer and finding joy in her children.
A few days later at the Calgary Public Library, another event took place. Five prominent and powerful women took the stage to give insight on living a balanced life. Brown bag lunches were provided by EthniCity Women’s Catering Collective, and the Chinook Winds Show Chorus opened the event with a few musical numbers.
The speakers were: Dr. Kimberley Amirault, a sports psychologist who has worked in the male-dominated fields of the NBA and the NHL, Eva Friesen, CEO of The Calgary Foundation, chef Dee Hobshawn-Smith, Rosemary Thomson, chorusmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and Frances Wright, founder of the Famous 5 Foundation and the guiding force behind Barbara Paterson’s bronze statues of Louise McKinney, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, and Irene Parlby celebrating a newspaper headline reading, “Women are Persons!” in the downtown core of Calgary; the sculpture is also pictured on the $50 bill.
In attendance were several MLAs, Miranda Dallalba and Karen Garrick of Calgary Economic Development, Sandra Gajic of the Epcor Centre, and Bev Hubert of the Calgary School Board, among others.
Published in National Post, March 21 2009
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