International Women’s Day (IWD) is a day of commemoration, resistance, and collective action rooted in feminist labour strikes and socialist feminist organizing. First observed in 1911, this day is a reminder that gender equity has always been fought for—never freely given.
Today, IWD continues calling us to action. This day asks us to remember the women, trans, Two-Spirit, gender diverse, and gender non-conforming people who organized before us, and to recognize the ongoing struggle against patriarchy, racism, colonialism, and other systems of oppression.
International Women’s Day celebrates women’s achievements, and it also aims to end gender-based violence, raise awareness about discrimination, and encourage people to take action to forge gender parity. International Women’s Day raises awareness for all gender identities, and pushes the question of how to gain gender equity and equality.
Womanhood is not a singular or universal experience. Gender is lived differently across race, class, disability, sexuality, migration status, and experiences of colonialism. We recognize the hardships that people have had to face, and their lives and labour which have historically been marginalized, and whose organizing continues to push justice forward. And above all else, we celebrate the joy that people have found and the many different meanings behind what it means to be a woman.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Give to Gain. This means giving women access to resources, support, and opportunities for advancement. Equal access for all, whether it be education, resources, or beyond, is the only way we can begin to create a gender equitable world.
As university students, we have the unique opportunity of being in the centre for advocacy movements like these. The Gender Empowerment Centre (GEM), an advocacy group in the UVSS, works to be a strong intersectional voice on campus to further gender parity and to help individuals trying to find it. We encourage you to visit their webpage to learn more, or to stop by the GEM in room B107 inside the Student Union Building.
Though we have seen a lot of change since 1911, women and gender diverse people across the globe still face discrimination. Whether it’s the right to safe work, to education, to vote—many people internationally are not given the freedoms they deserve. While we can acknowledge and be thankful for the work that’s been done, we must strive for gender equity and continue to fight against institutions that limit women’s and gender diverse people’s rights.
While we take today to celebrate, commemorate, and recognize the achievements of women around the world, the efforts being made to get an equal world for all is a daily task. This International Women’s Day, go beyond recognition and move towards action. Learn about the labour movements and feminist organizers who continue to shape history. Support organizations
led by marginalized communities. Reflect on how you can challenge inequity within your own institutions and communities. The fight for gender justice requires more than celebration—it requires collective commitment.
Read more about this year’s theme and the history behind International Women’s Day on the International Women’s Day website.
Sincerely,
Your UVSS Board of Directors