Monday is International Women’s Day, and YWCA Regina is marking the occasion.
CEO Melissa Coomber-Bendsten, says women face economic scrutiny, child care, homelessness, and violence issues every day.
“Disproportionately, women are affected by that, and so I think the conversations around celebrating women’s accomplishments on International Women’s Day also come with a recognition of those inequities that still exist,” she said.
“Celebrating I think speaks to the resiliency of women, and so whenever we talk about celebrating women, we always include — and I think we have to continue to include as a community — the residencies women have faced in order to be celebrated,” Coomber-Bendsten said. “In that, I think we can understand that inequities still exist.”
Coomber-Bendsten says the day is an important one for young women to see representation in all sectors to help them see their career path.
“I always recognize in speaking with young women how important representation is and how motivating that can be for women,” Coomber-Bendsten said. “When I even think back to my life, certainly the women in my life that showed me or represented for me that I could do what I wanted to do and that I could step into a leadership role.”
The earliest recognition of International Women’s Day took place in 1909 in New York.
This year’s campaign theme is “Choose to Challenge.”
