Baha’is across Canada celebrated International Women’s Day in March by creating spaces for communities to explore topics essential to advancing the status of women in Canadian society. At least five hundred people participated in 14 events held in coffee shops, community centres, banquet halls and libraries. Men and women participated in lively discussions, interactive presentations, singing, dancing, poetry, and a variety of visual arts.
In Toronto and Montreal, public affairs representatives of the Baha’i community delivered public talks on such topics as Advancing Towards the Equality of Men and Women and Why Men Should Become the Standard Bearers of Gender Equality.
Participants in a Cochrane, Alberta coffee shop event also examined the topic of men’s contributions to the advancement of women. A local community activist spoke about the “visible” and “invisible” barriers to women taking their rightful place in all domains of life. Other topics discussed were the lack of women in academia and the contribution of the United Nations to the advancement of the status of women.
Using humour, the keynote speaker at the St. Albert, Alberta International Women’s Day event discussed the barriers that prevent young women from fulfilling their potential. She noted that there was such a lack of positive role models for young women in the media that the popular fictional character Pippi Longstocking was the only one that came up in a Google search on the topic. She also talked about her efforts to create theatre for and about strong, courageous women. The event attracted 115 participants, included an address by the mayor, and was covered in the local paper.
Giving expression to more facets to the discourse on gender equality, a local TV program in Nova Scotia decided to air a conversation between an advocate for the prevention of violence against women and an aboriginal youth worker in honour of International Women’s Day. An individual Baha’i produced the program and offered it to the network.
In an effort to bring the International day to the local level, the Durham region Baha’i community facilitated a conversation on how global “neighbourhood” programs for the moral education of children contribute to the cause of the advancement of women.
In addition to generating conversations on topics of global concern, the International Women’s Day celebrations also created a space for artistic expression.
At a library in Langley B.C., 135 people enjoyed a celebration featuring song, dance and poetry commemorating the accomplishments of Muriel Arnason - the first woman elected to the Langley Township Council - and the Iranian heroine Tahirih, a pioneer in the field of women’s rights. Both women were also gifted poets.
The Baha’i community of Sidney, B.C. hosted their best attended Women’s Day celebration in 35 years, attracting 110 people for an interactive presentation entitled Women’s Gifts, Women’s dreams.
junior youth group in Burnaby B.C. contributed to the cause of the advancement of women through a beautiful visual display of a bird to show that men and women are like the two wings of a bird. Until both wings are equally developed, it is impossible for the bird to fly.