International Women’s Day (IWD) occupies a special place in the hearts of CUPE Ontario members. It is a celebration rooted in working-class struggle and organized resistance and we honour IWD’s origins for all the ways they reflect our lives as workers.
The day we celebrate on March 8 was originally inspired by women workers taking action, from the garment workers’ strikes in New York City in the early 1900s to the national and international women’s conferences in the first half of the last century. Today, IWD is marked around the world as a day to celebrate women’s achievements and the battle for equality for women and those who identify as women.
This year’s theme is Rise and Resist: Uniting for a New World. Yet as we mark this year’s International Women’s Day, this new world can seem very far away. At home and internationally, we find ourselves once again fighting many of same battles our foremothers fought: for reproductive rights; against misogyny in our homes, workplaces, and communities; against harassment, discrimination, and economic marginalization. And in all these areas, racialized, trans and younger women and those who identify as women are disproportionately affected.
As trade unionists, we must stand together to defend the very rights we’ve fought so hard to secure. Through our bargaining, campaigns, committees and everyday activism, we will continue to challenge misogyny in all its forms and demand justice for women everywhere. Our solidarity transcends borders and generations when we acknowledge and recognize the struggles of women across the globe, whether they are marching for freedom in Iran or are victims of ICE violence in the US.
For these reasons, it’s crucial that we keeping marking International Women’s Day. Every celebration, every protest, every discussion about women’s rights serves to pass along the gains we’ve made to the next generation of people who identify as women. When we remember our history – the strikes, the marches, the legal battles – we understand that our current struggles are part of a long continuum of resistance. The rights we enjoy today weren’t given to us; they were won through collective action and sacrifice.
To honour that this history and continue that work, we call on all CUPE Ontario members across the province to mark International Women’s Day in their communities. Attend the celebrations, participate in the marches and join the vigils. If you don’t have an event to attend in your area, commit to organizing one next year alongside your CUPE and labour comrades and allies. CUPE Ontario’s Women’s Committee will help support your event or activity, whether it’s a workplace lunch and learn, a community forum, or a protest action. We encourage all locals to take the initiative to create space for women’s voices to be heard.
It is only by keeping women’s issues at the forefront, and the struggle for women’s rights top of mind, that we can build the future we deserve: a future free of misogyny, where all women can live and work in safety and dignity.
On this International Women’s Day, let us recommit to this fight. Let us honor those who came before us by continuing their work. And let us inspire the generations to come by showing them what collective action can achieve.
