By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer
Content warning: mentions of genocide.
Editor’s note: Karissa Ketter, a current editor who worked on the article, is an organizer of this event. Yasmin Simsek, a former employee, is also an organizer of this event. The Peak acknowledges this and has taken steps to prevent conflicts of interest or potential bias from influencing the article.
On March 3, the International Women’s Day (IWD) march and rally commenced at the šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (Vancouver Art Gallery, North Plaza). The speakers and performances during the rally emphasized the need for intersectionality; many called for solidarity between different identities for issues that women and girls around the world face. “International Women’s Day is a collective effort to help create a world of gender equity,” said IWD Vancouver chair Yasmin Vejs Simsek in her opening speech. “Now more than ever, it’s important that we stand together in the name of equity for women everywhere.”
Simsek noted this year’s list of event speakers, though powerful, was far shorter than initially planned. “We have had to deal with more pushback than ever, from hackers [and] being bombarded with unending spam emails, to false narratives published in mission papers.” She explained that many speakers dropped out of the event lineup out of fear for their safety. However, Simsek was proud to host the IWD rally and was glad to see so many in attendance. “This year, I encourage you to celebrate the victories and commemorate those we’ve lost, and recognize the power that resides in each and every one of us.
Guests and speakers at the rally included Diana Day, the founder of Indigenous Women Rise, a group to uplift, support, and connect Indigenous women across Canada. Day is also the founder of the Indigenous Women Rise Drum Group, who performed at the IWD rally. “It’s so important to lift women up, and the Indigenous Women Rise Society is about cultivating safe spaces for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women to gather, learn, heal, and celebrate,” Day said.
Dania, the president of Youth for Palestine Vancouver (YFP), explained the significance of this year’s rally in the midst of the occupation of Palestine. “Despite all the unimaginable hardship and challenges, Palestinian women and girls in Gaza have shown remarkable resilience and strength. They have become the backbone of their families and communities, providing support and care in the face of adversity, loss, and pain.
“We celebrate their achievements but also acknowledge the challenges that they face, and as we commemorate this day, we must also shine a light on the plight of Palestinian women and girls in Gaza, who are enduring unimaginable suffering in the midst of war, massacre, and genocide,” she continued. “Today we celebrate not just how far we’ve come, but the limitless possibilities that lie ahead when we stand together from all walks of life.”
The rally also included a performance from Solidarity Notes Labour Choir and Butterflies in Spirit, a group of Indigenous dancers who perform in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Gunreet Sethi and Rabiah Dhaliwal, founders of the organization Voices for Hope, an organization fighting against the mental health stigmas affecting people of colour, queer, and women-led spaces, also spoke at the rally to discuss their advocacy work. “Racialized women in particular require both gender-based and culturally-sensitive care,” Sethi said. “As two women of colour in a country that prides itself on having an inclusive healthcare system, we have never experienced this.” Dhaliwal explained that women are “twice as likely to experience depression and anxiety” as their male counterparts.
“We are tired of empty promises and assurances that they are listening and learning. We demand action now. No woman should be left behind,” Sethi said.
