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Women’s Day is a reason to celebrate this year

International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world on March 8, but this year the Golden Women’s Resource Centre decided to take advantage of the weekend, hosting the Vagina Monologues in Field to commemorate the day.
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International Women’s Day is celebrated across the world on March 8, but this year the Golden Women’s Resource Centre decided to take advantage of the weekend, hosting the Vagina Monologues in Field to commemorate the day.

This Women’s Day was much different from last year at this time, explained women’s centre executive director Jill Holland.

“I think this year in particular is really exciting,” she said. “If you think of last year at this time, Trump was just elected as a misogynist president, and there was the #MeToo movement, and all of those revelations, and the missing and murdered indigenous women has been going on in our country. There was kind of a lot of dark things happening around this time last year. This year I think we have a lot more to celebrate.”

Just this year, TIME Magazine named the silence breakers as persons of the year, highlighting the individual acts of courage that made up the #MeToo movement.

Men in power have been held more accountable for their actions against women, calling out the names of many actors and politicians who have sexually assaulted, harassed, or were inappropriate to women.

The federal government is addressing pay equity, and many people have made large gestures on all sides of the gender spectrum to speak up and let it be known that a wage gap is unacceptable.

“I feel like the feminist movement has gained new legs through all of those things,” Holland said. “A lot of people stepped up a bit.”

Because of the recent transition at the women’s centre, with Holland taking over as executive director from Linley McLean, the Women’s Centre didn’t host their annual events for Women’s Day, but the centre was still open, and services were available.

A production of The Vagina Monologues was hosted in Field, and there was a shuttle by donation from Golden to Field for the event.

The Vagina Monologues is a play by Eve Ensler, that touches on consensual and non-consensual sexual experiences, body image, genital mutilation, direct and indirect encounters with reproduction, sex work, and other topics through the eyes of women with various ages, races, sexualities, and other differences.

The Golden Women’s Resource Centre continued to celebrate and support women by offering a women-only space with an area for relaxation, breastfeeding, and many resources available. The Safe Home is also available for women in need, who are escaping abusive homes and need a safe space.

“The clients are still coming in the door. We’ve seen women who need support. The Safe Home is unfortunately always being used,” Holland said. “There’s women who need it.”

The Women’s Centre provides a 24 hour crisis line at 250-344-2101, and the women’s shelter, which is delivered by the Golden Safe Home Program, and funded by BC Housing.

The program provides the 24 hours crisis support line, and a confidential and discreet place to stay for women and children fleeing abuse.

In addition to International Women’s Day on March 8, many countries celebrate March as Women’s History Month. Canada celebrates Women’s History Month in October to coincide with Person’s Day.