Attendees of last year's Red Deer Women's March trekked through the snow to get their message across. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

hosted by ubuntu-mobilizing central ab

International Women’s Day events going virtual for 2021

Mar 7, 2021 | 8:31 AM

This year’s International Women’s Day in central Alberta is going virtual.

Two days worth of events are happening March 13 and 14 and will be hosted by Ubuntu-Mobilizing Central Alberta. International Women’s Day is March 8, however for scheduling purposes, Ubuntu pushed its Women’s Day events back a week.

This year’s theme is #ChooseToChallenge, which Ubuntu Youth Council member Angie Cuero says emphasizes the importance and power individuals have to make change.

“If participants choose to challenge gender biases and inequality, we will see the difference. Individual action with a common cause will create a strong collective that will incite meaningful change,” says Cuero.

“This event comes at a very challenging yet important time. COVID-19 has opened the door for global conversation about social, economic, political and racial change. Women have been the leaders of these conversations for a very long time.”

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Cuero says Ubuntu’s goals include continuing to raise awareness about the inequality which still exists, but also celebrating the brilliant achievements of women who are thriving during such uncertain times.

International Women’s Day was first declared in 1911 and celebrated in Denmark, Austria, Germany an Switzerland.

InternationalWomensDay.org says the best ways to mark the day are to celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about women’s equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity, and fundraise for female-focused charities.

“With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women’s visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality,” it says on the website. “The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.”

From 10-2 on March 13 and 1-3:30 on March 14, Ubuntu will introduce speakers who’ve faced and challenged inequality and who’ve helped build a more inclusive central Alberta. This will be free to attend and done via Zoom. Registration is available on Eventbrite, with registrants receiving a Zoom link once complete.

The wider community is also encouraged to show support and solidarity by uploading pictures to social media using the hashtag #WomensMarchCentralAB.