International Women’s Day event showcases diversity

Celebration of women and diversity is at the heart of an International Women’s Day event Sunday (March 6) at Nanaimo’s Grand Hotel.

International Women’s Day, which officially lands on Tuesday, is a globally recognized day to celebrate women and women’s rights. While its theme this year is ‘pledge for parity,’ an afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel is set to focus on diversity.

With Syrian refugees making this city home, organizers wanted to look at culture and diversity in the community. Partial proceeds will go to the Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society’s Syrian Refugee Community Fund.

“All of us who were part of organizing [the event] recognize really what makes our community strong and positive and interesting is that our population is diversity,” said Janina Stajic, a co-organizer, adding the event will celebrate that diversity and recognize the work needed to support women around the world from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.

The event will feature a parade of people in traditional clothing, a slideshow on what’s happening with women’s issues in different countries and keynote speaker Tracy Samra, Nanaimo’s interim city manager.

Ashwak Sirri, co-organizer, said the goals of the event are to see community united in respect and acknowledgement of diversity, and to see who we are as women, what we’ve done and what we continue to do.

“It’s a great event to celebrate women, to celebrate International Women’s Day and to be together as a community to support the [Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society] in welcoming our new Syrian families,” she said.

The event is from 1:30-3:30 p.m., March 6, at the Grand Hotel. Tickets are $35. Please call 250-758-3000.

Other events include the Zonta Club of Nanaimo’s luncheon at the Coast Bastion Hotel, March 4, beginning at noon. The event will see guest speaker Cathy Peters talk about human trafficking in B.C. and the central Island. Tickets are $35 and available at The Dog’s Ear.

The Chair of the Status of Women and the Faculty of International Education at Vancouver Island University hosts International Women’s Day: Refugees, Resistance and resilience March 8 from 2:30-4:30 in building 355, rooms 203 and 211. The free event is a 60-minute moderated panel with three students from Afghanistan, Gaza and the Ukraine, who will share their experiences as refugees and new Canadians.

Article by Tamara Cunningham – Nanaimo News Bulletin