International Women’s Day in Kawartha Lakes

The International Women’s Day (IWD) flag has been raised outside Kawartha Lakes City Hall in Lindsay and will remain up until the end of the week.

The global IWD theme this year is Embrace Equity. Equity is often used synonymously with Equality, but they are not the same thing. Equity acknowledges that people don't begin life in the same place, and that circumstances can make it more difficult for people to achieve the same goals. Equality is simply everyone getting the same thing regardless of circumstance or personal ability, but this is not equitable.

This is starting to change in Kawartha Lakes, with 1 in 3 people at the Kawartha Lakes Senior Leadership table being women.

Deputy Mayor Tracy Richardson chaired the March 7 Committee of the Whole meeting with a few words to recognize the day. She said “It is really nice to be sitting where I am today because I get to acknowledge all the women leadership sitting in this room. Recognizing all City staff across Kawartha Lakes, community leaders, business leaders and our community champions.”

She challenged community members in Kawartha Lakes to “take a moment to acknowledge all the amazing, awesome women in your life. Talk to the young girls in your life. Recognize that their differences and opinions are very much celebrated. Let them know the sky has no limits and keep reaching for those stars.”

Kawartha Lakes Public Library has made IWD their focus for the entire month of March. Library branches will have displays set up featuring works by female authors or works featuring strong female characters. Check out the Library’s poster to find out more.

Pick up the March edition of the Lindsay Advocate, where you will find “Women make strides at city, as three new female directors hired” on page six. On page 14, you can also read a guest article written by Diane Steven, Manager of the Kawartha Lakes Small Business Centre, titled ‘Businesses graduating from the Starter Company PLUS Program have been mostly women-owned’.

For more resources and to find out how people across the globe are recognizing IWD, check out the International Women’s Day website.

Photo Caption: left to right Councillor Dan Joyce, Councillor Ron Ashmore, Mayor Doug Elmslie, Councillor Mike Perry, Deputy Mayor Tracy Richardson, Councillor Eric Smeaton, and Councillor Pat Warren.