International Women’s Day a Celebration of the Struggle
There was a time when it seemed that progress in the women’s movement was inevitable yet we’ve witnessed some dangerous backsliding in the last few years.
“Rise and Resist: Uniting for a New World” was the theme of the annual International Women’s Day march that took place on Saturday in Toronto. IWD was Sunday, March 8, 2026. There was a time when it seemed that progress in the women’s movement was inevitable yet we’ve witnessed some dangerous backsliding in the last few years. Evidenced by both the end of universal reproductive rights and the pressure to protect the Epstein class in the U.S. In Canada, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, former Prince Andrew and heir to the throne is facing pressure to lose the right of succession over his alleged abuse of girls. The Rise and Resist theme seems eerily appropriate.
We spoke to some women and girls from the community to hear their thoughts on what IWD meant to them.
One mother of both boys and a girl from the community told us “women’s fight for equality and safety is a daily fight. To me IWD is a day to honour the women before us who paved our way, celebrate the success of women and girls today, blazing a new trail and for education on the struggles of women world wide. We are the unsung backbone of life.”
The following are quotes that have been slightly edited for clarity from a group of girls from local high school, Humberside C.I.
“IWD is important because it celebrates the fight that women have done and are still doing for their rights. Women are still beaten, raped, abused, trafficked, killed and sexually oppressed and this is just the physical stuff. Even doctors, nurses, police, lawyers, politicians and governments can be sexist. Only 14 countries have equal rights out of 195. So IWD isn’t just about appreciating all the women in our life it’s also about a better future for girls”
“In the past women did not have the same rights as men and were treated poorly. IWD recognizes and appreciates women through all that they have been through and celebrates their achievements and accomplishments.”
“IWD…not only celebrates the accomplishments of women, but also recognizes the struggle and oppression that the majority of women face in day to day life. IWD is a day to emphasize and acknowledge the rights women deserve, but it also suggests another aspect or problem that society encounters; women must be celebrated all year round, and we must incorporate justice into their daily lives”
We’ll end it with their words as the struggle goes on.
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