It's International Women’s Day, and this year's theme is ‘An equal world is an enabled world,’ with a focus on gender equality.
It celebrates women's achievements while fighting against stereotypes and bias.
This year the Bradford Women’s+ Group honoured the day with a workshop at the library on Monday night.
“At our session, women+ spoke about pay equity, gender-based violence and safety, parental responsibilities, politics and leadership roles, and basic respect between genders, as key areas where there is still work to be done. We also spoke about the ways men experience gender-specific issues, like rigid gender norms and expectations,” explained group leader Jennifer Lloyd.
“We wanted to be intentional about welcoming all women in our community, while also recognizing gender diversity and working to create a safer space for people in the gender diverse community (the +),” explained Lloyd.
Members and guests also donated menstrual products to Moon Time Sisters, a program that helps bring feminine hygiene products to communities in Northern Ontario.
Guest speakers Dr. Anne Hussain, Jennifer Bradbury, Larissa Marks and Nicole Jones spoke candidly about their own struggles with health, childhood traumas, PTSD, and body image. A common theme amongst the women was the statement “Empowered Women, Empower Women”.
The group’s mission is to empower women+ through personal development, education, and building community.
They create a confidential space along with respect, non-judgement, gender affirming, inclusion and positivity allows their members to feel free to speak openly and honestly.
The Bradford Women’s+ Group holds free monthly, two-hour sessions at the library. To learn more, follow them on Facebook here or email [email protected].
