‘We need champions everywhere’: The steps toward gender parity on International Women’s Day

Crystal Garrett speaks with the executive director of the YWCA Halifax ahead of International Women's Day 2025 about efforts to achieve gender equality.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Accelerate Action.’

According to data from the World Economic Forum, it will take until the year 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity. YWCA Halifax is hoping to help speed up that process.

“We are doing more housing. We’re doing more childcare because we know that childcare is a feminist issue. We’re doing more programs around women’s economic empowerment. We’ve expanded our violence against women services,” said YWCA Halifax executive director Miia Suokonautio in an interview on CTV Morning Live.

YWCA Halifax has been around for 150 years supporting women, girls, Two Spirit, and gender diverse people.

This International Women’s Day is emphasizing the importance of taking steps to achieve gender equality.

“We know that women are earning less than men for the same jobs, but also women are concentrated in the lowest wage sectors. We know that women experience extraordinary rates of intimate partner violence or violence in general. We know that women are underrepresented in positions of leadership, in the public sector, in the private sector,” said Suokonautio.

She said it’s important to take a stand now and support women.

“I think Nova Scotians, I think Canadians, and I think women around the world are concerned about the discourse that’s happening right now, and we’ve seen a very, very problematic repeal of women’s rights down south. Women’s reproductive rights and women’s health has to be at the core,” she said.

“We have not collectively continued to make that a priority and it’s taking so long because we still need to move forward, and we need more than women at the table, so we need also male allies. We need everybody at the table to fight for this.”

Suokonautio said because this issue is so broad, it’s important to help wherever you are.

“You need to help in your workplace, in your school, in your community, in your neighbourhood, she said. “We need champions everywhere.”

Events took place around the Maritimes Saturday to mark International Women’s Day.

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