A day to celebrate how far women have come and how much work is left to do is coming up on Sunday for International Women’s Day. The day is all about celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of woman while also making room for a call to action for accelerating gender equality. And groups around Simcoe County are marking the day with special events. Orillia already celebrated its women in business with the Women Rising event that brought together entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders. “When one woman rises, she takes others with her,” said Ruth Howorth, president of Orillia and District Chamber of Commerce. “And it’s just an opportunity to celebrate that sense of community in helping one another. And I find for women, you really find joy in watching others shine around you.” The first ever Orillia Women Rising award was presented to Karen O’Coin, a retired investment advisor, who had a moment to give some out some words of wisdom. “You can set your sights and achieve anything you want. You just need to show up and do a good job,” said O’Coin. The Barrie Women and Children’s Shelter hosted a flag raising at Barrie City Hall on Thursday honouring the strength and resilience of women while also illustrating the need for support of women and children experiencing violence. Here’s what’s happening around the region heading into the weekend. Women in Business Awards The Barrie Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Women in Business Awards on Friday for a luncheon recognizing prominent women who are making waves in the business community. The event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Liberty North. For more details, go to the Barrie Chamber website. International Women’s Day Luncheon Presented by the Women and Children’s Shelter of Barrie is the International Women’s Day Luncheon with a performance from the Hospice Hummingbirds, a group of Hospice Simcoe volunteers. The group will present Hospice Simcoe Advance Care Planning – the Musical. The event will be on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Barrie Chrysler. Details can be found here. Girls Nite Out Theatre Collingwood is putting on a cabaret-style comedy event that includes pyjama-wearing. Girls Nite Out promises to be a celebration of laughter, connection and sisterhood. The event is set to take place on Friday and Saturday nights at the Collingwood Legion. Comedians Elvira Kurt, Jennine Profeta, Diana Frances and Karen Parker will take the stage. The theatre encourages attendees to dress in pajamas. Ticket details can be found on the Theatre Collingwood website. The theme for this year is “Give To Gain,” encouraging a mindset of generosity and collaboration.
