In Canada, October is Women’s History Month. It is the month in which we celebrate the notable accomplishments and contributions made by women to our society at large. This year, the Status of Women Canada (SWC) chose the theme, Canadian Women Pioneers: Inspiring Change through Ongoing Leadership, to “highlight the history of women’s participation in various fields, such as science, technology and trades.”
There are many women who have significantly contributed to their fields. Some are famous; some less so. When we think of the remarkable feats accomplished by women, we may think of names like Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut, or Agnes Macphail, the first woman elected to the House of Commons. We may also think of women like Dr. Leonara Howard King, the first Canadian doctor to practice medicine in China, or speak of women like Nellie McClung, an activist who fought for the women’s right to vote and run for public office.
Nellie’s Board of Directors at our AGM this year.
Despite the outstanding contributions these women made, let us not forget the women in our own personal histories who have inspired us and enabled change in our own lives. Their stories are passed down to us from clients and members of Nellie’s. They are grandmothers, survivors of war and women of unknown and silent strength. They are mothers, women who single-handedly raised their kids even in conditions of poverty and instability. They are shelter staff members who provide unflagging support to women fleeing homes filled with violence. They are the women continuing our fight for equality, to live lives free of discrimination and oppression.
While October may be the time to celebrate women for their contributions to society, we don’t have to wait until October to pay tribute to women who have inspired us. Beyond the thirty-one days of October, we should celebrate being women, capable of bringing life to this world and making a difference in each other lives. For what better way can we celebrate the achievements of the women who have inspired us than by embracing the fact we are all capable women, able to contribute, in our own way, to the communities we live in and to the society at large.
