Trincan Steel Orchestra entertains the guests at the International Women’s Day celebration in Edmonton.
If Wishes Were Horses, BCW Will Ride….
Most of the businesses, nonprofits, events, and effective social campaigns in the Black community in Alberta are led and driven by the growing power of Black women, with the rise of Black Women organizations such as the Black Canadian Women (BCW) in Action to ensure this trend keeps looking upwards.
On March 4, hundreds of men, White women, and Black women from across the province attended BCW International Women’s Day celebration at the Delta Hotel South Edmonton.
The event was packed with inspiring speeches, entertaining performances, an educative panel discussion, some good food, a childcare service for busy moms to attend the event, and it all ended with a high energy party.
All that glitters is not gold with Black women in Alberta as they struggle with recognition of their foreign earned credentials, racism and discrimination, sexism, lack of confidence and belief in themselves, chronic unemployment and under-employment, challenges echoed by most of the speakers on stage.
BCW got lots of praise from the speakers, for their positive impact in the Black community for years now. The chorus of praise came from the politicians who took to the stage from all political parties and levels of government. Dispite the praises, BCW struggles to secure sustained funding for their in demand programs and services. Although being the largest Black women organization in western Canada, the challenges continue. Hopefully our leaders will start to walk the talk.
International Women’s Day (IWD – March 8)is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people.
