March 8th is International Women's Day!

Did you know that March 8th is International Women’s Day? I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t. In fact, International Women’s Day has been around for over 100 years. 100 years! Imagine the history that this day has seen.

To celebrate this important day, Canada has chosen the theme of: Strong Women, Strong Canada - Women in Rural, Remote and Northern Communities: Key to Canada's Economic Prosperity.

This theme is explored on the Status of Women Canada website. This website not only shares info on the background of International Women’s Day but also outlines facts to celebrate, and even a poster to share! My favourite part of the site, however, is a very intriguing quiz about Canada's rural, remote and Northern communities and the women who live in them. I think that you might be surprised about some of the answers.

As a woman who was born and raised in a northern AND remote part of Alberta (Fort McMurray to be exact), I was so pleased to see this collection of information that I would like to share it with all of you. Strong Women, Strong Canada! Don’t you just love it?

So pass on this info to others as it includes links to funding as well as gender-based analysis and strategic policy. We all know that there is still work to be done out there and the role of women in Canada’s future is one that needs to be championed by us all.

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Excerpted from the Status of Women Canada website:

Women across Canada are as diverse as the communities they live in.  This year's theme for International Women's Day and International Women's Week celebrates women's roles in the economic prosperity of rural, remote and Northern regions.

Canada covers a total area 9,984,670 square kilometres. It is home to 17.4 million women and girls and contains more than 5,400 communities — approximately 5,200 of which are rural, remote or Northern. During the week of March 8, 2012, we are celebrating the three million Canadian women and girls across every province and territory who are integral to life in these rural, remote and Northern communities.

In rural and remote areas, women make up approximately 45% of the labour force, but significant gaps still exist between women and men in labour force participation rates, employment rates and income. These trends are more pronounced for Aboriginal women, who make up a large part of the rural, remote and Northern population.

Women and girls are contributing to economic prosperity in these regions through innovative projects such as business networks and training in non-traditional occupations. Leadership initiatives for women and girls in rural and remote areas can also be found across the country.

International Women's Day has been celebrated for more than 100 years.  In that time, substantial progress has been made in advancing equality for women, and we recognize the critical role that women continue to play in the prosperity of Canada's diverse communities.

Click here to read more!