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International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate all women of all backgrounds.
This is something that Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, CEO of Regina’s YWCA, said the feminist movement has forgotten.
“It’s important to understand the intersectionality of what it means to be a woman, to understand that Indigenous women’s life experiences and perspectives are different, black women’s lives and experiences, gender diverse women’s lives and experiences are different — and that those have to be part of the conversation,” she said.
“We cannot move any further, in my opinion, without also looking at the intersectionality of race and gender and ability as socio-economic and bring those voices forward. We’re missing out on a perspective.”
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International Women’s Day has been around for over 100 years. According to its official website, the day belongs to, “All who care about women’s equality. Celebrate women’s achievements. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to forge gender parity. ”
The theme for 2025 is Accelerate Action.
Coomber-Bendtsen said this theme is especially important in Saskatchewan, where rates of gender-based violence are some of the highest in Canada.
The YWCA also said the province has one of the highest gender pay gaps and a significant underrepresentation of women in political leadership.
“I think we’re still not even at the place yet that we’ve hit what might be equality,” she explained. “It’s really difficult to look at how we determine equity within that because we’re still not there yet.”
‘We’re not even close to equity’
Coomber-Bendtsen has been the CEO of Regina’s YWCA for 10 years. She said this year’s International Women’s Day feels a little different.
“There’s more in-our-face of taking steps backwards than there ever has been and more direct ways in which there’s still a need for us to look at the issues that are facing women,” she said.
This is also a key factor in the theme for 2025. Coomber-Bendtsen said while slow progress has been made, any movement backward would be detrimental.
Google recently removed International Women’s Day from its calendar. Coomber-Bendtsen said this is an example of one of the many backwards steps.
“Now, more than ever, there needs to be a very strong message that we’re not even close to equity and that not focusing on that has detrimental effects to our economy, to our way of life, to our communities, and the idea of somehow going backwards is an okay conversation to even have is sort of mind-blowing.”
This year’s campaign locally for the YWCA is called For-Women Ally. It’s about highlighting women-owned businesses in the community.
“In return, part of the product or services that these businesses offer is being donated back to the YWCA to help us serve the most vulnerable women and children in our community,” she said.
Participating businesses include: SESSION Studio, DBL Designs, PRIM Brow Bar & Skin Studio, Maneater Celebration & Film Screening, Saltine Baking Co., Fly Fitness and Pyramyd Fitness, Wheelhouse Cycle Club and Local Barre Regina.
Coomber-Bendtsen said it’s great to see the community come together in support of women.
“It’s just such a beautiful indication of how important relationships are among women,” she said.
“Women-operated businesses and organizations recognize that the collective power of the community is the way forward. It is how we build. It’s how we create more success when we support one another.”
While there are many challenges facing women, Coomber-Bendtsen said acknowledging the problem is a great first step.
“I think individuals can look around their spaces and see those gaps, just in their day-to-day, because I think once you acknowledge that and once you see it, then inevitably, as you start to make decisions moving forward that’s in the back of your mind,” she said.
And when making those important decisions, Coomber-Bendtsen said it’s not just important to have women at the table but to actually listen.
In Saskatoon, the YWCA hosted an EmpowHER luncheon with leaders in the community like Mayor Cynthia Block, former Vice-Chief of FSIN Alyson Bear, and Saskatoon Police Service Superintendent Tonya Gresty.
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