CELEBRATING WOMEN.
Erin Williams, director of the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW), says both men and women are invited to the upcoming I’m Not a Feminist, But . . . event for International Women’s Day on March 8.
Photo by Kristy Wallace
Feminism might sometimes be known as the F-word, according
to Erin Williams, director of the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against
Women, but it doesn’t have to be a bad word.
In fact her organization is co-hosting an upcoming event in
honour of International Women’s Day on March 8 called I’m Not a Feminist, But . . . , a
title that pokes fun at how people understand feminism.
“We understand that there can sometimes be a hesitation
towards feminism. But what’s important is not necessarily the word,” said
Williams. “Let’s stop focusing on the word and focus more on what it means –
which is equality.”
I’m Not a Feminist,
But . . . will be held at Library and Archives Canada on March 8. The day
also marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day celebrations
around the world.
Williams said it’s the third year the event has run at
Library and Archives, and it helps make feminism fun and relevant to women and
men in the community.
The event highlights
women’s achievements in Ottawa through its annual Femmy Awards. In addition, it
allows local, national and international feminist agencies to share and network
with each other.
“It’s important that we celebrate the successes we’ve had as
women and celebrate each other in a positive space,” said Williams. “And, we
need to bring to light things we still need to achieve.”
One of the major issues that Williams said women are still
facing is violence.
For example the Aboriginal community still faces issues with
missing women, she said.
Williams added that women are still fighting battles with
pay equity, child care, housing and access to education.
“The list is long,” she said. “The statistics cut across all
demographics, but there are women who are at a higher risk due to
marginalization.”
She added that getting men involved and educated is also
important.
The reasons women might not come forward after a sexual
assault might be because they feel shame and stigma, Williams said, and they
might feel they are to blame for what happened.
“We need to bring men into the conversation so they can
speak out and debunk these kinds of myths,” Williams said.
While these issues won’t be directly discussed at the event,
Williams said she hopes men and women will become more informed on what
feminism really is at the event.
It’s going to be a fun event, she said, and will be a
fantastic opportunity for participants to have a good time while networking
with different agencies.
Past participants have enjoyed the event because it was
approachable and fun – and it even included free on site child care.
“It’s really important to build bridges on a common ground,
and humour can be a common ground,” Williams said. “We’re hoping that women and
men will come out. We’re trying to get Ottawa
more open and aware of its achievements.”
I’m Not a Feminist,
But . . . will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Library and Archives
Canada on March 8.
For more information visit OCTEVAW’s website at http://www.octevaw-cocvff.ca/
kristy.wallace@metroland.com
Ottawa This Week - West