Contributors: Michelle Willson, Lauren Renaud, Ramitha Muralitharan - International Women’s Day (IWD), celebrated annually on March 8^th, is a day dedicated to recognizing and honouring women’s achievements, raising awareness about gender equality, and supporting women-focused charities¹. Established in 1911, International Women’s Day continues to call for change and advocate for full and equal representation and participation of women in society¹.

The Fight for Equity in Employment

International Women’s Day has deep ties to employment in the fight for better working conditions, wages and rights for women. Some of the key historical milestones related to women’s rights in the labour movement internationally and in Canada include:

• March 8^th, 1857: Marked the first organized strike by working women in New York City calling for improved working conditions, shorter workdays, better wages, and equal rights².
• 1907: More than 400 women operators walked off the job during the Bell Telephone Strike protesting in opposition of longer hours at reduced wages and harsh working conditions³.
• 1908: Women workers in New York City protested child labour and sweatshop conditions².
• 1913: Women in Russia demand better working conditions².
• 1929: Women in Canada were legally recognized as “persons” under British law in the Persons Case, allowing them to be appointed to the Senate⁴.
• 1977: The Canadian Human Rights Act was enacted, prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally regulated workplaces and ensuring women got paid the same as men for doing the same work⁴.
• 2003: Thousands march in Mexico City, and women leave work to highlight their importance in the workforce².

Ensuring True Inclusion for All Women

As we work towards equitable representation, opportunities, and participation for all women, it is essential to include women with disabilities and women from other marginalized groups in this mission. Women with disabilities face unique barriers to participation in society and the work force at the intersection of disability and gender, such as “double discrimination” of sexism and ableism⁵ and balancing the demands of work and home life⁶. These barriers can be further compounded for women with disabilities and other marginalized identities, such as older age and age-based discrimination⁶.

These unique barriers are evident in the ongoing employment gap. Reports from 2023 show an 11.3 percentage point gap in employment rates for women between the ages of 25-56 with disabilities and women without disabilities⁷. Findings from the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability also showed that women reported disability at a higher rate than men and were more likely to have more co-occurring disability types⁸. Findings also showed that women were more likely to have severe or very severe disabilities when compared to men and the employment rate dropped 16% between 2015-2021 for women with severe disabilities between the ages of 25-34⁸. Recognizing the unique barriers that women with disabilities encounter is crucial for addressing and dismantling these obstacles to full and equitable participation.

 As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we honour the contributions of women with disabilities and commit to creating a more inclusive and equitable workforce and world for all women.

Focus of IWD 2025

Accelerate Action: Despite our current progress, it is still projected to take until the year 2158 for women to have equal representation and participation in society⁹. The goal this year is to speed this up! There are many ways we can do this:

• Call out stereotypes and discrimination
• Recruit, retain, and upskill diverse talent
• Support women into leadership and decision-making roles

By putting these into action, we can foster equitable and inclusive workplaces!

References

[1] International Women’s Day. (n.d.). About International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://www.internationalwomensday.com/About

[2] International Women’s Day. (n.d.). What’s the timeline of International Women’s Day? International Women’s Day. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Timeline

[3] Semande, E. (2018, March 20). Women in organized labour. Heritage Matters. https://www.heritage-matters.ca/articles/women-in-organized-labour

 [4] Government of Canada. (n.d.). Women in Canadian History: A Timeline. https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/commemorations-celebrations/womens-history-month/women-history-canada-timeline.html

[5] Chowdhury, D., Lund, E. M., Carey, C. D., & Li, Q. (2022). Intersection of discriminations: Experiences of women with disabilities with advanced degrees in professional sector in the United States. Rehabilitation Psychology, 67(1), 28–41. https://doi.org/10.1037/rep0000419

[6] Coffey, M., Coufopoulos, A., & Kinghorn, K. (2014). Barriers to employment for visually impaired women. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 7(3), 171–185. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-06-2013-0022

[7] Vergara, D., & Hardy, V. (2024, June 13). Labour market characteristics of persons with and without disabilities, 2023. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-222-x/71-222-x2024002-eng.htm

[8] Hébert, B-P., Kevins, C., Mofidi, A., Morris, S., Simionescu, D., & Thicke, M. (2024, May 28). A demographic, employment and income profile of persons with disabilities aged 15 years and over in Canada, 2022. Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2024001-eng.htm

[9] International Women’s Day. (n.d.). IWD 2025 campaign theme is “Accelerate Action.” International Women’s Day. Retrieved February 26, 2025, from https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Theme