International Women’s Day march held in Vancouver Saturday

March 8 is International Women’s Day, a celebration and a call to action, and Vancouver joins cities around the world in a march to show support.

As in past years, the event happened outside the Vancouver Art Gallery’s North Plaza.

“We stand with women and their global struggles against all forms of oppression,” event organizers said.

“Solidarity is one of the key principles of the Vancouver International Women’s Day March. We organize, stand, and march in solidarity with women and marginalized groups around the world and with our neighbours in our community.”

Yasmin Simsek, volunteer chair and founder of Vancouver’s event, says this is the third year they have organized a march, which is about amplifying the voices of women in the community.

“Our main values are intersectional feminism, which means that we acknowledge that all women face different challenges depending on what body they’re in, and we are aiming to highlight all of those,” Simsek said.

“We’re also an anti-colonial committee and a committee that stands in solidarity with our community.”

A large part of the focus will be on the marginalization of Indigenous women.

“We have a huge issue in B.C. for Indigenous women, with the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls,” Simsek said.

“So that’s something we’re highlighting as well.”

She also points out that the political landscape since Trump took office has caused deep concerns.

“We are dangerously close to the U.S., with a lot of issues still getting worse and worse in the U.S., and I think that scares a lot of women in Vancouver,” she said.

“I know a lot of our speakers today will touch on that.”

As well, some of the focus will be on the issues faced by women in Palestine.

Speakers at the event will include Sylvia Sharon Isaac from the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and the WISH Drop-In Centre’s Kara Gillies.

“There is no freedom for one without liberation for all,” the Vancouver event’s website says.

Women and Gender Equality Canada says the roots of International Women’s Day go as far back as the early twentieth century. The agency says Austria, Denmark, Switzerland, and Germany were the first countries to hold the event on March 19, 1911, nearly 115 years ago.

“Other countries began to observe and celebrate this day in the years that followed,” it said.

“The United Nations recognized 1975 as International Women’s Year and began celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day.”

Vancouver’s march begins at 1 p.m. Saturday.

With files from The Canadian Press and David Nadalini.