Commemorative Dates

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

March 8, 2006

Beyond Laws: The Right to Be Me

Did you know that March 8 is International Women's Day? Established in 1977 by the United Nations, this special day provides an opportunity to celebrate the progress made to advance equality for women and to assess the challenges that remain. This special day also provides an opportunity to consider steps to bring about equality for women in all their diversity.

Canadians will celebrate International Women's Week from Sunday, March 5, to Saturday, March 11, 2006, with the highlight being International Women's Day on March 8.

• Theme
• News releases and statements
• Products available
• Ordering products
• Calendar of activities
• For more information

Theme

The Canadian theme for International Women's Week 2006 is “Beyond Laws: The Right to be Me'', which addresses women's rights, women's diversity and the need to put words into action.

2006 marks the 25^th anniversary of Canada's ratification of the most comprehensive international treaty on women's rights, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

The law guarantees women and men equal rights, opportunities and responsibilities in all aspects of Canadian life. Much has been accomplished to put into place legal foundations such as the Canadian Human Rights Act, pay and employment equity laws, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and maternity and parental benefits.

Despite these legal foundations, a gap remains between laws and the reality of women's lives. Many issues from the past, such as violence and poverty, have not been resolved. Today, as women join the labour force in record numbers, raise families and participate in their communities, barriers remain. These barriers keep women, whether they are Aboriginal women, women with disabilities, lesbians, single women, lone parents or women living in poverty, from realizing their full potential.

The legal removal of barriers is not enough. We need to close the gap between the sexes in our daily lives. The 25-year wait for equality is over!

News releases and statements

Opinion editorial article for the Honourable Beverley J. Oda, P.C , M.P., Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women

Products available

The poster and the circular lapel sticker are no longer available for order.

To assist you in organizing an activity to mark this special week, Status of Women Canada (SWC) has developed the following products:

• Poster
  Double-sided bilingual poster to promote International Women's Day 2006
  View Description of Poster in HTML (Web page)
  View the Poster in Acrobat 5* ( 102  KB, 1 page)
  
  
• Lapel Sticker
  Bilingual circular sticker to promote International Women's Day 2006
  View Description of Lapel Sticker in HTML (Web page)
  View the Lapel Sticker in Acrobat 5* ( 72 KB, 1 page)
  
  
• Virtual Organizer's Tool Kit
  Provides background information and suggestions to help you plan activities for this special week.
  View Organizer's Tool Kit in HTML (Web pages)
  View Organizer's Tool Kit in Acrobat 5* (multiple files)
  
  
• Logo to create a link
  
  If you have a Web site and want to promote International Women's Week 2006 by creating a link from your Web site to this page, please download the following logo. Right mouse click on the image to save your copy now!
  
  
  

* In order to open, view, navigate and print Acrobat PDF files, it is necessary to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your system. If you do not have this software, it is downloadable free of charge. Click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader, and follow the instructions to install it.

Ordering products

The poster and the circular lapel sticker are no longer available.

Calendar of activities

A Calendar of Activities listing various activities happening across the country to mark International Women's Week is now available on this Web site.

Please note: Only those Calendar of Activity forms that were received on or before February 20 will be posted on the site. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

For more information

For more information about International Women's Week, contact SWC by phone at 613-995-7842 or by e-mail at communications@swc-cfc.gc.ca.