Celebrating Progress and Planning for the Future: The Cornwall and District Labour Council’s International Women’s Day Dinner

Annually, the Cornwall and District Labour Council organizes an empowering event to celebrate International Women’s Day, marking a time of reflection, celebration, and forward momentum in the quest for gender equality. The event is always well attended and enjoyable.

Louise Lanctot, an instrumental figure in organizing the event, captures its essence by stating, “This event to mean is an opportunity to look at women’s journey, what we’ve achieved, and what our next steps are to raise equality for women and for all people in town. It’s a time to get together and have a discussion about women, see what’s happening in the community.”

The evening kicked off with Elaine MacDonald, also an organizer of the event, extending a warm welcome to all guests, followed by a poignant cultural acknowledgment. She remarked, “The Mohawk people belong to a matrilineal society which gives great respect and power to clan mothers. Clan mothers traditionally choose the chiefs… As a society beyond simple land stewardship, we have a lot to learn from our Indigenous neighbours.”

In an unexpected turn, guest speaker Kim Kent from the Canadian Labour Congress stepped in for the originally scheduled speaker. Kent paid homage to the organizers’ advocacy work, emphasizing, “I have so much respect for the sisters in this community and the work they do advocating for workers and families in Cornwall and Area, the organizers of this event do a lot of work in the community to ensure that healthcare is not privatized, they work with the women in Akwesasne and donate money to the shelter there… I’m inspired by their work so I wanted to come and show my support tonight.”

In her address, Kent also highlighted the significant strides made in healthcare access through the recent pharmacare deal. “This step in the pharmacare plan gives 9 million Canadians of reproductive age better access to contraception,” she mentioned, underlining the importance of such measures in advancing women’s health and autonomy.

However, the discussions didn’t shy away from the persistent challenges facing women, particularly in the workforce. Kent pointed out, “Women are more likely than men to suffer from chronic poverty, they’re more likely to work in minimal wage and part-time jobs, and they’re more likely to take care of children in single-parent households.” The wage cap is still a problem. “Nearly 60% of minimum wage jobs are filled by women. The average gender pay gap, so the gap between what men and what women earn, is 32%,” she added.

At the end of the event, The O’Neils, a local husband and wife acoustic duo, led the crowd in singing “Bread and Roses”, a powerful song symbolizing the labor and women’s rights movements’ fight for economic justice and dignity. Inspired by Rose Schneiderman, it advocates for both fair working conditions and the enrichment of life, serving as a rallying cry for equality and unity. It is performed every year as the event concludes.

The International Women’s Day Dinner in Cornwall stands as a beacon of solidarity, achievement, and an ongoing commitment to challenge and dismantle the barriers to gender equality. Through the voices of its organizers and speakers, the event continues to inspire and mobilize the community towards a more equitable future for all.