The world will be taking the plight of women around the globe into consideration this month, and Weyburn is no different. March 8 is International Women's Day and local organizations are getting into the spirit of sisterhood.
A presentation on the human trafficking problem in the Ukraine, which forces unwilling Ukrainian women into the North American sex trade, takes place tonight at Captain's Hall. The presentation is being put on by Marianne Hladun from NASHI, a Saskatoon-based organization, and takes place at 7 p.m.
Envision Counselling and Support Centre will be holding a free one-day workshop on assertiveness training for women on March 12. This workshop is sponsored by the Status of Women in honour of International Women's Day.
Another major event is the International Women's Day Fair taking place at the Tommy Douglas Centre. This community fair will bring together various organizations dedicated to serving and supporting women and women's issues. The fair takes place on March 19 from 1 to 3 p.m.
I have heard some people argue that the women in Weyburn, and much of North America for that matter, don't care about the issues facing women around the world and the fearless females from our past because we have it too good to relate to our hard-done-by sisters. As usual, I disagree. I think that sisterhood is alive and well in our community.
I work in an all-female office. There may only be five of us but we are proud of our strong female force and well aware that, worldwide, women are less than one percent of department heads, editors, and media owners but one third of working journalists. That said, we are pleased to have representatives in the minority group.
I have always liked working with women. They create a supportive environment where one can share their tragedies and triumphs. Sharing your personal life with those in your professional life can sometimes cause conflict, but more often than not it creates a hilarious antidote that the team can share.
I find that women rarely make divisions between their professional and personal lives. They put family at the top of their priority list and let the rest fall into place. It's not entirely unusual for us at the office to have a child on the floor colouring while putting the paper to print - we deal with what life throws at us - that's what women do.
Is that so different than a poor farmer's wife in China working in the rice fields with a baby strapped to her back? Maybe, but we are bound by similar values - family, work, home.
