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International Women's Day

five diverse people at a table talking

March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD), a global day of recognition celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and raising awareness of the work left to be done.

Past events

  • Event Title:Networking and Connecting: An International Women's Day gathering
    Event Summary:Celebrate and honour International Women’s Day on March 8 with the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion.
    March 08, 2024
    11:15 AM EST - 12:45 PM EST
    Event open to:Students, faculty and staff
    Event Location:The Catalyst, 2nd floor, Rogers Communications Centre (80 Gould St)

2023 theme: #EmbraceEquity

Every year, a campaign that reflects on the previous years’ progress and the current state of the world is chosen to celebrate IWD. These campaigns are reminders of how much the world has evolved from a state of patriarchy to advancing gender equality. The 2023 #EmbraceEquity theme aims to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.

The mission of IWD is to:

  • Inspire women from all backgrounds to be positive change agents and leaders in their respective walks of life.
  • Encourage all folks in the colleges, schools, universities, workplaces, and communities to break the bias in gender inequality.

  • Event Title:#BreakTheBias with Women in Academic Leadership
    Event Summary:In line with the global theme of #BreakTheBias for IWD 2022, join the OVPECI for a panel discussion about women in academic leadership.
    March 08, 2022
    11:00 AM EST - 1:00 PM EST
    Event open to:University students, faculty, staff and the general public
    Event Location:Zoom

Watch the panel discussion

Watch this event on Stream

On March 8, 2022, the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) hosted the panel discussion #BreakTheBias with Women in Academic Leadership for IWD 2022.

Co-moderators Dr. Anver Saloojee (Interim Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion) and Dr. Jennifer Simpson (Provost and Vice-President, Academic) led the conversation with esteemed panellists about how they are breaking biases and removing barriers as women in academic leadership. The panel included:

  • Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard (Professor Emeritus, School of Social Work, Dalhousie University)
  • Dr. Sheila Cote-Meek (Vice-President, Equity, People and Culture, York University) 
  • Dr. Sherene Razack (Distinguished Professor and the Penny Kanner Endowed Chair in Women’s Studies, Department of Gender Studies, University of California at Los Angeles)
  • Dr. Pamela Sugiman (Dean, Faculty of Arts, Toronto Metropolitan University)