In recognition of International Women’s Day, community service groups in Nogojiwanong-Peterborough are encouraging allies to gather as a community, have conversations, and develop the tools and resources essential to working towards justice in gender equality.
This Saturday (March 7), Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC), Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC), and YWCA Peterborough Haliburton are teaming up with community partners to host a free rally and march at Peterborough City Hall followed by a free community event at the Peterborough Public Library.
“We’ve heard from a lot of people that they’re over a lot of the messaging about International Women’s Day being such a big celebration,” says Jocelyn Enright, prevention education and community engagement coordinator at KSAC. “It is in some ways, but for so many people it’s not a day of celebration. It’s a day of remembering women of the past and all of their fights for justice.”
“We know that there are so many women, trans, and non-binary folks who face so many forms of oppression still to this day,” Enright points out. “We want our event to be something where everybody can come together and get a sense of community, but then also leave feeling empowered and feeling like they can make a difference in their community.”
When planning the event, the committee considered the United Nation’s International Women’s Day 2026 theme of “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” The theme calls for action to “dismantle the structural barriers to equal justice” including discriminatory laws, weak legal protections, and harmful practices and social norms.
“We’re really focusing on that (theme), talking about what does justice mean, especially for women, trans folks, non-binary folks, and then looking at intersectionality,” says Enright. “What does justice really look like and how can we make sure that we are working towards equity in so many different ways?”
The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. outside Peterborough City Hall on George Street North with an opening drumming from local group Naandewegaan (Healing With Drums). City councillor Joy Lachica will read the International Women’s Day Declaration and Peterborough’s 2023-24 poet laureate Ziysah von Bieberstein will recite a poem ahead of the one-kilometre march from city hall to the Peterborough Public Library on Aylmer Street.
“It always amazes me how many people continue to show up to these events, and people of all ages,” Enright says. “We wanted to make this an event that anybody can come to, so we see folks who have been in gender justice their entire lives and then we see people bringing their kids. It’s just such a beautiful way for everyone to come together.”
“There’s something so powerful and important for people to be able to march through the streets and feel a sense of togetherness and know that we’re fighting for the same cause. I think that’s still something that is so powerful.”
The afternoon event will take place at the Friends of the Library Community Room in the library with doors opening at 12:30 p.m. before the event kicks off at 1:30 p.m. There will be musical performances by Missy Knott and the Peterborough Raging Grannies, as well as an opening prayer and opening drumming by Naandewegaan (Healing With Drums).
“We wanted to make sure that everyone who’s speaking or performing at this event is someone who identifies as a woman or gender diverse, just because those are the voices who are most impacted by this event,” Enright says. “People learn in different ways, people respond to different things, and it’s a great way to make sure that we’re amplifying voices that so often aren’t amplified while we’re also educating people.”
There will then be a keynote from Kat Owens, legal director of the Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund (LEAF), an advocate for gender equality who focuses on litigation, law reform, and public education. Owens will speak to how listeners can reflect on law reform in their communities and make a difference, with an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.
“We have asked her to speak on what LEAF does, what some of their current projects are, some of their case studies that they use, and how they use those to fight for gender equality,” Enright says. “They do that through education and law reform and doing lots of research so that they can support policy changes. A lot of their key focuses are who gets access to justice, gender-based violence, and consent laws, Indigenous rights laws, and identity-based oppression.”
The event will also have a resource table providing information on the partners organizations supporting the event, including Peterborough Aids Resource Network (PARN), Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabe-Kwewag Services Circle, and Soroptimist International of Peterborough. Participants can also purchase International Women’s Day T-shirts and other artwork by Nuin-Tara Wilson ?????, Star Daughter Woman, who created the artwork for the event posters.
Visitors are invited to bring menstrual hygiene products to donate to the United Way Peterborough & District’s Period Promise campaign in support of vulnerable persons living in poverty. According to a 2023 survey, one in four people in Canada who menstruate have had to choose between purchasing menstrual products and purchasing other essential items like food or paying rent.
“I hope people leave the event with a renewed sense of activism. Maybe they have a new perspective about International Women’s Day that they didn’t have before,” says Enright.
“We are really trying to make it so that we recognize this day is so important for fighting for women’s rights, here and globally. We hope that people leave with a sense of community and a renewed sense of how they can support women’s rights going forward.”
While the event at the Peterborough Public Library is free to attend, people are encouraged to register in advance at ptbolibrary-ca.libcal.com/event/3996698.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the Kawartha World Issues Centre, Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, and YWCA Peterborough Haliburton International Women’s Day event.
