International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, was the occasion of a new award recognized by Manitoba government.
Sport, Culture and Heritage Minister Cathy Cox, minister responsible for the status of women, recently announced that Manitoba is recognizing International Women’s Day by launching a new awards program to honour women who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of gender equality.
Throughout history women have served home and family as well as their community tirelessly, giving of themselves to help others. For women in the workforce, the trend continues as women work conscientiously, yet many are under-rewarded compared to male counterparts.
According to Catalyst, (founded in 1962 to help organizations accelerate progress for women at work) we have ever more Canadian women in the work-force, but in lower-paying jobs. “They say that in 2018, Canadian women 15 years and older represented nearly half (47.7%) of the labor force, compared to 37.1% in 1976.
According to McKinsey & Company, a global consulting firm that works with organizations across the private, public, and social sectors, “Only three women are promoted to manager for every four men who receive the promotion, and almost 60 percent of women report having experienced some form of microaggression at work.”
“As we celebrate International Women’s Day in 2020, I’m proud to announce the ‘Empower Women 20/20 Awards’, which will honour the outstanding women who have helped to further gender equality in our province,” Cox said.
In all, 20 awards will be presented to recognize women who have developed activities, programs or movements to advance gender equality in Manitoba, reflecting the province’s rich diversity and regional representation. The Manitoba Women’s Advisory Council will play a role in reviewing all the award nominations.
This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the election of Edith Rogers, the first woman elected to the Manitoba legislative assembly.
“Manitoba women began the movement of women getting the right to vote and be elected to the provincial legislature in 1916 and the 1920 election was the first after the change in legislation,” Cox said. “Edith ran in 1920, 1922 and 1927 – winning her seat in all three elections. Beyond her career in politics, she was also active with various organizations in Manitoba and was a strong advocate for soldiers’ dependents after the First World War.”
The women winning this year’s award will be announced during Gender Equality Week, Sept. 20 to 26. More information and nomination forms can be found at: www.gov.mb.ca/msw/empower_women_2020.html.
The International Women’s Day 2020 campaign theme is Each for Equal. Follow the conversation online at #IWD2020 and #EachforEqual.
