A Cowichan Valley International Women’s Day rally on the subject “Be Bold for Change” will be held at Charles Hoey Park in downtown Duncan on Saturday, March 4 starting at 11 a.m.
Guest speakers include: Chief William Seymour of Cowichan Tribes, Alistair MacGregor, MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, and Kendra Thomas, of Warmland Women’s Support Services Society. Other prominent local leaders have been invited, and there will be music.
Show your support for the goals of the rally, and stand with your sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, daughters and sons.
The rally will present demands on behalf of the women of the Valley and across Canada.
These include:
• Take action on the root causes of child poverty and hunger
• Respect the child-parent bond within the child protection system
• Create and support, affordable high-quality childcare
• Support “The Plan”, a public funded system of early care and learning
• Provide adult life transition support for long-term foster children (no aging out)
• Increase school funding with specific support for extra-curricular activities, music, and the arts
• $15 per hour minimum wage (with sufficient government support to help small businesses transition)
• Increase funding for affordable housing
• Enforce equal pay legislation
• Penalize companies that block women, minorities, and the disabled from hiring and advancement
• Protect the rights of “two-spirit”/LGBTQ persons
• Take action on missing First Nations women, proactively and with the intent of prevention
• Justice for survivors of violence
• Take action to prevent family violence
• Increase funding for facilities and support for the elderly
• Maintain an open and inclusive Canada
• Preserve the environment, protect the water, the air, and the land for a sustainable future
• Continue the Reconciliation process