Wold Kidney day health Fair ❚ | PAGe 2
YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD. YOUR NEWSPAPER.
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perfertly Fabulous by alicia ashcroft ❚ | PAGe 5
VOLUME 16 NUMBER 10 | 50¢
MarCh 9, 2017
Congratulations to the Echo’s very own Erin Johnson & husband Derek on the birth of their baby boy, a sister to Aurora on Sunday, March 5 at 4:10pm
Celebrating the power and potential of women and girls
RDC Photographer
From top: edith Farrell, Kathy Sinclair, Glendene Grant, Beth McBride and emiko Ohama
These local women were nominated by friends, co-workers and family. See their stories inside on pages 6 & 7.
This job is a part of me now — I can’t imagine doing anything different. ANA, GENERAL MANAGER WORKING AT CHARTWELL SINCE 2005. CHARTWELL.COM
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a time to recognize women for their social, economic, cultural and political achievements. On Wednesday, March 8, many community programs and local businesses hosted special events to celebrate the strength, power and potential of women and girls. Emiko Ohama, president of the TRUSU Lean In - Leadership for Gender Equality Club, was the driving force behind the International Women’s Day Empower Conference. Emiko said, “conversation about health, wellness, leadership and gender equality are our top focuses.” She also encourages others to become engaged in community efforts. “It’s really quite simple – extend yourself to help others.” The conference held at Thompson Rivers University boasted three keynote speakers: United Nations Policy Advocate, Climate Change Activist and Global Speaker Steve S.J. Lee; Internationally Award Winning Speaker and Career Strategist Courtney Kirschbaum; and Psychic Medium, Michelle Morrison. IWD is also an opportunity to take a political stance against gender disparity. A Day Without a Woman “reaffirms our commitment to the Principles of Unity, which were conceptualized for the Women’s March.” Following such efforts like the Day Without Immigrants across the United States, Women’s March organizers “stands in solidarity with the International Women’s Strike organizers, feminists of color and grassroots
groups in planning global actions for equity, justice and human rights.” A Day Without a Woman is a “demonstration of economic solidarity” that offers options that allow you to take a personal stance within your financial comfort zone. Women are encouraged to take the day off from paid and unpaid labor, avoid shopping for one day— with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses; or wear red in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman. A Day Without A Woman, recognizes the “enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system--while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment and job insecurity.” Strike organizers acknowledge, “trans and gender nonconforming people face heightened levels of discrimination, social oppression and political targeting.” In commemoration of IWD, the Kamloops Film Festival is collaborating with the Kamloops YMCA-YWCA Violence Against Women Intervention and Support Services to help them collect some much needed items. YMCA-YWCA frontline staff have noted some gaps in items that they like to have on hand at the shelter for passing along to the women and their children: face-wash/ cleanser, deodorant, hair elastics, headbands & bobby pins, tampons, hair conditioner, pillows, towels, nail clippers, - continued on page 2
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