VICTORIA B.C. - On International Women’s Day 2017, the B.C. Greens celebrate all women and recognize those who inspire us all to be bold for change.

“On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements of women but also recognize that our society has a very long way to go to achieve full gender equality,” said Sonia Furstenau, Deputy Leader of the B.C. Greens and candidate for Cowichan Valley. “Women are the core of our communities. We all win when women have equal opportunities to participate economically, socially and politically.”

The B.C. Green party is committed to ending systemic discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnic heritage and all other identities. Last year, B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver introduced the Post-Secondary Sexual Violence and Misconduct Act, which the government adopted into legislation. It requires post-secondary institutions to have a policy to address sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Today Weaver will introduce a bill that would prevent employers from making varying footwear requirements based on gender, gender expression or gender identity.

The B.C. Greens also support the reinstatement of the British Columbia Human Rights Commission, which was removed by the B.C. Liberal government in 2002, making B.C. the only province without a human rights commission. The Commission is crucial to ensuring that British Columbians have a nonpartisan, impartial and objective advocate for human rights law in the province.

“Today is a reminder that women still face discrimination in our workplaces as well as many gender-based issues like systemic violence, harassment and pay inequality,” added Weaver. “Let us all reflect today on how we can work to combat this unjust inequality and to ensure women across our province and throughout the world can live in peace, freedom and equality.”

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Media contact

B.C. Green Party

Jillian Oliver, Press Secretary

+1 778-650-0597 | jillian.oliver@bcgreens.ca