Talking about International Women’s Day

COFFEE WITH THE ARMCHAIR MAYOR — It seemed appropriate to talk to somebody about International Women’s Day, which, if you didn’t already know, is Saturday.

It’s one of the less noticeable special days, falling somewhere between Groundhog Day and National Library Week, chronologically at least.

So who would be knowledgeable on the subject? Dr. Cynthia Ross Friedman, who is fun to talk to on any subject, was willing to discuss it, so I offered extra incentive by footing the bill for her whipped chai mocha something or other.

I don’t think she was quite sure what was in it, actually, but it sounded good so that’s what she ordered. Feeling a bit adventuresome myself, I opted for a medium coffee, with the caffeine.

I began by mentioning that, as I was leaving the house, my wife Syd quietly suggested I should read a certain magazine article first. When Syd quietly suggests something, it’s always best to heed her advice.

The article was about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani student who was shot by the Taliban about a year and a half ago as she sat on a school bus. She survived, and is now a household name around the world as someone who stands for women’s rights in general and the right of girls and women to an education in particular.

It certainly did provide some perspective for me, since I’m naturally a bit skeptical of the usefulness of so many of these special days, weeks and months that we have chosen names for — so many that they tend to become a blur.

I mentioned this to Dr. Fross Friedman, and framed the question in the context of Canadians in their relative comfort and freedom vs. women in other parts of the world.

Are we still catching up right here at home?

“We do have a long way to go,” she said, pointing out that despite the progress we’ve made in Canada, women still aren’t afforded equality in many walks of life.

Besides which, International Women’s Day isn’t just about the challenges facing women, but about what they’ve accomplished. “It’s also a retrospective, it’s a celebration of how far women have come.”

I noted that the theme for the day this year is Inspiring Change, and that if you Google the International Women’s Day page you’ll find that it says we need to encourage more advancement of women in several areas, including, for example, arts and sports.

“That is getting better,” Dr. RF said of sports, “But we have to think again internationally — is it fair all around the world?”

It was a most interesting and informative discussion, and what I like about these CBC Daybreak Kamloops coffee discussions is that I invariably learn something I didn’t know before.

By the way, Dr. RF is spending Saturday volunteering at the Kamloops District Labour Council soup kitchen.

I knew better than to make some lame joke about a woman’s natural place being in the kitchen.