March 8 is International Women’s Day

March 8 is International Women’s Day

Shannon Kelly is the FSA’s Vice President

Many FSA Members have led and participated in celebrations of International Women’s Day over the years. It’s great to share, reflect on perspectives, and discuss different reasons the day resonates.

When I arrived at BCIT in 2002, the lack of gender diversity in some of my courses, particularly in Technology, Computing, and Engineering fields, immediately stood out to me. Now, over 20 years later, I can confidently say that things have changed and, generally speaking, we see greater gender diversity in our classes. Hopefully, authentic efforts continue to support this positive trend, as with all our efforts to support our diverse student population.

According to the United Nations, International Women’s Day has been recognized in one context or another in various countries since 1909, although it was in 1975, during the International Women’s Year, that the United Nations officially began celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day. The UN has helped advance awareness and action towards improving gender equality over the decades, including most recently with the inclusion of Goal #5 “Achieve gender equality” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Here’s how FSA Members and other members of our community are actively working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #5 “Achieve gender equality” at BCIT.

Shannon Kelly