Montrealers rally for women’s rights amid global turmoil

Rallies are held around the world, including in Montreal, to mark International Women's Day.

A loud and colourful demonstration in support of International Women’s Day was held near Concordia University in downtown Montreal on Sunday.

The message: “Do not take women’s rights for granted.”

The rallying cry of “fight for your rights” has grown even more vital in recent months, according to event co-organizer Dolores Chew.

“For a couple of decades, there was a sense that, OK, victories are being won, rights are being recognized. Yes, there’s still work to do,” she said. “What we’re seeing now is not just a stoppage, but a rolling back in many areas, some directly impacting women.”

With the Winter Olympics in recent memory, some women are turning to sports to make their voices heard, including at the 32nd edition of the International Gymnix at the Claude-Robillard Complex.

Former Canadian national team gymnast Bianca Dancose-Giambattisto, now a health care advocate with Femmes Dans Le Sport, argues that access to health care is a woman’s right.

“It’s really special for me to be here to support women and to make sure that these athletes are evolving in a system that prioritizes their health, to make sure that they can stay in gymnastics as long as they want,” she said. “Our women’s rights are not a given. We still need to fight for them.”

International Gymnix is the largest gymnastics competition in Canada, and boasts an all-woman board of directors.

Its judges and organizing committee are almost all women, too.

“We’re 90 per cent women,” points out event manager Marie-Chantale Laplante.

On this International Women’s Day, advocates can agree on one thing: “It’s time for the next generation to be alert - not complacent,” according to Chew.