University of Windsor students share their stories about the importance of International Women’s Day

Loveive Hall, a Communication, Media and Film student says International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month is a time to remember the importance of intersectionality and celebrate all women.

“I tell women and students at Windsor to remember the importance of intersectionality and to continue to break the glass ceiling. Feminism should recognize the many factors that can shape a woman’s everyday experience and reality. No woman should be left behind. Instead, we should try our best to understand that women’s rights are not one-size-fits-all. We are all unique and beautiful in our own way.”

“Quinta Brunson broke the glass ceiling and inspires me. She is multi-talented, working as an actor, producer, and writer on the show Abbot Elementary. Her journey to stardom is truly inspiring, as she started as a viral comedian, well known for her “He got money!” skit and ended up walking the red carpet. I was thrilled when Brunson won an Emmy for outstanding writing in a comedy series, and it was even more special because she became the first Black woman to win the award alone,” Hall said.

Tina Ighorewo, a social work student says minoring in women and gender studies is important because one gains knowledge on the importance women empowerment, the history of feminism, important figures within different feminist movements, in addition to how intersectionality (our race, gender, sex, ethnicity, racial background) affects all of our societal experiences differently.

“Women and gender studies has enabled me to learn so much about not only about the importance women empowerment, but about the history of feminism, important figures within different feminist movements, It has also enabled me to learn how to become a better ally to individuals who identify within the within the queer/ LGBTQ+ community.”

“One of my favourite courses that I’ve taken within the women and gender studies department is

“Love, Honour, and Obey: Marriage and Gender” which was taught by Nick Hrynyk. I had the opportunity to learn about the signiticance ot marriage and its impacts within different cultures the history of marriage, how traditional gender roles impact individuals in a marriage, and so much more.” Ighorewo shares

“A significant woman figure in history that I absolutely admire and look up to is Viola Desmond. I learnt about her story in my Women’s Movements in North America course. I had the opportunity to read her autobiography for the course, and have been so inspired by her story ever since. She was one of the first Black entrepreneurs in Canada, and can also be found on the Canadian 10 dollar bill. She opened up several businesses, including her own beauty school to educate black women within the community on how to properly care for their hair. She is the embodiment of graciousness, resiliency, and tenacity,”

Tina Ighorewo suggests students to take at least one class in women and gender studies and keep an open mind.

“There’s so much to learn within all of the courses that are taught within the department and there’s so many courses to choose from! All of the topics that are taught are an integral part to understanding the importance of topics ranging from feminism, intersectionality, racism, women empowerment, and so forth and how it impacts our everyday lives regardless of our race, ethnicity, sex, or gender.” Ighorewo says