International Women's Day 

2023

This theme is particularly meaningful for us as an organization, as we continue to work towards breaking barriers and building a more inclusive, diverse and equitable skilled trades workforce so that every woman and underrepresented group feels not only supported, but empowered in their careers and life.

In recognition of International Women's Day, our team shared their reflections on what 'Every Woman Counts' means to them!

“My reflection on the theme ‘Every Woman Counts’ is that every woman has value, that their aspiration have value and they should be given every opportunity to go after their goals and dreams.” 

- Shelley Gray, CEO

“Every Woman Counts” is a powerful reminder that black, Indigenous, and women of colour do not receive the same privileges and advantages that I have as a white woman. It’s a reminder that in many parts of the world people who identify as women are literally fighting for basic human rights just because of their sex at birth or how they express their gender. Today I celebrate all of them!” 

- Tara Fong, Director, Trades, Inclusion & Access

"To me Women’s Day and the theme this year means celebrating the unique qualities and differences that women bring to society and these qualities are not a detriment and actually strengthens the collective goal of improving society and the world ❤. "

- Maureen Phung, Manager, Youth

"Women's day is an opportunity to acknowledge women's contributions to work, families and society. It is also an opportunity to recognize that women's struggles are ongoing, and we all have a role in advancing women's rights together."

- Juliana De Souza, Manager, Trades, Access & Inclusion

"For me, Women’s Day is a chance to reflect not only on the importance of Women today but also a way to remember all of the wrong we had done to them and a chance to rectify these mistakes so that we do not repeat them. They say does who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it so I feel personally that this day is an opportunity to not only look at how far we have come but to remember what we had done wrong so that we can continue to work hard to build a better future."

- Shane Dullaghan, Programs Lead, Youth

"Every woman matters. Every woman counts. No matter who they are, where they are from, or what their beliefs and culture are. the survivial of women have always been at the center of civilization. As all of you generations continue, may we always remember the contributions and sacrifices made in the past so that we can continue to grow, love, care, and succeed in this life. May we never forget that every woman counts and makes a difference in this world."

- Donna Anderson, Liaison, Indigenous Programs

"‘Every Woman Counts’ reminds me of the complexity and compounded barriers in our societies for diverse women today. It reminds me of how every woman, irrespective of their race, ethnicity, ability, social status etc., brings about her value to our society. It is a day to commemorate the women in our lives and community.” 

- Sneha Satheendran, Programs & Project Lead

For SkilledTradesBC, every woman counts. For every woman that enter skilled trades training, we want to make sure that they stay in skilled trades and perhaps become mentors for others to join. Each woman in skilled trades is a trailblazer and pathfinder in their own way – organizations such as BCCWiTT and programs such as the Regional Representative Program are critical to ensuring that every woman feels supports, feels empowered, feels included and feels counted.  

To see what programs and supports for equity-deserving groups are available, visit our page on Training Programs for Underrepresented Groups.