International Women’s Day marked in Fredericton with spirited rally

The New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice, New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity and Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick organized a rally and march for International Women’s Day, March 8, in Fredericton. This year’s theme was resistance.

Krysta Cowling, chair of the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, told those gathered at the New Brunswick legislature: “Today we are marching against the feminization of poverty because women, and particularly women experiencing different intersections of oppression, disproportionately experience poverty.”

She explained that pay equity — equal pay for work of equal value — is an important tool in the struggle for economic justice. “It is reached when jobs mostly held by women are paid the same as jobs mostly held by men,” she said.

“Because racialized women earn $0.59 for every $1 that white men earn, and so we resist. Because bisexual women earn less than half of what straight men earn, and so we resist. Because women in the care sector earn $10 per hour less than their male counterparts, and so we resist,” added Cowling.

Cowling called on Premier Blaine Higgs, Liberal Party Leader Susan Holt, Green Party Leader David Coon, and NDP Leader Alex White to end the feminization of poverty in New Brunswick.

“This starts with the adoption of pay equity legislation in the private sector. We won’t accept less,” said Cowling.

Geneviève L. Latour of the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick said: “Today, we’re denouncing the misogynistic policies of the provincial government. On International Women’s Rights Day, it’s important to speak out and challenge our elected representatives on issues affecting women and gender minorities. Before talking more specifically about our demand — access to reproductive health care and abortion in the province — I want to remind you that trans women are women.”

Latour continued: “Our feminism and activism must be anti-racist, anti-colonialist, trans-inclusive, against classicism, fat-positive, anti-capitalist and in solidarity with other oppressed groups,” said Latour.

“I must point out that the RFNB is calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Palestine. It would be unthinkable to fight for the rights of New Brunswick’s Acadian and francophone women and gender minorities without highlighting the devastating effects of genocide in Palestine today,” said Latour.

Latour then talked about reproductive justice. “We’ve long denounced the lack of access to reproductive health care in the province. New Brunswick is the only province with such restrictive legislation on access to reproductive health services. Women and gender minorities deserve accessible, free, bilingual and empathetic care. We demand that the New Brunswick government eliminate Schedule 2 of Regulation 84-20 to allow out-of-hospital abortions to be reimbursed. All it takes is an order-in-council, what’s stopping them?”

Janelle LeBlanc, provincial coordinator of the New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice, then spoke about how the affordability crisis has affected people in New Brunswick.

“Since 2020, women and gender-diverse folks have been severely affected by the sharpest rise in the cost of living in 40 years, exacerbating already precarious working and living conditions in New Brunswick. People are struggling to make ends meet with the current minimum wage of $14.75. Even the indexation to $15.30 on April 1 falls short of a living wage. We want a minimum wage that is a living wage, at least $20 per hour,” said LeBlanc.

“In addition, there are currently no paid sick days in our Employment Standards Act. We want 10 employer-paid sick days added to the Act. If we don’t improve working conditions, we will continue the cycle of poverty for the future generations,” said LeBlanc.

Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre members were present at the rally and released a statement calling for health care for all migrant women.

“Last month, we joined many organizations including CUPE and the Canadian Health Coalition to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of Nell Toussaint, a tireless advocate for health care for all, regardless of immigration status. Like so many other migrant women, Nell encountered systemic barriers in Canada related to her immigration status. In her case, those barriers proved fatal. The migrant women we work with face similar difficulties as a result of their immigration status. Some, excluded from health care because of the kind of immigration status they have, who cannot afford prenatal care or abortions.”

The feminist organizations across the province agree that people need a living wage, 10 paid sick days for everyone, pay equity in the private sector, access to abortion services and health care regardless of immigration status, and schools that are safe spaces for trans youth.

With files from Sophie M. Lavoie.

Tracy Glynn is the coordinating editor of the NB Media Co-op.