Thursday 18 March 2010
International Womens' Day is a day set aside each year to reflect on the progress and achievements of women around the world in their struggle for peace, equal rights and social advancement.
"But really, we women should be celebrating every day," said Nancy DiGregorio, Superintendent of Education for the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, at an International Women's Day celebration at St. Charles Barlake on March 9th.
"We are the ones who make sure the whole family is successful," she stated.
DiGregorio was a featured speaker at an afternoon gathering attended by adult learners from St. Charles Adult Education Centres and SISO (Settlement and Integration Services Organization).
International Women's Day came about in 1977 when the United Nations General Assembly called on member states to proclaim a day for womens' rights and international peace. In Canada, that day is March 8th, but over time it has grown into a week-long event. The global theme for this year's celebration is "Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all" but Canada has adopted its own theme, "Strong Women. Strong Canada. Strong World," which celebrates women in positions of leadership.
"In Canada, successive generations of women pioneers have blazed the way to levels of higher achievement in all walks of life," said Principal of St. Charles Adult Education Centres, Bob Goodwin. "We have Canadian women who have served politically as Governor General, Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament and at all levels of provincial and local politics."
That trailblazing has extended to the Catholic school board which has a female Director of Education and three female Superintendents, he added.
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"Nothing should be a stumbling block because of gender," said Chairperson Patrick J. Daly, who brought greetings from the Board of Trustees. A father of four, Daly has always impressed on his children, especially his two daughters, that they can do and be whatever they want to be.
"Education is key to that," he noted. "Education levels the playing field."
Sharing that philosophy was DiGregorio who, like many of the women present, had walked away from a comfortable life in her native country of Uganda for a new beginning in Canada. The move was triggered by Idi Amin's military dictatorship that spanned eight years and resulted in the death of more than 100,000 Ugandans.
"One thing my parents made absolutely sure is that we had a good education," she said. That, and hard work, she added, are the ingredients for success.
She worked hard, taking courses while working as a full-time teacher and raising a family. "And guess what … I became a principal."
DiGregorio served as principal of Cathedral High School from 1997-2002. "Cathedral is a wonderful school because it welcomed new Canadians," she said.
Setting her sights higher, DiGregorio decided to become a superintendent, a position that would enable her "to do the things that I wanted to see happen in our school board." That involved more courses and more hard work.
Eight years ago, DiGregorio was appointed a Superintendent of Education with the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board. One of her areas of responsibility is St. Charles.
"I want you women in this room to know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you become whatever you want to become," she said. "President Obama had an great slogan during his campaign—Yes, We Can! And I'm here today to tell you, yes you can."
"You have chosen to come to the best country in the world. You can become whatever you want to become. Your daughters can become whatever they want to become. You, as women, need two things to do that: you need to get an education and you need to work hard," she stated.
For many in the audience, the groundwork was already in place.
"Today we recognize women," said SISO Board Member Patricia Alvarez. "They are women who are not trying to be better than anyone else, but better than they were yesterday."
They are the women of St. Charles Barlake, the newcomer women of our community "who are ready to take their place alongside the many women of Canada, both past and present, who have demonstrated the courage and determination to achieve equality and excellence in their chosen field of work," said Bob Goodwin. "They are the reason we are here today."
Awards were presented to local female artists whose work was on display at the celebration. The artwork represented the influences of their individual heritages. Recipients included Katia Perez from Columbia; Navneet Babra from India; Tania Khan from Pakistan; Rana Khosho from Greece; Naqaa Mohamed from Iraq; Nasim Akhtar from Pakistan; and Ruba Yaseen from Iraq.
"What better place to celebrate women's diversity than in this place," said Master of Ceremonies Kamal Grewl. And what better person than Grewl to exemplify women in leadership roles. Grewl, a former employee of SISO, was recently hired as a Housing Advocate Counsellor for Victim Services of Peel.
"I'm here to tell you, yes you can," DiGregorio's words echoed in the background.
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