In 1911, Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland celebrated the first official International Women’s Day. More than one million people attended rallies focused on suffrage, representation, education, and workers’ rights.
Since then, every year on the 8th of March, womanhood is celebrated all around the world, to honour all the astounding women in our lives and all the extraordinary women history has witnessed.
16 Wing has fantastic women serving at all levels – Students, Instructors, Chief Instructors, support staff, A-Staff, Commandants, SCWOs, and recent Wing Commander. These women are inspiring to us all here in 16 Wing and in our community.
This year, the Defence Team will commemorate The International Women’s Day 2022 under the theme “Women inspiring Women”, where we celebrate all the women who inspire us, by demonstrating leadership, ingenuity, and fortitude in their day-to-day lives.
Around the world and here in Canada, women continue to face barriers to achieving their full potential – from discrimination, to harassment and gender-based violence, to a lack of opportunity, freedom, and support. Not all women experience the same challenges, and certain women, including Indigenous women and others whose identities are historically marginalized, face particular and disproportionate obstacles.
Every single one of us has a role to play in achieving gender equality, and we need to work at removing barriers to achieving an inclusive workplace that is representative of our Canadian population. This will involve our active participation and leadership in our current Culture Change initiatives and challenging our historic policies that stifle appropriate recruitment, retention and promotion of our members. Only by working together will we make gender equality a reality here in the Canadian Armed Forces, in Canada, and around the world.
Today, on International Women’s day, we celebrate the accomplishments and leadership of women in Canada and the world.
Colonel Darryl Taylor Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Rusconi
Commander, 16 Wing 16 Wing Chief Warrant Officer
