Executive director Annette McGovern (third from left) and staff gather at Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre Tuesday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Women from all nations

Celebrating International Women’s Day in the northwest region

Mar 8, 2022 | 2:48 PM

Celebrating women’s achievements was on many advocates’ minds during International Women’s Day in the northwest region on Tuesday.

Meadow Lake’s Door of Hope Soup Kitchen manager Krista Montgomery said International Women’s Day is a special day to acknowledge women’s efforts throughout the world.

“It’s important to celebrate all the accomplishments that women have made,” she said. “I feel like women have to work twice as hard in the work force to get where they are.”

Montgomery added that’s why it is so critical to take time to recognize women’s successes.

In the Battlefords, many female newcomers were fêted with dainties and coffee during an event Tuesday to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Riderville

Now for the Hard Part

Dec 10, 2025

Grey Cup!!!

Everything you wanted and more

Nov 21, 2025

Ferland earns Grey Cup ring

'A wonderful human being': High school coach thrilled Logan Ferland is a Grey Cup champion

Nov 17, 2025

“It’s to connect international women,” Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre executive director Annette McGovern said. ”This is a group that has been formed, and we are just joining them.”

She said many immigrant women move to the Battlefords for their husbands’ employment. But often that can be an isolating experience if they are left at home during the day, alone or with their children. So the coffee break party was a good way for them to meet other people and develop new friendships for support.

“It’s very important, especially with immigrant people, to get them out and part of the community so they feel like they belong here,” McGovern said.

The coffee party event held at Cafe 4 U was a partnership of Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre and Sobeys North Battleford that provided the treats.

International Women’s Day helps promote equal opportunities for women, economically, socially and culturally.

Sobeys North Battleford co-manager Grace Lang said the company has employed many women immigrants over the past 26 years, some who are still working there today.

Lang discussed some of their difficulties newcomers face but said by further developing their skills and improving their English fluency they can gain more career opportunities for the future.

“In some places in the world being a woman is really difficult,” she said. “Here in Canada we are very fortunate that we have so many opportunities open to us. But there are still some stereotypes and stigmas within our society that women have to overcome.”

Women helping women

Cathy Cha, who leads the store’s diversity, equity and inclusion program, organized the women’s day coffee break event.

During the last two years of the pandemic many women didn’t have a chance to get together to share their ideas, so this was an opportunity to do that.

Cha hopes the event helps give newcomer women, as well as all women, an opportunity to meet others “outside of their circle.”

“Women have to stick together too,” she said. “We have to make sure that everyone knows there are other like-minded people, people from all backgrounds. It’s good to be able to talk, and get to know other people, and have a face you’re familiar with in the neighbourhood as well.”

—

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow