SFU students and alumni march for women's rights

SFU students and alumni are leading Vancouver’s first International Women’s Day March of 2023, planned for the weekend before the official International Women’s Day (Wednesday, March 8).  

The Vancouver International Women’s Day March will take place on Sunday, March 5, 2023, from 12:00 p.m.—4:00 p.m. at the šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square (Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza). 

The community activists organizing the event include Yasmin Simsek, Nidhi Ghelani, Maria Kouhi and Spencer Lee, who are all currently pursuing their master of arts in SFU’s Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (GSWS), as well as GSWS alumnus Megan Bobetsis (MA, 2022), and International Studies undergraduate student Karissa Ketter. Also lending support are event sponsors Simon Fraser Student Society Women’s Centre and SFU’s Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies.  

People of all genders are welcome to attend the celebration of self-identifying women and non-binary folks from our local community. Community leaders, activists and student groups are also invited to participate.

The event will begin with an Indigenous welcome ceremony, followed by speeches from local community leaders and activists. Jen Marchbank, a community activist and GSWS professor, will speak at the event.

The march will follow the speeches, beginning at roughly 2:00 p.m. Starting at the šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl'e7énḵ Square, Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza, the path will be as follows: walking up Howe Street until a right turn on Helmcken street, turn right on Hornby Street until returning to the North Plaza. The total route is just under 1.5 km and will be walked at a slow pace.