Humber College is celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) and this year the day recognizes women’s achievements and raises awareness about the discrimination they continue to face.

This theme is particularly relevant as this marks the first IWD that Humber has had a woman, Dr. Ann Marie Vaughan, as president and CEO.

A number of women leaders at Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber came together to share their perspectives on embracing equity, advice they would give their younger selves and tips for getting the most out of post-secondary education.

Featured in the video are President Vaughan; Senior Dean, Faculty of Social and Community Services and Lakeshore Campus Principal June MacDonald-Jenkins; Senior Dean, Longo Faculty of Business Alvina Cassiani and several others.

“I encourage you to embrace the path before you, to take on the challenges that you see along the way, to push yourself, to push others around you and to really see the possibilities of what lies ahead,” said President Vaughan in the video.

At Humber’s campuses and locations, there are several events taking place to celebrate IWD:  

• An event to encourage and empower women featuring free Humber Spa services, campus resources and refreshments runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in E-Concourse at North Campus on March 8.

• A screening of the film Rumble hosted by Indigenous Education & Engagement and Student Life at the North Campus IGNITE Student Centre at 4:30 p.m. on March 8.

• A curated reading list of books acknowledging women's achievements in STEM, healthcare, business and more as part of a library spotlight.

• The Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology hosts the virtual panel discussion Humber College Champions Women in STEM as part of National Engineering Month. It runs from 6-7:30 p.m. on March 8. Register on the webpage.

• IGNITE’s IWD campaign launches March 13 and it will showcase various women leaders throughout the organization’s history.