Desert Sun Counselling and Osoyoos Soroptimists are hosting a women’s march on Friday. (Flickr/bradhoc)
International Women’s Day is on Friday and Desert Sun Counselling and the Osoyoos Soroptimists are inviting the public to help them spread awareness of impoverished women around the world with a women’s march.
This is the first time the groups have hosted a women’s march in Osoyoos, Desert Sun executive director Marieze Tarr said.
“We hope that it will create awareness about the situation that many women in the world face,” she said.
Girls across the world, from a young age, are expected to carry water from wells or rivers to their homes, Tarr said. The average distance is four miles, and they often do this twice a day.
The water is for livestock, to wash dishes, water vegetables and even basic sanitation.
“This often prevents them from attending schools,” Tarr said, noting that international organizations such as Rotary and Soroptomists provide funding for well drilling to mitigate girls losing out on educational opportunities.
“When girls marry or leave home they become the main ‘water providers’ for the family again so that means that they cannot work outside the home as it often takes them most of the day to journey to the water source and back.”
The march is on Friday, March 8 at 12:30 p.m. and starts in the parking lot behind the Owl Pub, near Gyro Beach. Participants will then march up Main Street to McDonalds.
Everyone is welcome, and signs and water buckets are encouraged.
“People should know that their hour will show support to many women in the world who spend hours walking every day,” Tarr said.
