Today, I rise to recognize International Women’s Day on Friday, March 8, and want to reflect on an exciting day in my riding of Leeds–Grenville we had last month.

Our region is rich with women entrepreneurship, and that was evident on Monday, February 12, when I welcomed the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity, the Honourable Charmaine Williams, the 10th ministerial visit to my riding since Labour Day.

The visit began with an informative “women in business and entrepreneurship and skills development” round table discussion. Speaker, it was very successful, with 16 women leaders across our region sharing very meaningful feedback as women in business.

We followed that up the same day. The minister and I toured our riding, presenting congratulatory scrolls to five women-owned businesses. We were welcomed by Lynn Libbos at Echo Clothing Co.; Cynthia Peters at Maison Maitland; Brenda Visser at Flowers of the Field; Jenni Stotts at Tandem Unified Wellness; and Kathy Lewis at the Boboli Cafe, where we enjoyed a delicious soup and sandwich.

I’m so grateful for the women who make a difference in Leeds-Grenville and communities across Ontario through their skilled work, their resiliency and their leadership.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Friday is International Women’s Day, a global annual holiday drawing attention to women’s human rights, but this year, it’s hard to celebrate.

On October 7, Hamas terrorists made systematic sexual assaults and barbaric sexualized torture and violence a weapon of war, and the evidence has been available from that moment. The terrorists broadcast their depraved actions. The world saw the footage of multiple women being carried away on vehicles with telltale bloodied sweatpants, and many “bodies that speak” were recovered.

On November 14, a young woman reported to international media that, hiding in the bushes, she witnessed a horrific gang rape, mutilation and murder. Corroborating physical evidence of this assault was found at the scene.

After that report, there was no excuse for any women’s or international group to equivocate, and yet many have been shamefully silent or worse. According to the #MeToo movement, we’re supposed to believe all women who testify about sexual violence, but this year, we learned that apparently for some, that does not apply to Jewish or Israeli women.

This week, a UN report found evidence of sexual violence by Hamas on October 7 that was conflict-related, and there are indications sexual violence continues to be carried out against those still being held hostage by that group, which includes 14 Israeli women.

On October 7, 2023, and its aftermath, we’re marking a very dark period in the history of the international women’s rights movement as women in Israel have been betrayed by many. Women’s bodies are not a battleground on which to wage war. There’s no excuse for sexual assault. It cannot be contextualized. There is no “yes, but” when it comes to rape. Now more than ever, women need to stand together to support all women, because they are human beings.