On March 8, 1917, Russian women took to the streets in Petrograd, engulfing the city as they chanted “Bread and Peace” over and over again. Their protest against the ongoing war and the conditions they faced sparked the second phase of the Russian Revolution. Only seven days later, Russian women received the right to vote.

The idea of a “Women’s Day” had been proposed and tried in the United States in the years preceding the Russian Revolution, but the brave actions of the Russian women in 1917 solidified the date. In 1977, the United Nations officially recognized the day as the International Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.

This day, March 8, is a day to celebrate women; their contributions to society, whether within science, research, politics, economics, mathematics, or literature, as well as their contributions on a more personal level in our lives, as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and nieces.

At ADRA Canada, we also want to celebrate the women who have fought to save, protect, and nourish their families and communities, even amidst poverty, war, famine, and natural disasters. We have witnessed countless women who have dedicated themselves to uplifting and supporting their communities in the face of adversity, and we want to show our deepest gratitude and admiration.

At ADRA Canada, supporting women is not a single initiative. It is woven into everything we do.

• When we provide maternal and child health services, women gain access to safe prenatal care, skilled birth attendants, and essential medical support, protecting both mothers and babies and strengthening entire families.
• When we invest in food security and sustainable agriculture, women farmers receive training, tools, and resources that increase crop yields and household income. When this is reinvested into families, this means more children in school, more nutritious meals on the table, and more stable communities.
• When we support livelihood programs and small business training, women gain financial independence and the ability to provide for their households with dignity. Economic empowerment does more than raise income; it raises confidence, voice, and long-term resilience.

• When we respond to emergencies and disasters, we ensure that women and girls have access to hygiene supplies, safe shelter, protection services, and trauma support. In the most vulnerable moments, this care restores safety and hope.
• When we advocate for education, girls are given the opportunity to learn, grow, and imagine futures once out of reach. Educated girls become leaders, teachers, health workers, entrepreneurs, and agents of transformation within their communities.

The impact of empowering women is exponential. Supported women strengthen families. Strengthened families uplift communities. Resilient communities transform nations.

This International Women’s Day, you can be part of that transformation. Women are an integral part of all our projects, and we invite you to give to support women through our Where Needed Most fund to provide healthcare, livelihoods, education, and emergency protection where the need is most urgent.

On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate women as pillars of humanity, individuals of strength, compassion, and courage, created in the very image of God.

We want to not only honour their contributions today, but continue working, with your help, toward a world where dignity, opportunity, and peace are shared equally.