International Women's Day ~ I am toddler, hear me roar!

In honor of International Women`s Day today we went to our first social justice action event together: a freeze mob held on the university campus. 

Coming up with a slogan for Penelope's sign was challenging. What DO you put on it that will really get people talking and more importantly, thinking!

Then a friend suggested "Feminist since 2011"... and although we are more egalitarians than feminists, the language was simple and I thought hopefully it would drive home the point that there is a 19 month old at a demonstration for equal rights, a demonstration that said I'M PROUD TO BE BORN A FEMALE, a demonstration that pleads to the world for women to be treated well, as all humans should be.

While I shot the demonstration for a story for the weekly I write for, my amazing Poppet grabbed people's attention, and inspired discussion. She even made it to the daily paper. And, of course when I submit my story for Kingston This Week she'll be included. Hey, if it gets people talking! 

The one thing I was not expecting was the rush of emotion as these women banded together in solidarity.

With a cello and violinists playing tragically beautiful sounds, women emerged from the walls and their seats in the cafeteria of Queen's University (and again at the mall later in the day) to display their messages and draw people's attention to the fact that people still aren't treated equal, from job promotion to sexual satisfaction.

Standing frozen among many of the women there was my amazing kid - she stood perfectly still for the entire five minutes. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was being part of a united front, maybe it was how strong she looked woven in with these incredible people in our community, and maybe it was the thought that I truly hope she chooses to fight for the rights of herself and others as she grows up... but the tears just started flowing! I've never been so proud! This took the emotion of hearing "mama" for the first time and squashed it flat.

I can't help but wonder... will she be doing this in 20 years? What is her future going to look like?