Comedian Mélanie Ghanimé will be bringing her one-woman show, MIXTE, to the stage at the Centre Culturel Barberivain in Sainte-Barbe on March 8, as part of a local celebration of International Women’s Day.
The evening, which is being organized by representatives from Résidence-Elle, CALACS la Vigie, Option resource travail, and ADDS Huntingdon, will start at 6:30 p.m. with a special presentation reflecting on the theme for the evening: feminist resistance. An interactive quiz will take place, aimed at raising awareness while testing participant’s feminist knowledge, before Ghanimé takes to the stage with her reputed mix of big laughs and poignant reflections on personal development.
This event marks the 20th year that an activity has been organized in the Haut-Saint-Laurent to recognize and celebrate International Women’s Day. For Anik De Repentigny, the assistant director of Résidence-Elle, the organization of an event that celebrates women’s rights is a way to celebrate the advances that have been made by women, but it also highlights the inequalities that still exist. “In 2022, in the United States, abortion rights have been lost for many women. We are still now just one step away from losing hard-won rights,” she says.
When asked why it has been so important to hold an event each year over two decades, De Repentigny simply points out that reports of domestic violence and sexual assault are more present now than ever before. “The right to safety is one of many examples that makes celebrating the advances, but also highlighting the inequalities, even more necessary today,” she says.
For the past two years, events have taken place virtually due to the pandemic, and the organizing committee is pleased to be returning to an in-person format. “The pandemic forced us to isolate, but it is by uniting that we bring about change,” De Repentigny says. “Virtual events were a comfort during times of restriction, but I believe that we become more involved when we are together.”
Tickets for the event are now available and can be purchased by contacting Sonia at 450-264-2999, extension 230.
