YWCA asks public to keep Women’s March mindset

Women’s rights were front and centre in Lethbridge and around the globe for Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington.

The Lethbridge YWCA is pleading with the public keep the discussion going.

“It needs to continue,” CEO Jennifer Lepko said.

Lepko said women’s rights have come a long way, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

“Violence against women is still running very strong,” she said. “It is not something that has gone away and specifically gender-based violence towards women.”

Lepko said a big issue is victims don’t always recognize that they are victims.

“They will blame themselves,” she said. “It’s a conditioning, like domestic violence. It’s not an event, it’s a process. It takes time.”

YWCA counselor Maritza Stinson said it is important to seek help.

“They don’t feel good about themselves, they know something is going on, but they can’t put things in place.”

Stinson speaks from experience; she’s a survivor of emotional and physical abuse.

“I couldn’t take the abuse anymore,” she said. “That’s what I learned at the women’s shelter—that we didn’t have to take the abuse.

Stinson is confident the conversation will not end after the weekend march.

“I think it’s going to continue because it’s raising a lot of issues and it’s important that everybody knows in the world that women have a special place.”

YWCA Lethbridge and District also offers workplace presentations. Companies that are interested can sign up for a free “lunch n learn” workshop and receive a training program catered to specific needs of employees.