
Taboo Talk Not Safe For Brunch
Welcome to Taboo Talk Not Safe for Brunch! In this podcast, we’re here to bring sex, insight, and real-world education to the table—unapologetically. Think of it as having those important, unfiltered brunch conversations with your closest friends, about sex, relationships, and everything in between.
With over 55 years experience combined in the intimacy industry helping individuals and couples focusing on breaking down barriers, reducing shame, and empowering people to embrace their desires and relationships with confidence.
Taboo Talk Not Safe For Brunch
Episode 11: The Power of Women Supporting Women: International Women's Day
Welcome back to Not Safe for Brunch! Today, Amber and Vicki are diving into the history of International Women’s Day (IWD) and why this year’s theme, Accelerate Action, is so important. We discuss the progress made, the challenges that still exist, and what we can all do to create real change. From gender pay gaps to representation in leadership, we’re breaking it all down in our unapologetic, no-fluff style.
Grab your coffee (or mimosa) and pull up a chair—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss!
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Amber: [00:00:00] Every year on March 8th, we celebrate International Women's Day. A time to honor achievements, push for equality, and remind the world that there's still work to be done.
Vicki: This year's International Women's Day theme is Accelerate Action, and it's all about pushing for faster progress in the fight for gender equality. It's a reminder that while we've come a long way, there is still a lot to do.
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Coralie: welcome to Not Safe for Brunch. In this podcast, we're here to bring sex insight and real world education to the table unapologetically. Think about it as having those important unfiltered brunch conversations with your closest friends about sex relationships and everything in between. With over 55 years of experience combined in the intimacy industry, helping individuals and couples focus on breaking down barriers.
Reducing shame and empowering people [00:01:00] to embrace their desires and relationships with confidence.
Amber: I'm Amber. I live in Ontario. I'm married. I'm a mom and a G ma. And an unapologetic quality of mine is I weed through the fluff and I get to the point.
Vicki: I love it. I am Vicky. I'm in Manitoba. I'm divorced and I'm reentering the relationship space. I am a mom to two grown ups and my magic is making meaningful connections and relationshipping, which of course creates trust.
It's just Amber and Vicky here today. We are so sad that we are going to be talking about this topic and missing Bestie Coralie because she would have so much to say.
Amber: Absolutely, so much, oh my gosh. But she couldn't be here today, so we had to kind of take the reins and do the things,
Vicki: Sometimes you have
Amber: we do her proud,
Vicki: Sometimes you have to settle for two.
Amber: right?
Vicki: Not always a perfect threesome, but it'll work.
Amber: Today, we're diving [00:02:00] into, today we're diving into the history of International Women's Day and why this year's campaign is so important. We'll explore how accelerating action challenges all of us to break down barriers and create real change.
Vicki: For me, International Women's Day means, the opportunity to celebrate and remember Women who have inspired me, women who have blazed the trail ahead of me. and I think for me, it really starts with my mom.
She was definitely different than other women in the community that she grew up amongst. She built me to be a very, upstanding, outgoing, and, uh, someone who verbalizes what they're thinking and feeling in a kind way. I still, want to remember that. I always want to remember that we want to lead with kindness first because that really does inspire change and it does motivate people into [00:03:00] action and throughout my life, I surrounded myself with women who are inspirational.
who do feel the excitement around what happens when you get empowered, powerful women together.
Amber: Yeah. Oh, my gosh. Absolutely. what International Women's Day means to me is really just. Looking back, but also looking forward, like looking back on the influence, let's say like my, my memere had on me and how powerful that was and how much time I spent with her and how she shined a light on just being positive but also open minded. I remember a conversation with her, and I mean, she was born in the 30s, I think? so I remember a conversation with her when I was talking about sex toys, I think. And we were driving and she goes, well, I understand, men and women, but I just don't understand women and women.
I don't understand the two same sexes. And I was like, well, memere like there are toys and stuff like that. And she goes, oh yeah, I guess. And then she chuckles and she's just oh, don't tell [00:04:00] anybody we, we said this or whatever. She's passed away now. I could tell everybody, but I just, I remember that and how, Open, she was, but at the same time, conservative because of, you know, her history, right? So
Vicki: I think that's amazing too, when we can be impactful on a generation that just doesn't understand. And, nor do I expect them to understand, but I love it when they're willing to listen. And I just think that's super cool when you can be in conversation with somebody who has no business really getting it, you know what I mean?
And they want to, and they feel that. But I do think that the women in the 30s, and even previous to that, They really did empower one another throughout the time. So I think that, International Women's Day celebrates women throughout all of the decades. Even the decades where we didn't realize, how purposeful and how powerful those moments were going to be on these moments today.
Amber: absolutely. So let's dive into, International Women's Day and [00:05:00] just the origin. So the first official International Women's Day that we celebrated was in 1911, and it was inspired by women's movements advocating for labor rights and the right to vote.
And in 1975, The United Nations officially recognized March 8th as International Women's Day, marking it a global platform for gender equality. So, this is the date that we all recognize today.
Vicki: March 8th. I love it. And early International Women's Day efforts focused on economic and social justice, connecting the fight for women's rights to broader movements for equality.
Amber: Yeah, and being that we're Canadian, and we have a lot of Canadian listeners, we wanted to dive into the Canadian role in International Women's Day and how Canada adopted International Women's Day as part of a broader fight for gender equality. I think we're doing pretty well, but I feel like we still have long ways to go,
Vicki: Yeah, I do think that as well. I [00:06:00] think that we have to be consistent and we have to Link arms together and remember that as women we really do need to empower one another Every single day in every single environment We're not living in a world where we have time or energy or the resources to cut each other down So the more women that can link arms the more women that can move in positive reinforcement and in the light of growth and, sharing one another's growth and recognizing that I think it's just so incredibly important and I would hate to not be a part of that.
Amber: right? And I think as women, especially when we're together, a lot of times we do generally try to lift each other up. Sometimes we're not very good at it. But I feel like we can be A little more, a little better, let's say, than our counterparts.
Vicki: absolutely. You know what? And I'm the first one to say that, I wasn't always a girl's girl, [00:07:00] right? I was not always a positive thinker. I wasn't always thinking about how can I band together with other women. And create change. That's not where I grew up. That's not where I came from. Even though I had some really great base.
I had some really great starters with that. Naturally, I just sort of fell into being , an angry person. and I wasn't always, like I said, a girl's girl. And I think that my life has changed incredibly as soon as I became a girl's girl. When I started working with women, when I started spending all my time with women, that really affected me.
And I'm able to see this reflected change, within me. So while I. Recognize that we don't all show up that way. We can change. And I just think that is important to recognize. We have the ability to be who we want to be. And if lifting and uplifting other women is it, then we can do that.
Amber: Absolutely. And I mean, really focusing as well on our rights. workplace equality, these are all things that Canada [00:08:00] has kind of taken on as far as International Women's Day and what they're focusing on. And pay equality. And there is a huge gap still in that, but Canada's history includes milestones such as, you know, pushing for legal recognition of women as persons and increasing representation in leadership roles.
And we're seeing that more and more, even like, I hate to bring in politics, but we are seeing more, you know, female politicians, female mayors, that kind of thing. Like we are seeing those bigger roles, being held by females.
Vicki: Agreed. And at the same time as women, we have to be advocates for our own reproductive rights. We have to constantly be standing in front of others who do not understand the absolute imperativeness of. of protecting those rights. I think, again, that's why it's so important that we do have so many parliament members that are women, that do, recognize and, stand beside that demographic, and bring those issues forward, because [00:09:00] without that, we will be unrecognizable again.
So, what does International Women's Day represent to us today? International Women's Day has become a global movement of inclusion, of activism, celebrations, and raising awareness. And again, the celebration of women I think is one of the most important pieces because it brings that awareness. it highlights issues like pay equality, representation in leadership and access to our reproductive rights, which of course we know are hugely important.
and especially Right now, if you test the temperature of our climate in the world right now, these are really hot topics that we seem to have to be fighting for again, which is kind of unfortunate. We've taken a few steps back, but the only way to take a few steps forward is together.
Amber: Yeah, and I know a lot of our focus is what's happening south of the border, but it might be also shadowing what's happening in our own Government so educate yourself. Educate yourself and [00:10:00] form your own opinion, but it's really important to educate yourself and know what's happening within our own home.
Vicki: Agreed. And while significant progress has been made, systematic barriers continue to impact women worldwide, right? So making International Women's Day, as important as ever today, right? I think that, the more challenges that we face, The more the necessity of celebrating, recognizing, and really being loud around International Women's Day is.
Amber: And there are like so many events that happen, and I know we're covering this and it's being, released really close to International Women's Day. But if you can find an event in your area that's happening this weekend, I would encourage you to go, feel that energy, and just get involved some way, shape, or form.
Maybe it's volunteering, maybe it's just attending an event, whatever that looks like. I personally volunteer for an event, this is the third year we've been doing it. It's a big gala for International Women's Day, for our Women's Center in [00:11:00] the Sudbury area where I am. And I absolutely am so happy that I decided three years ago to jump in on this.
Vicki: I love it. And talk about the theme being Accelerate Action. Talk about Accelerating Action, Amber! That's amazing. I love that.
Amber: know. So yeah, this year's theme is all about accelerating action and highlighting the urgency of addressing gender inequality, because it's still such a huge thing , as far as we've come, and at the current rate, it will take 133 years to achieve gender parity according to the world economic forum.
Vicki: Oh, that honestly ever. My brain just exploded. That is a stat that I can't even. Wow. 33
Amber: know.
Vicki: years.
Amber: Yeah, like, as far as we feel we've come, we're still so behind. And if we let things go we could end up backwards. And nobody wants that.
Vicki: Oh my gosh. I just think I'm blown. That's it. That's it. That's all I got. I'm mind [00:12:00] blown by that statistic.
So gender parity, what that is, it is a statistical measurement of the ratio of men to women in a given group.
It can be used to measure gender balance in areas like education, income, or leadership. So that's what we mean when we say it will take 133 years to achieve gender parity. It's wild, wild.
Amber: That's not even like our kids, you know,
Vicki: It's not our children. I don't even think that's our grandchildren. I
Amber: maybe, maybe near the end of their
Vicki: near the end, but then it's going to be our great grandchildren. Wow So when we're talking about accelerating action, what does it mean exactly? Well, it's about breaking down systemic barriers such as gender pay gap Underrepresentation in leadership and limited access to education and health care And I know we're gonna have people out there who are going to say that's not a thing we don't experience that And [00:13:00] I think that we probably, the two of us, and certainly the three of us, could come up with many examples where that has exactly been the case.
Amber: Absolutely. We don't talk about our pay. I started seeing, there's a website I guess you could go to but I started seeing these TikToks and stuff about people like, oh my gosh I just realized I get paid a third of what my male counterpart gets paid and we're in the same You know position in the same job.
What the heck?
Vicki: yes. And you know what the sad part is, is that often times women can be seen as being, like the lioness, right? Sort of very overbearing in a corporate styled position or whatever that looks like because they have to work. Extra hard in order to receive any respect and as a woman, that's got to be really, really difficult to sort of find that natural synergy between still [00:14:00] being feminine, but also being respected.
And I think that , there's a huge problem there. and unfortunately we have to go to the nth degree sometimes to be heard. But then we are heard in a negative way and we are seen in a negative way and that's where that needs to stop.
Amber: As we discuss Accelerating Action, it's essential to honour women who've paved the way for gender equality and sexual health in Canada. Their work continues to inspire the next generation of changemakers. So some of the featured Canadian women, and gosh, if we miss somebody that you are really passionate about, we would love for you to drop it in the comments.
Because we want to hear about them and we want to look them up and follow them.
So the first person that we have on the list is Dr. Jen Gunter, the author of The Vagina Bible, and Coralie swears by this book. Vicki and I still need to pick it up.
I feel like we might need a book club. I'm not sure.
Vicki: I think maybe. Uh huh.
Next up we have Sue Johanson. Of course we talked about Sue our very first episode. host [00:15:00] of the Sunday night sex show who normalized candid conversations about sex. Man, she was a trailblazer.
Amber: Absolutely. And Nellie McClung is our third person on the list. Famous five member who fought for women's legal recognition as persons in Canada.
Vicki: Unreal. Sometimes we read these things or we research these things and we think, how is that a thing? How is that a thing?
Amber: Right? Yeah, but it wasn't that long ago.
Vicki: was not. Alright, how about Agnes Macphail? She was the first woman elected to Canadian Parliament advocating for gender equity and prison reform.
Amber: And then we have Joyce Arthur, the founder of Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, advocating reproductive rights and fighting stigma.
Vicki: Yes, absolutely. So let's talk about the impact of these women's work. So, these women's efforts address systematic barriers in areas such as health, education, representation, and legal rights. [00:16:00] Their work emphasizes empowerment through knowledge, advocacy, and representation, creating the foundation for gender parity.
And then of course, they're breaking taboos by challenging some norms, which is definitely what we do here at Not Safe for Brunch. They embody the urgency of accelerate Action in pushing society forward better together. Right, Amber.
Amber: Absolutely. And I love that we're able to do this podcast and bring you those taboo topics that, you know, you might not be having even you may not have had ever.
Vicki: So true. We may have had some but varying degrees of that. And I think that it matters who our educators were. And I think it matters what history books, we were reading and what we were pulling from them. It really mattered who our teachers of life were. So I think that it's important to recognize that one, one woman's Um, and I know that some of these thought processes may be far more advanced than others.
but if we are all in a space of willing to learn and be better today. That gives us an opportunity. [00:17:00] That is an opportunity.
Amber: As we wrap up this episode, we hope you feel inspired by the incredible progress women have made and the challenges that remain. International Women's Day reminds us that real change is possible when we take action together.
Vicki: For sure. And this year's theme, Accelerate Action, is a call for all of us to push for faster progress, whether that's breaking down systemic barriers, empowering the next generation, or amplifying the voices of the women in our communities.
Amber: Yeah, and we encourage you to take action this International Women's Day. Look for events in your area, whether it's a fundraiser, a walk, or maybe a workshop. Get involved. Every small effort contributes to creating a more equitable world.
Vicki: Yes. And together, let's celebrate the achievements of women. Honor the trailblazers who've paved the way and keep working to accelerate action for gender equality.
Amber: Thanks for pulling up a chair at our unapologetic brunch table [00:18:00] today. If you enjoyed the conversation, don't forget to like subscribe and leave us a review. It's like tipping your server, but for podcasts and Hey, sign up for our weekly newsletter using the link in the show notes so you never miss the juiciest, most unfiltered chats we're serving up.
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