Rise up for gender justice!

Celebrating International Women’s Day – March 8, 2026

On March 8, International Women’s Day, and beyond, we celebrate women’s achievements and renew our commitment to advance a feminist and just vision for our unions, our workplaces, our communities and our economy.

Thank you to all the Women of Steel within our union. You are leaders, activists, volunteers and instigators. Your advocacy for social equity, economic equality, better workplace design and stronger policies makes our workplaces better for all workers.

Our union is stronger thanks to you. We celebrate women and all gender-diverse people on International Women’s Day.

Dangerous shifts in right-leaning politics, the politics of division and public policy rollbacks threaten our struggle for equality.

In this context, it is even more important to celebrate the history-making swearing in of Roxanne Brown as our USW International President. Roxanne is the first woman and the first racialized person to lead our international union.

She is a trailblazer and a beacon of hope for workers, for unions and for women. Learn more about Roxanne here.

Later this month, Roxanne will speak at the USW National & International Women’s Conference in Toronto with the theme Women of Steel – Education for a New Era.

All trade unionists must join with women and gender-diverse labour activists in the fight for gender justice in our unions, at work, in our communities, through collective bargaining and in the policies and laws we advocate for.

You can help celebrate International Women’s Day in your union by:

• hosting an event
• showcasing the USW’s Raising the Bar campaign for women’s health and safety
• speaking on women’s and gender-diverse people’s issues at your local union, at labour council, at work and at conventions and conferences
• including women and women’s issues in bargaining
• emphasizing the USW’s anti-harassment and anti-violence policies
• ensuring union activities are more inclusive of Steelworkers who identify as female

In solidarity,

Marty Warren
USW National Director

Scott Lunny
USW District 3 Director (Western Canada and the Territories)

Nicolas Lapierre
USW District 5 Director (Quebec)

Kevon Stewart
USW District 6 Director (Ontario and Atlantic Provinces)

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter