Iqaluit Fire Department staffed by allfemale team on International Women’s Day

Fire department observes International Women’s Day for second year

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Iqaluit

For the second year in a row, the Iqaluit Fire Department celebrated International Women’s Day (March 8) by having the department entirely staffed by women.

According to the City of Iqaluit, 35 per cent of the city’s firefighters are women, as opposed to three per cent nationally.

The origins of International

Women’s Day go back to 1909-1910, when socialist organizations in New York City, USA, and Denmark observed the first days in February 1909 and August 1910, respectively. In subsequent years, the event was observed by various countries generally around late February and March.

In 1977, the United Nations officially declared March 8 as International Women’s Day. Since then it has been accepted as the date for International Women’s Day.