By Lincoln DePradine

Veteran trade unionist Andria Babbington is encouraging Canadian women to “speak out’’ and show solidarity with women in other countries.

“Do not stay silent,’’ Babbington urged, while speaking at an International Women’s Day (IWD) event last Sunday in Toronto.

She told participants at the IWD “Solidarity & The Movement for Peace’’ gathering that it’s “important that we keep talking to one another and pushing one another, in a good way’’.

Jamaica-born Babbington is president of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council (TYRLC). She’s been president since 2021; the first Black woman to lead the TYRLC.

Babbington’s labour activism began as a teenager when she joined the housekeeping staff at a downtown Toronto hotel. At 19, she became one of the youngest chief stewards in her union’s history.

On Sunday, she recalled the occasions spent with fellow hotel workers, many of them immigrant women like herself.

At times, she said, there was “fighting’’ among themselves, until they finally realized that, although they came “from all over the globe, in the end, we’re one; and, for us to win, it’s going to take all of us together’’.

International Women’s Day “is supposed to be exciting’’, but it feels like women are making one step forward and several backwards, said Babbington.

She referenced ongoing struggles of women, including those who lose their lives in conflicts such as the war in Gaza.

“Stand up for one another. Shame on us if we are not stepping up to support the ones that are in this struggle right now,’’ Babbington said.

“If you are from Palestine, I want to say to you, I’m sorry for what you’re going through. But your fight is my fight. When I hurt, my hurt is no different from yours.’’

The Toronto & York Region Labour Council, which represents more than 220,000 workers, stands up for “racial justice, economic justice and social justice’’, Babbington said.

“Sisters, queens, brothers, comrades, let us continue this fight; let us continue to speak out. You have a right to the tree of life,’’ she said.

 “If you’re the quiet one, it’s okay to speak up. If you can’t do it loud enough, then write it. If we have to write to someone to say, take this journey with me, let’s do it,’’ Babbington appealed.

“Others made this journey before us. Others came before us and wrote the books; some of those pages, we haven’t read yet. But we’re here and so, we have a duty to make sure that we contribute to this message.’’

Women ought to feel “proud of who we are’’ and also to “stand strong’’, Babbington said.

“We are proud as women. We are proud to be somebody’s daughter; we are proud to be somebody’s mother. But, we have to continue with our role to speak out, stand up and continue to lead,’’ she said.

“Continue to speak out. Continue to stand up. We know our fight don’t come in nice weather.’’