March 7, 2025 - 3:30pm
Dear VIU Community,
Today, on International Women’s Day 2025, we join people around the world in celebrating the achievements of women and reaffirming our collective commitment to gender equity. This year’s theme, “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, highlights the urgent need to break down barriers, challenge bias, and create environments where all women - regardless of background or identity - can thrive.
At Vancouver Island University, we believe that true progress is only possible when everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute, lead, and succeed. VIU’s Strategic Plan, People, Place, Potential, is grounded in a strong commitment to deepening equity, diversity, and inclusion, ensuring that we continue to build a healthier, more inclusive place to work and learn. A key priority within our EDI Action Plan is advancing gender equity, recognizing that diverse perspectives and experiences enrich our community and enhance the quality of education, research, and innovation.
To do this important work, we must acknowledge and address the systemic barriers that prevent full participation. Implicit bias and discrimination, whether subtle or overt, persist in many forms. As a university, we have a responsibility to not only recognize these challenges but to take meaningful action to remove them. This means fostering an environment where equity-deserving people, including women, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals, feel valued, supported, and empowered.
Today is a call for all of us to #AccelerateAction. Let’s take time to reflect, learn, and engage in conversations that help us build a future where gender equity is not just an ideal, but a lived reality. Together, we can ensure that VIU continues to be a place where everyone belongs and where the contributions of all individuals are recognized and celebrated.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Sincerely,
David Paterson, Ph.D.
Associate Vice-President, Diversity, Equity and Human Rights
Vancouver Island University
Tags: Teaching and Learning
