Ottawa group celebrates International Women’s Day through cross-cultural activities

For the past decade the Ottawa chapter of the Intercultural Dialogue Institute (IDI) has been celebrating International Women’s Day.

This year, IDI hosted a women-only event at North Light Educational Services to highlight community contributions made by women who voluteer.

“It’s so important for us to see the gifts that each other’s cultures contribute, not just to Ottawa but to Canada and, increasingly, the world,” Ann Miller, vice chair of the IDI board, said.

The non-profit IDI was founded in 2010 and has 11 chapters operating in five Canadian provinces today. Locally, IDI Ottawa hosts educational events, cultural programs and social gatherings that cater to different ages and interests within the community.

On March 3, more than 150 women took part in IDI’s cross-cultural celebration which featured a group meditation session, a performance of traditional Chinese dance and a Brazilian dance class. Canada commemorates International Women’s Day, on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements and advocate for gender equality.

“Bringing people together and getting to know each other, especially through food, dance, and in this case, meditation, is a wonderful way for us to share our humaneness and commonalities,” Miller said.

The sound of deep breaths filled the room as Tolani Mak, founder of TC Wellness and a wellness routine coach, guided attendees through breathing exercises. Mak explained the potential of these exercises to alleviate stress, highlighting the necessity for women to prioritize self-care in their busy lives.

In conclusion, she urged the audience get in the habit of repeating certain phrases that centre on self-love and acceptance.

“I have many clients who are just exhausted, and anything they can do to make small gains during their day is a huge win. And that makes me super happy,” said Mak.  

Up next, Wenxin Cui, a kindergarten teacher and traditional Chinese dancer, captivated the audience with a mesmerizing performance and beaded attire.

“This dance represents the beauty, strength and power of women,” said Cui. 

Cui said she was happy to be able to share a culturally significant performance, emphasizing that International Women’s Day is “a very important day” in China.

Next Mariana Santos, founder and CEO of Brazily Fitness, convinced the women in the audience to join the groove, guiding attendees through an energetic Brazilian dance fitness class.

She said she started her Brazilian dance program to inspire individuals to embrace movement as a means of self-expression, confidence-building and well-being.

“Brazilian dance fitness workouts are all about helping people feel safe and confident in their own skin,” Santos said.

The energetic instructor said she was a “very shy” and “self-conscious” child.

“I was that kid in school who hated gym class. I was always the last one chosen for teams,” Santos said. 

When Santos was 14, her family moved from Canada to Brazil. She said it was then that she discovered her passion for Brazilian music and dance.

“In Brazil, I learned about different ways to move my body that I enjoyed,” she said. When I came back to Canada, I knew that this is what I wanted to do, so I started working as a personal trainer.” 

Santos emphasized that people frequently underestimate the transformative power of dance, highlighting its significance beyond calorie burning or weight loss.

“When we find a community and we’re all sharing experiences, then we don’t feel so alone, and I think that’s another benefit of dance,” Santos said. 

Jenna Sudds, the federal minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Kanata-area MP, was on hand to highlight the importance of community strength and women’s potential to drive positive change in society.

Next up for IDI is an Iftar dinner at Parliament Hill on March 21 to celebrate Ramadan. The event is being organized with the Ottawa Police Service.

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