If I had one wish to make on this International Women's Day , it would be summed up in one word: unite.

I hope that one day women will be able to support each other, without judgment of color, race, size or social status. That they will support each other with their skills, expertise and strengths. It seems vital to me to create this chain of mutual aid. A network of solidarity that would be tolerant, compassionate and understanding of the difficulties, failures and differences that we all carry, at one time or another.

Let us unite as women and teach our daughters and granddaughters to reach out to those who are alone in the schoolyard and reach out to them. Let us teach them that together, they carry the legacy of the generations that came before them and that they perpetuate it. That this gesture of fraternity that they make today, they will be able to repeat for the rest of their lives. Above all, I hope that we commit to passing on to them our experience, our life, so that they can add our wisdom to their skills.

Yes, it is important to have a day dedicated to women and our rights, but even more so, we must be proud of doing our best every day and of having helped or comforted another woman regularly.

Women are facing many challenges due to the global pandemic. To read the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Expert Panel’s recommendations for advancing women entrepreneurs in Canada during and in the wake of COVID-19, click here .