If women stopped working, would society continue to function?

The intention of the Red Velvet Web is to make the invisible visible — to hold the indispensable roles of Canadian women as an example of what is necessary and what is possible, and to encourage positive change on a local, national, and global scale.

This film has the opportunity to connect with people on both an intellectual and emotional level, and educate a vast majority of the Canadian public who believe that women are already guaranteed equality under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms — which doesn’t always play out that way in society.

Women have faced and continue to face discrimination that keeps them from fully enjoying their rights which are paramount to enhancing economic productivity, improving development outcomes for the next generation, and making institutions and policies more representative.

We are a rational community when we have the knowledge and opportunity to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. Sharing personal experiences, such as the stories portrayed in this film, with the wider public is critical to create change. Now is the time for those who sense or experience intolerance to join the public debate.

The discussions in this film should prompt viewers to be cognisant of the greater roles women play in our community, and to think critically about what it means to respect and advocate for everyone’s rights, regardless of their gender identity. Once informed, the hope is that people will use their collective voice and stand against this gender-based violation of human rights to make change that will truly transform our country.