Equality Breakfast 2019
Equality Breakfast 2019
International Women’s Day
March 8, 2019
Please note this event has passed
For current events see: Attend an event
We are grateful to the more than 800 friends, supporters, sponsors, and allies who helped us celebrate International Women’s Day at our sold-out annual Equality Breakfast on March 8. Thanks to your incredible response, we raised much-needed funds to advance equality and justice for those in BC who are marginalized because of their gender.
You can now relive the magic—or see what you missed—by viewing the photo gallery featuring beautiful shots by Johnny Liu and Valerie Hsu of Johnny Liu Photography.
See our FAQ section for more details on tickets, venue, and more!
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Willie J. Parker
Dr. Parker is a reproductive justice advocate who travels as an abortion provider in Alabama and Georgia, and the author of the recently released book, Life’s Work: A Moral Argument for Choice. His most recent work has focused on violence against women, sexual assault, and reproductive rights and justice through advocacy and provision of contraceptive and abortion services.
Dr. Parker’s talk will touch on the fundamental importance of reproductive justice to the broader gender equality movement, the subtle and not so subtle ways that access to abortion continues to be threatened despite hard fought court victories in the United States and Canada, the particular impacts of reproductive injustice on bodies of colour, and why as a man of faith he considers this critical work.
Notably, Dr. Parker is a recipient of the 2013 Physicians for Reproductive Health Dr. George Tiller Provider Award, the 2015 Helen Rodriguez-Trias Social Justice Award and the 2016 Dr. Felicia Stewart Advocacy Award from the American Public Health Association, and the 2016 Dr. David Gunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Abortion Care Network.
Dr. Parker was also recently honored by the United Nations Office of Human Rights as one of 12 Women’s Human Rights Defenders on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations’ Fourth World Conference on Women. He is also a recipient of Planned Parenthood’s 2015 Margaret Sanger Award. Dr. Parker is a 2007-2008 Leadership Training Initiative Fellow. He joined the Physicians for Reproductive Health board in November 2007 and is the current Chair.
Parker holds a BA from Berea College in Kentucky, an MD from the University of Iowa, a Master of Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and a Master of Science from the University of Michigan. He completed residencies in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Cincinnati and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and was an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the Centers for Disease Control. Dr. Parker served as assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii prior to completing a fellowship in Family Planning at the University of Michigan in 2008. He is both board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and trained in preventive medicine.
Emcee: Gloria Macarenko
Long time CBC News host Gloria Macarenko takes the host chair on Metro Vancouver’s afternoon show On The Coast, where she explores the day’s news and local communities, and goes in-depth with hyper-local stories. Gloria is also host of CBC Television’s Our Vancouver, a current affairs television show, as well as The Story from Here, a national Radio One show that brings Canadians the most lively and intriguing interviews from across the country.
She has twice been nominated for the Gemini Awards in the category of “Best News Anchor” in Canada and was recently named as a member of the Order of Canada.
Long time CBC News host Gloria Macarenko takes the host chair on Metro Vancouver’s afternoon show On The Coast, where she explores the day’s news and local communities, and goes in-depth with hyper-local stories. Gloria is also host of CBC Television’s Our Vancouver, a current affairs television show, as well as The Story from Here, a national Radio One show that brings Canadians the most lively and intriguing interviews from across the country.
Previously, Gloria hosted CBC Radio One’s B.C. Almanac where she connected with British Columbians through conversation. Prior to that, Macarenko hosted the award-winning newscast CBC News Vancouver at 5 & 6. She has twice been nominated for the Gemini Awards in the category of “Best News Anchor” in Canada.
Gloria is an award-winning journalist and senior leader on the news team. In her time with CBC, she has been awarded a Jack Webster Award for “Best News Reporting”, multiple RTNDA Awards and a Leo award for “Best Anchor in a News Program” with former co-host Ian Hanomansing. Gloria has guest hosted on The National and CBC News Now.
Gloria’s relationship with British Columbia goes far beyond the newsroom. You can see her volunteering and hosting for organizations such as Arts Umbrella, Dr. Peter Centre, RCH Hospital Foundation, BC Cancer Foundation, the Gordon Smith Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Canada, the Prince Rupert Foundation and the International Women’s Forum.
Born and raised in Prince Rupert, her travels take her around B.C. When not in the host chair, or on the road, she can be found enjoying a good book or sampling the spectacular culinary adventures Vancouver is known for.
Volunteer with us next year!
Are you passionate about gender equality and social justice?
Would you like to contribute to the success of a large-scale fundraising event?
Email us at breakfast@westcoastleaf.org for more info.
2019 Equality Breakfast Photos
Welcome to the 2019 Equality Breakfast photo gallery. What a photogenic crew of equality supporters you folks are!*
These gorgeous images were captured by the talented Johnny Liu and Valerie Hsu, both of Johnny Liu Photography. You can follow Johnny Liu Photography on Facebook Instagram and Pinterest. Photo files are compressed; to see a larger image, click on the photo, it will open in a new window, then click on it again to see a higher-resolution version.
*If you would prefer that we take an image down from our website, don’t hesitate to contact us to make a specific request.
Partner with us next year!
Demonstrate that you value gender inclusion and diversity in leadership in BC
Our annual Equality Breakfast is only possible because of the generous support of our Partners. Partnership is a highly visible way to demonstrate that you value gender inclusion and diversity in leadership, are committed to social responsibility, support access to justice for all, and want to see a more equal and just BC.
To learn more about the impacts and benefits of partnership, send us an email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Event Details
March 8, 2019
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 West Georgia Street. See map.
The Equality Breakfast menu is, as usual, lacto-ovo vegetarian with a vegan option upon request. For other dietary requests including allergies, please fill out the form linked in your order confirmation email.
The venue has a recently upgraded air filtration system. We will have N95 masks available for guests.
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is wheelchair accessible. We provide American Sign Language interpretation and CART live captioning. Please let us know if you would benefit from ASL interpretation so that we can ensure that you have appropriate seating. For those who use a wheelchair or other assisted mobility device, we would like to reserve you a fully accessible seat.
Please enter any accessibility requests on your order form or email info@westcoastleaf.org. Please note that the deadline for accessibility requests is Friday, March 3.
There will be a photographer present to help us capture the event. If you do not want your photo taken for any reason, please let the photographer know. You may be photographed in a crowd shot. If you have safety concerns regarding photography, we will have a lanyard that you can wear to help us identify which crowd shots we should not publish or use to promote our activities.
Tickets
Registration for this event is non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, you are welcome to transfer your ticket to a friend, colleague, or loved one. You are also welcomed to donate it back to us and we will redistribute it to a community member who might otherwise be unable to attend.
To take advantage of this option, please donate the ticket back to us via info@westcoastleaf.org no later than Friday, March 3, 2023.
Yes; you can ensure you are seated together by either becoming a Partner or by purchasing a table. Your organization can become a Partner, which, among other benefits, will give you access to a priority table so you can socialize with your group.
We do have a limited number of tables available for purchase. Otherwise, we suggest you plan to arrive early to choose seats together from the available open seating.
Tax receipts will be issued for a portion of the ticket and/or table purchase prices.
Partnerships
To learn about the impact and benefits of becoming a Partner, request a partnership package, or to discuss your level of support, please send us an email.
Silent auction
The silent auction will be available online and in person this year. You’ll have several days to peruse and bid on coveted items and services.
Can’t attend the event? You can still make your bids and win your most-wanted items. More details to come!
To donate to the silent auction, send an email and someone on our team will get back to you!
Membership
By purchasing an individual ticket, you are automatically eligible to become a member. Opt-in on the payment page!
If you did not purchase an individual ticket, you can purchase a membership.
Yes!