Gatherings held in Regina, Saskatoon for International Women's Day

Gender equality and women's rights were top of mind for people gathering in Saskatchewan cities on Wednesday in recognition of International Women's Day.

Events were held to callon people to mourn missing and murdered Indigenous women and support victims of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

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One of the speakers at the Regina event was Jo-Anne Dusel, executive director of the Provincial Association of Transition Houses and Services.

Dusel talked about how the first International Women's Day was more than a century ago, and how women were pushing for equal wages and rights back then.

"Unfortunately, it's over 100 years later and women are still not there," Dusel said.

"We haven't reached the true equality that some people think we have."

Shedescribed an inequality in the number of female MPs and how women in Canada are still earning less than men.

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"There's all kinds of things that still need to be done, and we're here to add our voices to the thousands of women around the world who are also protesting and gathering on this day," she said.

A similar gathering was held in Saskatoon.