How far women have come is represented in this month's creative window display in downtown Squamish.
The "Then and Now" window is in honour of International Women's Day, which is March 8.
This display is to align with a two-week-long, virtual, silent auction featuring locally owned businesses from the Sea to Sky Corridor.
The campaign is to benefit .
All proceeds will go to support the underfunded programs at drop-in centres in 麻豆社国产and Whistler.
Starting March 8, go to to bid.
The campaign ends on March 22.
Then
On the left of the window display is the 1950s and 60s scene, complete with vintage advertisements representing women's place as in the home, an aproned mannequin, a 'baby,' and a rotary phone set on a retro telephone table.
"I wanted to represent the , which was kind of a step backwards in women's rights," said Valerie Nagy, assistant manager at Pearl's and the window display's designer.
Nagy noted that women's rights had previously been making leaps and bounds with the suffragette movement and women taking the place of men when they went off to fight in the Second World War.
"And then after the war, there was this period, in the 50s, especially where women were kind of relegated back into the home. And, and this really traditional view of, you know, a woman as a wife and a mother," she said.
"That's why I have gone for specifically the 50s and early 60s kind of look because that's the time — in my opinion — where women really kind of took a step backwards."
Now
On the right is where women are in the modern era, represented by many different careers that are available to women now, including a paramedics uniform.
The uniform is not for sale, Nagy stressed, but belonged to one of the store's regulars.
All items in the window were donations to Pearl's.
There are also depictions of famous female public figures who have broken down barriers or exposed them,
The first item for the window display Nagy found about a year ago when someone dropped off a bunch of fake lemons to Pearl’s.
"I was just looking at these lemons. And I'm like, 'You know what, I can use these. Because when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, right?'"
Like many things that happen at Pearl's it was serendipitous that on the day she was to organize the window, she was looking through books to put in the display and discovered the "How to Squeeze a Lemon," cookbook to go with the decorative lemons.
"I don't even know why that cookbook would exist, but it's there. It is at Pearl's. It's perfect timing," she said, with a laugh. "And it was my favourite part of it. Things just fell into place, you know, as they often do at Pearl's."
Nagy said as far as women have come, society has to stay vigilant where women's rights are concerned.
There are some who seem to want to reverse things back to the bygone era represented in the "Then" window, she said, pointing to thein some parts of the U.S.
"Attitudes can backslide quite easily," she said.
In addition to the window display, Pearl's is also hosting a selfie wall out front with a graphic to promote equality.
This is to align with the campaign to promote breaking the bias (#breakthebias) where people can make a statement selfie in an arms-crossed stance to show their support for the cause, Nagy said.
People are encouraged to use the custom hashtag and tag in their selfie posts.
