NORTHAMPTON — One of the organizers behind Western Mass Code Pink Women for Peace’s annual commemoration of International Women’s Day on Wednesday believes this year represents an opportunity.

“This year there are so many things happening politically in the U.S. since the election that we thought we wanted to reach out to people addressing what’s happening,” said Susan Triolo, an organizer for the group.

For a 12th year, Triolo’s organization will sponsor the local festivities, a chance to celebrate strong women near and far.

From 6:45 to 9 p.m., in the First Churches of Northampton’s Lyman Hall at 129 Main St., several female speakers will discuss activism and share stories of fighting for equality. The event features music by the Offbeat Womyn Drummers and The Raging Grannies.

Among the speakers is Irene “Strong Oak” LeFebvre, an American Indian of Maliseet and Mi’Kmaq descent. Executive director of the Visioning B.E.A.R. Circe Intertribal Coalition, she works to prevent domestic and sexual violence in intertribal communities.

“Women have a key role to play in teaching others about the role of gender (equality) that was once really established in (the) indigenous community,” LeFebvre said.

She plans to explore how women are connected to the land, as well as issues that modern women face, especially minorities.

“They say ‘make America great again,’ but it seems like ‘make America white again,’ to me,” LeFebvre said.

According to Triolo, featured speakers will discuss the notion of “otherness.”

Triolo hopes those attending the commemoration will leave with this message: “We are all part of the same race and that is the human race.”

Women, said LeFebvre, remain discriminated against.

“Until equality is reached for women, we have to keep doing this,” she said.

“We want people to know about the history of women. We want people to celebrate the progress of women’s work and women’s political progressiveness. We don’t hear a whole lot about it in the news,” added Triolo.

Other speakers include Asima Silva, a Worcester native, and Moo Kho Paw, whose speech is titled, “From Burmese Refugee to American Citizen.” Paw is a business manager at Prosperity Candle in Easthampton, which provides entrepreneurial assistance to female refugees, and entrepreneurs in Haiti and Iraq.

“The more that there are women leaders, the better the world is going to be,” Triolo said.