Punk rocker and breast cancer survivor Bif Naked opened up as few have seen her when she spoke at a standing-room only event Friday at the University of the Fraser Valley.

The popular Vancouver rocker talked of body image, dealing with the media, tattoos and her battle with cancer at the International Women's Day celebration at UFV's Abbotsford campus.

And with big watery eyes, she connected with her audience on a whole other level.

"Everyone here has a different story," she said.

Fighting adversity was the main theme, and having a strong female voice is one of the ways women and men can learn about the difficulties women face in today's society, she said.

"When we gather like this . . . the mutuality will find you; your confidence, it will always get you through," she said, wearing her emotion on her sleeve. "There's something empowering about what we share as women. It's just a fact that we're all connected in this way."

After Naked's talk Friday, UFV announced it will bestow an honorary degree upon the singer at the June convocation for her outstanding contribution to the performing arts, her courage in dealing with a number of personal challenges (including breast cancer), and especially for her inspirational and life-changing work with young women.