Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Saturday, March 8th, was International Women’s Day, a time to celebrate the achievement of women and what they have accomplished here in the North, across Canada and certainly across the world.
I personally support the equality of women in all aspects of our world and certainly in our lives. All women so readily deserve our love, appreciation and definitely our respect.
Women, as we know, are equal contributors to the world we know and they must not be thought of in any lesser manner. They are recognized leaders in all aspects of business, politics, academics, sports and family. The results of their work and dedication can be found everywhere we look. Simply, more can be done to recognize the impacts women make in our lives. Sadly, they do not get the recognition they deserve and at times they absolutely have crimes against them, which is certainly unfair and we must highlight the accomplishments and support them in many ways.
At the same time, many women, both young and old, have been unfairly targeted by others through violence and exploitation. We need to look no further than the recently deeply disappointing example in Ottawa, where a Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women failed to act. I believe they failed not just Aboriginal women but all women and girls across Canada and the world through their inaction. Without proceeding to a formal inquiry to address this terrible, terrible problem on addressing the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, they have failed them.
So, here is a clear example on how women are not being supported in Canada. I certainly hope our territory stands up loud and clear and expresses its objection. We must do everything we can to support women to help them through the education of everyone, and certainly through our actions here as men. We must all join together, because a woman’s fight is a man’s fight as well. We must help them in their relentless struggle for gender equality, which certainly they deserve.
On the weekend, the wise women that certainly deserved our recognition were Karen Willy, Pamela Faith Gordon, Patricia Modeste, Sister Margaret Beaudette and Harriet Geddes.
Of course, I must make sure I mention that wise woman in my life would be, of course, my wife, and I’m very grateful for her, but I especially want to acknowledge the wise woman in my life who I look towards the most, which, of course, is my mother.
I draw this attention because I say in closing that there is so much to celebrate, but to support women on every single occasion we must continue with the work that needs to be done. I believe we can do this through making it a better world and we can do this, certainly, together. I ask all men to join together in the women’s fight for equality.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
