Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, March 8th, today, is International Women's Day. On this day, I would like to highlight both the strides we are making in the Northwest Territories and the challenges faced by women in taking on leadership roles.
Our government has made mandate commitments to increase the number of women in leadership roles, both on public boards and in electoral politics. Since the beginning of the 18th Legislative Assembly, the Government of the Northwest Territories has appointed 172 persons to public boards, 95 women and 77 men. This brings the total composition of territorial government board appointments to 122 women and 120 men. Overall, we now have an approximately equal number of men and women serving on Government of the Northwest Territories public boards. This is cause for celebration, and we thank the well-qualified women who have stepped forward to serve as board members.
As important as this achievement is, we still have work to do. We need to increase the representation of women in leadership roles on these boards. Currently, only 36 per cent of our public boards have women serving in the role of president or chair. The picture is less encouraging when it comes to elected leadership positions. Women in the Northwest Territories have largely been underrepresented in elected leadership positions for many years, especially at the territorial level. You have only to look around this Chamber, Mr. Speaker, to know that this is true. Today, on International Women's Day, I would like to thank my
colleague, Ms. Julie Green, the MLA for Yellowknife Centre and the only other woman Member of this 18th Legislative Assembly, for being here.
There are many more women who could be here. We all know strong women in our communities who are working to ensure that everyone's families are secure and well-cared for, and that our communities are safe. I recently had the honour of meeting some outstanding women leaders at the inaugural Women's Caucus of the Northwest Territories Association of Communities, and I sincerely hope that they consider running for territorial election in the near future.
Women face many barriers; they may be paid less in their jobs than their male counterparts, and they may bear a disproportionate share of the workload of caring for children and aging or disabled relatives while still managing their households, and these factors make it harder for many women to enter politics, but I have met many strong women who want their communities to be healthy places to live, and they are holding governments accountable at all levels in all of the ways that they can, including through their own participation as elected leaders.
Unfortunately, many strong women who do seek, and win, elected leadership positions are often stereotyped or judged negatively. Women who make it into leadership roles are often second-guessed, left out of decisions, or even set up to fail, purely because they are women. Instead of being valued for the perspective they can provide, they often find themselves having to walk a tightrope of being just assertive "enough" to get their work done without being walked over or being so strong as to alienate those around them. All while facing superwoman-level expectations of balancing life, family, community, and work, not to mention standards of personal appearance that are only applied to our gender.
Too few people consider the consequences of these negative judgements and levels of burden on women in their public and private lives. However, they are a form of violence, that day by day and year by year crushes women's spirits, dampens our ambitions, and discourages our young women from taking the risks and acquiring the skills to become leaders.
All of us in this House, men as well as women, need to be active in our support of women. We need more women in decision-making roles at all levels, especially here in our consensus government. This is not only a matter of basic fairness; the inclusion of more women's perspectives means better decision-making and more balanced policy choices for everyone.
This is why our government, through the Women's Advisory office, has been offering Campaign Schools for Women. The first campaign school for 2018 took place this past weekend in Fort Simpson on March 3rd and 4th, and a second is scheduled for Yellowknife on the weekend of March 10th and 11th. Women throughout the Northwest Territories can come and gain the knowledge they need to run for elected office at all levels, from district education authorities all the way to the Legislative Assembly. The school also provides skills for those who would like to support women candidates by working on their campaigns, but our campaign schools can address only a few of the obstacles for women in the field of politics.
As a Cabinet Minister and a woman, I encourage everyone in this House to help us level the playing field. This is a time of change and opportunity. Listen to women, question stereotypes and negative judgments of women leaders, encourage talented women to lead, and offer them some real help, like donating to their campaigns or providing a few hours of child or other care. If you are a successful politician, mentor a woman to step into your shoes.
I am very confident that, with a level playing field, at least as many northern women will succeed as leaders as men do now, at every level, and we will all be better for it.
Happy International Women's Day. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister responsible for Public Engagement and Transparency.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to update this House on our government's progress in advancing our mandate commitments for increasing government transparency and accountability.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce today our government's release of an Open Government Policy. The Open Government Policy was developed based on input we received from Northwest Territories residents through a public engagement campaign, as well as collaboration with GNWT departments and research on open government initiatives in other jurisdictions. I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Government Operations for their work to review and provide feedback on the Open Government Policy, which enabled us to improve it for the benefit of our residents.
This policy represents an important step toward openness and transparency by providing definitions, principles, and a framework to guide the development of directives, guidelines, and tools that will allow our government to fulfill its commitment to openness in a more consistent and predictable way. This will improve the way our government shares information and data with the public, and how we engage with the public to ensure residents have the meaningful opportunities to provide input on government decisions that affect them. All Ministers are accountable under this policy, Mr. Speaker, and will ensure that their departments and agencies implement its provisions for open data, open information, and open dialogue.
Mr. Speaker, the concept of open government is not a new idea for the Government of the Northwest Territories. The principles of accountability and transparency that guide open government are consistent with those that guide our consensus system of government, including the importance of collaboration and participation from all Members through standing committees to strengthen our government policies and programs.
Government departments have been doing their part for years through public engagement and other information and data sharing initiatives, including the regular publication of reports and release of information on government decisions and activities.
The Open Government Policy will bring all of the existing practices and ideas across government together and help us establish clear and consistent approaches across government. This work has already begun and will be coordinated by an Open Government Steering Committee of senior government officials.
This work includes, for example, identifying the information and data of departments already released and finding ways to make it more accessible to the public; coordinating with other government initiatives aimed at increasing government openness, such as the review of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Service Innovation Strategy; developing guidelines for a consistent approach to public engagement; and developing processes to report on progress on the of implementation of open government.
One of the first new actions is the launch today of an open government website that acts as a central location for open government initiatives and links to the various data, information, and public engagement resources across government.
Our government has made progress on a number of other initiatives in support of improved accountability and transparency. I am pleased to announce that, before the end of this sitting, we will be, by March 15th, launching a new web portal with information for residents, businesses, and organizations on how to file an appeal or complaint related to a government decision or action. This will fulfill our government's mandate commitment to make residents aware of the mechanisms available to appeal government decisions.
As Members know, Mr. Speaker, we are also in the process of drafting legislation to establish an ombudsperson office in the Northwest Territories, following consultation with the Standing Committee on Government Operations. An ombudsperson would be an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly who would investigate complaints about the administrative fairness of government practices and services and provide an additional venue to ensure fair, reasonable, and equitable government administration. We plan to introduce proposed legislation later this year.
Mr. Speaker, I continue to believe that increasing government accountability and transparency by improving the way we share data and information and engage with residents is an ongoing process, not a destination. We continue to make progress to this end through these initiatives, as our government remains committed to continuing to improve the way we do business to fulfill our mandate commitments and advance the priorities of this Legislative Assembly through the remainder of our term. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Mr. Speaker, today, on International Women's Day, I am very proud to rise and recognize Ms. Sharon Firth, who has joined us in the visitors' gallery. Ms. Firth, a four-time Olympian, a northern hero and role model, was recently recognized by Canada Post, along with her sister Shirley, as two of Canada's greatest women athletes.
Earlier today, Ms. Firth proudly presented me with a framed set of stamps. Each stamp features one of six Canadian women athletes in a moment of celebration, as well as a full-colour, freeze-frame action shot representing a defining moment in their sports careers.
Mr. Speaker, Ms. Firth and her sister Shirley competed in four consecutive Olympic Winter Games and four World Ski Championships. Sharon and Shirley captivated the North and Canada from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s with their incredible sporting exploits. Together, the sisters amassed a total of 79 medals at national championships, including 48 national titles.
Although Shirley is no longer with us, Sharon continues to be a role model and an inspiration for thousands of young people as a youth and leadership specialist with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
Since attending the Olympics, Ms. Firth has been recognized and awarded the Order of Canada, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award. She has been inducted into the Northwest Territories Sport Hall of Fame and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and she has been awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta, among numerous other awards and distinctions.
Mr. Speaker, the Firth sisters were trailblazers for women, for Indigenous Canadians, and for all Northerners in Canada and around the world. Thank you, Sharon, for all you have contributed to sport and for creating positive legacies for the years to come. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause
Masi. Ministers' statements. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, the Government of the Northwest Territories has a mandate commitment to foster healthy families by focusing on wellness, prevention, and improved nutrition. To achieve this commitment, the Department of Health and Social Services has made it a priority to support community wellness initiatives in communities across the NWT with funding provided through Indigenous Services Canada.
The department is currently working with communities to renew their wellness plans to prepare for the new five-year funding cycle for 2019-2024. Based on these community wellness plans, the Government of the Northwest Territories provides $5 million each year directly to Indigenous and community governments and to organizations to invest in local wellness initiatives.
The wellness initiatives that we support benefit residents directly and also allow our government to foster partnerships with many different organizations, including Indigenous and community governments. These partnerships are key to how the Department of Health and Social Services is working to achieve our goal of best health, best care, and better future for all NWT residents.
I would like to highlight some of these successful wellness initiatives. The Territorial initiatives that benefit residents across NWT include the On the Land Collaborative, the Take a Kid Trapping program, the Take a Kid Gardening program, as well as prenatal programs that are delivered in partnership with the Indigenous governments at boarding homes in Inuvik and Ndilo.
Regional initiatives include Let's Be Tobacco Free in the Beaufort Delta, the recent suicide prevention workshop hosted by the Dehcho District Education Council in Fort Simpson, and Family Violence Awareness projects at the three Aurora College campuses in Inuvik, Fort Smith, and Yellowknife.
Mr. Speaker, I recently attended the Northwest Territories Association of Communities annual general meeting, along with many Members of this House. The highlight of the meeting for me was the opportunity to present the Healthy Community Award to the community of Gameti. Gameti built a greenhouse and community garden that not only distributed harvests to elders and families, but also provided jobs, contributed to the mental well-being and happiness of the community, and enabled youth to gain valuable work experience with the satisfaction of knowing that the food they harvested was something that they helped to create. This is an excellent example of the positive results that can be achieved by communities when working together to support healthy choices. I would like to say, "A job well done," to Gameti.
Finally, I would also like to highlight the Community Healthy Living Fairs. Over the past three years, our government directly supported 18 fairs in our smaller communities. Over the next few years, we hope this will grow into an initiative where there will be fairs in all 33 communities.
As Members know, these fairs highlight information on healthy choices and include topics like breast and colorectal cancers, sexual health, healthy relationships, healthy eating, healthy lungs, early childhood development, breastfeeding, as well as oral health.
We've received great feedback from these fairs. One of the positive outcomes from these fairs is the opportunity for Health and Social Services staff to learn directly from community members through the Community Partnership Day. Community Partnership Day provides a forum for community members to teach resource staff about healthy living activities that they are most proud of. For example, staff have learned to bead, how to make dry meat, how to ice fish, check traps, cook traditional foods, and walk and snowmobile on community trails. They have also heard stories about the resilience of our people.
I am proud of how we have been able to support communities to undertake creative ways to participate in community wellness and healthy living throughout the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Ministers' statements. Colleagues, today is International Women's Day, and I invite you, all of you, to join me in recognizing the important role that women play in our lives, our workplaces, and our communities.
International Women's Day, which has been observed since the early 1900s, is a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It is important as friends and colleagues to encourage the continued participation of young women and girls across the territory in anything they aspire to do.
I have been inspired by my wife, with whom I have three beautiful children, three talented daughters, and we are very much equal partners together in our journey through life, and we want everything that life has to offer for our children, our girls, no matter what gender they are.
I have also been inspired by the contributions of women who have served in this Assembly past and present, who have been pioneers in demonstrating just how much of a difference they can make, that there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. Above my head is a carving done by Inuvialuit artist Angus Cockney. In this carving is a braid. This, colleagues, allows us to remember the importance of women and family as we conduct our work in this Chamber for the people of the Northwest Territories.
It is our responsibility as decision-makers to ensure that the contributions of women are celebrated and utilized to ensure that the opportunities for women continue to grow into the future. We, as elected leaders of this territory, have the ability to act as role models and also supporters to change the status quo. We must encourage female participation in all aspects of work and life, but especially within our own legislature.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on International Women's Day, we pause to celebrate the advances we have made as a society in advancing women's equality, and it is the day we take stock of the inequality that persists and rededicate our resolve for improvement.
A lot of improvement still needs to be made. A quick glance at employment occupation and income figures for the NWT shows that the rate of employment for women and men are about the same, but the rewards of pay, the inclusion in higher-paying occupation, and the proportion of sexes in senior positions are anything but equal.
Mr. Speaker, let's take a look in the pay envelope. On average, university-educated women make almost 20 per cent less annually than men with degrees. Women with high school diplomas make 10 per cent less than men with the same education, and there is more. While women are more likely to have degrees or diplomas and might be expected to have a higher rate of employment in occupations requiring advanced education or to be equally represented in high-paying trades, the fact is they are not. They remain predominantly represented in the lower-paid occupations, many of them low-paid for being so-called "women's work."
So what is to be done? In Iceland they say, "Equality won't happen by itself." They are getting tough on the gender gulf in earnings. There has been an equal pay law in Iceland since 1961, but women were still making up to 20 per cent less than men for equivalent work, so Iceland passed a better law. Within four years from now, any public or private body in Iceland employing more than 25 people that has not been independently certified as paying equal wages for work of equal value will face daily fines. France has introduced a similar law.
In the NWT, we have no similar protections for all workers, and, although the GNWT is protected by an Equal Pay Commissioner complaint system, I have seen no effort to promote or market this safeguard. Annual reports blandly observe that nobody is complaining.
Mr. Speaker, gender as equality is a right established by a United Nations convention. Fulfilling this right is the best chance we have in meeting some of the most pressing challenges of our time.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Mahsi.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, from economic crises and lack of healthcare to climate change, violence against women, and escalating conflicts, women are not only more affected by these problems, women possess ideas and leadership to solve them. The gender discrimination still holding too many women back holds our world back, too. For me, International Women's Day remains a bittersweet celebration, but a celebration nonetheless. Please join me and my sole female Legislative Assembly colleague in commemorating this day. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today celebrates International Women's Day. This year marks the 109th global commemoration for women, as International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1909. This day was meant to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This day is about calling out the many injustices that women are faced with every day, such as gender discrimination, gender violence, and the constant battle to fight for and safeguard women's rights.
While it is important, Mr. Speaker, to be informed about many struggles that women must deal with on a regular basis, I would like to celebrate this International Women's Day by sharing a story about a woman from my constituency. The woman I am speaking of is Tishna Marlowe of Lutselk'e. Tishna is a fashion designer who has her own clothing line, of which she sells and sews all the clothing herself. Her company is called Dene Couture and sells both traditional and modern clothing for men and women alike. Mr. Speaker, Tishna has been considered by many to be one of Canada's top 150 Indigenous artists and has been recognized by organizations such as the REVEAL Indigenous Art Awards. She has also received the visual art grant from the Alberta Arts Foundation. Additionally, Tishna has been an Indigenous art juror with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and she had three dresses worn at the 2017 Juno Awards. Moreover, in the last two years, Tishna has attended 22 fashion shows and has made over 50 beaded garments and countless parkas, mitts, moccasins, hats, and corsets.
Mr. Speaker, Tishna has truly reached an incredible and inspirational height. In addition to her success in the fashion industry, she is a high school graduate, she has a diploma as a legal secretary, she has an undergraduate degree in archaeology and First Nations studies. Tishna volunteers for many organizations and she donates art and shares knowledge whenever she can.
Tishna has been sewing and beading all her life, Mr. Speaker, and she credits what she has learned and the skills she has from her mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother. Upon asking if there is a recipe for success that other women could learn from, she told me, "Stay sober, stay kind, and dream big dreams, because hard work and sobriety will get you there." Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today on the occasion of International Women's Day to recognize the great achievements of the global movement for women's rights that continues to this day. First embraced by the socialist movements in the early 20th Century, International Women's Day was first adopted by the United Nations in 1975, and for more than 40 years countries around the world have celebrated today as a way to advance equality and equity for women. Although we have come far as a society to advance the women's rights and equality, there is still much work left to do.
This year's campaign is "Press for Progress" in recognition of the World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report that found that gender parity is well over 200 years away. There has never been a more important time to push for meaningful progress on this long-standing issue of justice and fairness in our world. We, the honourable Members of this House, must do our part to show leadership and give our support to women at home, at the workplace, and in our democratic institutions. Our representative democracy must be one that truly represents our people and, with only two of my colleagues here today being women, the status quo simply isn't working.
Mr. Speaker, this issue is important to me because the women in my life are so important to me, and none more so than my partner, Colleen Wellborn. Colleen has only been in the North for a few years now, but already she has made a huge difference in our community. While working in private sector residential property management, she demonstrated real leadership not only improving the quality of rental market units in the capital, but actively joining the fight against homelessness as a member of the Homeful Partnership. Colleen has since left that job and is now working for the Detoncho Development Corporation, working on skills development and employment for Indigenous people in Yellowknife and small communities. In her spare time, Colleen volunteers as a Special Olympics coach and serves on the board of the NWT Chamber of Commerce. She has shown real passion, vision, and commitment in her career, and serves as an example the huge difference women in leadership can make. Before I forget, she's also a step-mother to my son Corbin and a loving partner who always finds time for her friends and family.
Mr. Speaker, I am not alone in sharing my life with a strong woman leader. So many of us here have a partner, a daughter, a mother, or a grandmother who makes a real difference in the world around them. I call on all Members of this House and all members of the Northwest Territories to stand with the women in their lives who make a difference and let them lead us all towards real progress in this world. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would talk to talk about a young lady from my riding, Kristen Tanche. She is a Liildlii Kue First Nation Dehcho Dene and is of Icelandic and settler Canadian ancestry. She was raised in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, and lived in Whati, Gameti, Yellowknife, and Fort Simpson. As a young adult, she returned to Fort Simpson to reconnect with her family, community, and Dene culture, and where she currently resides.
Over the years, Kristen has been passionate about her education. She has attended the University of Northern British Columbia and took three semesters through Dechinta University, which offered post-secondary land-based education. Her three semesters included one at Blachford Lake, another in the Mackenzie Mountains, Indigenous Boreal Guardianship Pilot Program, and lastly a Dehcho River semester.
Currently, Kristen is in her second year of the Social Work Diploma Program through Aurora College and is completing her final practicum placement in Fort Simpson at the Children and Family Services within the Dehcho Regional Health and Social Services. She is set to graduate this April. Kristen has said that, "My education journey is not stopping once I graduate. I have plans to continue with my education either in a formal setting by completing a degree in social work and/or through learning from elders and traditional knowledge holders to become immersed in learning from my Dene culture."
Kristen chose to change her career path after many years in office administration, then tourism, to that of the social work field for numerous reasons. After many years of struggling with her own issues, she has seen others struggle, and seeing a need for more northern Indigenous people in the helping profession, she decided to pursue her hopes of helping people.
Throughout her years, Kristen was involved with leadership roles. She was elected on the Liidli Kue First Nation Band Council, and served on Fort Simpson District Education Authority. She has served as an alumni member on the Dechinta Board of Directors and was also involved with the NWT Tourism Board as the Dehcho Regional Member. More recently, Kristen was accepted as part of the fourth cohort of the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship, a policy development program for Northern people.
Kristen believes in being actively engaged in her community and region by involving within local politics. Her passion was highlighted in the TV documentary series Dene: A Journey, where she featured in a season two episode.
She is passionate about the people in the community and the people of the North's well-being. She has plans to stay in the North to continue on her journey in hopes of giving back to her community and region in the NWT. In closing, I would like to recognize Cece McCauley. She was the founding chief of the Inuvik Dene band and Honorary Chief for life. She was the first woman chief among the 23 chiefs in the Northwest Territories. She has shown tremendous leadership and courage throughout her life and has never been afraid to speak her mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to recognize International Women's Day. I believe I am an advocate for women. It's important to me. I still am learning exactly what that means and how to advocate in the best way.
Last year on International Women's Day, I stood here in this House and said something similar, but when I reflect over the past year, somehow now it feels like the ground has shifted, like things are very different. When I was a boy, my mom was my hero. She was a successful businesswoman and a single mother. I like to think she did a pretty good job of raising me. I thought she embodied the qualities that every person should live up to.
Being raised by such a woman, I have always believed in and supported equality. I try to be open-minded and fair and I always thought, or maybe I hoped, that, except for a few bad apples, our society pretty much held those same values.
Events of the past year have shown me that my view is optimistic and my hope was somewhat blind. The Me Too and Times Up movements and the stories that have emerged from the hearings into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have shown us in a harsh and undeniable way what brutal obstacles and discrimination women face. We must recognize they face them today as much as ever. In spite of years of enlightened thinking in some parts of society, many women today face systemic discrimination, dehumanizing disparagement, and sometimes physical brutality at the hands of men.
The theme of International Women's Day 2018 is Press for Progress. Progress is made towards gender parity and equality every year, but the 2017 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report says that gender parity is 200 years away. Two hundred years, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, it's good to see Me Too and Times Up gather momentum, but it's clear how much work remains to be done. We can't rest on our few achievements when so many obstacles to equality remain.
Each of us as individuals, together as leaders, must make our voices heard. We must be loud and unwavering. We must unite and challenge our friends, our colleagues, and our communities to think, act, and be gender inclusive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. Today is International Women's Day. In honour of this day, I reached out to a thoughtful, formidable, and passionate advocate of women's rights for her views to consider on this day. Here are the observations and advice from our daughter, Amber Adzeza Montreuil O'Reilly.
She said that women's ability to be active in the public and political sphere is greatly influenced by their ability to access education, childcare, reproductive rights, and domestic equality. Safe, non-judgmental spaces where youth and women are encouraged to ask questions, share their views, and participate in campaigns are needed to develop the confidence, knowledge, and skills to take a stance on political issues.
She said that all men need to value and respect not only the women in their circle of friends and family, but the women in their workplaces, communities, and societies. This means active listening, supporting female candidates, and implementing policies to close the wage and opportunities gap.
Intersectional feminism takes into consideration the various social pressures an individual may be facing in addition to being female, such as racism, homophobia, and ableism. In celebrating diversity and creating more opportunities for political involvement, our daughter said we must not neglect these realities nor the voices of trans women and non-binary individuals.
Our daughter established these views in part through her participation in this Assembly's Youth Parliament and the various parliamentary simulations offered through the French-Canadian Youth Network. These experiences were instrumental in furthering her understanding of legislative process, party politics and consensus government, public speaking, and debate. These opportunities offer youth the ability to clearly articulate and defend their opinions as well as engage in dialogue with people who may not share them. Open dialogue about current issues at schools and at home are crucial for youth to exercise their critical thinking skills and find their voices.
In taking her place in the world, our daughter has benefited from the advancements in individual freedom, the battle against misogyny, and the efforts to improve gender equity. That's the start of the road to full equality. I call upon us all to be leaders in building a world of equality for our daughters and all women.
Happy International Women's Day. Masi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleagues, I would like to recognize International Women's Day. Mr. Speaker, this year "Press for Progress" is calling on each of us to recognize that, when it comes to women's equality and women's rights, we have still got a long way to go, and we have got to keep pushing.
With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, today is the perfect day to discuss the motion on women's representation in government, moved by the Member from Yellowknife Centre.
For now, though, I would like to highlight just a few of the Nunakput women who have "pressed for progress" and made their mark in their communities, our territory, and our country. For example, in the last round of municipal elections, Ulukhaktok voters brought in an 80 per cent women-led community government, the highest in the territory, Mr. Speaker, and Paulatuk brought in a one third women-led council. As we approach the next round of elections, I hope that more women will look out for the Campaign Schools for Women. If you want to run for office at any level of government, campaign schools can help you prepare.
Mr. Speaker, Paulatuk's women elders have also been a strong guiding influence in the community. Although Anny Illasiak, also known as "Granny Uma," passed away in 2012, her legacy lives on through the local Aboriginal Head Start program she had worked at for so many years as a language teacher, storyteller, and historian. Elizabeth Kuptana, also known as "Anaanang," is dedicated to passing on traditional skills and knowledge to the next generation.
Mr. Speaker, Rosemarie Kuptana, originally from the area around Sachs Harbour, was a trailblazer in Indigenous-language broadcasting, working for CBC and the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation. The former president and national Inuit leader of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami has spent her career working to advance Inuit rights and interests to ensure the survival of traditional knowledge.
Mr. Speaker, in the workplace and in our homes, we owe a lot to these women, not only for the work they have dedicated their lives to, but also for their courage in establishing themselves as role models for young women growing up in Nunakput and the Northwest Territories today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day. The theme of this year's campaign is Press for Progress. Today, there are events being held around the world to promote and call for greater action on gender parity. This year's theme is informed by the World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report, which tells us that the global gender gap is widening, and at this rate, it will take over 200 years to achieve gender parity. While women worldwide are closing the gap in critical areas, such as health and education, significant gender inequality persists in the workforce and in politics.
Looking around this Legislature, that fact is strikingly apparent: only two of the 19 MLAs are women. One of the main reasons for this disparity is the notion, whether it be conscious or unconscious, that politics is for men. It is of the utmost importance that we actively work to dispel that myth. I am proud to say that, in Hay River, much progress has already been made on that front, and that is thanks to Ms. Jane Groenewegen.
Ms. Groenewegen represented Hay River in the Legislative Assembly for 20 years, as a Regular Member, a Cabinet Minister, the Deputy Premier, and as the chair of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning. Mr. Speaker, she was my MLA for the majority of my life. To the young women and men who have grown up in Hay River, the idea of women in politics isn't a foreign concept; it's the natural order of things.
While Ms. Groenewegen is undoubtedly one of a kind, she serves as a wonderful example for young women and continuously works to encourage other potential female leaders. She is an active participant with the Campaign School and the Daughters of the Vote, which both aim to increase women's participation in politics. She also recently agreed to let her name be put forward by the Legislative Assembly to the Canadian Women Parliamentarians Alumni Program, to once again offer her experience and insights into service in elected office in institutions predominantly occupied by men.
Her time as an MLA was not her only foray into male-dominated institutions. During her tenures with the Hay River Town Council and her early days with the Hay River and NWT Chambers of Commerce, as well as the NWT Power Corporation Board of Directors, she was always one of the only, and sometimes the only, woman. Mr. Speaker, that fact never deterred her, and it never silenced her. I am not sure anything could silence her. I am sure all of the Members she has worked with will always remember her animated critiques of the performance of Ministers -- when such critiques were required, of course.
Mr. Speaker, I want to both commend and thank Ms. Groenewegen for what she has done to address gender disparity in Hay River and the territory, and to hold her up as an example for the young women and men of this territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Colleagues, I would like to draw your attention to the visitors in the gallery. I am pleased to recognize Madame Lu, Council General of China, and Mr. Shan, Consul. Both join us here from the consulate office located in Calgary. Masi for joining us. Masi for coming to the Northwest Territories, our beautiful country. Masi.
[English translation not provided] Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Range Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to recognize in the gallery members of the NWT Status of Women Council. We have the president, Ms. Violet Camsell-Blondin, Martina Norwegian, Catherine Mackeinzo-Taylor, and Arlene Hache.
Because it is International Women's Day, I would like to recognize some of our women leaders and women colleagues: my Deputy Minister, Ms. Eleanor Young, from Municipal and Community Affairs; Ms. Dawn Moses, Municipal and Community Affairs; and colleague and personal friend, I consider, Ms. Sharon Firth, Municipal and Community Affairs.
Another woman that I recognize in the gallery and I respect and cherish is Ms. Dawn Lacey, who is a long-time social advocate and a well-known musician within the community of Yellowknife.
Finally, I would like to recognize a Page from the Range Lake constituency, young Ms. Zoe Clark. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize my constituent, Ms. Sharon Firth, four-time Olympian; a Page who is with us today, Justin Vollenweider, who has been helping us out all week; and last but not least, my partner, Colleen Wellborn. I am surprised she let me speak about her today; she is a very private person, but I am really pleased that she was able to hear those words and be with us today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize five strong leaders who have had a huge impact on my life. They are Martina Norwegian, who is a constituent in my riding, as well as Vi Blondin, and my former colleagues, Dawn Moses, Eleanor Young, and Sharon Firth, and I thank them very much for being here today. Thank you.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and welcome Arlene Hache. Arlene is a resident of the Yellowknife North riding, and of course, she is well-known across the North as an advocate for social change. She is the former Executive Director of the Centre for Northern Families, and she is the recipient of the Order of Canada, the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and the NWT Wise Women Award. Thank you for being here on this very special day of International Women's Day. Thank you.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to also knowledge my constituent Dawn Moses, who works with MACA as the Youth and Volunteer Program Manager. Mahsi.
