Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge International Women's Day. International Women's Day is held annually on March 8th to celebrate women's social, cultural, and political achievements throughout history and across nations. International Women's Day also provides an important opportunity to showcase commitments towards women's equality, to raise awareness, and to highlight initiatives towards gender parity.
The theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Better the Balance, Better the World." As the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, I am committed to achieving gender equality throughout our society. To me, the theme "Better the Balance, Better the World" means having women at the table making decisions that affect our everyday lives for the benefit of all. Women make up half the population of the Northwest Territories and the world. It is only reasonable to expect that half the people in a position of power should be women.
Mr. Speaker, gender equality is something many nations aspire to. Far too often, we fall short of achieving that goal, but it is not impossible. We have to work together to get there. Here in the Northwest Territories, we are taking steps towards gender equality. When we passed a motion in March 2018 to increase women's representation in the Legislative Assembly, we collectively said we support this initiative. When we set up the Special Committee to Increase the Representation of Women in the Legislative Assembly, we demonstrated our willingness to work together to improve the gender balance in this House and to open important public discussions on how best to do this.
There are many exciting initiatives both within and outside government right now: the Trail Blazer event, campaign schools, Ted Talks, and various leadership events.
Our young women and girls have great potential to be our future leaders. We need to provide them with the support and tools to reach that potential. Providing better access for women to education, affordable housing, healthcare, employment, and childcare helps women, but it also helps build a sustainable economy and benefits our society as a whole.
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that women continue to face gender-based barriers and discrimination. These obstacles make it difficult for women to get an equal footing. We must continue to work together to develop and implement strategies to eliminate these barriers, prevent violence against women and girls, update policies and programs to promote the development of women in leadership positions, and continue the momentum to take action to achieve gender equality.
I thank all Northwest Territories' women for their invaluable contributions to our society today and throughout the year.
Mr. Speaker, I invite each Member of the Legislative Assembly to join me in recognizing International Women's Day. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Today we celebrate International Women's Day. The purpose of this commemoration is to bring attention to and advocate for the advancement of women in all areas of our society. On this day, we acknowledge gender inequalities and celebrate the empowerment of women. According to the official website for International Women's Day, this year's theme is "Balance for Better," which is a call for action for improving gender parity across the world.
In honour of this theme, Mr. Speaker, I would like to discuss the issue of women representation in electoral politics. This issue has been studied by many bodies, including the United Nations, the Parliament of Canada, and our own Legislature of the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, the United Nations determined that, in order to achieve significant policy change in government, all parliaments must attain a 30 percent threshold for women.
Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, our current Legislative Assembly in this Assembly does not meet that threshold. Our legislature consists of just 10.5 percent women. However, there are other political arenas within the NWT that have exceeded 30 percent, and I would like to highlight some of them today. For example, in our last 10 federal elections from 1988 to 2015, five of 10 elections were won by a woman, and that candidate was named Ethel Blondin-Andrew.
More presently, Mr. Speaker, since 2015, our capital city of Yellowknife has had a city council consisting of 37 percent women. In addition, as of 2018, four of the most populated communities in the NWT all elected women as mayors, with Rebecca Alty in Yellowknife; Kandis Jamieson in Hay River; Natasha Kulikowski in Inuvik; and Lynn Napier-Buckley in Fort Smith. In addition, there are five Dene communities where they are currently led by female chiefs, which includes April Martel of K'atlodeeche, Becky Cayen of West Point, Wanda Pascal of Tetlit Gwich'in, and Bernice Furlong of Inuvik Band and Freida Martselos of the Salt River First Nation. Mr. Speaker, I speak unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Marsi. Also, two of five of the regional grand chiefs within the Dene Executive Council are women, with Bobbi Jo Greenland as Gwich'in Grand Chief and Gladys Norwegian as the Deh Cho Grand Chief.
Mr. Speaker, while these stats have improved over the years, both within the territory and across the country, I know that our society can do better. In fact, in our upcoming territorial election, I hope to see women running in every single of the 19 ridings in the NWT. Even better, I hope to see at least six or more women elected to our Legislative Assembly to meet the 30-percent benchmark that all parliaments should aspire to attain. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like most of my colleagues, I want to say something in respect of International Women's Day. In past years, for International Women's Day, I have spoken about my mother. She was an independent businesswoman, a single mother, and I couldn't imagine there was anything my mother couldn't do. When you grow up in that kind of household, there is no doubting how capable women are.
We are fortunate in the North, Mr. Speaker, that we have plenty of strong examples of women in leadership. I am not just talking about the women in this room or the women who were chosen as mayors and chiefs in elections last fall. Certainly, they are important role models and examples of successful women, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. I am talking about the strong, articulate visions that were presented at the independently organized TEDx conference in Yellowknife just before Christmas. Visions of academic and professional achievement and success, visions of strong balance between roles in family and leadership in the community. I am talking about the strong representation that emerged through the public consultations of our Special Committee on Increasing the Representation of Women. Those hearings identified some of the inherent barriers to increased participation of women in politics, barriers we must all be aware of and commit to confronting. Our role as leaders should be a look forward, Mr. Speaker, and to imagine: what is the best that we can do? What is the best that our family, our community, and our territory can be? Once we have a vision of what that is, Mr. Speaker, it should be on us to design a means to get there. I believe our territory will be stronger, fairer, and more capable if we have more women in positions of leadership and power.
It is an election year, Mr. Speaker, both in our territory and across the country. Maybe that is an opportunity to take some steps forward in representative democracy. Maybe it is a chance to get a little more balance on the ballot.
Mr. Speaker, on this International Women's Day, I would like to encourage more women to get involved, get to the meetings, share your ideas, put your name forward. It is time for every level of government to more accurately reflect all the people we serve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak about a very special young lady from the Nahendeh riding. I have had the pleasure of witnessing her grow and develop into a leader since she was in grade seven. The person I am talking about is Janelle Bruneau. She is a daughter of Doris Pellissey and Daniel Bruneau. Her mother is from Wrigley and her father is from Fort Smith. She is very thankful for their continued support and guidance.
After graduating, she wanted to see what Canada had to offer, experience a different culture, face new challenges, and meet new people. McGill University gave her all this and more. Janelle is in her fourth year and is taking Geography as her major. She explained it is a diverse program that focuses on the physical and social environments that shape people's lives. She finds the courses very interesting. Her minor is in Indigenous Studies. It is about critical engagement in the Indigenous topic. It is about how Canada engages with Indigenous people and about the diverse history of all Indigenous people across Canada.
Beyond her studies, Janelle has been part of a group that is trying to make the campus safer and more inclusive for Indigenous students, since the university is well-known across the world for their programs. Unfortunately, sometimes a university doesn't seem to understand the difficulty Indigenous students face.
Another thing the group is trying to do is change the men's varsity team's name, the Redmen. The group has been working on this for the past year or so. It is about educating the masses about how offensive the name is for Indigenous people. Because of her advocacy, she has faced pushback from alumni and the varsity teams. Despite the reaction to this initiative, they have been successful in the principal of the university seriously looking at their concerns. A decision will be made in April.
Janelle feels that there is a need for more support for students who choose to study in the South. The support is vital for success in academics and essential for students to return to the North as effective members of our northern society.
Janelle encourages all students to have the strength to face adversity while chasing their dreams so you can become successful and proud of yourself. I wish her all the best and look forward to seeing her become one of our future leaders. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is March 8th, and that means it is International Women's Day, which gives us a clear opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women. As an ally, I do not wish to put words in the mouths of others, but wish to stand behind and support the actions, initiatives, and fights that are being led by women leaders from coast to coast to coast and around the world. Our society, cultures, country, and lives are enriched daily by the tireless efforts of women with whom we co-exist. Today is a chance for all of us to celebrate the achievements of the all-too-often unsung heroines in our lives and to renew efforts to achieving greater gender equity and equality.
I want to commend the honourable Members of this House for making women's political equity a top priority of this government, and in particular recognize the ongoing leadership on this and so many other issues by the honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre and the honourable Member for Range Lake.
The political lives of women have often been fraught with challenges. In the Canadian context, I must note the work of five incredibly strong Albertan women for speaking truth to power, Canada's famous five. Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, and Emily Murphy fought tirelessly for many issues, but their most long-lasting and wide-ranging struggle was for women to be recognized as persons under Canadian law. Now, this might seem quaint today, but the struggle is not over. It has merely become more nuanced. I want to thank and show my reverence to the battle these women fought for their common-sense acknowledgment that yes, indeed, women are persons.
In more recent news, the honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould is in the middle of her own battle. The truths and facts are battling out, and we have seen here many of the same talking points by her opponents as we have heard in the past. Whatever the outcome, Ms. Wilson-Raybould's belief is she is "always willing to speak truth to power" is a lesson that we can all use a reminding of. It is not easy to stand against one's colleagues, but it is important to stand one's ground, have your perspective heard, and to work tirelessly for meaningful action for change.
Mr. Speaker, I will conclude my statement today in the words of another woman who advanced her understanding of radiation and who ultimately paid the price for her work, and I hope that that serves as a reminder to us all that the road to progress is long and must be fought for. Madame Marie Curie: "I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. On the occasion of International Women's Day, I would like to speak about what we are doing to promote women in leadership. I attended the lively public hearing in Yellowknife on January 17th by the Special Committee on Increasing the Representation of Women. There were about 30 participants, including media, and I would like to commend everyone for the respectful dialogue and the ideas that were put forward.
There were three main themes presented. One idea was to run elections for a woman and a man in each riding in the NWT to ensure that half of the MLAs are women. This is an interesting idea, but would probably not work, because not everyone identifies as binary.
Several presenters said that guaranteed representation of women through temporary seats raises issues of tokenism, may not address the root causes, and may lead others to request guaranteed representation.
Last and not least, some participants endorsed the idea of temporary special measures, where guaranteed seats is the only way to create the revolutionary change that is needed to ensure that women take their rightful place in decision-making here in the Northwest Territories.
There was also some discussion of how we can make the Legislative Assembly a friendlier place for those with young families.
This special committee has its work cut out for itself, and I thank all of the Members who have volunteered to serve on it during this last busy stretch of this Assembly. I participated in some of their meetings and truly appreciate the work being undertaken by the Members who have volunteered to serve.
The special committee is still accepting written submissions. I look forward to their report and encourage further input from Frame Lake residents and everyone in the Northwest Territories. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today is International Women's Day. This day was first recognized as a global event by the United Nations in 1975, but its origins go back to the early 1900s, as women fought for the right to vote.
It is a day for celebrating the socio-economic culture and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for gender equality. It is a day to acknowledge and support women's rights and to celebrate their many significant achievements.
Over the last 100 years, women in many countries have made advances towards gender equality by fighting for labour rights, protection from violence, access to sexual and reproductive health, equal pay for equal work, as well as reaching the highest positions of leadership.
However, there is still a long way to go. As of 2017, there were only 15 female world leaders. While the number of current female leaders has more than doubled since 2000, these women still represent fewer than 10 percent of the 193 UN member states. According to the World Economic Forum, 33,000 girls under the ages of 18 become child brides every day, and women in rural parts of Africa spend 40 billion hours a year collecting water.
At the current rate of progress, they estimate that it will take 108 years to close the gender gap. This is a notable statistic, given that the theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Balance for Better," which acknowledges that everyone benefits in a gender-balanced world. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, colleagues. Mr. Speaker, there is some positive progress to take note of. More girls than boys now complete their secondary education in 32 of 34 OECD countries. We are seeing a growing interest for women in all aspects of society.
In this past October 2018 territorial municipal election, four of six mayor positions were taken by women. I hope to see more women serving as elected MLAs in the House by this time next year. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge all women in the NWT and their important achievements on this International Women's Day. Mahsi.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to honour a late elder on this day, International Women's Day, the late Elder Elise Gargan. She was quoted in sharing her stories in the Book of Elders, Nahecho Keh, and usually I read it in Slavey, but this time I wanted to read it in English.
These are quotes from Elise Gargan. Elise Gargan was born on March 12, 1926, up river from Fort Providence:
"When I was young, I really loved the elders. I used to wash their clothes and heat water for them so they could wash, just as if they were the parents I never had. I believe that, for every cup of tea I placed before them, I gained one more day on this earth for myself. I enjoyed doing these things for them out of love.
"No one ever taught me to work. I watched others, then I'd try. If I didn't sew something properly, I'd undo it and try again until I could do it. If you keep on trying, eventually, you'll succeed.
"I married when I was 15 and really had a hard time struggling to survive. Nowadays we live in luxury compared to how it used to be.
"Life was especially hard for the woman. When the man is away, the woman had to feed the children. No matter how cold it was, I had to check the snares. Before I left the children, I had to tie a leather thong around the waist of one and tie the end to something stable, put another in their swing cradle, and leave the elders to watch them all. That's how we used to live.
"The low points of my life were hunger and sickness. We didn't know how to help each other when there was sickness and there was no doctor. Sometimes we boiled herbs. Sometimes just thinking of getting better helps you overcome.
"When you're out in the bush, you sometimes experience real physical pain. It was especially difficult giving birth. Sometimes you didn't know what to do, and you're very thankful if your child is alive."
"The land gives less now. Once it was so new and very beautiful. I wonder if our children will ever have the experience of living on the land as we did, but the loss of this way of life has come in their generation. Education will give them a chance at another way of life now that many of them are no longer able to survive in the bush." Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a youth advocate from Nunakput.
Ms. Chukita Gruben is a 24-year-old Inuvialuk from Tuktoyaktuk who loves her culture, family, and the people who call this northern region home. Chukita comes from a very culturally oriented family who taught her the values of her traditional lifestyle, yet the importance of education that is needed in today's world. She recently completed a two-year term in December with the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation as a director, and during that time, she was working with the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and for the Tuktoyaktuk District Education Authority. This young woman used these opportunities to grow and learn, utilizing her young voice and taking action.
Mr. Speaker, Chukita has helped contribute in tourism development projects with the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and has done a lot of work around climate change by collaborating with scientists, researchers, politicians, and the media to showcase the impacts of climate change and how it is affecting their lifestyle, causing them to adapt. There is now a community-based monitoring program that was recently launched by the Tuktoyaktuk Community Corporation to help educate the people and be a part of the environmental concerns, adding into the Mangilaluk School curriculum and colliding traditional knowledge and western science data together.
Mr. Speaker, this young woman with her passion has had a lot of support and help to make these initiatives possible. Chukita has also volunteered a good amount of her time to visit schools and inspire youth to take advantage of opportunities that come up in this region. She has supported them by filling out paperwork and helping them to fundraise to travel for youth conferences in Canada.
Mr. Speaker, Chukita herself knows that these positive initiatives and knowing her cultural identity make an impact and are meaningful. She has travelled to many places in Canada and abroad to Alaska attending meetings. Mr. Speaker, in 2017, she was our youth representative for the Canada C3 expedition that went from coast to coast to coast for Canada's 150th birthday. She was on leg 12, and the ship left from her home town, Tuktoyaktuk, and ended in Prince Rupert, BC. Ms. Gruben has sailed for 20 days, stopping along communities to help build relationships, connect and educate Canada on key themes such as diversity, inclusion, reconciliation, youth engagement, and the environment.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank her for her remarkable contributions to our society. Quyanainni, Mr. Speaker
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources works with communities on plans to reduce the risk posed by summer wildfires. Implementing these plans is really important. We all know of communities where residents had to be evacuated when the fires were burning too close.
It is typical for communities to cut a firebreak around the community, which is a widely accepted way to reduce the risk to both life and property. Cutting firebreaks is especially important in our small communities, which have limited resources for fire departments, let alone capacity to take fast action to defend against wildfire moving in.
The department knows of this, Mr. Speaker. In 2015, its review of the previous year's terrible fire season resulted in a number of recommendations. One of the most important was the need to encourage communities to fire smart to protect their valuables at risk. I want to be clear. The valuables at risk are lives, homes, businesses, community halls, offices, schools, and gyms. There are a lot more, but you get the idea.
It seems that it is far easier for communities to get encouragement than it is to get money to actually do the work. The reality is that the fire smarting of a community costs money, and our communities do not have it.
Mr. Speaker, I am told that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources used to fund communities for fire smarting but now expects the communities to use their capital funding to do it. I want to say the department passed the buck on this, but it is more like the department is not passing on any bucks to do the job.
We all know about the huge shortfall or the funding gap that communities have faced for years when it comes to capital funding. Communities are already being short-changed on funding to meet pressing infrastructure needs. Telling communities to cover the cost of fire smarting is just adding insult to injury. It won't get the work done. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
This leaves communities scrambling for dollars through funding proposals to various outside governments. This is a haphazard, high-risk approach to protecting lives and property, Mr. Speaker, and I will have questions for the Minister later today. Thank you.
Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. This year's International Women's Day comes at a time of heightened interest in the role of women in politics. This interest started at the time of the last presidential election in the United States, when the most qualified candidate ever to run did not win. It has continued to the present day, when Cabinet Minister resignations in Ottawa have highlighted the highs and lows of political life for women. None of this has gone unnoticed by the women of the Northwest Territories. The Special Committee on Increasing the Representation of Women in our own Legislative Assembly has had great turn-outs at its community hearings. Women want to know how they can take their place in this Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, there is a pool of women in the Northwest Territories who are eligible, qualified, and willing to run. Meeting the eligibility is simple. Women need to be 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of the Northwest Territories for a year. They are qualified to run by virtue of their life experience. "Just come as you are, ladies," said a friend of mine recently elected to the Yellowknife city council. None of us came here knowing everything we needed to know to do this job, but, since women worry about whether they are qualified, it's worth mentioning that women in the Northwest Territories graduate from high school in greater numbers than men and are more likely to have a university degree. For most women in the Northwest Territories, the biggest consideration is being willing to run.
Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about why it's worth running. I ran after many years as an advocate for housing and women's issues. I wanted to talk about those issues in this House and push for change. Research says other women often run for the same reasons. They are advocates, and they want to pursue those policy issues that are important to women, issues that are not being discussed as often or even at all by men. That does not mean that women cannot or will not talk about economic development, financial policy, or land management. Of course they can, but their male colleagues are less likely to talk about pay equity, universal access to family planning, or violence against women.
Mr. Speaker, this is where women's voices can make a difference, and the more the better. Research indicates elected women promote gender equality and strengthen democratic institutions because women are often willing collaborators. Women also make substantive contributions to the consideration of government spending and population health. In short, women can change the world, not only for women, but for everyone. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Mr. Speaker, women have a right to be in this Chamber, whatever their priorities. They have a job to do shaping policy and making change, but, perhaps most importantly, by being here, they show other women what's possible. If you can see it, you can be it. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is my pleasure today to recognize Arlene Hache, who is a constituent of Yellowknife North who is also a very well-known and very well-recognized social advocate, and especially for women. I just want to welcome you here and say thank you for being here on this International Women's Day.
Masi. [English translation not provided.] Member for Range Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased to recognize the attendance of the board of the NWT Status of Women Council and their executive director here in the House today: Ms. Violet Camsell-Blondin, our president; Rita Arey, vice president; board members Catherine Mackeinzo-Taylor, Andrea Steed, and Arlene Hache; as well as the executive director, Louise Elder. I would also like to thank them for their ongoing contributions to improving the lives of women in all of our communities and for being here today, along with the other women in the gallery, to help celebrate International Women's Day. Your presence is very much appreciated. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. [English translation not provided.] Member for Frame Lake.
Merci, Monsieur le President. I, too, would like to recognize my friend, Violet Camsell-Blondin, and I have had the pleasure of working with Violet for probably 30 years. She now serves as the chair of the Status of Women Council, and I thank her for her public service. I would like to recognize Frame Lake constituent Louise Elder and thank her for her work as executive director of the Status of Women Council. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. [English translation not provided.] Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes.
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I recognized a couple of Pages who we had from Inuvik Twin Lakes. Today, I would like to recognize their chaperone. Blair Conley brought them down here. I would also like to take a minute to recognize Rita Furlong Arey from Aklavik, who I affectionately call Rita B. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. [English Translation not provided.] Member for Sahtu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would like to recognize the lady leaders of the NWT Native Women's Association in the gallery, and also Kathy Mackenzie-Taylor from Deline and Rita Arey from Aklavik and my CA, Corrine Ferdinand. Mahsi.
Masi. Recognition of visitors in the gallery. Member for Thebacha.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to recognize a Thebacha constituent, Andrea Steen.
