Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the Status of Women. As I mentioned in my statement, women found the campaign schools helpful in preparing them to run and win in the last territorial election. My question for the Minister is whether she is a supporter of the campaign schools for women? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife Centre. Minister responsible for the Status of Women.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Absolutely, I am in support of offering the training for the women across the Northwest Territories. Empowering and encouraging women to participate fully in public office is essential to ensuring that government reflects the societies they represent. The Government of the Northwest Territories recognizes that women face many challenges when considering to run for office. Our government remains committed to ensuring that women's voices are heard at all levels. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you to the Minister for that response. My next question for the Minister is: when will the campaign schools resume, and who will be offering them?
A facilities workshop is scheduled to be held here in Yellowknife March 10th and 11th. The purpose of this workshop is to teach women from across the Northwest Territories how to teach the Campaign School for Women. By increasing the number of trained facilitators who can provide this training, more workshops can be delivered and the content can focus on more specific regional community concerns. A call for expression was advertised, inviting potential facilitators to submit their names to take part in the facilitators' workshop. Up to 15 regional community participants will be selected. Once this workshop is complete, the Women's Advisory Office will work with the trained facilitators to schedule workshops to be held in all the regions in this calendar year.
Lots of good news in that answer. My understanding is that there will be wide-spread campaign schools and they will be offered by local people. One of the things that I was told, and the Premier was told when we were offering campaign schools, is that it was useful to have people who were in elected office be part of the teaching group so that there was the "see it, be it" dynamic there, that people could meet actual politicians doing the job. Is there any provision for this kind of "see it, be it" dynamic to continue in the campaign schools?
Yes. We have the special advisor of the Women's Advisory Office, and we will work with the communities that are interested in hosting workshops.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that the special advisor for the Status of Women does some great work in the Northwest Territories, but I was thinking about ways in which to involve women who are currently in leadership and political life in the workshops. Is it possible to find a way to involve these women in the campaign schools? Thank you.
Absolutely; that is the intent. I also would like to add that the Women's Advisory Office will be scheduling workshops in the communities where campaign school workshops have not been held. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Deh Cho.
