Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge International Women's Day. This day is not only an opportunity to celebrate the incredible achievements of women around the world but also a time to end biases, raise awareness of issues impacting women's equality, and highlight that change is achieved through collective action.
Mr. Speaker, of the theme of International Women's Day is Every Woman Counts. This is especially fitting here in the Northwest Territories, with a territorial election just around the corner. If 50 percent of our population are women, then why would we not want 50 percent of our politicians to be women? We not only need to encourage women and genderdiverse people to make their vote count but we also need to see their names on ballots in every riding in the NWT.
Following the 2015 territorial election, only two of the 19 elected Members to the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly were women. This lack of representation was deeply concerning so then MLA Julie Green and I made it our mission to increase the number of women Members in this House. During our first term, we ran and participated in women in leadership programming throughout the territory. We used these forums and every opportunity to encourage more women to run for elected office. In 2019, after the final votes were counted, we saw the evidence that our efforts and the efforts of other strong women across the territory had a transformative impact on our political landscape. Since the election of the Member from Monfwi, ten of the 19 Members in this House are now women, and I am proud to say that the NWT is the first jurisdiction in Canadian history to have a majority women legislature.
Mr. Speaker, while this was an exciting milestone that we should all be very proud of, improved gender representation in the 19th Assembly is only the beginning. There is an urgent need for greater representation of women and genderdiverse people in leadership roles in government, industry, education, our communities, and beyond. We all have opinions formed by our different lived experiences, and only by having diversity at the table will we be able to adequately represent the population we serve.
Mr. Speaker, no one should be held back because of gender. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
Unanimous consent granted
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We all know that it is not a question of women and other genderdiverse people have the necessary skills to be successful. Look around the House. We can see that women can be great leaders.
I know that letting your name stand in an election is nerve wracking but it's also incredibly empowering. I hope that many of those listening to our proceedings today will consider running for office or taking on other leadership roles in their communities. You deserve to be heard, and the next generation deserves to see the promise and power of amazing women doing incredible things in the territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Range Lake. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
