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Speaking Notes for The Honourable Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P. Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women on the occasion of the Young Women on the Move Conference hosted by the Toronto and District School Board & Plan Canada

Toronto, Ontario
Thursday, March 8, 2012

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Good morning:

I am very excited to be here with you today on International Women's Day!

Before I begin, I want to take a photo of you guys, and then Jess over here is going to post it on Facebook and Twitter. 

In case you are on twitter, I wanted to let you know the international hashtag for today is #womensday – one word.

But I think we should probably be hashtag #cdngirlsrock, don't you think? 

Maybe we can start a movement!

Today is the day we celebrate and honour women – moms and grandmas; your sisters who steal your clothes; your friends who text you late at night; your teachers who want you to be the best you can be; and even your principals.

These women are an important part of all our lives.

And today is a good day to talk about what it means to be a girl and a woman, and what we need to do to make the lives of women better in Canada and around the world.

Today, we're at this great conference, but normally you would be at school.  I know sometimes it is a drag to come to school every day.  But we know that when girls get an education, we all benefit. 

Giving girls an education is one of the best ways to improve our health because we learn what to do and who to call when someone is sick.

Giving girls and education will improve our economy.  With an education, you can get a better paying job or maybe invent or discover something that will help all Canadians - and create a safe and happy community.

But we also have to remember that we are lucky here in Canada. 

In countries half a world away such as Nigeria, Pakistan, India and Ethiopia - we know that many girls have no school to go to, or are not allowed to go to school. They are not getting an education and not learning about opportunities for their future. 

So, on days like today, we need to take a moment to look outside of our borders and see places where we can make a difference.

Each year, Canada picks its International Women's day theme based on the international theme. This year, Canada's theme, for International Women's Day is Strong Women, Strong Canada: Women in Rural, Remote and Northern Communities: Key to Canada's Economic Prosperity.

As you know, Canada is a big country.  How many of you have been to Iqaluit?   How many of you have been to the Rocky Mountains?   How many of you have been to a farm or a fishing village far from the big cities?

We want to make sure we are helping women who live outside the big cities.  We know how incredibly important their work is. 

We want to make sure they have the same opportunities as people who live in Montreal or Calgary or Toronto.

I also want to tell you about something new and exciting.   We have a new and special day coming up – the International Day of the Girl.

Last year, I met 12 girls from Plan International – girls just like you!

They told me why it was important to have an International Day of the Girl.

Have any of you seen the Plan campaign: "Because I am a Girl Club"?

It's pretty awesome.

If you haven't seen it, it says:

Some girls are denied their most basic rights simply because they are girls.

The right to eat.

The right to learn.

The right to live.

And yet, we know when we give girls like you the chance, you can change something in your life, in your community, and even change our world!

This is the message the girls from Plan brought to me. 

They brought a petition for a Day of the Girl so that girls across the world would know their rights.

I thought it was a great idea!

So, I worked hard and I brought the idea to the Canadian Government and then to countries across the world to support an International Day of the Girl. 

And, we succeeded!

Mark your calendars – October 11th!

You can join a club, like the "Because I am a Girl Club", and discover all sorts of ideas for reaching your dreams and helping girls on the other side of the world reach their dreams too. 

Here in Canada, the Day of the Girl will also be about celebrating who you are as girls, showing you good role models, and making sure we give you what you need for a healthy and happy future.

The important thing to remember is: you are Canada's future. 
So what you do today counts – what you do every day counts!

Happy International Women's Day and I look forward to hearing your plans about what you will being doing to celebrate an International Day of the Girl.

Thank you very much.

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Date Modified:
2012-03-16