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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 at the Women's Symposium – on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Youth Conference

Winspear Centre
Edmonton, Alberta
Tuesday, October 9, 2012

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Thank you, Ryan, for that kind introduction.

And thank you, Mackenzie, for organizing this conference. You truly are a leader from the start.

Honoured guests, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, I am delighted to be here today to kick off celebrations for the first International Day of the Girl!

Like everyone who has worked hard to make this day a reality, I feel an amazing sense of accomplishment when I say these words.

The ones who should be the most proud today, however, are the girls and young women who started it all, who dared to imagine that an International Day of the Girl might be possible.

It was their vision of a better world that spoke to our collective conscience and spread like wildfire around the world!

They showed extraordinary courage in speaking out against injustice, especially on behalf of those without a voice.

It was my honour, as Canada's Minister for Status of Women, to lead the call to the United Nations to proclaim this day.

International Day of the Girl will allow us to shine a light on girls' lives, on the seemingly overwhelming challenges they face and on their enormous potential to affect positive change in our world.

A world in which violence, sexual exploitation, forced labour, homelessness, illiteracy, poor nutrition and ill health are a devastating reality for millions of girls and young women.

We know that the International Day of the Girl is neither the beginning nor the end of the struggle for girls' human rights but it is a milestone.

So let's use it to raise awareness of the vast potential of girls to make a better, smarter and more prosperous world for everyone. And let's use the other 364 days to put our commitments into action!

There are many challenges ahead but if the young people I have met today are any indication, it CAN be done and our province, our country and our world will be far better for it.

Today I am joined by Joanne Cave, the founder and executive director of Ophelia's Voice, a local non-profit organization that worked to encourage girls and young women as leaders in their communities. Ophelia's Voice tackled important issues for girls like self-esteem and body image.

Joanne has also worked with teachers and teachers' organizations to encourage meaningful dialogue on women's issues in Alberta classrooms.

Now attending University of Toronto, Joanne will soon receive a Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, in the youth category, for her important contributions to the goal of equality for women and girls in Canada.

You will hear from Joanne herself a bit later but I wonder - How many of you know the story of the Famous Five, the Persons Case and why it is particularly significant for Albertans?

(Pause)

Let me set the stage: there was a time, not so very long ago, when women were not allowed to vote, not allowed to own property, and not considered persons before the law. Having won the right to vote, five trail-blazing Alberta women lodged an appeal to the highest court in Canada asking that the word "persons" refer not only to men but also to women.

It was on October 18, 1929, after much legal debate and many years of hard work, that the Persons Case decision was handed down and the Famous Five celebrated a legal victory that changed the course of history for Canadian girls and women.

In honour of Persons Day on the 18th, Canadians celebrate Women's History Month in October. Every year at this time we take the opportunity to raise awareness of girls' and women's valuable contributions to our country, from the earliest days to the present.

It has been said that the best measure of a country's development is in how it treats its women. I believe this is doubly true for girls. When girls and boys, women and men are treated with equal dignity and respect, everyone benefits.

Thank you and HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL!

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Date Modified:
2012-10-09