Female politicians from the region think work is progressing to ensure gender equality

March 8th marks International Women’s Day.

According to www.internationalwomensday.com, the campaign is ” A strong call to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.”

Kitchener Waterloo MPP Catherine Fife says sexism and gender inequality is still something she deals with on a daily basis.

” I get called young lady a lot by some of the colleagues at Queen’s Park. Some people say ‘ well that’s great’, but really it’s not meant in a respectful way. It’s meant more as a ‘ I have more experience than you’ kind of way’ and in many instances, that’s simply not true”.

Liberal MP Bardish Chagger adds the empowerment of women benefits everybody.

” We know if the decision making table reflects our country, whether it’s gender or diversity, we have better outcomes all people. We know when women succeed, all people succeed.”

Uptown Waterloo City Councillor Melissa Durrell was the centre of controversy last week. A cartoon was published in the Waterloo Chronicle addressing the City’s plans to convert some baseball diamonds in Waterloo Park, and appeared to single out Durrell by saying “Melissa, this isn’t a frivolous redecorating game”.

Durrell says she’s moved on thanks to the support from everybody around her.

” The thing that I will always remember about this, it won’t be the cartoon or the look on my daughters face when she saw it. What’s going to follow me is the virtual hug i got from every female i know and all the male allies”.

Chagger did say the right message is coming out of Parliament Hill.

” Our government has made gender equality a key priority and it’s across the board in everything we do. The Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) has openly said he will keep calling himself a feminist until there is no reaction and it better become the norm”.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today