March 8, 2005 OTTAWA -- The Honourable Liza Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women, today joined Canadians in celebrating International Women's Week (IWW), March 5 to 12, 2005, and its highlight, March 8, International Women's Day. "After successfully leading the Canadian delegation to the Beijing +10 meeting at the United Nations in New York last week, I am pleased Canada has strongly reaffirmed its commitment to the goals of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action on Gender Equality," Minister Frulla said. "What matters most now is that Canada is looking forward - building on our strengths, learning from our own and others' experience, and meeting challenges head on." Canada's theme for International Women's Week 2005 is You Are Here: Women, Canada and the World / Vous êtes ici : Les femmes, Canada et le monde. Beijing +10 and International Women's Day/Week 2005 are occurring concurrently - two very significant events in the gender equality calendar, for Canada and the world. Beijing +10 includes the goal of determining where gender equality is today. Canada's IWW theme evokes the image of a map, encouraging Canadians to reflect on past advances in gender equality, where we are now and where we are going. "This government has a balanced strategy for building a 2112-century economy that will improve the well-being of all Canadians - women and men alike, in all their diversity," Minister Frulla said. "The recent federal Budget reflects that strategy, with its commitments to significant advances that respond to the specific concerns of women, including the national child care program, and builds on initiatives of previous Budgets, such as compassionate care leave." A new gender equality strategy is a priority of the government's over the coming months, addressing emerging issues and many long-standing concerns, including government accountability, the situation of Aboriginal women and poverty among certain groups of women. For a list of International Women's Week activities across Canada, please visit the Status of Women Canada Web site at: http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Status of Women Canada
