October 10, Edmonton, Alberta
Check Against Delivery
Thank you, for such a kind introduction.
And of course, thank you to all of you at McNally High School for your gracious welcome today.
It is my pleasure to be here, the day before International Day of the Girl Child, to talk about what Canada is doing to give girls and women across the world greater opportunities to succeed in life.
This is an issue that is near and dear to me and I understand it is for many of you as well.
I have been a Women’s Rights advocate my entire life. From an early age, just like you, I realized that women have very important roles to play, whether in business, in politics or at home.
A few years ago as Canada’s Minister for Status of Women, day in and day out, I heard from many groups that promote equality for women and girls that there was a gap. A gap in recognizing and supporting girls and women.
This gap wasn’t just a Canadian issue – it was happening around the world.
So I led a call. A call to action from the international community, asking them to stand up and support a way to raise awareness to the particular challenges that girls face.
We were very fortunate to have the support of countries such as Turkey and Peru. And after a lot of hard work, on December 19th, 2011, the United Nations adopted the creation of International Day of the Girl Child.
Now, every year we use October 11 to recognize girls as powerful agents of change and as leaders of today and tomorrow.
Canada is so engaged in this issue, because we understand the unequivocal value that girls and women bring to our society.
Nearly half of our national workforce is composed of women.
And as senior executives and CEOs, entrepreneurs, board members, and elected officials, we are finally putting to rest the old stereotypes that any of these are so-called ʺnon-traditional careersʺ for women.
Canada has made incredible strides forward, and we have much to be proud of.
But we still have much to do.
Particularly in our work to promote the human rights of girls and women abroad.
The sooner in life girls know their rights, the greater the chance they will be able to exercise them.
Canada can—and should be—looked upon as a beacon of hope for the world’s women and girls. Because we are a shining example of what is possible when opportunity is made equal for all citizens.
In far too many countries, girls and women are subjected to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence, preventing them from fully enjoying their human rights. The same rights that we, as Canadians, sometimes take for granted.
In parts of the developing world, women and girls commonly face legal, cultural, and social barriers that keep them from reaching their full potential and fully contributing to their communities and their countries.
We have to work together to change that.
Canada is recognized for its global leadership on women’s and children’s health.
We recognize that in order to achieve equality, women need to have access to quality health care services, so they can choose the number, and spacing of their children, and benefit from the full continuum of care.
We also need to ensure that children receive the proper care and nutrition from the moment they are born so they can reach their full potential.
Under the leadership of our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, just this past May, Canada renewed its commitment to mothers and children by announcing $3.5 billion over five years for global efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality, starting in 2015.
And at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, the Prime Minister announced that $200 million of that funding will be used to help create the Global Financing Facility for Every Woman Every Child.
Also important in this conversation is, education.
That is why, in addition to keeping women and children healthy, we also have to focus on securing their future.
And on the importance of girls accessing quality education in a safe and enabling learning environment that is free of violence, exploitation and abuse.
The benefits of a good education are substantial, perhaps even more so in the developing world. Girls with even a few more years of schooling have better economic prospects and are more likely to ensure that their children go to school.
According to the World Bank, each additional year that girls and women spend in school increases their earnings by 10 to 20 percent.
As well, the children of educated women are more likely to survive beyond their fifth birthday, be healthier, and stay in school longer.
Today I am pleased to announce that Canada is supporting a project that will improve access to healthy and safe primary education and pre-schools in Mali.
Through Plan International Canada, more than 58,000 girls and boys in various regions of Mali will get a better education as a result of this project.
Early childhood development centres and junior primary schools will be easier to access, especially for girls and for children with disabilities.
Another of the project’s key activities is to build wells, separate bathrooms for girls and boys, and school canteens to improve nutrition and health.
In addition, teachers, school staff and the community will be trained to improve school management and feeding practices.
The initiative aims to meet the needs of more than 50,000 primary-school pupils, including nearly 25,000 girls.
I am also pleased to announce that Canada is supporting a similar project in Afghanistan.
In coordination with the Afghan government, 4,000 community-based education classes are being established.
The project began in 2012. By the time it is completed in 2016, roughly 120,000 students—80 percent of them girls—will have accessed new educational opportunities.
In addition to health and education, Canada is also committed to ending child, early and forced marriage.
These arrangements harm health, halt education, destroy opportunity and enslave young women in a life of poverty.
I am proud that Canada’s Government has played a leadership role in raising international awareness and initiating action toward ending this harmful practice, which jeopardizes the lives and futures of 14 million girls every year.
Our actions in all of these areas—improving access to health care and education, and stopping child, early and forced marriage—can make all the difference for girls and young women.
To help them thrive.
And to give them opportunities to participate in the political, economic and social lives of their communities and countries.
Women and girls have made significant contributions to Canada’s long evolution.
And we believe the same can happen in Mali, Afghanistan, and the rest of the world.
It is why we support efforts to empower girls and keep them healthy, educated and safe.
And why we will continue to make the health of women and children a central piece of our development assistance.
The Global Opportunities Program is an incredible opportunity to explore real international issues and opportunities.
You are stepping outside the traditional “school environment” and finding creative ways to learn and make a difference.
I am proud to represent you as an MP and encourage you to never stop and to keep striving to make a change, not just here at home but around the world.
Thank you.
