Video Message from the Interim Clerk for International Women’s Day 2022

(International Women’s Day)

(Janice Charette in front of the camera.)

Hello and Happy International Women’s Day!

I would like to start by acknowledging that I am speaking to you from the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people.

This year’s Government of Canada theme for International Women’s Day is “Women Inspiring Women.”

It celebrates all the women and girls who inspire us by demonstrating leadership in the choices they make in their day-to-day lives to contribute to our social, economic, cultural and political spheres.

What a moment we find ourselves in for this year’s International Women’s Day event. So many amazing women in key roles in Canada to draw on for inspiration. As we meet, Canada’s head of state is Her Excellency Mary Simon, Canada’s first Indigenous governor general and a proud Inuit woman. And, of course, Queen Elizabeth II celebrating her platinum jubilee, 70 years of dedicated service. Amazing role models.

The Prime Minister has maintained his commitment to a gender-equal cabinet, and that includes women doing big, hard and important jobs: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly; Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand; the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Filomena Tassi; the President of the Treasury Board, Mona Fortier; and the list goes on.

The public service in Canada has consistently led the world in female representation in the senior ranks, and I am very proud to say that in the Privy Council Office today, the Interim Clerk of the Privy Council, the Deputy Clerk, and the National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister are all women.

Hence, coincidentally, they’re also hockey moms, but I’m not going to dwell on that.

So many remarkable women who work hard every single day for Canada. And that includes you.

That includes you and many of the women around you.

Canada’s public service has just over 300,000 employees. More than half of those employees are remarkable women who do remarkable things every day. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your exceptional leadership, hard work and service to people living in Canada during this unprecedented crisis.

I also want to acknowledge that the day-to-day lives of women were not easy personally or professionally during this period. Everyone is looking for balance during a really hard and stressful time.

In particular, I would like to acknowledge that First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black, and other racialized women, as well as trans and non-binary women and women with disabilities, have faced additional challenges and barriers.

For the past two years, in most families, women have been juggling the bulk of increased demands at home during school and daycare closures and increased demands at work, all while navigating the instability of the family and social support systems they normally depend on.

That makes your accomplishments and your achievements, no matter how big or how small, remarkable. So, bravo, and thank you.

A big thank you.

Where do we go from here?

Well, we can look to those who inspire us to help us to find the strength to just keep going, to show us how to create the space to find joy in our everyday lives and to motivate us to realize our own dreams. That’s the power of role models, and they are all around us. I truly do believe that if you can see it, you can be it. And we are surrounded by women doing amazing things that show us that we too can do those things.

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis, we are witnessing encouraging trends across Canada’s public service that inspire us to continue along our individual road maps. There is a willingness to explore flexible work arrangements whenever possible. More emphasis is being placed on work-life balance and personal well-being. And there are more resources to help us with the challenges each of us faces.

All women are sharing their experiences and working together to support, inspire and raise each other up. More men are becoming allies and supporting the women around them, be it at home or at work.

Finally, we see commitment up to the most senior levels to increase diversity, including the full diversity of women, at decision-making tables.

Throughout the pandemic, women have objectively been nothing short of inspiring.

On this International Women’s Day, please take the time to recognize everything that you have accomplished for everyone around you and give yourself a moment to really be proud.

My hope is that when this pandemic ends, we’re not just going to return to normal. My hope is that we will use this to reset norms and create a public service and a society that allows us all to realize our full potential and shoot for the stars.

Thank you. Merci. Miigwetch.

(Canada Wordmark)