Young Nova Scotians Celebrate Women in Leadership
More than 30 young women from across the province came together at Province House yesterday to celebrate women in leadership.
The Daughters of the Vote event is an initiative by Equal Voice to mark the 100-year anniversary of women’s enfranchisement in Canada.
“Government has demonstrated strong leadership in building gender equity through the appointment of women in key leadership positions,” said Joanne Bernard, Minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women Act.
“60% of senior leadership positions in government are held by women, and we now have the most women in cabinet in Nova Scotia’s history.
“The women from across the province that applied to be part of Daughters of the Vote represent the next wave of women that will someday take the province by storm, not just by leading in government, but in all sectors.”
Today, women make up 51% of Nova Scotians and account for 49% of the province’s workforce, with a slightly lower unemployment rate than men. In 2015, 55% of Nova Scotians with a university degree were women.
In addition, four of every 10 mayors in Nova Scotia are women.
“Be the Peace Institute is thrilled to be part of this important day for young women in Nova Scotia and to engage with young women who care enough to put their names forward to be a part of this and be engaged in the political process,” said Sue Bookchin, project co-coordinator of Be the Peace.
“This gives us a lot of hope for the future. We are grateful to Equal Voice Canada for thinking of this and making it available to young women across Canada. It was a stroke of brilliance.”
Equal Voice invited women from the ages of 18-to-23 to apply for Daughters of the Vote. One woman from every federal riding in Canada will represent their communities by taking a seat in Parliament in Ottawa on International Women’s Day, March 8.
More than 60 women from Nova Scotia applied for the opportunity.
For more information about Daughters of the Vote, go to www.daughtersofthevote.ca
