Today I had the privilege of joining Alberta’s Minister of Health Services Heather Klimchuk and other government officials in promoting the International Day of the Girl, which takes place annually on October 11th. A resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2011, this movement strives to raise awareness concerning global gender inequality and advocates for greater action and investment to enable girls to reach their full potential. Growing up in a westernized society, I’ve assumed that women in Canada have it pretty good--that we are more fortunate in comparison to the inequality experienced in other nations; however, we are impacted by similar gender issues that are often overlooked yet have lasting impacts on the overall female collective, specifically: domestic violence, media misrepresentation and misguided stereotypes. The target audience of today’s conference was an assembly of girls between the ages of 10-18. To hear such horrendous first-hand accounts surrounding these issues from these girls was shocking and prompted me to raise awareness concerning the severity of this matter. Regardless of your gender, if you are a victim of domestic violence or abuse, I urge you to reach out to someone. There is a tremendous amount of support available and there is no shame in getting help. Know that your future does not have to be shaped by your past. To learn more about this movement or to become involved, please visit: un.org/en/events/girlchild/ dayofthegirl.org/ Or email: [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 21:14:31 +0000
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