Archived News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

October 11, 2012

Province Celebrates First International Day of the Girl

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Building Confidence Helps Girls Discover, Reach their full Potential: Howard

Helping young women gain confidence and providing them with successful role models can help them discover their self-worth and reach their goals, Family Services and Labour Minister Jennifer Howard, minister responsible for the status of women, said today as the first International Day of the Girl was celebrated at the Legislative Building.

“Our province is home to a vibrant community of girls and young women with a wide range of interests and abilities,” said Howard.  “This celebration is a wonderful opportunity to build confidence in girls and to help them discover their potential to create positive change in their communities.”

Howard noted Canada led the call for an International Day of the Girl at the United Nations to raise awareness about the particular challenges that girls face and to take action. The UN followed by declaring today the world’s first International Day of the Girl Child.

To celebrate the day, 20 girls, aged 12 to 17, were selected from across the province to participate at a day-long event at the Legislative Building.  Today’s activities include a panel presentation from other young women who are making change in their communities, the opportunity for the girls to interact with members of the legislative assembly and local entertainment.

Young women throughout the world face a variety of challenges as they strive to make their voices heard and take their place in societies that may or may not value equality,” said Marlene Bertrand, chair of the Manitoba Women’s Advisory Council that co-hosted today’s event.  “Today, in Manitoba, we stand together to support their efforts and encourage them to use their success however great or small to encourage others to follow them.”

Other Manitoba communities were invited to launch their own celebrations.  Today, the Interlake Women’s Resource Centre and the Students of Gimli High Schooltook part in a march to raise awareness of the first International Day of the Girl.  This event also included the awarding of the 2012 Eleanor Milne Scholarship and presentation of certificates of recognition to students and mentors. In Winnipeg, the North Point Douglas Women’s Centre also celebrated the day with events that included a discussion of some of the challenges girls face in Winnipeg and around the world.

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