Women For 50% Officially Launches
- Group Calls on Party Leaders to Target 50% Female Candidates in 2018
- Co-chairs Roxanne Fairweather, O.N.B. & Aldéa Landry, O.C.
- Honourary Chair Dr. Richard J. Currie, Chancellor Emeritus UNB, O.C.
- The Honourable Sheila Copps to speak at February 13th Conference
Saint John, NB – January 11, 2017 – Today marks the official launch of Women For 50% – a group of New Brunswick leaders who have joined together to increase female participation in the 2018 Provincial election and move strongly towards female parity in the New Brunswick Legislature. They have set a goal of having 50% female candidates for each party in the upcoming 2018 election and have already met with party leaders to enlist their support.
“New Brunswick is at the back of the pack in terms of female representation,” said Roxanne Fairweather. “Not only are females under-represented with only 16% female representation, but over the past 10 years female representation has decreased as a percentage of overall seats. There is sound and sustained research that gender equality in all major institutional decision making improves outcomes substantially. Female equality in New Brunswick’s Legislative Assembly is a pressing and collective challenge for our province and for us as individuals.”
The group is hosting a conference February 13, 2017 at the Richard J. Currie Centre in Fredericton on the UNB Campus with three goals:
- To create awareness of the situation and build support
- To encourage more women to run and support them to win
- To continue to build a more sustainable infrastructure for women to get involved in politics
Political pioneer and businesswoman Aldéa Landry said, “I know from first-hand experience that women often do not have access to the same networks, mentors and fundraising support. This conference is a first step as we work to eliminate those barriers and demystify the process of running for office. We are launching now to give women across the province the best chance possible to prepare for the 2018 election. After the initial February conference, we will hold other activities to support women through this process.”
The conference will be an unprecedented gathering of men and women in New Brunswick. Women who are interested in running for office, or anyone who wants to learn about how to encourage and support a woman to run, should express their interest to the group directly by contacting coordinator Michelle Cook or through the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NB.50.2018.
Dr. Richard J. Currie, O.C. – Canada’s Outstanding Businessman and Chancellor Emeritus of UNB
To eliminate the financial barriers of attendance, the group has sought sponsorship from like-minded leading businesses. Most notably, Dr. Richard J. Currie, O.C. has become the group’s patron and Honourary Chair. Through his generous financial support, the day-long conference on February 13th will be cost free, ensuring that more women have a chance to participate and learn about the political process.
Dr. Currie said, “Women have always been a strong force on social reform in New Brunswick. Our history is rich with female pioneers who advocated for better working conditions, improved childcare, and fairer access to education. They were our earliest social entrepreneurs, knowing that better social outcomes are directly tied to a stronger economy. New Brunswick’s future can’t help but be strengthened by engaging more women in our elected offices and decision making that impacts the common good.”
Other sponsors include The University of New Brunswick, Scotiabank, Lounsbury, Remax Professionals Saint John, Innovatia, LANDAL Inc. and GlassSKY Inc. The group welcomes other interested sponsors to contact them.
The Honourable Sheila Copps – Female Political Trailblazer and Former Deputy Prime Minister
Special guest speaker at the February 13th conference will be the Honourable Sheila Copps, known as one of Canada’s foremost female politicians. She was the first woman to ever hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister and served for ten years in the federal cabinet.
Participants will also hear from party leaders, meet female mentors, and learn from a panel of accomplished women who have experienced the electoral process first-hand as candidates.
Founding Members of the Women for 50%
Mayor Dawn Arnold, City of Moncton
Monica Barley, Partner, Actus Law Droit
Honourable Madeleine (Mado) Dubé, MLA and former Cabinet Minister
Norma Dubé, Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Women’s Equality Branch
Roxanne Fairweather, Co-CEO, Innovatia
Honourable Lisa Harris, Minister responsible for Seniors and Long-Term Care, Minister responsible for Celtic Affairs
Aldéa Landry, President, Landal Inc. and former Cabinet Minister
Dr. Shelley Rinehart, Professor, UNBSJ
Terri Riedle, CEO, Revolution Strategy
Mary Schryer, Business Owner and former Cabinet Minister
Robyn Tingley, Founder and President, GlassSKY Inc.
Elizabeth Weir, Parliamentary Governance Specialist and former Leader of the Provincial NDP Party
Contact:
Michelle Cook
Phone: (506) 640-5137 | Mobile: (506) 343-4594
Email: michelle.cook@innovatia.net