WE CAN ALL HELP IN DRIVE TOWARD GENDER EQUALITY

There are many ways to build on 2017’s momentum, writes Heather McPherson.

In the years ahead we might look back on 2017 as a year of watershed moments in gender empowerment.

The #MeToo campaign called attention to the prevalence of sexual harassment, assault, and violence against women.

Powerful men in Hollywood were publicly shamed for decades of disgusting and illegal behaviour, shedding light on the very commonplace issue of workplace sexual harassment.

In Canada, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have directed attention to the need for the advancement of Indigenous women and girls. In Alberta, a senior politician was held to account for firing a female employee who reported sexual harassment in the workplace.

Indeed, 2017 may be remembered as a turning point for women’s rights and gender equality.

As Canadians, we have made significant strides toward building a more equitable reality for women and girls. The Canadian government introduced a new Feminist International Assistance Policy that enshrines the rights of women and girls in every part of Canada’s international assistance work.

Albertans have benefited from a Status of Women Ministry within the government of Alberta that is working on initiatives that lead women out of poverty, reduce barriers that keep women from leadership positions, and the elimination of violence against women and girls, in all its forms.

We must be mindful, however, of not becoming complacent. While we have taken significant steps towards supporting women’s equity in Canada and around the world, there is still much work to be done.

What better time to look at how we can support the women and girls of Canada and the world than in December when many of us are looking for that meaningful gift or gesture that says we really care.

This year, instead of purchasing a pair of slippers, flannel shirt, or that perfect scarf for your loved one, why not consider finding meaningful ways of gifting that can also have a lasting impact on improving the lives of the women and girls both near and far? Why not donate to local and national organizations that support women and girls in our communities and around the world?

Here are a few suggestions: Write a letter to your government representatives demanding pay equality for women and men. It is 2017 after all and the payequality legislation promised by Prime Minister Trudeau is now officially overdue. In the Canadian workforce, women face an average pay gap of 25.8 cents. A really wonderful gift would be a fair paycheque instead of 30 per cent less than what a man might make.

In 2018, consider voting for women and encourage women to play an active role in politics and policy-making. Currently the City of Edmonton has two females on city council. Consider the impact if 50 per cent of city councillors were women and could contribute their knowledge and world view to policy decisions.

Donate to local and national organizations that support gender equality and offer programs that support women and girls in our communities and around the world.

Keiskamma Canada (www. keiskammacanada.com), a volunteer-run, Edmonton-based organization has been supporting women and girls in one of the poorest regions of South Africa for years, ensuring income and food security for hundreds of women and their families.

Oxfam Canada (www.oxfam.ca) is an organization focusing on gender equality as well.

Oxfam knows that the majority of the 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty around the world are women and girls and that ending global poverty begins with ensuring women’s rights.

Finally, Nafasi-Opportunity Society is an Edmonton-based organization focused on delivering trade and business skills that will empower young women in Tanzania, ensuring women have access to economic opportunities (www.nafasi-opportunity.org).

These are just a few excellent organizations that support women and girls around the world that would benefit from your support. For more suggestions of organizations you can support, visit acgc.ca/our-members.

All of us have incredible women in our lives; women who are strong, capable, nurturing, fierce individuals.

This holiday season, let’s choose to make the world a more fair, just and equitable place by harnessing the momentum we have witnessed in 2017 and turning it into sustained action in 2018 and beyond.