Monsef speaks at Sisters in the Brotherhood in Vegas

Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef gave the keynote address at a conference of women carpenters in Las Vegas on Tuesday, where she spoke about the economic importance of advancing gender equality.

The Peterborough-Kawartha MP was speaking at the tri-annual conference of the Sisters in the Brotherhood, made up of the female members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

The Sisters in the Brotherhood advocates on women’s issues, states the union’s website.

“This powerful sisterhood is working towards gender equality in the trades, equal pay for equal work, and much more,” wrote Monsef on her Facebook page this week.

“It was an honour to join them and hear about the challenges and opportunities of being a woman in the skilled trades.”

Monsef’s address was part of an ongoing effort from the Canadian government to foster a strong business relationship with the U.S., a release states.

She offered the Canadian perspective on helping more women pursue careers in the trades, the release states.

While at the conference, Monsef also met Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi, the congresswoman from San Francisco.

Monsef tweeted photos of the meeting; she wrote that they spoke about their shared priorities of gender equality and promoting trade between Canada and the U.S.

“Did you know that women account for only 9 per cent of apprentices in Red Seal trades in Canada?” Monsef also wrote on Facebook.

“I thank these women for being role models and opening up a new world of possibilities for the next generation of young women and girls to pursue rewarding and well-paid jobs in the trades.”