Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN “CELEBRATING WOMEN GALA”
Victoria Inn & Convention Centre
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at 7:30 PM
(please check against delivery)
Women of passion and purpose, friends of the Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba and its affiliated organizations, fellow Manitobans.
It’s a pleasure to join you this evening in the heart of Treaty One land, in the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe and the Metis, in the capital of a province that is home to the Cree, Dakota and Dene peoples. This evening’s event is a reminder of the central role of women and families in our essential work for healing, inclusion and reconciliation.
The women of Manitoba have a long history of fighting for their rights and for health, safety and opportunities for their families.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend Council meetings and saw first-hand the work of Manitoba women.
The women who fought for the vote, women who fought for decent wages and working conditions, women who fought against barriers of race, religion or language – they have carried on, generation after generation, making this a better and more fair place.
For more than seventy years, Manitoba women have come together through the Provincial Council of Women to multiply their voices and gain strength and support.
Nearly a century ago, Manitoba women were at the forefront in the famous Persons Case – focusing on the specific definition of the word “person” in regard to Senate appointments.
Since then, this organization and its federate members have worked on all aspects of women’s lives – advocating for change in regards to education, training, employment, community planning, family law, health and wellness, and much more.
As the late Carol Shields noted: “It’s hard work being a person. You have to do it every day.”
The individual women and the staff of the great community organization being honoured this evening put in that work of personhood in so many ways.
They advocate for health care and illness prevention, they fight injustice, they work for healing, they create opportunities to learn, they bring beauty into the world.
Thank you for the hard work you do and thank you for helping ease the burden borne by women across Manitoba.