Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY BREAKFAST
Government House
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
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Good morning fabulous women! Welcome to this celebration of International Women’s Day and the spirit of equity.
I am pleased to have you join us here in the heart of Treaty One land, home of the Anishinaabe and the Red River Metis people, in the capital of a province that is home to the Cree, Dakota and Dene people. Here and throughout Manitoba, we are working to advance understanding, healing and reconciliation and build a better home for all.
Today, as on every March 8th since the United Nations held the first International Women’s Day in 1975, we are celebrating the achievements of women in building that better home and better world.
Every advance women have made in those nearly 50 years has come about through women working together, building coalitions and networks and friendships. And so that it is my goal today: to help in connecting a diverse group of women from many backgrounds and with many different areas of expertise and life experiences.
So if you were wondering why you were invited to Government House today, that’s why…. Because each of you brings a special mix of perspective and passion, insight and imagination.
That is why I am so very pleased to see each and every one of you this morning.
The International Women’s Day theme for 2023 is “Embrace Equity recognizing that building a fair and just world requires more than just breaking a glass ceiling.
The principle of equity is that overturning a legacy of unfairness and inequality requires us to address structural barriers and the inequality in starting points.
So throughout Canada, on International Women’s Day, we celebrate women and girls who dedicate themselves to helping others find shelter, support themselves and their families, and discover their own gifts and talents.
And we also celebrate those who have inspired others by rising to the top in their field of endeavour – in politics, in business, in arts and culture, in sports, in all areas of achievement.
There’s no age requirement for caring about your world, so I’m delighted that we have representatives of a new generation of women leaders with us this morning.
For those of us old enough to remember that first International Women’s Day, it’s such a source of hope and inspiration to see young women carrying on this long journey to a healthier, more just, more equitable world.
Whether your work is focused locally in your neighbourhood or on a provincial or global stage, each one of you shows us how women and girls in this province are taking the lead in making Manitoba the province we know it can be.
Thank you for sharing in this celebration. Happy International Women’s Day.
Merci… Meegwich
