Status of Women Minister Shannon Phillips welcomed a diverse group of women leaders to advise her on new Ministry.
More than 70 women in leadership roles representing a broad cross section of Alberta society joined Status of Women Minister Shannon Phillips today to mark the beginning of a province-wide dialogue around the formation of the new Ministry. Following the meeting, Minister Phillips issued this statement:
“Building a better Alberta means realizing the potential of the women who live here.
“Alberta is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family, and yet more than half our population still faces disadvantages because they are women.
“Women are substantially underrepresented in leadership positions in the public and private sectors across the province. And in 2015, we have not resolved the factors that stop women from earning equal pay for equal work and for feeling unsafe in their communities – and sometimes their own homes.
“Our government committed to create a Ministry to lead initiatives for greater gender equality in Alberta. It is an honour to lead that work as Alberta’s Minister of the Status of Women, and I’m thrilled to have so many powerful women here with me today who want to be a part of this conversation.
“We are in the very early stages of exploring the complexity of gender equality. There’s a great deal of work to do before the Ministry is fully operational, but the thinking behind it is straightforward: empowering Alberta women will play an important part in continuing to build a stronger and more prosperous province.”