Saint-Laurent  Mr. Speaker, I am deeply honoured and so very proud to rise in the House today to represent the people of Saint-Laurent, on whose behalf I would like to sincerely thank Mr. Dion, who represented us so well for 21 years. It is an honour to have won the Saint-Laurent nomination on International Women's Day, the day when 338 young women sat in this very House inspiring myself and young women across Canada.

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, women's participation in our society is crucial if we are to have a strong economy and strengthen the middle class. However, we know that there is still a gender wage gap. This is due to several factors, such as violence against women, poverty, and the under-representation of women in the labour force, public life, and even in the House.