Good day, Minister. Welcome to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.
As you know, we work very hard for the cause of gender equality. The women here today decided one day to enter the political arena. We decided to take on a leadership role. We know, and we have often discussed this in committee, especially when examining the situation of women in non-traditional fields of employment, that women are not as well represented in politics in Canada as we would like. We would like to see many more women enter politics.
Recently, along with the Canadian Federation of Municipalities, you announced funding for projects that encourage women to get involved in politics. You have allocated $361,265 to the Women in Municipal Government National Program.
Could you tell us more about this announcement and why it is important for women to take on a leadership role at this time?