Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Good afternoon. First, I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak about my community and the challenges faced by women in my rural community.
Before I begin, I would like to stress and acknowledge that I am on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq. I am fortunate to learn, work and live here today.
My name is Angèle McCaie. I am the executive director of a small francophone and Acadian municipality in New Brunswick called Rogersville, where I am also originally from. My community has a population of 1,066 and is geographically isolated in the southeastern part of the province.
I would like to tell you about the “Femmes fortes” program that we have created in Rogersville, which addresses many of the issues facing women and girls in my rural community.
Two years ago, I was very troubled by the comment of a recently widowed woman. She told me that, since the death of her husband, she felt powerless and useless. She told me that she realized how dependent she was on her husband for traditionally male tasks, such as mechanics and home maintenance. As a result of this discussion, I realized how the reality of rural women can cause significant challenges, since many services are not readily available, both nearby and in their language. As a result, many women can feel isolated and alone. Although independence and self-confidence can be challenges for the public at large, it seems to me that rural women are particularly likely to encounter barriers to their development and that their particular needs may go unnoticed in society.
Our “Femmes fortes” project was born out of a need identified by one woman, but it was able to grow when we realized that the need was much greater than we had anticipated. We consulted with a large portion of our population, and women and girls of all ages expressed their needs to us. The concept of “Femmes fortes” is simple: to provide free workshops, courses and sessions in French to all the women and girls in our community on a variety of topics that address many facets of an individual's physical and mental health. Workshops on construction, mechanics, depression, bereavement, LGBTQ2+ issues are just a few examples of the more than 100 sessions that have been provided and continue to be provided free of charge over the past two years in Rogersville.
Our municipality has a certain social responsibility towards its women regarding their development. The “Femmes fortes” project is a tool for the municipality to support our women and girls to ensure a next generation of more confident and independent individuals, while valuing the knowledge of women of various ages and backgrounds. In my opinion, it is unacceptable for a woman to feel unable to perform a task simply because certain gender norms in society have been pre-determined. We can and must do more for our women. By equipping our women and girls, we ensure the continuity of our community action. These ladies will pass on new skills acquired during the workshops to their loved ones, who will then be able to use the tools to become involved in the community.
The “Femmes fortes” program seeks to find innovative ways to make a rural community more resilient in these times of economic and social instability. In addition, providing the sessions free of charge increases the opportunity for women of all levels of economic, psychological and physical health to participate and have the same services that might be offered in urban centres.
It is easy to see the impact of this project on the people of our community. Many participants and presenters have told us how reassuring it was to realize that they were not alone in their insecurities and vulnerability. This project has created a community of women who support and sustain each other, rather than judge and criticize each other. When we empower our women, we are all winners.
Thank you.