Madam Speaker, today I would like to join my colleagues in stressing the invaluable role women play in society and in our private lives. Far from being a day to give men a clear conscience, March 8 must go beyond symbols and remind us of how much remains to be done for the women's cause.
It is fitting to stress achievements, but it is even more important to renew our commitment to bring about this long-awaited sex equality. Democracy, justice and humanism require the implementation of economic and social conditions which will enable women to reach their full potential and reconcile their many roles.
This new awareness is even more important for us, MPs and party leaders, in a House where only 18 per cent of seats are held by women. Let us recognize in that figure a deficiency of our democratic system and a serious political failure that must be addressed urgently.