Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to recognize Women's History Month in Canada. In honour of this important occasion I would like to discuss the increasing involvement of women in science and technology.
In the 1960s few women studied chemistry and engineering because the attitude was that girls were not engineers. Today the number of women working in science and technology is on the rise, but we still have a gender imbalance.
Statistics Canada reported that in 1994 only 12% of students or professionals in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics were women. Encouraging and developing the talents of young Canadian women can only benefit our country and help keep Canada competitive in the global economy.
Government initiatives such as the National Research Council's women in engineering and science program and support for organizations such as the Canada Coalition of Women in Engineering, Science and Technology will help ensure that this indeed happens.