Mr. Speaker, on March 8, we will celebrate International Women's Day. Although women represent 52% of the population in the Eastern Townships, we are far from achieving gender parity in any kind of governance.
In the Eastern Townships, women hold only 28.5% of management positions and, on average, 12% of union positions. At the municipal level, only 14% of mayors and 26% of municipal councillors are women.
Last fall, Nicole Robert became the first female reeve of the Haut-Saint-François RCM and the only woman to hold such a position in the Eastern Townships.
Together with the organization Promotion des Estriennes pour initier une nouvelle équité sociale (PEPINES), I encourage more women to take up decision-making positions in my region. Only 22% of members in this House are women; there should be more of us.