Mr. Speaker, my heart is filled with emotion as I rise here today to recognize International Women's Day.
Today, March 8, I would especially like to commend the women who have laid the groundwork for equality throughout history.
I am thinking of all those courageous women who fought to change the status quo, often putting their own lives in danger.
Without them, we would not be where we are today. However, we must not abandon our efforts now, when true gender equality is still a long way off.
In some parts of the world, women and girls are more likely to be raped than to learn to read.
In Canada, women earn on average only 73% of what men earn, and nearly 1 million women are victims of violence simply because they are women.
Each and every one of us has a moral obligation to ensure that women's efforts towards equality are expedited. We in the NDP are ready to lead the charge.