Mr. Speaker, in Canada, women represent 48% of the workforce and more than half of university graduates. However, they remain under-represented in certain areas of the workforce, including on corporate boards and in senior management positions.
Ensuring equal opportunities for women in the workforce is a priority for both Canada and the United States. That is why in the first meeting between our Prime Minister and the President of the United States, I was pleased to hear about the launch of the United States Canada Council for the Advancement of Women Business Leaders-Female Entrepreneurs. Through this initiative, I expect greater growth of women-owned enterprises, further contributions to our overall economic growth and competitiveness, and the enhanced integration of our economies.
Our government is also working to increase women's participation on corporate boards and to build the first federal women's entrepreneurship strategy to remove barriers to women's participation in the business community from coast to coast to coast.