Media Advisory - Governor General to Present Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case in Winnipeg

OTTAWA, Nov. 9, 2016 /CNW/ - Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada and Mrs. Sharon Johnston will present the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case to six laureates at the Manitoba Legislative Chamber on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at 10 a.m. The ceremony will be streamed live online at www.gov.mb.ca/legislature/index.html.

This year's ceremony will take place in Winnipeg to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of women first achieving the right to vote in Manitoba in 1916. The Governor General highlights this important milestone through this video message: youtu.be/2sgSDpNBpB0. This is the second time in the history of the awards that the ceremony will be held outside of the National Capital Region. In 1999, the ceremony took place in Calgary, Alberta, to mark the installation of the Famous Five Statue.

Below is the list of the 2016 laureates of the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case:

• Cecilia Benoit, of Victoria, British Columbia, is known for her work in advancing the rights of women and girls through her research and writing, as well as her work in midwifery and maternal care, Indigenous women's health, and health inequalities facing vulnerable populations.
• Anna-Louise Crago (youth award), of Toronto, Ontario, is dedicated to building gender equality in Canada and abroad through her studies in anthropology and her groundbreaking human rights initiatives.
• Lucia Lorenzi, of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, advocates for gender equality by being a prominent voice on issues of rape culture, harassment, misogyny and campus violence.
• Pascale Navarro, of Montréal, Quebec, is a journalist and author who is dedicated to advancing women's contributions and participation in politics and decision making.
• Norma Jean Profitt, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, has relentlessly pursued the interconnected goals of advancing equality for women and girls, and ending gender-based violence.
• Diane Redsky, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a visionary thinker and community leader who has dedicated her life to advancing gender equality, particularly for Indigenous women.

About the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case
In 1929, five women from Alberta won the judiciary battle to be recognized as persons, therefore making them eligible for appointment to the Senate. The Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case were established in 1979 by the Government of Canada, with the support of then-Governor General the Right Honourable Edward Schreyer, to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of this historic decision. These awards highlight Canadian contributions to the advancement of women's equality and celebrate Canada's evolution as an inclusive society. For additional information about the Persons Case awards or the laureates, visit the Status of Women Canada website at women.gc.ca.

Members of the media wishing to cover the ceremony are asked to arrive at the press gallery, room 226, no later than 9:45 a.m. on the day of the ceremony.

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SOURCE Governor General of Canada

Media information: Josephine Laframboise, Rideau Hall Press Office, 613-990-9324, 613-668-1929 (cell), [email protected]; Nanci-Jean Waugh, Status of Women Canada, 819-420-6810, 613 251-0054 (cell), [email protected]