The Government of Canada is helping women in the Lower St. Lawrence area access municipal leadership

OTTAWA, July 16, 2012 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister of State (Agriculture), today announced Government of Canada support for a project that will help a diversity of women to acquire valuable leadership experience in the Lower St. Lawrence region.

"The Government of Canada is pleased to support projects like this, which result in concrete results for women and girls, their families and their communities," said Minister Ambrose. "This project will help young women in particular not only strengthen their leadership skills but also gain valuable experience, which will contribute to their professional advancement and their prosperity."

"Our government remains focused on strengthening our economy by supporting job creation, growth and prosperity for all Canadians, and to do this, we need the full participation of women in the democratic life of our communities," said Minister Paradis. "We are proud to fund projects like this one that help to increase women's representation and their leadership opportunities at the municipal level."

The Table de concertation des groupes de femmes du Bas-Saint-Laurent is receiving $203,580 in Government of Canada funding for its project Ensemble, visons la parité! [Together, working for parity!]. This 27-month project will provide mentoring to women candidates in the next municipal election and create a mechanism for knowledge transfer from women already in office.

"The Table de concertation des groupes de femmes du Bas-Saint-Laurent is proud to help ensure that more women use their skills and their experience in municipal councils," stated Brigitte Michaud, Coordinator of the Table de concertation des groupes de femmes du Bas-Saint-Laurent. "The Table will engage with decision-making bodies, women and the general public to ensure greater representation of women in the 2013 municipal elections."

The Table de concertation des groupes de femmes du Bas-Saint-Laurent is a women's action network bringing together 17 women's groups of the Lower St. Lawrence. This group works in several areas that affect the lives of women, including poverty, violence, health, and women's leadership. The main objectives of the Table de concertation are to develop solidarity among women and to ensure that their interests are taken into consideration in the life of the region.

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting projects that yield concrete results for women and girls in Canada while strengthening families, communities and the country. Through Status of Women Canada, the government's support for community-based projects has nearly doubled since 2006-2007, from $10.8 million to close to $19 million, its highest level ever. Since 2007, more than $49 million in federal funding has been approved for projects that seek to address violence against women and girls.

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