Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like my colleagues, I would like to recognize International Women's Day. Mr. Speaker, this year "Press for Progress" is calling on each of us to recognize that, when it comes to women's equality and women's rights, we have still got a long way to go, and we have got to keep pushing.

With that in mind, Mr. Speaker, today is the perfect day to discuss the motion on women's representation in government, moved by the Member from Yellowknife Centre.

For now, though, I would like to highlight just a few of the Nunakput women who have "pressed for progress" and made their mark in their communities, our territory, and our country. For example, in the last round of municipal elections, Ulukhaktok voters brought in an 80 per cent women-led community government, the highest in the territory, Mr. Speaker, and Paulatuk brought in a one third women-led council. As we approach the next round of elections, I hope that more women will look out for the Campaign Schools for Women. If you want to run for office at any level of government, campaign schools can help you prepare.

Mr. Speaker, Paulatuk's women elders have also been a strong guiding influence in the community. Although Anny Illasiak, also known as "Granny Uma," passed away in 2012, her legacy lives on through the local Aboriginal Head Start program she had worked at for so many years as a language teacher, storyteller, and historian. Elizabeth Kuptana, also known as "Anaanang," is dedicated to passing on traditional skills and knowledge to the next generation.

Mr. Speaker, Rosemarie Kuptana, originally from the area around Sachs Harbour, was a trailblazer in Indigenous-language broadcasting, working for CBC and the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation. The former president and national Inuit leader of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami has spent her career working to advance Inuit rights and interests to ensure the survival of traditional knowledge.

Mr. Speaker, in the workplace and in our homes, we owe a lot to these women, not only for the work they have dedicated their lives to, but also for their courage in establishing themselves as role models for young women growing up in Nunakput and the Northwest Territories today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.