Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today on the occasion of International Women's Day to recognize the great achievements of the global movement for women's rights that continues to this day. First embraced by the socialist movements in the early 20th Century, International Women's Day was first adopted by the United Nations in 1975, and for more than 40 years countries around the world have celebrated today as a way to advance equality and equity for women. Although we have come far as a society to advance the women's rights and equality, there is still much work left to do.

This year's campaign is "Press for Progress" in recognition of the World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report that found that gender parity is well over 200 years away. There has never been a more important time to push for meaningful progress on this long-standing issue of justice and fairness in our world. We, the honourable Members of this House, must do our part to show leadership and give our support to women at home, at the workplace, and in our democratic institutions. Our representative democracy must be one that truly represents our people and, with only two of my colleagues here today being women, the status quo simply isn't working.

Mr. Speaker, this issue is important to me because the women in my life are so important to me, and none more so than my partner, Colleen Wellborn. Colleen has only been in the North for a few years now, but already she has made a huge difference in our community. While working in private sector residential property management, she demonstrated real leadership not only improving the quality of rental market units in the capital, but actively joining the fight against homelessness as a member of the Homeful Partnership. Colleen has since left that job and is now working for the Detoncho Development Corporation, working on skills development and employment for Indigenous people in Yellowknife and small communities. In her spare time, Colleen volunteers as a Special Olympics coach and serves on the board of the NWT Chamber of Commerce. She has shown real passion, vision, and commitment in her career, and serves as an example the huge difference women in leadership can make. Before I forget, she's also a step-mother to my son Corbin and a loving partner who always finds time for her friends and family.

Mr. Speaker, I am not alone in sharing my life with a strong woman leader. So many of us here have a partner, a daughter, a mother, or a grandmother who makes a real difference in the world around them. I call on all Members of this House and all members of the Northwest Territories to stand with the women in their lives who make a difference and let them lead us all towards real progress in this world. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.