Mr. Speaker, from economic crises and lack of healthcare to climate change, violence against women, and escalating conflicts, women are not only more affected by these problems, women possess ideas and leadership to solve them. The gender discrimination still holding too many women back holds our world back, too. For me, International Women's Day remains a bittersweet celebration, but a celebration nonetheless. Please join me and my sole female Legislative Assembly colleague in commemorating this day. Mahsi.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.

Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today celebrates International Women's Day. This year marks the 109th global commemoration for women, as International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1909. This day was meant to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This day is about calling out the many injustices that women are faced with every day, such as gender discrimination, gender violence, and the constant battle to fight for and safeguard women's rights.

While it is important, Mr. Speaker, to be informed about many struggles that women must deal with on a regular basis, I would like to celebrate this International Women's Day by sharing a story about a woman from my constituency. The woman I am speaking of is Tishna Marlowe of Lutselk'e. Tishna is a fashion designer who has her own clothing line, of which she sells and sews all the clothing herself. Her company is called Dene Couture and sells both traditional and modern clothing for men and women alike. Mr. Speaker, Tishna has been considered by many to be one of Canada's top 150 Indigenous artists and has been recognized by organizations such as the REVEAL Indigenous Art Awards. She has also received the visual art grant from the Alberta Arts Foundation. Additionally, Tishna has been an Indigenous art juror with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and she had three dresses worn at the 2017 Juno Awards. Moreover, in the last two years, Tishna has attended 22 fashion shows and has made over 50 beaded garments and countless parkas, mitts, moccasins, hats, and corsets.

Mr. Speaker, Tishna has truly reached an incredible and inspirational height. In addition to her success in the fashion industry, she is a high school graduate, she has a diploma as a legal secretary, she has an undergraduate degree in archaeology and First Nations studies. Tishna volunteers for many organizations and she donates art and shares knowledge whenever she can.

Tishna has been sewing and beading all her life, Mr. Speaker, and she credits what she has learned and the skills she has from her mother, her grandmother, and her great-grandmother. Upon asking if there is a recipe for success that other women could learn from, she told me, "Stay sober, stay kind, and dream big dreams, because hard work and sobriety will get you there." Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Kam Lake.

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.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would talk to talk about a young lady from my riding, Kristen Tanche. She is a Liildlii Kue First Nation Dehcho Dene and is of Icelandic and settler Canadian ancestry. She was raised in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, and lived in Whati, Gameti, Yellowknife, and Fort Simpson. As a young adult, she returned to Fort Simpson to reconnect with her family, community, and Dene culture, and where she currently resides.

Over the years, Kristen has been passionate about her education. She has attended the University of Northern British Columbia and took three semesters through Dechinta University, which offered post-secondary land-based education. Her three semesters included one at Blachford Lake, another in the Mackenzie Mountains, Indigenous Boreal Guardianship Pilot Program, and lastly a Dehcho River semester.

Currently, Kristen is in her second year of the Social Work Diploma Program through Aurora College and is completing her final practicum placement in Fort Simpson at the Children and Family Services within the Dehcho Regional Health and Social Services. She is set to graduate this April. Kristen has said that, "My education journey is not stopping once I graduate. I have plans to continue with my education either in a formal setting by completing a degree in social work and/or through learning from elders and traditional knowledge holders to become immersed in learning from my Dene culture."

Kristen chose to change her career path after many years in office administration, then tourism, to that of the social work field for numerous reasons. After many years of struggling with her own issues, she has seen others struggle, and seeing a need for more northern Indigenous people in the helping profession, she decided to pursue her hopes of helping people.

Throughout her years, Kristen was involved with leadership roles. She was elected on the Liidli Kue First Nation Band Council, and served on Fort Simpson District Education Authority. She has served as an alumni member on the Dechinta Board of Directors and was also involved with the NWT Tourism Board as the Dehcho Regional Member. More recently, Kristen was accepted as part of the fourth cohort of the Jane Glassco Northern Fellowship, a policy development program for Northern people.

Kristen believes in being actively engaged in her community and region by involving within local politics. Her passion was highlighted in the TV documentary series Dene: A Journey, where she featured in a season two episode.

She is passionate about the people in the community and the people of the North's well-being. She has plans to stay in the North to continue on her journey in hopes of giving back to her community and region in the NWT. In closing, I would like to recognize Cece McCauley. She was the founding chief of the Inuvik Dene band and Honorary Chief for life. She was the first woman chief among the 23 chiefs in the Northwest Territories. She has shown tremendous leadership and courage throughout her life and has never been afraid to speak her mind. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Yellowknife North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today, I want to recognize International Women's Day. I believe I am an advocate for women. It's important to me. I still am learning exactly what that means and how to advocate in the best way.

Last year on International Women's Day, I stood here in this House and said something similar, but when I reflect over the past year, somehow now it feels like the ground has shifted, like things are very different. When I was a boy, my mom was my hero. She was a successful businesswoman and a single mother. I like to think she did a pretty good job of raising me. I thought she embodied the qualities that every person should live up to.

Being raised by such a woman, I have always believed in and supported equality. I try to be open-minded and fair and I always thought, or maybe I hoped, that, except for a few bad apples, our society pretty much held those same values.

Events of the past year have shown me that my view is optimistic and my hope was somewhat blind. The Me Too and Times Up movements and the stories that have emerged from the hearings into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have shown us in a harsh and undeniable way what brutal obstacles and discrimination women face. We must recognize they face them today as much as ever. In spite of years of enlightened thinking in some parts of society, many women today face systemic discrimination, dehumanizing disparagement, and sometimes physical brutality at the hands of men.

The theme of International Women's Day 2018 is Press for Progress. Progress is made towards gender parity and equality every year, but the 2017 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report says that gender parity is 200 years away. Two hundred years, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, it's good to see Me Too and Times Up gather momentum, but it's clear how much work remains to be done. We can't rest on our few achievements when so many obstacles to equality remain.

Each of us as individuals, together as leaders, must make our voices heard. We must be loud and unwavering. We must unite and challenge our friends, our colleagues, and our communities to think, act, and be gender inclusive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Today is International Women's Day. In honour of this day, I reached out to a thoughtful, formidable, and passionate advocate of women's rights for her views to consider on this day. Here are the observations and advice from our daughter, Amber Adzeza Montreuil O'Reilly.

She said that women's ability to be active in the public and political sphere is greatly influenced by their ability to access education, childcare, reproductive rights, and domestic equality. Safe, non-judgmental spaces where youth and women are encouraged to ask questions, share their views, and participate in campaigns are needed to develop the confidence, knowledge, and skills to take a stance on political issues.

She said that all men need to value and respect not only the women in their circle of friends and family, but the women in their workplaces, communities, and societies. This means active listening, supporting female candidates, and implementing policies to close the wage and opportunities gap.

Intersectional feminism takes into consideration the various social pressures an individual may be facing in addition to being female, such as racism, homophobia, and ableism. In celebrating diversity and creating more opportunities for political involvement, our daughter said we must not neglect these realities nor the voices of trans women and non-binary individuals.

Our daughter established these views in part through her participation in this Assembly's Youth Parliament and the various parliamentary simulations offered through the French-Canadian Youth Network. These experiences were instrumental in furthering her understanding of legislative process, party politics and consensus government, public speaking, and debate. These opportunities offer youth the ability to clearly articulate and defend their opinions as well as engage in dialogue with people who may not share them. Open dialogue about current issues at schools and at home are crucial for youth to exercise their critical thinking skills and find their voices.

In taking her place in the world, our daughter has benefited from the advancements in individual freedom, the battle against misogyny, and the efforts to improve gender equity. That's the start of the road to full equality. I call upon us all to be leaders in building a world of equality for our daughters and all women.

Happy International Women's Day. Masi, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.

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.

Masi. Members' statements. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day. The theme of this year's campaign is Press for Progress. Today, there are events being held around the world to promote and call for greater action on gender parity. This year's theme is informed by the World Economic Forum's 2017 Global Gender Gap Report, which tells us that the global gender gap is widening, and at this rate, it will take over 200 years to achieve gender parity. While women worldwide are closing the gap in critical areas, such as health and education, significant gender inequality persists in the workforce and in politics.

Looking around this Legislature, that fact is strikingly apparent: only two of the 19 MLAs are women. One of the main reasons for this disparity is the notion, whether it be conscious or unconscious, that politics is for men. It is of the utmost importance that we actively work to dispel that myth. I am proud to say that, in Hay River, much progress has already been made on that front, and that is thanks to Ms. Jane Groenewegen.

Ms. Groenewegen represented Hay River in the Legislative Assembly for 20 years, as a Regular Member, a Cabinet Minister, the Deputy Premier, and as the chair of the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning. Mr. Speaker, she was my MLA for the majority of my life. To the young women and men who have grown up in Hay River, the idea of women in politics isn't a foreign concept; it's the natural order of things.

While Ms. Groenewegen is undoubtedly one of a kind, she serves as a wonderful example for young women and continuously works to encourage other potential female leaders. She is an active participant with the Campaign School and the Daughters of the Vote, which both aim to increase women's participation in politics. She also recently agreed to let her name be put forward by the Legislative Assembly to the Canadian Women Parliamentarians Alumni Program, to once again offer her experience and insights into service in elected office in institutions predominantly occupied by men.

Her time as an MLA was not her only foray into male-dominated institutions. During her tenures with the Hay River Town Council and her early days with the Hay River and NWT Chambers of Commerce, as well as the NWT Power Corporation Board of Directors, she was always one of the only, and sometimes the only, woman. Mr. Speaker, that fact never deterred her, and it never silenced her. I am not sure anything could silence her. I am sure all of the Members she has worked with will always remember her animated critiques of the performance of Ministers -- when such critiques were required, of course.

Mr. Speaker, I want to both commend and thank Ms. Groenewegen for what she has done to address gender disparity in Hay River and the territory, and to hold her up as an example for the young women and men of this territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.