Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday marked International Women's Day, and this year's campaign was Choose to Challenge, something I've personally been trying to do in my life more recently. International Women's Day was established over a century ago, with the first gathering in 1911 supported by over one million people. International Women's Day is not specific to a country, group, or organization. For over 100 years, the fight for gender equality has been formally recognized on this day. However, it remains a battle fought daily.
As I have spoken to in this House before, women have done remarkable things in the scientific realm. They took us to the moon, photographed DNA, and discovered new elements. As I said, Marie Curie is the only person who has won two Nobel Prizes in two separate sciences, and she did so over 100 years ago, at a time when most women didn't even have access to basic education. Currently, only 13 percent of engineers in Canada identify as women, and locally, the Minister of ECE has said that this number is only 5 to 7 percent when it comes to tradespeople.
While my passion has always been to further the inclusion of women in STEM, there is a lot of work to be done in establishing gender balance in all areas of society, especially now, as the economic downturn of COVID-19, has hit women particularly hard and stalled progress on many gender-equity projects. While International Women's Day 2021 has passed, I wanted to speak today to honour all of the women in my life who have fought for equality and who serve as inspiration.
It is no secret that advancing the situation of women and girls was a huge motivator for me to enter politics. In my career and throughout my life, I have often found myself challenging stereotypes. During these difficult times, I have often relied on the circle of women around me. These amazing women have provided me with the wisdom and knowledge I need to help guide me in my endeavours and are there to comfort me when I stumble.
It's time to recognize women's achievements and challenge gender bias and inequality by seeking out and celebrating women's achievements. Everyone needs to be an ally so we can create an inclusive world. From challenge comes change, so let's choose to challenge gender bias every day and not just on this one day a year. In doing so, we can create a better future for everyone. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.