Elect Feminist Women - Member's Statement
MS. CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, when Alexa McDonough was first elected, there were no women's washrooms in the Legislature. Thankfully, there are now, but we still design political spaces and processes in a way that doesn't accommodate diverse bodies and experiences. We must rally around those progressive, feminist women who make that decision to enter public life, to support them by donating money, volunteering, and voting for them, so we can see more feminism expressed in all levels of government.
Why is it important for us to elect more feminist women? Because women's lives and experiences are different than men's. Because our issues and concerns will only be taken seriously in politics when women are taken seriously in politics. Why do you think we still don't have a national, quality, affordable system of child care in Canada? Why do you think that we don't have any parental leave provisions for sitting MPs or MLAs? When our democratic institutions reflect the diversity of our communities, so will our laws and policies. (Applause)
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