Women in municipal government sessions a success

The recent Women in Municipal Government information sessions were a huge success, with hundreds of women across the province attending.

�Women have different perspectives, experiences and priorities which are important to the social and economic development of this province,� said Joan Burke, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. �That�s why it is so important to have the continued involvement of women in the political arena. The Government of Newfoundland has been extremely pleased to partner on these sessions and we hope these events become the catalyst for many women to consider taking an active role in politics.�

The seminars were designed to enable attendees to learn from the experiences of women already in leadership roles including current and former members of council, provincial politicians, board members, leaders and students. They also found out what they needed to do to get elected in this September�s municipal general election.

�I believe the best council is one that has a good mix of both male and female members, as well as a variety of ages,� said Deputy Mayor Herbert Brett, president of the NLFM. �That way, the ideas and values of council best reflect those of the whole community. I�d like to extend a special thank-you to all the incredible women who participated in these sessions, either by presenting or attending. I hope to see a record number of women offering themselves as candidates in the fall election.�

The Women in Municipal Government � Become a Leader sessions were jointly sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities (NLFM), the Municipal Training and Development Corporation (MTDC), the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (Women�s Policy Office), the Bay St. George Status of Women Council, Corner Brook Status of Women Council, Labrador West Status of Women Council, Mokami Status of Women Council, Status of Women Central, the Women�s Resource Centre at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Grenfell Regional Anti-violence Team.

These sessions are one example of the many joint initiatives being undertaken by the above partners. All partners plan to continue to work together to address the concerns raised during these sessions.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities was formed in 1951 as an umbrella organization mandated to represent municipal government interests, and as a vehicle for municipal leaders to share information and resources. NLFM represents the 283 cities and towns in Newfoundland and Labrador that service 85 per cent of the population, as well as their 2,000 plus leaders.

Media contact:
Ruth Marks, NLFM, (709) 576-5790, 728-3663
Jacquelyn Howard, Communications, Women�s Policy Office, (709) 729-4062, 689-2624

2005 08 26                        10:05 a.m.