Executive Council
Tourism, Culture and Recreation
October 8, 2009Female
Athletes Recognized During Women�s History Month
October is Women�s History Month and this year�s
theme, Women in the Lead: Winter Sports, is topical going into the
Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
�Women have made significant accomplishments in all areas of sport but
have not always received the recognition they deserve,� said the
Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Minister Responsible for the Status of
Women. �Female athletes, like male athletes, are extremely dedicated,
work very hard and make daily sacrifices to ensure they give their
personal best. For this reason, they are also valuable role models for
all women.�
The Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Tourism, Culture and
Recreation, said this year�s Women�s History Month theme supports the
goals of the province�s recreation and sport strategy, Active, Healthy
Newfoundland and Labrador.
�One of the key directions of the strategy is to provide increased
access to training opportunities and to encourage more participation in
sports among under-represented groups, including women,� said Minister
Jackman. �Newfoundland and Labrador has produced some incredible female
athletes, and it is our intention to continue to provide the resources
necessary to enable more women to compete and excel on the national and
international level.�
In 2008, Status of Women Canada introduced an over-arching theme of
Women in the Lead in an effort to recognize women and girls in all areas
of human endeavour, be it in sports, agriculture, technological
innovation, aeronautics, scholarship and academia, politics and
government, the arts or business. With the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games fast approaching, this year�s theme was chosen by Status of
Women Canada to honour female athletes who excel in their respective
sport.
�In the athletic world, as in all areas of society, women have made
significant strides towards equality, but we still have work to do,�
said Minister Dunderdale. �In recent years, we have seen situations
where female athletes were either overlooked or shut out completely. A
notable example is the International Olympic Committee�s refusal to
include women�s ski jumping in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.�
In 2006, the International Olympic Committee rejected a bid by an
international group of female ski jumpers to include women�s ski jumping
in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, suggesting there were an insufficient
number of athletes from too few countries participating.
�As we celebrate Women�s History Month and we get closer to the 2010
Winter Games Olympics, I want to draw attention to this issue for what
it is � gender discrimination,� said Minister Dunderdale. �Given that
the games are taking place in Canada, the Federal Government needs to
express its indignation on this issue on behalf of all female athletes.
The world will be watching us and we need to set an example and call for
change at the international level.�
Women's History Month was proclaimed by the Federal Government in 1992
in recognition of the anniversary of women becoming persons under the
law in October 1929. It provides an opportunity for Canadians to learn
about the important contributions of women in our society.
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Media contacts:
Erin Molloy
Communications Specialist
Women�s Policy Office
709-729-6225, 693-7938
erinmolloy@gov.nl.ca |
Heather May
Director of Communications
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
709-729-0928, 697-5061
heathermay@gov.nl.ca |
2009 10 08
3:05 p.m.
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