Executive Council
Tourism, Culture and Recreation
October 8, 2009

Female 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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