Executive Council
May 29, 2014

The following statement was given in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Joan Shea, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women:

Minister Announces Launch of Phase II of the Cybersafe Girl Initiative

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to recognize the work of the Atlantic Provinces’ Cybersafe Girl Initiative.

Mr. Speaker, the objective of the Cybersafe Girl Initiative is to engage young girls and their parents or guardians on the issue of cyber-violence and to highlight the seriousness of the issue and how to address it. In addition, tips on how to mitigate violence against young girls being perpetrated on the Internet and through other technologies are shared with the public. It was developed as an education initiative targeting children, youth and parents or guardians on the associated risks and trends related to social media.

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of attending the Atlantic Ministers Meeting earlier this week in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where Atlantic Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women met to discuss regional approaches and developments in the social, economic, legal, and cultural advancement of women in Atlantic Canada.

During the meeting, ministers discussed several topics of importance, including women in leadership and gender-based analysis. The second phase of the Cybersafe Girl Initiative was also launched which focuses on the affects that hypersexualization can have on the self-esteem and self-confidence of young girls.

Research indicates that in 2009, 87 per cent of Canadians thought that advertising was too focused on young women being sexy and not enough on their abilities and intelligence. This second phase provides information on how hypersexual images can affect young girl’s perception of body image. It also provides tips for girls and families on understanding how these images can affect girls and ways to develop a positive and healthy body image.

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to educating and raising awareness to combat cyber-violence against young girls, and to reducing violence against all populations in the province through the Violence Prevention Initiative.

Information about the Cybersafe Girl Initiative is available online at //www.cybersafegirl.ca.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

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2014 05 29                                     2:55 p.m.