NLIS 6
October 4, 2005
(Executive Council)
Minister provides update on gender
balance within government
Joan Burke, Minister responsible for the Status
of Women, said today government is committed to gender equity in its hiring and
appointment practices for all departments, agencies, boards and commissions.
�Candidates are selected for positions based on their ability, experience and
qualifications. To suggest that a change in leadership is in any way connected
to a person�s gender is false and unfair to each and every one of the women who
hold such positions now within government,� said Minister Burke. �It should also
be noted that many government appointed positions are contractual and it is
normal government practice to seek out other candidates at the end of these
contracts. Several key positions within government are filled by women and,
quite frankly, the assumption that a change occurs based on a person�s gender is
ridiculous.�
Recent appointments to senior-level positions in government have included:
- Sheila Kelly Blackmore, Chair of the
Provincial Rural Secretariat Regional Councils and Vice-chair of the
Business Advisory Board
- Sandra Barnes, Deputy Clerk, Executive
Council
- Brenda Caul, Deputy Minister of Environment
- Darlene Neville, Child and Youth Advocate
- Marilyn McCormack, Deputy Child and Youth
Advocate
- Josephine Cheeseman, Assistant Secretary to
Cabinet (Acting) � Communications
- Joan Cleary, Chair, Workplace, Health,
Safety and Compensation Commission
- Rebecca Roome, Deputy Minister of Human
Resources, Labour and Employment
- Leslie Galway, Deputy Minister of Business
- Valerie Marshall, Chair, Labour Relations
Board
In addition, nine of the 14 appointments to the
new board of the College of the North Atlantic are now comprised of women, 60 of
the 134 people appointed to the new Rural Secretariat Regional Councils are
women and 50 per cent of the appointed members of the new Integrated Health
Authorities are women.
�As a government, we stated very clearly at the beginning of our mandate that we
will ensure government policies and practices reflect the concerns and
experiences of women and fully respect women�s rights,� said Minister Burke. �We
have not waivered from that commitment and continue to work to advance the
status of women within government and indeed, across our province.�
The preparation of the poverty reduction strategy, the new Violence Prevention
Program and the government�s work on child care within the last six months have
all included specific consultations with women and women�s organizations
throughout the province.
The government is also making progress on a yearly basis for women in leadership
positions. In 2002-03, 34.4 per cent of the board appointments went to women, 35
per cent in 2003-04, and 36 per cent 2004-05. For the first six months of
2005-06, the number of appointments of women has ranged at any given time
between 38 per cent and 43 per cent.
�We will continue to work hard to raise opportunities for women within
government and to improve on the level of representation by women in these
roles,� said Minister Burke. �Working toward gender equity is of critical
importance to me on both a personal level and as Minister Responsible for the
Status of Women. Under the leadership of Premier Danny Williams and with the
cooperation of my cabinet colleagues, we are making progress and should
recognize the valuable contribution of the many women who are in positions of
leadership today.�
Media contact: Jacquelyn Howard, Communications, (709) 729-4062, 689-2624
2005 10 04
3:55 p.m. |