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Steven Noble
Editor, Internal Publications
p. 403.440.5692
e-mail: snoble@mtroyal.ca

Fred Cheney
Media Relations Officer
p. 403.440.5195
e-mail: fcheney@mtroyal.ca

 

As a woman thriving in a man’s world, the Honourable Alison Redford of Alberta Minister of Justice and Attorney General, is a great choice for a participant Mount Royal University’s International Women’s Week panel discussion.

“I think the panel discussion is going to be wonderful and I hope we get some real back-and-forth exchanges (between the panel and audience),” Redford says of the March 12 event that will address women’s issues.

The Hon. Alison Redford will be one of the featured guests during Mount Royal's International Women's Day panel.

“International Women’s Day is such an important day internationally, but sometimes in Canada we lose sight of it,” says the Calgary-Elbow MLA.

“It doesn’t matter where you live, women face challenges and it’s important to have these kinds of conversations.”

While Redford admits Canadian women may not face the same severity of issues as some women around the world, she feels taking part in events such as Mount Royal’s panel discussion is extremely valuable.

“It is important to always pay attention to where we have come from. I think back to the debate 20 years ago around issues that we as women and young girls in Canada take for granted now.

“Mount Royal is such a great community and I think it is worthwhile to try and foster as much public debate about issues as we can.”

Canadian women may be better off than others but Redford points to challenges Canadian women still face such as domestic violence, poverty and day care.

“There are a lot of women in Canada that need tremendous support — not just social issues but public dialogue so people understand how vulnerable women in Canada are.”

As a minister, Redford is a minority around the cabinet table and says at the panel discussion she plans to share stories of how people outside the Legislature have assumed she is the assistant to the Minister of Justice coming for a pre-meeting.

“One of the reasons I decided to run is I looked around … and I didn’t see a lot of people who represent my demographic — a mother with young children who had a serious career,” says the lawyer who was also an international election commissioner for Afghanistan’s first parliamentary elections in 2005.


— Anika Van Wyk, March 11, 2010

Addressing women’s issues The International Women’s Week panel discussion about women’s issues includes: Alison Redford — Minister of Justice and Attorney General, MLA Calgary-Elbow Lucille Gnanasihamany — Director of Marketing, Mount Royal University Erin Delamont — VP Academic, Students’ Union, Mount Royal University Lois Mithcell — Board of Directors, Rainmaker, CEO Host — CBC news anchor Nirmala Naidoo Ann Lewis-Luppino, President & CEO, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra March 12, noon to 2 p.m. in Mount Royal’s Lincoln Park Room. No tickets necessary.