Statement made on 09 March 2010 by Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette
Hon. Céline Hervieux-Payette:
My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. Yesterday, on the occasion of International Women's Day, a number of North American newspapers, including The New York Times and La Presse, published articles on women's representation on corporate boards.
The numbers for Canada and the United States are disappointing: women account for approximately 17 per cent of corporate board members. This figure lags far behind that of several European countries, especially Norway and Spain, which have passed legislation on this subject and where women now represent roughly 40 per cent of directors of corporations listed on the stock exchange. France passed similar legislation in January.
Can the Leader of the Government tell us what plans the government has, other than changing one word in the national anthem, to help Canadian women take their place in society and exercise their influence, especially in economic and financial circles, where the mindset really needs to be changed?
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