Empowering Women
For Governor General Michaëlle Jean, denying more than half of the world’s population the most basic human rights is one of the worst scandals of our time. This is what has inspired her determination to break down the wall of indifference and give a voice to women.She believes that being safe—at home, in our neighbourhoods, in our communities—is one of the basic rights that are all t oo often abused where women are concerned, even in our so-called progressive societies. That is why she has made violence against women a priority in her mandate. It is also a commitment that stems from her years spent working with women and children who had suffered through many forms of violence, which led her to help establish a network of shelters for them.
In her view, the struggle for equality is not just a woman’s struggle; it is the struggle of every person who demands respect, justice and dignity. She strongly believes that we have everything to gain when we give women the means to change their lives for the better. “Empower women,” Her Excellency states, “and you will see a decrease in poverty, illiteracy, illness and violence.”
