Atlantic Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women participated in a successful meeting in Summerside this week, says Prince Edward Island’s Status of Women Minister Janice Sherry.
“Atlantic Status of Women Ministers appreciate the opportunity to share knowledge and ideas from our respective provinces in a face-to-face setting,” said Sherry. “Ministers continue to see positive outcomes in their region as a result of mutual co-operation.”
Atlantic Ministers met to discuss current women’s issues of concern during the 2nd Annual Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women Meeting.
Women’s issues on this year’s agenda included human trafficking of women and girls, social media and girls, gender-based analysis and Aboriginal women’s issues.
Atlantic Ministers committed to developing a five-year strategy that will initially focus on education and awareness around the impact of social media on young girls. Ministers plan to launch this joint initiative in the fall of 2011.
“The impact of social media and indeed violence against women and girls knows no boundaries,” said Pam Lynch, Legislative Secretary to the New Brunswick Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Margaret-Ann Blaney. “It is important for us to work together by sharing our expertise and our resources.”
This strategy will address the impact of social media use by young girls by identifying current measures in place, recognizing existing gaps and emerging needs, collaborating with social media advisors and evaluating outcomes of the proposed strategy.
“An effective response strategy is critical as the use of social media by young girls continues to grow exponentially,” said Sherry. “The safety of young girls remains a top priority to all Atlantic Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women.”
Ministers were involved in a productive discussion about the serious and real issue of human trafficking of women and girls. All Ministers agree on the importance of taking a proactive approach to address human trafficking in Atlantic Canada.
“Developing strong working relationships within the Atlantic Region allows us to effectively serve women and girls across the four Atlantic provinces,” said Nova Scotia Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Marilyn More. “I am very pleased with the level of discussion and collaboration that we achieved over the past two days.”
As host, Minister Sherry was thrilled with the seamless collaboration between Ministers throughout the meeting. Atlantic Minister’s are now looking forward to the 3rd Annual Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women Meeting that will be held in Newfoundland in Spring 2012.