Released on October 11, 2013
The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to join with young women across the globe to celebrate International Day of the Girl. This day recognizes girls and young women as powerful voices of change in their families, communities and nations. The international theme for this year’s celebration is Keeping Girls Cyber-Safe.
“As a woman in leadership and the Minister responsible for the Status of Women, I am very proud to recognize this important day,” Social Services Minister and Minister responsible for the Status of Women June Draude said. “This is a great opportunity for all of us to learn more about the issues facing girls, encourage the sharing of information on ways to keep them cyber-safe and celebrate their limitless potential.”
“Awareness on this issue is important and requires ongoing collaboration,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Gordon Wyant said. “Over the past few months, I have been working with my provincial and federal colleagues to address cyberbullying in the Criminal Code. As a result, I’m pleased that a collaborative report recommending various actions to strengthen the criminal law was recently released.”
In Saskatchewan, the issue of sexualization and cyber-violence that can occur through social media has been raised by girls and their parents as an area that needs to be addressed. In response, the Status of Women Office has produced a set of cyber-safety tips for girls. In addition, cyber-safety fact sheets have been distributed to schools across the province and posted on the Status of Women Office website at http://www.socialservices.gov.sk.ca/swo/. The Government of Saskatchewan is also developing a comprehensive anti-bullying strategy to address cyber-bullying and cyber-safety.
Canada led the call for an International Day of the Girl at the United Nations in order to raise awareness about the particular challenges that girls face and to take action. Canadians first celebrated the International Day of the Girl on October 11, 2012.
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For more information, contact:
Andrew Dinsmore
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8689
Email: andrew.dinsmore@gov.sk.ca