Articles

All about empowerment 
by Nadine Armstrong/Hants Journal 

March 10, 2008 - Turnout for the allempoweredwomen.com pancake breakfast in celebration of International Women’s Day March 8 was outstanding. It may have had something to do with special guests Dr. Janine Krieber, wife of federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion, and Kings-Hants MP Scott Brison or MLA Chuck Porter and 1450 CFAB radio announcer Kevin Bottaro flipping pancakes in the Legion kitchen. Either way, allempowered website creators Anastasia LeFrense and Jacqui Miller-Parker found a great way to celebrate the event and raise money for the Family Resource Center. Shown enjoying the event (top) are Family Resource Director Mary Lou Bennet, Paula Lunn, LeFrense, Dr. Krieber and Jacqui Miller-Parker. 

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Women ‘must help each other’ in politics
by Paul Pickrem/Halifax Chronicle Herald

 

Windsor, Nova Scotia- March 9, 2008 — Janine Krieber, an expert on terrorism and military strategy at the Royal Military College, was in the Valley on Saturday to celebrate International Women’s Day by flipping pancakes at a fundraiser for a local family resource centre.

She also spoke to political science students at Acadia University about removing barriers against the participation of women in Canadian politics.

 

"Women of all ages must have all the tools to fully participate in society," the Ottawa woman, whose husband is federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, said at the breakfast held to raise money for the Family Resource Centre of West Hants.

 

"They must fully develop their skills and talents to work with men to build a better Canada. There needs to be a particular will within political parties to facilitate the participation of women."

 

Ms. Krieber said it is more difficult for women to raise money to participate in the political process than it is for men because "women are more willing to give money than to ask for it."

 

"We have to improve solidarity among women. We must help each other to get there and to change the culture of political parties."

 

The event was hosted by Anastasia LeFresne and Jacqui Miller-Parker of Greenhill, near Windsor. The two operate a website called allempoweredwomen.com, presenting interviews and personal stories, poetry and quotes from women that are designed to encourage women.

 

"It’s a meeting place for women to come and learn from each other, to feel good and to be inspired, and for them to inspire and make other women feel good," Ms. Miller-Parker said.

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Empowered, but still a way to go yet

Editorial from The Hants Journal

 

March 10, 2008 -You have to hand it to people sometimes and applaud the go-getters in the world. Their stories are often untold because many who do good works prefer to remain anonymous, though there are some who believe it’s important to deliver a proud and potent message.

Not for the purpose of self-aggrandizement, either. Nine times out of 10 those who are passionate enough to champion a cause do so because of a personal investment in it that defines their effort and gives it meaning beyond the cause itself.

Never mind that such intensity and willingness to communicate could motivate others. That’s often an after-thought and a coincidental by-product that’s equal parts happy accident and plain old-fashioned good luck.

What we’re talking about ultimately is empowerment. It’s one of those tricky words that means different things to different people, but the Encarta World English Dictionary defines ‘empower’ as: 1. to give somebody power or authority (often passive); 2. to give somebody a sense of confidence or self-esteem. Either way, it suggests governance and self-esteem; qualities that, surprisingly enough in this age of hard sell, many people seem to lack.

Thus, we were thrilled to cover an event last week at the Legion sponsored by Jacqui Miller-Parker and Anastasia LeFrense, the two Hants County women who are the brains behind the allempoweredwomen.com website.

The March 8 event marked International Women’s Day and LeFrense and Miller-Parker pulled off a coup in securing none other than Dr. Janine Krieber, wife of federal Liberal leader Stephane Dion, to attend and help promote the event.

Krieber is a major force not only politically but academically, and someone of her stature at a local event celebrating women and female empowerment sends a very strong message. Women have struggled historically to carve a niche in the world and there are some who would decry the need for a day to celebrate sisterhood.

However, the truth is the fight is far from over and women should applaud their relative successes and be unafraid to remind society in general that although significant gains have occurred, the battle has not yet been won.

For instance, the Women’s Dept. of the CAW slammed the federal government in a press release last week for its stance on women, indicating that currently Canada ranks 38th in the world on the male-female income gap: after Switzerland, Cambodia, Kenya and more than 30 other countries.

As well, the Harper government has cut more than 40 per cent of the operating budget from the Status of Women Canada. This amounts to a $5 million cut and the organization responsible for promoting women's economic, social, political and legal equality had to close 12 of its 16 regional offices.

Needless to say, empowerment is still an issue, so good on LeFrense and Miller-Parker, allempoweredwomen.com and those who stand tall to support women’s issues. Much has been accomplished, but there is much left to do and perhaps the Quote of the Week from allempoweredwomen.com sums it up best:

"A woman is like a teabag. It's only when she's in hot water that you realize how strong she is."

(Nancy Reagan, former First-Lady of the United States of America)

Would that the hot water becomes unnecessary and society acknowledges such strength.

 

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Mrs. Stephan Dion, Dr. Janine Krieber, to flip pancakes at AllEmpoweredWomen.com’s International Women's Day breakfast in Windsor

 

Chefs extraordinaire, the Honourable Scott Brison and MLA Chuck Porter, will also be on hand to preparing pancakes, sausage, tea and coffee for the event.

“This is our first International Women’s Day pancake breakfast and we are thrilled to be getting so much attention,” explained LeFrense.  “With Dr. Krieber, Scott Brison and Chuck Porter on board, the event is sure to be a success.”

 

Proceeds from the breakfast will be donated to the Family Resource Centre of West Hants, an organization that works to enhance nurturing relationships between parents and their children.

“We are thrilled to be working with AllEmpoweredWomen.com on this event,” said Mary Lou Bennett, Executive Director of the Family Resource Centre of West Hants.  “Both our missions have a foundation of nurturing, support and the strengthening of relationships—it is wonderful that so many people are coming together to make a difference for the people in our area.”

 

Admission for the breakfast will be $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for kids, and a special family rate of $8.00.  Tickets will also be on sale for the chance to win a gift basket of goodies.

 

AllEmpoweredWomen.com is a vehicle to inspire and empower women from all walks of life. The site is a forum for women to use as a community, a network of support and a place to gather information and share ideas.

 

 

We are one:  one woman, one spirit, one community

 

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