Election
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Original Document - Young Women Vote 2004: The 20,000 Project
Visit the Young Women Vote Project Website
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What the hell
is the 20,000 project?
There's
been lots of talk in the media, among politicians, academics and thinkers
about "how young people aren't getting out to vote" and
that "the youth of today don't care". There is a lot of
truth to these impressions. We are going to change this.
We are starting
a campaign, "The 20,000 Project", because as young
women, we want to show Canadians that we do care.
Young
women in Canada are as much a part of the country as the politicians
that run this place. And, that means that we should get a say in how
this whole place works, right? But, the reality of it is, lots of
politicians don't understand or care about young women, let alone
Canadian youth.
We want to let
these guys know that we do care. We do think it's important to be
involved. So the question is, how do we do that? We believe we have
at least one solution.
We are three young
women who have been working for Parliament Ottawa. Although things
have changed, we have seen how much this place is still an old boys
club! We would like to send out the message to these old boys, Prime
Minister Paul Martin included, that as young women we believe that
it is important for us to have our say.
One of the ways
to do this is to come out and vote. Yes, we know that there are problems
with this process. Yes, we know that people definitely feel like their
votes don't count. But we can't sit around talking about how to do
this any longer. It's time we take action. We need to get involved,
take a stand, tell them what we think is important, and demand that
they listen to young women in this country.
Which is where
you come in.
We would love
for young women across the country to come together, to speak out
and to vote.
We are gathering
names of young women who will pledge to vote in the next federal election.
We would like to add your name. So, sign
the petition. Send
us an e-mail. Tell us what you think is important. And,
since we happen to be in Ottawa, we will do our darndest to try and
get our collective voices heard.
The 20,000 Project
Steering Committee
Cloë
R.,
Chi N. Crystal G.
Truths
about Voting in Canada
1918: "Women"
obtain the right to vote
1929: Women are considered "persons" under the law
and can be appointed to Senate
1948: Persons of Asian descent obtain the right to vote; the
last property restrictions on voters are lifted
1960: Aboriginal women living on reserves obtain the right
to vote
1982: The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees to all
Canadian citizens the right to vote and to run for office
1988: People with mental disabilities obtain the right to vote
Even in this day
and age, men still take the place at our governmental table...
Canada's newest
instrument of power: The Council of the Federation
Q: Why Vote?
A: Because
you can!
It might sound
trite, but one good reason to exercise your vote is because you
are lucky enough to live in a country where you can participate
in the democratic process. Sure, the process isn't perfect, but
it is hard to change the system without becoming involved.
When Canada
first became a country, only about 11% on its citizens were eligible
to vote. Now, because of a lot of hard work, 68% of Canadians are
eligible to vote. This represents almost everyone over the age of
18.
Exercising this
right is important!
How can you help the 20,000 Project?
It's simple.
If you want more
information, or if you want a hard copy, you can reach us by email:
youngwomenvote2004@hotmail.com
To sign the pledge,
go to: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/ywv2004/petition.html
Even though women
make up half of the Canadian population, they are dramatically underrepresented
in federal government. Today, there are 301 members of the House of
Commons and only 63 of these are women. This means that only 21% of
our politicians are women! In the last election, there were 1,808
candidates, and again only 21% (375) were women.
There are
over 2.5 million women between the ages of 18 and 30. Imagine what
we could do if we worked together!
For every
eight men in parliament, there are only two women among them...
View
Original Document - Young Women Vote 2004: The 20,000 Project
Visit the Young Women Vote Project Website
(link opens in new browser window)
