I am pleased to be attending the Canadian Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP), held in Halifax this week. The CWP’s aims and objectives are to:
• provide opportunities for strategic discussion and development for future and current parliamentarians;
• increase female representation in our parliaments;
• foster closer relationships among Canadian women parliamentarians;
• foster relations with other countries having close parliamentary ties with Canada; and 
• discuss, strategize and act on gender-related issues in Canada and internationally.