(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
Montreal: A group of prominent women on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fill vacancies in the Canada's Senate exclusively with women until a 50-50 gender split has been achieved.
More than 80 women -- among then former prime minister Kim Campbell Vancouver's deputy mayor Andrea Reimer and renowned journalist Jane O'Hara -- signed a letter delivered to the Canadian leader who took office last November vowing sweeping change including on social justice issues.
At present 30 of the 105 seats in Canada's unelected Senate are held by women.
Trudeau already has made good on his vow of gender parity in his cabinet which has 15 men and 15 women.
"This is a historic moment to complete the parity process" Donna Dasko co-founder of the feminist group Equal Voice and a signatory of the latter told AFP.
The letter also urged the Canadian leader to appoint women from diverse backgrounds including indigenous or "First Nations" communities and other racial and ethnic minorities.
Dasko said that if Trudeau were to appoint women to all existing vacancies -- and made 22 additional appointments as seats open up in the future -- a perfect male-female balance can be achieved.
AFP