Former Prime Minister of Canada
Key Takeaways:
Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell explained to our small group consisting of several female activists what her journey was like from starting out as her school’s first female student body president to becoming Canada’s first female Prime Minister. She also detailed how important perseverance is and how she personally overcame gender biases. She was an inspiring woman who impressed us with her accomplishments in the face of discrimination.
--- On January 20th, 2022, Ponte Nuovo students had the honor of speaking to Kim Campbell, the first and only female Prime Minister of Canada. We were eager to hear about her experience as a woman in politics and her journey to becoming a world leader.
Ms. Campbell began by explaining her inspiration for entering the political world. When she was a child, she was surrounded by strong female leaders. Her life was full of firsts. In high school she became her school's first female student body president, she was the first Canadian Prime Minister to hold office at all three levels of the Canadian government, the first woman to be Minister of State for Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Minister of National Defence, and finally, the first female Prime Minister of Canada.
Ms. Campbell also touched on how sexism relates to political careers. She explained that oftentimes sexism is subconscious in the minds of both men and women. She used the example of a man being able to speak directly and command respect while, if a woman were to say the same thing, she would be seen as rude or bossy. Ms. Campbell explained how difficult it is to root out gender-based biases, but that she has been working toward equality for her whole life.
Another topic discussed was how she affected women's lives throughout her political career. During her time as Prime Minister, she passed a law to protect women in cases of rape and sexual assault. Today, this law is still how Ms. Campbell wrote it 30 years ago.
It was inspiring as a young woman to see how much Ms. Campbell has accomplished–from high school to the leader of Canada. Her final advice was for young women wishing to pursue careers in politics. She encouraged us to go forward without hesitation and take responsibility for the world we wish to create.
