Dear Student,

As a young lady attending secondary school and living in Canada, you have no doubt seen how information technology has transformed your lifestyle and the way you learn, how it empowers you to advance along your academic path, and how it gets you ready to embrace a future where your potential will not be determined by your gender.

You may have also heard conversations, watched news broadcasts, or had discussions about gender inequality and the importance of education as a means to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls the world over.

What if these women and girls were Indigenous, living in a particular region of Canada? How do you think access to new technologies could contribute to their empowerment? Lend your voice to this subject! Join this global conversation through this competition – Olympes de la Parole – the first of its kind in North America, and right here in Canada.

Your teacher will guide you on the best way to enter the competition. You will work with schoolmates in trying to explain the situation using teamwork, critical thinking, innovation, and community participation. We will provide your school with a mentor to assist you during the lifecycle of the competition (from September to March). You will prepare to present your work as a written report, an oral presentation, and a video presentation to a review panel.

University Women’s Club of Montreal Inc.

3529 Atwater Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, H3H 1Y2 • uwcm@uwcm.com www.uwcm.com

What are the rewards?

  • Your reflections may help us better understand the roles of new technologies in the empowerment of Indigenous girls and
  • Your contribution may be used as background in the formulation of new policies that will support gender equality in Canada.
  • You will be awarded a certificate recognizing the volunteer hours invested in this competition.
  • If your team is selected as one of the three winners, you will be invited to present your findings to the public during an award ceremony where the three best projects will receive one of these scholarships:
1st Prize $2,000.00
2nd Prize $1,500.00
3rd Prize $1,000.00
  • The three winning video productions will be viewed by thousands of Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) members, shared through UWCM and CFUW social media, and used to promote gender equality in Canada.

Regards,

Dr. Saôde Savary, Chemist, Ph.D. Public Health, UWCM President