Burlington Mayor Hosts Local High School Students for International Women's Day Lunch & Learn

There are moments since I was elected Burlington's Mayor that truly remind me why I wanted to represent this city in this way.Today (March 4, 2020), just ahead of International Women's Day (Sunday, March 8), I hosted students from Burlington's high schools at City Hall to have lunch with me. Every high school in our city was invited and it was left to each school to decide how they would like to select a student for this event.I have been attending International Women's Day events for years — lunches, dinners, conferences, etc. — but I hadn't yet had a chance to host one of my own since becoming Mayor. I decided I wanted to do something different and get the chance to connect with our youth.These amazing young women heard me speak today about women in leadership, the paths to success and my personal journey to becoming Mayor. What I enjoyed most about this event was the Q-and-A portion and really getting a chance to sit, chat and learn more about them.They asked me some great, and tough, questions, such as:

• Do I struggle to balance work and family life and how I do it?
• How much networking played a part in getting me to where I am today?
• What has been my hardest decision so far since being elected Mayor?

This year's theme for International Women's Day is #EachforEqual. On March 9, we recognize the advancements of women, but we're also reminded there's much work to be done, especially in encouraging women to enter professions where we're underrepresented.Politics is one of those. I'm only the second female mayor of the City of Burlington and the first in a generation. Only 18 per cent of Mayors across the country are women and only 24 per cent of all elected officials are women.Mary Munro was the first to break that glass ceiling at Burlington City Hall, as the first female mayor from 1977-78. She was also a fighter who spoke her mind and never backed down. Mary was an inspiration for my running for public office as a councillor and Mayor.I truly believe if women, particularly young women, see others in non-traditional roles, they too will aspire to that.Three women now sit on City Council (the biggest representation in Burlington's history). In addition, four out of the six members of the provincial and federal governments representing the City of Burlington are women.My advice to women and young girls is failure is not the end — it's often the beginning. Persistence is key. Be brave and keep trying. I lost two elections before I won one. If I had stopped after that second loss, I wouldn't be Mayor of the No. 1 community in Canada to live in and raise a family!As I told my young guests today, the only shot you need to worry about missing is the one you never take.— Mayor Marianne Meed Ward--*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor's Media and Digital Communications Specialist