OTTAWA—Canada’s status of women minister did not attend a women’s march Saturday, when thousands of people across the country protested the new U.S. president’s stance on abortion, history of sexist comments and other issues, because she had “prior commitments in her riding,” according to her office.
Organized for the day after Donald Trump was sworn in as president, the Women’s March saw half a million people descend on Washington, D.C. to rail against the new American leader. Similar protests were held in Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa and Toronto, where organizers estimate 60,000 people marched from Queen’s Park to Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday.
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“Our government has made a commitment to gender equality and to ensuring that all women and girls can reach their full potential,” said Matt Pascuzzo, press secretary for Status of Women Minister Maryam Monsef, in an emailed statement.
He said Monsef missed the march because she was attending meetings in her riding and preparing for the Liberal cabinet retreat in Alberta on Sunday.
“We will continue working to support women’s rights in Canada by addressing and preventing gender-based violence and ensuring women’s economic success. When women and girls succeed, it benefits all of us.”
Penelope Chester Starr, a co-ordinator for the marches in Canada, said there was no expectation for Monsef to attend one of the events. No politicians were invited because organizers didn’t want to introduce a partisan element to the demonstrations, she said, though the New Democratic Party had a visible presence at the rally in Toronto.
“This was not meant to be a political or politicized event,” Chester Starr said.
“It would be a completely different story if we put out an invitation and she turned it down,” she added. “We can’t wait to work with the ministry moving forward, and certainly we will engage with her.”
While she didn’t attend one of the marches Saturday, Monsef posted her support on Twitter the next day.
“Truly inspired. That so many took part yesterday means we can all stand together and keep working for change,” she wrote Sunday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also proclaimed his support on Twitter. “Congratulations to the women and men across Canada who came out yesterday to support women’s rights. You keep your government inspired.”
Sheila Malcolmson, the NDP’s status of women critic, said the entire Liberal cabinet — not just Monsef — had a responsibility to attend Saturday’s marches, given the prime minister’s repeated declaration that he is a feminist.
“For them to miss that opportunity on Saturday to stand with millions of women who marched to stand up against misogyny and sexism and racism and the discrimination against disabled people was their loss,” said Malcolmson, who attended the women’s march in Nanaimo, B.C.
Since Trump was elected Nov. 8, the Trudeau government has been cautious in its rhetoric about the American political scene. When he shuffled his cabinet this month, the prime minister explained that he was positioning his government to interact with the Trump administration on U.S.-Canada trade and co-operation.
As Trump continues to signal his plan to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, Trudeau has taken pains to publicly emphasize what he sees he holds in common with the U.S. administration, rather than discuss issues where they disagree.
“We both got elected on a commitment to help the middle class, and we’re going to be able to find common ground on doing the kinds of things that will help ordinary families right across the continent,” Trudeau said during an event in Halifax last week.
Monsef, meanwhile, is new to the status of women portfolio. Until this month’s cabinet shuffle, the Peterborough MP was the minister for democratic institutions, where she was roundly criticized for her handling of the Liberals’ promise to change the electoral system in time for the 2019 federal vote.
Trudeau’s mandate letter for the status of women minister mentions several priorities for the portfolio. These include shrinking the wage gap, encouraging companies to hire more female executives, creating a framework to prevent violence against women and helping other ministers with the inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women.