Report

The parliamentary delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (the Canadian Branch), which took part in the Leadership Workshop for Francophone Women Parliamentarians in Bucharest, Romania, from 25 to 29 September 2023, is pleased to present its report.

The delegation consisted of Marie-France Lalonde, Member of Parliament and Rapporteur for the Network of Women Parliamentarians of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF). In total, 10 francophone women parliamentarians from over seven APF branches took part in the Workshop.

LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP FOR FRANCOPHONE WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS

Since its first edition in 2017, the Leadership Workshop for Francophone Women Parliamentarians has sought to optimize the individual aptitudes of women parliamentarians and develop their capacity in advocating for women’s rights. This year’s workshop, the sixth edition, was organized by the National Assembly of Quebec in partnership with the École nationale d’administration publique. It was also supported by the Parliament of Romania, which hosted the event, as well as the APF, Global Affairs Canada and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

The themes on the agenda for this year’s workshop were transformational leadership, emotional intelligence, public speaking and gender equality. During the five days of the event, participants had the opportunity to hear theory-based academic presentations, carry out practical exercises and take part in coaching sessions.

The program combined theory-based training sessions with practical exercises. In particular, Marie France Lalonde had the opportunity to meet with the following experts:

• Ms. Natalie Rinfret, full professor at the École nationale d’administration publique, who spoke about transformational leadership and emotional intelligence;
• Ms. Martine Guillaud, a public speaking coach who has worked with deputies in France and corporate executives, who gave a workshop on eloquence, posture and assertiveness.

Participants also had the opportunity to attend a presentation on the status of women in Romania by Ms. Ionela Băluță, Professor at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Bucharest and Director of the Center for Equal Opportunity Policies.

In addition to attending the workshop, Marie-France Lalonde had the opportunity to meet with a number of local political figures, including the Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Canadian Ambassador to Romania and the Chair of the Canada–Romania Parliamentary Friendship Group.

The Canadian Branch’s participation in this workshop contributes to its objectives of maintaining ties with its international counterparts, discussing best practices, and promoting the values of La Francophonie.

Respectfully submitted,

Francis Drouin, M.P.

President of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie

Chair of the Canadian Branch of the

Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie

On behalf of

Marie-France Lalonde, M.P.