Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Why I'm Raising My Kids to Be Feminists Parenting

In honor of International Day of the Girl, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, father to Ella-Grace Margaret (February 5, 2009), Xavier James (October 18, 2007) and Hadrien (February 28, 2014), penned an exclusive new essay for MarieClaire.com about why he’s raising his kids to be feminists. In the essay, he opens up about wanting his sons to “escape the pressure to be a particular kind of masculine that is so damaging to men and to the people around them.”

He also writes, “I worry – because as a father, son, husband and citizen, I witness the unequal obstacles women and girls face every day. It’s 2017, yet in Canada and around the world, women and girls still face violence, discrimination, stereotypes that limit them, and unequal opportunities that keep them from achieving their dreams. It is maddening to me that my brilliant, compassionate daughter will grow up in a world where, despite everything she is as a person, there will still be people who won’t take her voice seriously, who will write her off – simply because of her gender.”

Gender equality is not only an issue for women and girls, continues Trudeau. "All of us benefit when women and girls have the same opportunities as men and boys – and it’s on all of us to make that a reality. Our sons have the power and the responsibility to change our culture of sexism, and I want Xavier and Hadrien – when he’s a little older – to understand that deeply. But I want, too, to help them grow into empathetic young people and adults, strong allies who walk through the world with openness, love, and a fierce attachment to justice.”

Read the complete essay by Justin Trudeau. 

Photo: Marie Claire