Orléans is blessed with a large number of women and girls who each and every day strive to make a difference in their community. On March 1, Orléans MP Marie-France Lalonde held a breakfast and award ceremony to honour 38 of those women as part of this year’s Leading Women, Leading Girls Awards in recognition of International Women’s Day.

Among this year’s recipients were AKA Beauty Concepts owner Andrea Baird, Garneau volleyball coach Gabrielle Boeck, youth and women’s advocate Isobel Boyd, Béatrice-Desloges librarian Suzanne Lalonde, members of the French Catholic women’s organization des Filles d’Isabelle, uOGlobal ambassador Irene Xia Zhou, president of the Association canadienne des marocains d’Ottawa-Gatineau Najat Ghannou, educator and community leader Patrice Hall-Johnson, long-time Scout and Girl Guide leader Susan Diotte with over 25 years of service, philanthropist Tanvira Sultana, and Collège La Cité director Majda Taourou Talbi.

The common theme or thread that con-nected this year’s leading girls recipients was volunteerism and selflessness. Many girls have volunteered hundreds of hours, both inside and outside their schools, to help make their community a better place to live.

Among the leading girls who received an award were Christina Nyentap and Madeline Matte from St. Matthew High School, Hibo Mohamed Omar, Maïssa Zemni and Ziham Abukar from École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde, Suriya Lachance from École secondaire catholique Béatrice-Desloges, and recent Orléans Outstanding Youth Award recipient Raina Smith from St. Peter School High School.

Other recipients include Roxanne Côté-Carrière, Abigaëlle Pinsonneault, Maunerica Milfort, Bridget Dandenault, Elizabeth Bengle, Diyyinah Jamora, Barbara Daniela Gandolfo, Faduma Wais, Mehjabin Salim Sohani, Michèle Holub, Sandra Baker Gregory, Sharifa Mohammadi and Natalie Beeston, Lalonde used the award ceremony to talk about the importance of gender equality in Canada and around the world and to applaud the achievements of women and girls in Orléans.

“On International Women’s Day, let’s take a moment to reflect on the remarkable contributions of women, not just globally but right here in Orléans.

“Today is your day,” Lalonde told the recipients. “A day to recognize women’s outstanding achievements and contributions – both big and small – that have helped shape our community. Because of women like us, our country is changing for the better.”

The Orléans Leading Women, Leading Girls Awards take place every year with nominations accepted in December and January..