Holly Kletke. (Supplied by Holly Kletke)

By David Opinko

Holly Kletke chosen as Lethbridge’s delegate for Daughters of the Vote

Feb 21, 2021 | 5:00 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A young woman from Lethbridge hopes to use what she will learn about government, politics, and community engagement to better her own community.

Holly Kletke is the city’s delegate for the third annual Daughters of the Vote (DOV), a four-day event that culminates on International Women’s Day on March 8.

“It is an immense privilege to be chosen for this program. I know that there are many many women and people who are qualified and have the experience to be part of this program, so I feel very lucky and privileged to be chosen for this program.”

Hosted by Equal Voice, it is an opportunity for women to gain hands-on experience and knowledge about the world through a series of conferences, workshops, panels, networking sessions, and other activities.

“I’m excited to learn the perspectives of other people in Canada and other issues facing Canadians, so I’m excited to learn what I can and hopefully be able to employ that in my various leadership roles in the community.”

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Kletke is the President of the University of Lethbridge Alumni Association, a representative for the U of L’s Faculty of Fine Arts, a residence assistant at the university, and a board member of the Interfaith Food Bank.

She is currently working on attaining a Bachelor’s Degree in music and education but also has aspirations of pursuing law school.

“The political interests I have have to do with mostly issues facing post-secondary students. As a student leader on the campus of the University of Lethbridge, I am very interested in advocating for the post-secondary experience. As well as climate change and nature and all of the issues affecting our climate right now are of issue to me.”

DOV was founded on the 100th anniversary of some women being granted the ability to vote in Canadian elections.

Kletke believes that events like this are important to have despite the progress that has been made on gender equality.

“I think it’s so important to be more inclusive and equitable and employ more strategies for inclusivity and equity, so I think this conference is a very important one to empower women and girls to get involved in a predominantly male-focused field.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, DOV will not be held at the Parliament building in Ottawa as it normally would. Instead, the event will take place virtually.

While many delegates would likely be disappointed that they would not be able to travel to the nation’s capital, Kletke says it might actually be better this way because it makes DOV more accessible to everyone.