Young Ottawa women take seats in House of Commons today

Young women from Ottawa are joining others from across Canadato takeeach seat in the House of Commons today in a special initiative called Daughters of the Vote to mark International Women's Day.

• WATCH LIVE | 'Daughters of the vote' to take seats in House of Commons

This year marks100 years since most women in Canada got the right to vote, so 338 young women will represent each federal government riding to promote more balanced representation in parliament and encourage others like them to consider a career in politics.

"The women that are goingbe sitting in those seats they are the most ambitious, intelligent and innovative women I have had the privilege to meet. So honestly it's the future," said 19-year-old Lucky Ingabireon CBC's Ottawa Morning.She'll be representing the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell.

The Daughters of the Vote delegates are all between the ages of 18 and 23, and were selected from 1,500 applicants by the organization Equal Voice, which promotes the election of more women in Canadian politics.

Indigenous women couldn't vote until 1960

"A lot of people are afraid to have a woman in power, and a lot of women are constantly told that's not your place," 19-year-old Danielle Lanouettetold host Hallie Cotnman.

Lanouette is Ojibwa and Algonquin, and as she takes theseat for Ottawa-Vanier, she'll honour her grandmothers, who like other Indigenous women in Canada weren't allowed to vote until 1960.

"For me, it's a really political move that this system that tried to break down both of my grandmothers that I'm now going to be sitting in that room," she said.

The Daughters of the Vote opportunity is also very special for 20-year-old University of Ottawa student Ally Freedman, sitting in the Ottawa-Centre seat.

"As a Mtis woman, we've not had the best history with the Canadian government, and the decisions that were made in those rooms did affect people in my heritage and my family," she said."So being to be able to sit there and have a role there is pretty emotional."

First-hand glimpses of political life

Freedman andIngabirerecently visited Queen's Park in Toronto, where they met and learned first-handfrom women MPPs about political life and some of the struggles and negativitythey faced as women in politics.

"You know it exists, and when it's brought to light it makes you wonder how many females and women consider this when they want to be involved in politics, and how it might prevent them from going further with what they aspire to accomplish," said Ingabire.

But that meeting left them inspired, said Freedman."For them to share with us what it's really like to be a female politician, for me it was a really beneficial experience."

Lanouettewas also inspired when she recently met with federal cabinet ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Carolyn Bennett. All three young women say they may consider a future in politics.

"The women are the ones who raise the community up," said Lanouette.