Canada’s governor general Michaelle Jean, who is Haitian born, will mark International Women's Day on Monday in Haiti, as the impoverished nation struggles to rebuild two months after a crippling earthquake.

"We know that the island is experiencing terrible suffering, not only because of the earthquake, but also because of the poverty, which was already endemic before the disaster," Jean said in a statement ahead of her three-day trip, which will include a visit to the neighboring Dominican Republic.

Jean intends to stress optimistic messages as she delivers public speeches — in English, French, and Creole — about rebuilding, and about Canada's ongoing commitment to Haiti.

"In these situations of crisis and destabilization, women continue to look after the needs of their children and their loved ones.
"This year, International Women's Day will be even more moving for me, because I will be by the side of those Haitian women who are striving to recover from disaster and rebuild."

In a separate statement on her blog, Jean said she was "expecting to see the worst when I get there. However, I feel I must go to meet those who are working so hard to rebuild Haiti."

"I chose to arrive on March 8, International Women's Day, because we must remember that hope lies with women, that without their involvement, perspectives and solutions, it would all be for naught; nothing would be viable. I want to support that which is on the horizon, beyond the rubble," Jean wrote, reports The Canadian Press.

Canada's first black governor general, Jean was born in Port-au-Prince in 1957 and spent her childhood summers in the coastal town of Jacmel. She and her family fled Papa Doc Duvalier's regime when she was 11 years old.