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Canadian
Women's Non-Governmental Organizations
|
 Organismes
non-gouvernementaux axés
|
Page révisée le 26 février 2010
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From WomenWatch (United Nations):
Fifteen-year review of the implementation of the
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995) and the
outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000)
March 1-12, 2010
New York
In March 2010, the will undertake a fifteen-year
review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General
Assembly. Emphasis will be placed on the sharing of experiences and good
practices, with a view to overcoming remaining obstacles and new challenges,
including those related to the Millennium Development Goals. Member States,
representatives of non-governmental organizations and of UN entities will
participate in the session. A series of parallel events will provide additional
opportunities for information exchange and networking.
Also from WomenWatch:
The Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality invites you to participate
in online discussions on the Critical Areas of Concern as a contribution
to the 15-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for
Action at the 54th session of the Commission on the Status of Women from
1-12 March, 2010. (...) The online discussions provide a forum for individuals,
groups and networks not able to attend the Commission on the Status of Women
to contribute to the review.
Beijing, China
September 1995
Action for Equality, Development and Peace
Source:
WomenWatch is the central gateway to information and resources on the promotion
of gender equality and the empowerment of women throughout the United Nations
system.
---
From the
Canadian Feminist
Alliance for International Action (FAFIA):
(PDF - 314K, 40 pages)
February 22, 2010
Table of contents:
Part One: Overall Achievements and Obstacles
Part Two: Critical Areas of Concern:
* Women and Poverty * Women and Education and Training * Violence Against
Women * Women and Armed Conflict * Women and the Economy * Women And Politics
* Women and the Environment * The Girl-Child
Part Three: Gender Architecture in Canada
Part Four: Key Challenges and Plans for the Future
(PDF - 1MB, 27 pages)
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
Report on Canada's Progress in Implementing Priority Recommendations made
by
the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against
Women in 2008
February 2010
Related news release:
February 2, 2010
(Ottawa) Canada is ignoring the basic human rights of the poorest and most
vulnerable Canadian women, says the (FAFIA) in a new report issued
today. No Action: No Progress assesses Canada’s response to priority
recommendations that were made by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination
of Discrimination against Women after its review of Canada in 2008.
Source:
(FAFIA)
The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action is a dynamic coalition
of over 75 Canadian women’s equality-seeking and related organizations.
FAFIA’s mandate is to further women’s equality in Canada through
domestic implementation of its’ international human rights commitments.
The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada
(ARCC) is the only nation-wide political pro-choice group devoted to ensuring
abortion rights and access for women. We formed in October 2005 to carry out political
and educational work to support reproductive rights and health.
[
]
By the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada
February
9, 2008
A private member's bill called The "Unborn Victims of Crime Act"
(C-484) has been introduced by Conservative MP Ken Epp (Edmonton Sherwood Park).
It had its first hour of debate in Parliament on December 13, and is projected
to come up for its second hour of debate on February 29, with a vote on March
5. The bill would amend the Criminal Code to allow separate homicide charges to
be laid in the death of a fetus when a pregnant woman is attacked. If passed,
this bill would be an unconstitutional infringement on women’s rights, and
would likely result in harms against pregnant women. It is a key step towards
re-criminalizing abortion, but it could also criminalize pregnant women for behaviours
perceived to harm their fetuses.
*
*
*
(includes links to over a dozen related resources)
- I did (#1182 in the list).
(sample letter, includes a link to the complete list of MPs and their contact info)
Source:
[ ]
The Abortion Rights Coalition
of Canada (ARCC) is the only nation-wide political pro-choice group devoted to
ensuring abortion rights and access for women.
Counterpoint:
The purpose of this bill
is to recognize that there are two victims in some crimes – the mother and
the child.
(...) Currently in Canada, when an attacker kills a pregnant
woman’s unborn child, no charge can be laid in that child’s death, even
when the attacker purposely intended to kill the child. The attacker is only charged
with injury to the mother. This is because our criminal law does not recognize
children as victims of crime until they are born alive. This is a huge gap in
federal law and a cause for grave injustice...
Source:
- Canada's Christian Community Online
***************
If you have strong views on the issue
of abortion - either pro-choice or pro-life - you'll likely feel strongly one
way or the other about C-484.
If you wish to share your views on Bill C-484
with me one way or the other, please don't email me directly because I
definitely don't have the time or the inclination to engage in one-on-one email
debates.
www.gopetition.com (the online petition service) offers forums
to complement the petitions that groups and individuals post online.
Click
the Petition link above to access the "Oppose C-484" forum; you can
click on any message that's posted there to read it, e.g., "I Oppose Bill
C-484" (by Gilles Seguin), and reply to or comment on any message --- all
anonymously, if you wish.
I've always believed a woman's right to choose is
a fundamental human right.
You can agree or disagree, but please do it in
the forum, not in my Inbox.
Merci.
Gilles
***************
Related Web/News/Blog links:
Google Search Results
Links - always current results!
Using the following search terms
(without the quote marks):
"Canada, Bill C-484 "
-
-
-
Source:
Related reading from :
- Abortion rights
- rights of the unborn fetus
(ACTEW)
"A Women's
Training Community"
ACTEW is an umbrella group of agencies
and programs delivering employment and training services to women in Ontario.
ACTEW distributes information regarding labour force development policy, consults
with various levels of government, conducts research projects designed to enhance
our understanding of the training and education terrain, and advocates for women's
access to quality employment and training services. Our mission is to promote
and support community-based training opportunities for women.
-
incl. links to : About ACTEW - Contact Us - Board of Directors - Our History -
ACTEW's Public Education - Current Projects - ACTEW Publications - CCLOW Publications
- Other Publications - ACTEW Members - Becoming an ACTEW Member - What is Community-Based
Training? - Web Site Sponsors and Credits
-
- great collection!!
($)
-
incl. links to: Regional Overview [including Canada, see the link below]
• Asia-Pacific • Europe and Central Asia • Middle East and North
Africa) - Key Issues (Arms Control, International Justice, Displaced People,
Stop Violence Against Women [see the link below], Death Penalty) - Secretary General's
Message - The Search for Human Security - What does AI do?
:
Some 3,000 representatives from
governments and women’s and human rights organizations came together in New
York in March 2005 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Beijing UN World Conference
on Women and to assess progress towards fulfilling the Beijing Declaration and
Program for Action. While governments unanimously reaffirmed the commitments they
had made a decade ago, they failed to make further pledges to promote and protect
women’s human rights. This failure was in part the result of a retrogressive
attack on women’s human rights that has become evident over the past few
years. This attack, especially regarding women’s sexual rights and reproductive
rights, was led by conservative US-backed Christian groups and supported by the
Holy See and some member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
The attacks on women’s rights, the changed global security context and the
lack of will by states to implement international human rights standards formed
the backdrop against which AI continued throughout 2005 to join with women’s
groups around the world to promote women’s human rights.
"Indigenous women and girls continued to suffer
a high level of discrimination and violence. There were concerns that counter-terrorism
practices did not conform to human rights obligations. "
- links to 55 reports
July 10, 2006
From birth to death,
in times of peace as well as war, women face discrimination and violence at the
hands of the state, the community and the family. Female infanticide deprives
countless women of life itself. Every year, millions of women are raped by partners,
relatives, friends and strangers, by employers and colleagues, security officials
and soldiers. Women, children and men suffer from violence inflicted in the home,
but the overwhelming majority of victims are women and girls. During armed conflicts,
violence against women is often used as a weapon of war, in order to dehumanize
the women themselves, or to persecute the community to which they belong.
Source:
Press
Release
October 4, 2004
"Canadian officials have too long ignored the
threat to Indigenous women in Canadian towns and cities. Many are missing, some
have been murdered and Canadian authorities are not doing enough to stop the violence,
says Amnesty International in a report, Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response
to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada, released
today."
"Indigenous women and girls deserve the protection of Canadian authorities and Canadian society. The failure to provide that protection is a personal tragedy for their families who have lost sisters, daughters and mothers to racist and sexist violence. It is also a human rights tragedy."
"The mission of the BC Coalition
of Women's Centres is to seek an end to the violence, poverty and other human
rights abuses experienced by women in British Columbia, by supporting and promoting
both independent and coordinated social change action among women's centres and
other equity-seeking organizations."
- incl. links to :
Action!
[Grade the BC Government on Prevention of Violence Against Women | Get the FAMOUS
Women's Bucks | Operation: Application | contact MLAs | links]
Archives
IMPACT of BC Cuts on Women | Silent protest of BC women's minister | Prevention
of Violence Report Card for BC Gov't | Alert to UN: BC's Human Rights violations]
Info
[contact information | BCCWC mission and values | find a women's centre in
your community]
Media
More...
(PDF file - 257K, 35 pages)
March 2005
By Gillian
Creese & Veronica Strong-Boag
"The Liberal record in office in British
Columbia over the last four years has been dismal for women, especially for those
who are Aboriginal, women of colour, immigrants and refugees, with disabilities,
lesbian, single mothers, poor and/or elderly. On every policy front examined in
this report – caring work, health, welfare, education and training, employment,
access to justice, and women’s advocacy – legislation and policies enacted
by the Liberals have tossed equality and justice overboard."
Report prepared
for :
[ ]
Related Links:
(PDF file - 174K,
40 pages)
Submission of the B.C. CEDAW Group to the United Nations Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
on the occasion
of the Committee’s review of Canada’s 5th Report
January 23, 2003
- includes
links to over a dozen official Canadian and U.N. CEDAW documents online
Source:
- from
Updated July 9, 2002
"Elimination
of Women's Rights = Violence Against Women and Children | Cuts to Income = Increased
Poverty | Cuts to Health = Increased Risk | Cuts to Housing = Homelessness | Elimination
of Justice = Violation of Human Rights | Elimination of Right to Education and
Training"
"The Women of the World are Watching"
"The
Global Week of Action: Beijing and Beyond is an opportunity for everyone
to get involved, apply pressure on their governments, demand women's human rights,
and celebrate achievements."
In May 1997 a Canadian homemaker, Beverley Smith, laid
an official complaint at the United Nations that Canada discriminates against
homemakers in its tax, divorce and childcare laws and in Statistics Canada studies.
"Beverley Smith is a long-time researcher and activist promoting equality
for all roles for men and women, paid and unpaid, and for the state to value the
family side of the career family balance. (...) working to get a fairer tax climate
to all kids, and all ways to raise them, addressing child poverty in a way that
shows no favoritism for lifestyle or career choice"
Related Link:
- free newsletter by Beverley Smith (also available
by subscription). Each issue includes recent news and information on a wide range
of topics, including the positive effects of good care, the negative effects of
bad care, caregiving research, the characteristics of caregivers, child and parent
health, career trends, family finances, legal and political, and much more...
"CAEFS is a federation
of autonomous societies which works with, and on behalf of, women involved with
the justice system, particularly women in conflict with the law. Elizabeth Fry
Societies are community based agencies dedicated to offering services and programs
to marginalized women, advocating for legislative and administrative reform and
offering fora within which the public may be informed about, and participate in,
aspects of the justice system which affect women."
- large site, easy
to navigate, incl. information about CAEFS, programs and services, conferences,
fact sheets, annual reports, issue papers (Human Rights - Battered Women - Women’s
Prisons - Young Women - Restorative Justice - Literacy), responses to proposed
legislative changes - related Internet sources on prison issues and violence against
women
Press Release
March 8, 2005
"The
Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS), Native Women's Association
of Canada Strength in Sisterhood Society and Women 4 Justice are alarmed at what
they consider to be tacit acceptance by the Canadian Human Rights Commission of
the relative inaction of the Correctional Service of Canada. Four years ago today,
CAEFS and NWAC, supported by more than 25 other national and international organizations,
urged the CHRC to conduct a systemic review and issue a special report regarding
the discriminatory treatment of federally sentenced women at the hands of the
Canadian government."
Source:
Strength in Sisterhood Society (SIS)
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social,
economic environmental justice. Founded in 1980, the CCPA is one of Canada’s
leading progressive voices in public policy debates.
Selected website content:
Press
Release
September 1, 2009
OTTAWA—Canada still has shockingly high rates
of women’s poverty but the recession seems to have sidelined anti-poverty
policies, says a new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).
Women’s Poverty and the Recession reveals even after taking into account
government transfers and tax credits, almost one-quarter(24%) of Canadian women
raising children on their own and 14% of single older women are poor, compared
to 9 % of children. “Child poverty seems to win political points but Canadian
governments are ignoring the very real and private struggle of women on their
own who are living in poverty at shockingly high levels,” says CCPA Research
Associate Monica Townson.
Complete report:
(PDF - 662K, 54 pages)
September 2009
By
Monica Townson
"(...) In Canada, the groups most vulnerable to poverty
are Canadians from racialized communities, recent immigrants (many of whom are
also from racialized communities), Aboriginal people, and persons with disabilities.
Most of these groups have much higher rates of poverty than the general population.
But in all the vulnerable groups, poverty rates for women are higher than those
for men.
Related media links:
September 5, 2009
By Monica Townson
Only
9 per cent of all Canadians were considered poor in 2007. It was the lowest rate
of low income in 30 years. But that was before the recession hit last fall. We
don't yet have income data for 2008 but, if past experience is anything to go
by, poverty rates will go up again as declining economic growth shows up in the
numbers. And that's bad news for women, whose high rates of poverty remain unaddressed.
Source:
By
Norma Greenaway
September 2, 2009
OTTAWA — Efforts to address poverty
in Canada, especially the "shockingly high" rates suffered by many women,
seem to have been sidelined by the economic recession, says a report being released
Wednesday. The report, prepared by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives,
urged federal and provincial governments to rework their initiatives for coping
with the recession to pay particular attention to women struggling to raise children
on their own.
Source:
(TV)
---
November 22, 2007
By
Monica Townson & Kevin Hayes
[ ]
TORONTO – Most women are getting
shut out of Employment Insurance (EI) coverage in Canada, says a study by the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). The gap between men's and women’s
EI coverage is significant: 40 percent of unemployed men received EI benefits
in 2004 while only 32 percent of unemployed women did. “Essentially, two
in every three working women who pay into EI don’t receive a single penny
in benefits if they lose their jobs,” says CCPA Research Associate Monica
Townson, who co-authored Women and The Employment Insurance Program with Kevin
Hayes.
Complete study:
(PDF file - 796K, 40 pages)
Version
française:
(fichier PDF - 781 Ko, 40
pages)
Related link:
November 21, 2007
Canadian
women are being unfairly short-changed by the country's Employment Insurance system,
which was made more restrictive a decade ago and now boasts a multibillion-dollar
surplus, a study concludes. The study for the left-leaning Canadian Centre for
Policy Alternatives, to be released today, finds the qualification requirements
for EI have left many women who lose their jobs out of pocket despite having paid
their fair share of premiums.
Source:
---
- PDF File
- 199 K, 24 pages)
August 16, 2005
"Just as women in Manitoba have
done for decades past, feminist and women’s organizing for cultural, economic,
political, and social change continues unabated. Indeed, many of the issues remain
the same as during the second wave women’s movement. Although there may not
be a province-wide group mobilizing women under one banner, this study has demonstrated
that there is a substantial amount of activity taking place across a wide range
of issues emanating from diverse perspectives and experiences."
Source:
[ ]
[ ]
A Report Card on
Women and Poverty
Monica Townson
April 5, 2000
(PDF file, 75K, 17 pages)
(Monica
Townson)
Bringing Down
the Barriers: The Labour Market and Women with Disabilities in Ontario
Canadian
Council on Social Development
May 2, 2000
Founded in 1919,
The Canadian Federation of University Women is a voluntary, nonpartisan, non-profit,
self-funded bilingual organization of 10,000 women university graduates. CFUW
members are active in public affairs, working to raise the social, economic, and
legal status of women, as well as to improve education, the environment, peace,
justice and human rights.
-
FAFIA is
an alliance of over 40 Canadian women's equality-seeking non-governmental organizations
formed in February 1999 at a national consultation of women's organizations held
in Ottawa.
Sample content from FAFIA:
(PDF file - 651K, 19 pages)
(Files posted to the Web September
20, 2006)
- Responses from the federal government to the recommendations issued
by the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women on the 19th
of May (see the link to "Third Report..." below).
- The recommendations
by the Committee address pay equity, parental benefits, gender based analysis,
and Status of Women Canada’s Women’s Program.
Source:
[ ]
FAFIA
is an alliance of over 40 Canadian women's equality-seeking non-governmental organizations
formed in February 1999 at a national consultation of women's organizations held
in Ottawa.
*****************
Excerpt from the FAFIA website home page on
September 24:
"Great news! FAFIA has just received word that its funding
application has been approved! NAWL's funding application has also been approved.
We are very pleased and wish to thank the Minister for her attention to this application."
[ go to the FAFIA home page for links to more related content...]
*****************
|
Related Links:
Complete Report: (including recommendations) Source: September 22, 2006
Source: |
News Release
April 11,
2006
"Ottawa: While Premiers meet in Montreal today to discuss the “fiscal
imbalance”, FAFIA, a broad alliance of women’s and human rights groups,
is calling on governments to strengthen social programs and services for Canadians
in all jurisdictions."
(PDF file - 130K, 23
pages)
April 2006
- incl. Introduction - The Canada Social Transfer and
Women’s Human’s Rights - The National Context for the Canada Social
Transfer - Funding Formulas, Designations and Standards - Implementation, Monitoring
and Accountability
"FAFIA (the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International
Action) looks forward to a revitalization of the Canadian social union and to
reengagement by governments in the work of developing and sustaining social programs
and services that meet Canada’s human rights commitments."
(Word file - 39K, 2 pages)
March 2006
FAFIA encourages the federal
government to keep the agreed upon deals between the federal government and provinces
to develop Canada's provision of early learning and childcare.
March 8,
2006
FAFIA is focusing on the status of Canada’s national child care program
for International Women’s Day. To this end, we are inviting all of our members
to sign onto an open letter from a FAFIA partner organization, the . It asks the Prime Minister, other
federal party leaders and the provincial premiers to honor the existing childcare
agreements between federal and provincial/territorial governments.
Women's
Civil and Political Rights in Canada 2005
The Canadian Feminist Alliance
for International Action submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
on
the occasion of its review of Canada’s 5th report on compliance with the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
September 2005
- HTML
(PDF file - 179K, 55 pages)
Civil
and Political Rights in British Columbia 2005
The Poverty and Human
Rights Centre submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
on the
occasion of its review of Canada’s 5th report on compliance with the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
October 2005
(PDF file - 140K, 48 pages)
Source:
Related Links from the :
Press Release
17 October
2005
"The Human Rights Committee, which reviews the implementation of
the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by
its 153 States parties, this morning opened its eighty-fifth session, hearing
an address by a Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following
which it adopted its agenda and programme of work."
- "Monitoring civil and political rights"
The
Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation
of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its State parties.
Geneva
From
:
[*WomenWatch offers
United Nations Information and Resources on Gender Equality and Empowerment of
Women]
Beijing +10
(United Nations, New York, 28 February to 11 March 2005)
- meeting of high
level representatives from 100+ UN Member States and thousands of NGO representatives
to review progress made since the Fourth World Congress on Women held in Beijing
in 1995. The Ten-Year Review and Appraisal are part of the 49th session of the
Commission on the Status of Women.
Beijing+10
UN shadow report
February 25, 2005
"This shadow report provides a comprehensive
analysis of Canada’s progress on the commitments it made to women’s
equality ten years ago in Beijing.
Press Release
"OTTAWA
– February 3, 2005 – Federal fiscal choices have done little to improve
most women's economic security over the last 10 years, says the first ever analysis
of federal budgets on Canadian women. The ground-breaking report, released today
in Ottawa by the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action, tracks a
decade of federal budgets. Written by award-winning economist Armine Yalnizyan,
it measures the federal government's performance against the explicit commitments
it made to gender equality in Beijing in 1995. It shows that massive spending
cuts unduly hurt women in the deficit era and women's interests have been largely
ignored since Ottawa began posting surpluses."
Canada’s
Commitment to Equality: A Gender analysis of the last ten federal budgets
By
Armine Yalnizyan
(PDF file - 609K, 117 pages)
(Word file - 65K)
(CRIAW)
"CRIAW
is a research institute which provides tools to facilitate organizations taking
action to advance social justice and equality for all women. CRIAW recognizes
women’s diverse experiences and perspectives; creates spaces for developing
women’s knowledge; bridges regional isolation; and provides communication
links between/among researchers and organizations actively working to promote
social justice and equality for all women."
- incl. links to : Home -
About Us - Contact Us - Fact sheets - Publications - Research and Activities -
International Activities - Members - Links, Activities, Actions, Campaigns
"Currently,
CRIAW is looking to link the research conducted by various groups at the community
level and scholarly research in a single online forum to promote awareness of
initiatives addressing issues that deal with women’s poverty
and exclusion."
Sample site content:
New
Publications on Women’s Experiences
of Social Programs for People with
Low Incomes
The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of
Women (CRIAW) is proud to launch a new comprehensive research report and a new
fact sheet. These publications are part of CRIAW’s publication series on
re-thinking economic and social justice: women resisting poverty and exclusion.
(PDF file - 640K,
119 pages)
August 2007
Quantitative data about women and poverty already
exist. This research provides meaning and texture to that experience of poverty,
highlighting issues that quantitative research and policy analysis too often
overlook.
(PDF file - 644K, 119 pages)
2007
Based on the above
study, this fact sheet weaves together the voices of women with critical analysis
and detailed evidence on how the devolution of social programs has impacted on
diverse low-income women’s lives. It provides important evidence as to why
and how listening to women’s voices is critical to knowing the real issues
in policy making and programming. (...) It combines existing quantitative research
with new qualitative research based on the perspectives of policy makers, social
service providers, low-income First Nations, immigrant, refugee women and women
with disabilities from three Canadian cities.
(PDF file - 151K, 16 pages)
Spring 2006
"Women’s Poverty and Exclusion
: The poverty experienced by so many women in Canada is simply not acceptable
in a country that has boasted eight consecutive years of budget surpluses. CRIAW’s
broad-based consultations on women’s poverty and exclusion clearly showed
that the depth of this poverty has increased over the last 10 years, a period
that parallels the erosion of the country’s social programs. The consultations
confirmed that subsuming discussions of poverty within economic policies alone
allows issues of social justice, rights, and accountability to be overlooked."
Women
and Poverty
Third Edition - 2005 (Posted March 2006)
(167K, 12 pages)
"Women and poverty are connected for many reasons. Various
structural factors work towards making women more vulnerable to poverty, or to
keeping them in poverty. Over the last decade, Canada has been moving towards
a different model for its economy, drastically cutting social services."
Source:
Press
Release
May 14, 2006
"The
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) announces the
publication of its critical reflection piece Intersectional Feminist Frameworks:
An Emerging Vision. This publication is the result of over two years of conversations
with community activists and academics on the intersectionality of various inequalities
experienced by historically marginalized groups. (...) This
publication informs women’s and social justice organizations in exploring
ways of bringing diverse women’s voices into the centre of research and action.
“This critical reflection piece provides an emerging lens to review public
policies, such as immigration and labour policies, as well as internal policies
and ethics of social justice organizations,” says Marie Katherine Waller,
Research Coordinator.
[Found on the ]
(PDF file - 110K, 24 pages)
Intersectional Feminist Frameworks: An emerging vision
This critical
reflection piece is a social change resource that aims to provide social justice
organizations with a deeper understanding of the intersectionality experienced
by historically marginalized groups. In particular, the reflection piece brings
to the forefront the discussion of Intersectional Feminist Frameworks (IFFs) for
marginalized women who are disproportionately experiencing poverty and exclusion
in systemic, institutional, and individual ways. IFFs take into account the differential
impact of policies and practices on different groups of women because of their
race, class, disability, sexual orientation, refugee or immigrant status and age.
It takes into account the full diversity of women and the intersectionality of
various characteristics, the global economic and social forces affecting women’s
equality and national policy-making.
Disentangling
the Web of Women’s Poverty and Exclusion!
This information tool reveals
that the issues affecting women’s poverty and exclusion are deeply interconnected
in creating a web of economic insecurity and marginalization. The lens of Intersectional
feminist frameworks (IFFs) is crucial in disentangling this web and in bringing
about social change. Disentangling the web is not enough. Solutions and strategies
to achieve social and economic justice must be explored and implemented if we
are to build stronger movements to strengthen civil society’s capacity to
influence policy. This information tool is about making the voices of activists
and advocates being at the forefront of the work for social change and women’s
substantive equality.
Free copies: Phone:
ext 221, Email:
(There is a charge for posting and handling
if you order 10 copies or more)
Source:
CRIAW is a research institute
which provides tools to facilitate organizations taking action to advance social
justice and equality for all women. CRIAW recognizes women’s diverse experiences
and perspectives; creates spaces for developing women’s knowledge; bridges
regional isolation; and provides communication links between/among researchers
and organizations actively working to promote social justice and equality for
all women.
This is a postcard
campaign of 15 messages we would like the government to listen to.
You can
help by sending a fax to your MP about which ever message speaks to you. Send
one, send 10, send them all - the choice is yours.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Women who think themselves equal
and free but who won't call themselves “feminists” might want to Google
“marc lepine” and understand how much women — all women —
are loathed."
Source:
Web Search Results: ""
News Search Results: ""
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Web Search Results: ""
News Search Results: ""
Risk of
death among homeless women: a cohort study and review of the literature
April
13, 2004
Angela M. Cheung and Stephen W. Hwang
Complete
article:
(146K, 5 pages)
Related Link:
Dying
in the shadows: the challenge of providing health care for homeless people
Commentary
on the article by Cheung and Hwang
By James O'Connell (Department of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School)
April 13, 2004
(172K, 2 pages)
Elaine Carey
"Homeless
women in Toronto are dying at 10 times the rate of other women between 18 and
44, according to a new study released today in the Canadian Medical Association
Journal."
Source:
"The Family Network supports CPRN's mission
to help make Canada a more just, prosperous and caring society. To this end, we
seek to identify the "best policy mix" for Canadians at every stage
of their lives, from infancy to old age."
by
Jane Jenson
[Click "Download" to open the file]
Release Date:
8 Apr 2004
Number of pages: 16
"Jane Jenson examines the impact on
women - in the family, the community, or the labour market - of the misfit between
social policy prescriptions and current social realities. She goes on to outline
some of the implications for public policy."
Source:
The CWF was incorporated as a registered
charitable foundation in 1989. As Canada's first and only national public
foundation for women and girls, CWF has earned a reputation as an organization
that is accessible to grass-roots women's groups. CWF was founded to support
results-oriented solutions to the problems faced by women and girls.
"The Canadian Women's Health Network (CWHN)
was officially launched in May, 1993 by women representing over 70 organizations
from every province and territory. Based on the visions, hopes and needs of women
working in the women's health movement, the CWHN emerged from the generous dedication
of health care workers, educators, advocates, consumers and other Canadians committed
to sharing information, resources and strategies to better women's health."
-
incl. links to : Network Magazine - Women's Health Topics - Women's Health Databases
- Women's Health Links - Centres of Excellence for Women's Health - Brigit's Notes
- About CWHN - Text Index - What's Hot - Health Links - What's New - français
Sample site content:
<=== latest
issue of the bulletin
Brigit's Notes is a monthly electronic bulletin that's
full of great women's health news. It will keep you informed about what's new
on the CWHN web site, including new policy initiatives, research, calls for submissions,
events and conferences, new resources and updates on women's health issues and
activism.
Sample issue:
In this issue:
1.
Bringing Women’s Voices and Concerns to the National Table Federal Election
2008
2. Helping an Abused Woman: 101 Things to Know, Say and Do
3. Invitation
to provide feedback on gender, sex and health research in Canada
4. Women's
Health: Intersections of Policy, Research, and Practice
5. Caregiver Connect
6. Steady work and mental health – is there a connection?
7. What about
Women? Gender Analysis of Discussion Paper on New Brunswick's Tax System
8.
AWHONN Canada
9. Midwifery Bridging Project
10. Human resources for health:
a gender analysis
Network magazine
Spring/Summer
- Volume 10, Number 2
June 2008
(1.8MB, 36 pages)
Feature
articles:
* Editor's Note
* Feeling the heat: Women's health in a changing
climate
* Evidence for caution: Women and statin use
* The HPV vaccine,
one year later
* Charter challenge on drugs ads: A challenge in the wrong direction
*
Labels, laws and access to health care: How history affects health-care access
for First Nations and Métis women
* Cherchez la femme in minority francophone
communities
* Barbara Seaman (): Pioneer in the women's health movement
*
Status positive: Supporting women immigrants and refugees with HIV/AIDS
* 'Women
CARE' in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
* Highs & lows: Canadian perspectives
on women and substance use
-- and much more!
[ ]
CWHN Partners:
*
*
*
*
-------------------------------------------
Gutsy,
legal-minded Canadian women refuse to take 'because' for an answer
By Janice Kennedy
March 02, 2008
Law professors Natasha Bakht, Diana Majury
and Rosemary Cairns Way say it's time to get serious about women's equality. Majury,
a law professor, is a founding member of the Women's Court of Canada, to be unveiled
this week [during International Women's Week].
Source:
For related links, go to the Links to International Sites about Women's Social Issues page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/womeninternat.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
<=== latest
issue of the bulletin
Brigit's Notes is a monthly electronic bulletin that's
full of great women's health news. It will keep you informed about what's new
on the CWHN web site, including new policy initiatives, research, calls for submissions,
events and conferences, new resources and updates on women's health issues and
activism.
to receive thebulletin by email
- issues of the bulletin back to 2001
See
also:
Source:
Table of contents, March
2008 issue:
(click the link above to access the whole bulletin)
1. Absolutely Safe
2. Evidence for Caution: Women and statin use
3. Soft
Targets: Nurses and the Pharmaceutical Industry
4. Women's Health Research
Network : Summer Institute
5. Proudly Pro-Choice
6. Your Medicare Rights
7. Waves of Resistance
8. Gender in child and adolescent health
9. Marketing
overdose campaign
10. Unborn Victims of Crime Act - Action Alert
11. Clinical
trial survey – We want to hear from you
to receive thebulletin by email
- issues of the bulletin back to 2001
In
this issue:
1. Debating Gardasil in Canada
2. New Canadian Study on Breast
Cancer
3. Exploring Social Locations: Women's Health And Policy in Canada
4. Mental Health: Coping with Stress
5. Global: Gender equality, work and
health
6. Canadians Concerned Over Costs of Long-Term Care
7. Western
Canadian Conference on Addictions and Mental Health
8. Housing rights: A Canadian
web site
9. Call for Papers: Other Borders International Women's Health Conference
10. Making Us Visible: Promoting Access to Breast Health and Breast Cancer Services
for Lesbian and Bisexual Women
Network magazine
- Spring/summer 2007 issue
The Spring/Summer issue (2007) of Network magazine,
the official publication of the Canadian Women's Health Network, is now online.
This issue includes several articles dedicated to violence issues, specifically,
the missing and murdered women of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, as well as many
other pressing women's health topics and concerns.
Complete
issue:
(2.5MB, 36 pages)
Feature articles include:
Editor's
Note
Aboriginal
women too often the victims of racialized, sexualized violence
Memorials
for women across Canada
The
Global Women's Memorial
Violence
prevention is a public health issue
What
you need to know about the HPV vaccine
New
prenatal screening recommendations discriminatory
The
Children's Fitness Tax Credit: Less than meets the eye
Silicone
breast implants back on the market
The
global epidemic of tobacco use among women and girls
It
is time for a national birthing strategy
http://www.cwhn.ca/network-reseau/9-34/9-34pg11.html
Poor
health and economic insecurity are realities for female unpaid caregivers
http://www.cwhn.ca/network-reseau/9-34/9-34pg12.html
Recommended
resources
http://www.cwhn.ca/network-reseau/9-34/9-34pg13.html
- back to 1996
For more information on Network magazine, or to subscribe, please visit:
(PDF file - 429K, 65 pages)
The
National Coordinating Group on Health Care Reform and Women
January 2003 -
Updated to April 2003
"Prepared by the National Coordinating Group
on Health Care Reform and Women. Offers a chapter-by-chapter gendered analysis
of the Final Report of the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care, Building
on Values: The Future of Health Care in Canada (Romanow 2002). Argues that the
Report fails to recognize the significant ways in which health care is an issue
for women, particularly for those women providing unpaid personal care and those
receiving care.(...) Just as Canada should be a leader in seeing health as a human
right, it should also be a leader in promoting gender equality in Canada and globally.
Unless this is understood, planning for care is bound to fail in its objectives."
Source:
Related Links:
[]
Online/Email Resource:
-
- links to Policy Research - Job Postings - Events and Conferences - Sites and listservs - Issues and Activism
- EVENT UPDATE
for May 1st - 7th, 2005
"Exciting progress has been made by the Canadian
Women March Committee to celebrate the reception of the Global Charter for Humanity.
Events are planned in Vancouver, Yellowknife, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Moncton and Quebec
City as the Charter travels across Canada. (...) The Charter was created and agreed
upon by 6000 women's organizations world wide. It is based on 5 core values; equality,
freedom, solidarity, justice and peace. It is a feminist vision of a world free
of exploitation, poverty and violence. It was launched on March 8, 2005 in Sao
Paolo, Brazil, and will finish its global journey in Burkina Faso on October 17,
2005."
- includes information about Women's March events in Vancouver,
Yellowknife, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Moncton and Quebec City - and a contact name and
coordinates for each location.
[From the website of ]
Source:
(also in French & Spanish)
"The World
March of Women is a movement composed of women’s groups of diverse ethnic,
cultural, religious, political and class backgrounds, and different ages and sexual
orientation. Far from dividing us, this diversity unites us in greater, more far-reaching
solidarity. In 2000, as part of the World March of Women, we wrote a political
platform containing 17 practical demands for the elimination of poverty throughout
the world, wealth sharing, the eradication of violence against women and the respect
of women’s physical and moral integrity. We transmitted these demands to
the leaders of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and United Nations.
We received not even one concrete response. We also transmitted these demands
to elected officials and leaders in our countries. Ever since, we have ceaselessly
continued to defend our demands. We are proposing alternatives to build another
world. We are active in the world’s social movements and in our societies.
We are furthering the thinking about women’s place in the world and the place
we should be occupying."
Adopted on December 10, 2004, in Kigali
(Rwanda)
(126K, 5 pages)
---
Get Ready for October 17th, 2005
24 Hours
of Feminist Action and Solidarity
"The Canadian Women’s March
2005 Coalition is committed to the elimination of poverty and violence in Canada
and to making the links between local and global actions. We are committed to
continuing our work to meet the 13 demands developed by the World March of Women
in 2000 to eliminate poverty and violence against women in Canada. Today, major
investments on social programs are still needed and none of the 13 demands have
been met. This is why in May 2005 we supported relaying the Global Charter for
Humanity across Canada. The Charter was created and agreed upon by 6000 women’s
organizations world wide. It is based on five core values; equality, freedom,
solidarity, justice and peace. It is a feminist vision of a world free of exploitation,
poverty and violence."
Related Link:
- September 2000
Related Links:
October 17, 2005 - Join us for the 24 hours
of feminist mobilization
"On October 17, women in all time zones
will successively take to the streets at noon to stage actions for one hour. This
is how they will show their support for the blueprint for society depicted in
the Women's Global Charter for Humanity."
Between
March 8 and october 17, 2005, there will be the world relay of the Women's Global
Charter for Humanity. The women from various countries will be passing the Charter
from country to country. They will also organise actions to highlight this symbolic
passing and the values of the Charter. These women will be sewing together a solidarity
quilt that will illustrate the values of the Charter.
"CERA was established
to ensure that human rights protections in housing would be effective for low
income households and to address systemic barriers to accessing affordable accommodation."
March 2002
"This
national report discusses federal government programs and policies from the standpoint
of the particular barriers facing low income women in meeting their housing needs.
The report situates women’s homelessness within the context of women’s
poverty and it thus assesses not only programs and policies related to housing,
but also those related to income support."
- incl. sections on : Re-Defining
and Re-Thinking Homelessness - Federal Housing Programs (Rental Housing, Homeownership,
Homelessness Secretariat) - Aboriginal Women and Housing - Income Support Programs
(Income Assistance - CAP and Beyond, NCB Supplement, Employment Insurance) - Recommendations
(CRWS)
"Working out of
York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, CRWS addresses the many issues facing
labour that arise from the current political and volatile transformation of the
Canadian world of work."
(British Columbia)
Posted May
7, 2003
"The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) issued its Concluding Comments on Canada in April, 2003.
It singled out B.C. for criticism because of the negative impact on women of cuts
to welfare and legal aid, among other things.
Shelagh Day, who represented
the B.C. CEDAW Group at the review of Canada's report, says, "The Committee
states that it is concerned about the disproportionately negative impact on women
and girls of a number of recent changes in British Columbia, including the cuts
in funds for legal aid and welfare assistance; narrowed eligibility rules for
welfare; the incorporation of the Ministry of Women's Equality under the Ministry
of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services; the abolition of the independent
Human Rights Commission; the closing of a number of courthouses; the cut in support
programmes for victims of domestic violence and the proposed changes regarding
the prosecution of domestic violence.
BC CEDAW group has issued a call to action,
asking people to write to the Premier as well as their MLA, to spur the BC Government
into changing some of its discriminatory policies."
Source :
[ ]
(PDF file - 146K, 4 pages)
March
15, 2004
By Michelle Stack
"Whether we like it or not, the media is
part of governing."
-
incl. Background: Data on the State of Canadian Women - ECEC and Working Women
- Useful Print Resources - Useful Websites
Source:
If
Low Income Women of Colour Counted in Toronto
September 2003
(PDF file - 211K, 16 pages)
(PDF file -798K, 110 pages)
"Based on discussions with
more than a hundred and twenty women in nine of Toronto's low income neighbourhoods,
the report finds that the [low-income women of colour] are isolated, overworked,
subject to racism and discrimination, and chronically poor. Most have trouble
finding jobs and most say the have nowhere to go to meet women or neighbours.
Contrary to popular stereotypes of low-income people as abusers of public resources,
few of them know about critical City services and supports."
"Cowichan Women Against Violence
Society works from a feminist perspective to provide a supportive environment
for victims and children who have been affected by abuse. We support diversity,
change, choice and growth through counselling, advocacy, emergency shelter, community
development and education"
CWAV Programs
- offers individual counselling and support groups
for children of battered women.
is a personal development and pre-employment bridging program.
is a community research and development program that works
to create and maintain community environments that promote safety of women and
children in public places, in work places and in their homes.
- provides emergency shelter and emotional support primarily
for battered women and their children.
- counselling, emotional support, information,
court support and referrals for survivors of sexual assault, childhood and adulthood
abuse.
"DAWN Canada is a national organization
controlled by and comprised of women with disabilities. We are from all backgrounds
and all disabilities. We are a feminist organization working to achieve control
over our lives and end the stereotype that labels us dependent burdens on society."
- incl. links to : Our National Network - Our Mission Statement - Our History
- Profiles of Women - Special Initiatives - DAWNing Groups - Related Links - Guestbook
- DAWN Canada's Email Discussion
"DisAbled Women's Network
(DAWN) Ontario is a cross-disability, feminist organization working towards access,
equity, and full participation of Women with disAbilities through public education,
coalition-building, self-advocacy, resource development, and information &
communication technology."
- incl. links to : Text version - What's
New - Resources - Publications - Justice Issues - Health Issues - Inclusion Award
- Access Checklist - Online Community - Research Posts - Who We Are - What We
Do - Our Vision - Herstory - Fact Sheet - Action Alert - Membership - Join E-List
- Guestbook - Feedback - Contact Us - Credits
- Links to hundreds of websites about women and disability - excellent resource!
Sample content on the DAWN-Ontario site:
From (Disabled Women's Network - Ontario):
March 19, 2006
"We, DAWN
Ontario: the Disabled Women's Network Ontario, are writing to voice our strong
opposition to your Government's plans to weaken the Ontario Human Rights Code,
announced on February 20, 2006." [see the link below to the Feb. 20 govt.
announcement].
Related Links:
(DAWN-Ontario)
Help Prevent the Gov't
from Weakening
Enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code
"On
Feb. 20, 2006, the Ontario Gov't said it will introduce a law (likely late March
or April) to change enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code. That system
needs reform. It's too slow, frustrating, and hard for many to use. Yet, the Government's
proposal will make things worse, not better. It will create new barriers that
make it harder for people to get their human rights respected."
------------------
From
the :
February 20, 2006
News Release
"A
stronger, faster, more effective human rights system that better serves the public
is the aim of changes being proposed by the McGuinty government, Attorney General
Michael Bryant announced today."
-----------------------------
Federal
Election 2004:
- incl links to : Political
Parties in Canada - Federal Ridings & Candidates -
Tools & Resources
--- Aboriginal Women --- Anti-Discrimination,
Anti-Racism --- Childcare --- Democracy --- DisAbility --- Employment Insurance
/ Maternity & Parental Leave --- 2004 Federal Budget --- Housing and Homelessness
--- Human Rights --- Immigration --- Income Security --- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, & Transexual Rights --- Poverty --- Student Debt --- Violence
against Women --- Women's Equality Rights --- Women & ICTs --- Women &
Politics --- Women in Prison
Source:
Women's
Legal Education And Action Fund (LEAF) to Argue at the
Supreme Court of Canada
for Women's Right to Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value
Toronto
- May 11, 2004
"On Wednesday, May 12th, the Women's Legal Education and
Action Fund (LEAF) will appear before the Supreme Court of Canada in the case
of NAPE (Newfoundland Association of Public Employees) v. Newfoundland. At
issue in this case is whether the Newfoundland government's reneging on an agreement
to compensate its female employees for discriminatory wages violates the equality
rights guaranteed to women under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The question is, can Newfoundland pay women less than men for work of equal value?
This
case affects 5,300 female employees of the Newfoundland government, and has the
potential to set a precedent for female employees across Canada.
More? - 100+ Federal Election 2004 Links
(Ontario)
"...many families
in Ontario they have to choose between paying their rent or feeding their children"
Campaign endorsed by:
-
- (CERA)
- (DAWN) Ontario
- (ISLC)
- (OSSN)
-
- Somerset West Action Network (SWAN)
March 16, 2004
From
the DAWN-Ontario What's New page (the link above), you'll find links to the following
Ontario-related articles:
Social Factors Drive Health Outcomes - Hospital
Funding to Come With Accountability - Report Calls for New Investment in Non-Profit
Agencies - Province Beefs up Family Responsibility Office - New Public Policy
Resource for Non-profits and Charities - New Money for Children’s Aid - Municipalities
Empowered to Hike Property Taxes on Businesses - Courts Upholds Charitable Property
Tax Exemption
NOTE: each of these articles includes links to related reading
and source material online
Source:
"In October 2003, Canadians will celebrate
Women's History Month (WHM), with the highlight being Person's Day on October
18. The theme for WHM this year is What do you mean, women couldn't vote?"
-
incl. : Questions and Answers about Women's History Month - What can I do to commemorate
Women's History Month? - Suggested Readings - Some Web Sites of Interest - Video
Suggestions - WHM 2003 Quiz - Evaluation and comments
Source:
(This
site is available in French only)
"La Fédération nationale
des femmes canadiennes-française veut une société juste et
égalitaire pour toutes les femmes vivant au Canada. La FNFCF représente
les femmes de la francophonie canadienne vivant en milieu minoritaire. Elle défend
leurs intérêts, revendique leurs droits et appuie leurs actions"
-
liens vers les pages suivantes : Dossiers - En vedette - Nouvelles du jour - Quoi
de neuf - Activités - Appels d'offre - Programmation - Centre de ressources
- Communiqués - Bulletin - Membres - Équipe - Publications
Ce projet de recherche-action
vise à lever le voile sur la réalité socio-économique
des femmes francophones en situation minoritaire et à outiller des porteuses
de dossier afin de poser les actions nécessaires pour améliorer
la condition de vie des femmes.
- utilise une variété d'outils
: données de statistiques Canada, ateliers de formation, rencontres provinciales,
outils d'animation qui ont servi à former les femmes francophones en contexte
minoritaire sur les enjeux de la pauvreté et des femmes, fiches d'information
(avril 2005) portant sur les mesures de pauvreté, la sécurité
alimentaire, le logement, les programmes sociaux, la santé et les outils
et pistes d'avenir --- ainsi qu'un portrait par région de la situation
des femmes francophones en contexte minoritaire au Canada.
Des droits sociaux pour les femmes francophones en
contexte minoritaire, une lutte pour éradiquer la pauvreté.
End Abuse Now is the website of the Grey Bruce Domestic
Violence Coordinating Committee.
It provides information, resources and links
for all members of the community on abuse and how we can work together to end
it.
Selected website content:
Counting Women
In: A Toolkit for Rural Action on Poverty is the culmination of eight years of
research and community development by the Rural Women Take Action on Poverty Committee.
The strategies and tools in the toolkit were developed and piloted in Grey, Bruce,
Huron and Perth counties (Ontario) to make the issue of poverty more visible and
to build hope for change. The toolkit is a resource to change attitudes and beliefs
about rural women and poverty and to support action and change.
(PDF - 1.8MB, 109 pages)
By
Colleen Purdon et al.
June 2009
(PDF - 2MB, 43 pages)
"Our goal is to raise awareness among the public
and the media to humanize poverty in order to make reducing poverty a provincial
election issue."
(PDF file - 118K, 4 pages)
June 15, 2004
Charitable Food Banks or the Right
to Food: Which Way for BC?
Graham Riches
"I
believe there are some amazing women in Canadian history that most Canadians know
nothing about. So I decided to try and change the situation by writing a book
and developing a website which would serve as a guide to the topic of women in
Canadian history."
- site developed by Canadian historian
- incl. links to: Home | About | Meet the Author | Contact | Site
Map | Heroines | Biographies | Group Histories | Pictures | Cartoons | Posters
| Stamps | Statues | Currency | Historic Sites | Women's History Month | Time
Travel | This Month in History | Books | Shop | Classroom | Films&Videos |
Related Links | Upcoming | Latest News
(Conference)
October
13-15, 2005 – Vancouver
(Word file - 78K, 11 pages)
[Meeting Women's Needs: Government
& Imaginative Public Policy]
Links to the following presentations (Powerpoint,
Word and PDF files):
- Femocratic Administration and
Women's Economic Security Panel - Tammy Findlay (York University)
- Women
of an (Un)certain Age - Charmain Spencer (SFU Gerontology Research Centre) &
Elsie Dean (Women Elders in Action)
- Economic Security
for Women with Precarious Immigration Status: Ensuring Labour Rights for All -
Jill Hanley (Universite Libre de Bruxelles)
- Supporting Women's Economic Needs
Through A Universal Home Care Policy - Melodie Kelly (Memorial University)
-
Moving Beyond the Policy Debate: How Process Improvements
can Dramatically Impact Service Delivery in the Health Care System - Larua Zilney
(Canadian Federation of University Women)
- Saskatoon
Community Clinic Supporting Women's Economic Security - Louise M McKinney &
Patrick Lapointe (Saskatoon CHC Co-op)
- Enhancing Social
Policy in Canada: The Gore-tex Approach - Rhonda Breitkreuez (University of Alberta)
-
All the work women do: Imagining household and group provisioning
- Marge Reitsma Street (University of Victoria), Stephanie Baker Collins (York
University), Sheila Neysmith (University of Toronto)
- Abolishing
Mandatory Retirement: What are the Safeguards for Women?
- Gaps
in practice: Redressing the Devaluation of Precarious Jobs - Nancy Zukewich (Statistics
Canada)
- Community-based research processes: addressing
the needs of multiple constituencies - Catherine M. Scott (University of Calgary),
Michelle Murdoch (Memorial University), Laura Dreuth Zeman (Southern Illinois
University), & Joan Farkas
- For Better or Worse?
National Employment Policy Approaches and Women with Disabilities - John Vellacott
(UBC)
- Making Work: Income Security for Women with
Mental Illness - Marina Morrow (SFU)
- Re-Visioning
the Environment of Support for Single Mothers in Extreme Poverty - Penny Gurstein
& Silvia Vilches (UBC School of Community and Regional Planning)
- Towards
More Egalitarian Policies on Prostitution: What Canada Can Learn from the International
Community - Emily van der Meulen (York University)
- Identifying
Keys to Successful Transition From Social Assistance to Paid Work: Lessons from
Canada, the United Stes, Australia and Europe - Shauna Butterwick (University
of British Columbia)
- “Learning to be Poor: Job
Training and Women in the U.S. ” - Jane Henrici ( University of Memphis)
-
Poverty, Indifference & the Struggle for Political Autonomy
- Chrystal Ocean (WISE)
-
(Word file - 59K, 15 pages)
Conference presentation by Andrew
Jackson ()
===>NOTE
Re. the wage supplements presentation: See A Working Income Tax Benefit That
Works from the Caledon Institute of Social Policy (next section below on the
page you're now reading) --- both of these reports deal with the Working Income
Tax Benefit proposed by the federal government.
"International Women's Day (IWD) is a major
day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements
of women. Find out what local IWD events are occurring near you for IWD 2005."
"The following organisations have proudly listed
their 2005 International Women's Day (IWD) event on this site. Learn more about
what these organisations do and how you can become more involved with them."
-
links to 150+ women's groups
(582 events)
- includes 59 events found
in Canada (Select "Canada" from the drop-down country list)
News
Release
March 6, 2008
OTTAWA – It just doesn’t pay to be a working
woman in Canada today, according to a new report released by the Canadian Labour
Congress. In fact, for today’s younger, more educated working woman, it pays
a lot less than it did just ten years ago. (...) According to the report Working
Women: Still a Long Way from Equality, women in Canada who worked full-time, full-year
jobs in 2005 earned just 70½ cents for every dollar earned by men in full-time,
full-year jobs.
Women in the Workforce: Still
A Long Way from Equality
March 6, 2008
Complete report:
(728K, 38 pages)
(online, no formatting, small file)
Source:
March 15, 2004 Issue
:
News Release
April 05, 2002
- Release of the sixth edition of Parenting on Your Own,
a guide designed to support single parents, and launch of the Internet version
of the guide.
"The handbook provides information about and resources
for health, child care, finances, housing and many other topics. Hundreds of resources
as well as contact information for community organizations are included. Over
the years, more than 60,000 copies have been printed."
Parenting
on Your Own - Manitoba (and some national) resources for single parents, incl.
descriptions and links under the following headings : Aboriginal Services - Abuse
- Child Care - Disabilities - Employment/ Education/ Training - Health - Housing
- Income Assistance - Legal - Money Management & Stretching The Dollar - Recreation
And Wellness - Support For Families
(PDF file - 134K, 11 pages)
Sylvia Bashevkin
Dept.
of Political Science, University of Toronto
(The PDF file is dated November
2002)
Michelle Mann
June
19, 2006
Social Justice by
"Violence against women remains endemic in Canadian society despite
law-and-order approaches, making it imperative that we consider and address systemic
inequalities that perpetuate domestic violence. Ontario's social assistance policies
facilitate violence against women in many ways, including subsistence-level rates,
the treatment of fraud, and assumptions of spousal economic dependency. The erosion
of social assistance rates in Ontario and across Canada has made it difficult
for women to get out of violent situations. Social assistance rates that are grossly
inadequate to address women's needs create a barrier to their ability to leave
or avoid abusive relationships."
- incl. references to Charter challenges and caselaw as well as the spouse in the house rule ("Under Ontario's revised post-Falkiner regulations, the investigation of spousal status remains premature, kicking in after three months. This policy continues to enforce gendered economic dependency on women and make them vulnerable to abuse.") and more...
Michelle
Mann is a Toronto-based lawyer, freelance writer, and consultant.
Check out
her blog at
Source:
[]
"The National Action Committee on the
Status of Women is the largest feminist organization in Canada. A coalition of
more than 700 member groups, NAC has been fighting for women's equality for over
29 years."
- quick
overview of site content
- incl. links to : News/Commentary
- Action/Campaigns - Events - Issues - Youth Initiative - Popular Education -
Resources - NAPO News - About NAPO - Jobs - Join/Donate - Contact NAPO - Feedback
- Links
- Child Poverty - Face of Poverty in Canada - Federal Budget - Health and Poverty - Homelessness - Panhandling - Poverty Measures - Federal Budget - Government can't afford not to do something about poverty
(PDF file - 492K, 48 pages)
May
2004
"This new NAPO report on women who are homeless is based on interviews
with 46 women who self-identified as homeless in Halifax, Ottawa, and Vancouver
and features their voices and perspectives on homelessness. Researched by Marie-José
Dancoste, written by Rusty Neal and edited by Sandra Bender, this 46 page report
also makes recommendations for action by federal and provincial governments."
"The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is a Canadian non-profit organization that has worked to improve the legal status of women in Canada through law reform since 1974. NAWL is governed by a regionally representative National Steering Committee elected by our membership. (...) For 25 years, NAWL has used its unique research as a foundation for effective action and advocacy. Through its educational work NAWL has played a vital role in raising public awareness about legal issues affecting women."
(PDF file - 74K, 1 page)
May 10, 2006
Press Release
“Mr
Harper, on Mother's Day, women want more that just flowers: we want real equality
now!”
Ottawa, May 10 2006- The National Association of Women and the Law
released a Mother’s Day Statement that has been endorsed by over 100 local,
provincial and national organizations across the country.
-
includes the complete list of groups that endorsed this statement
A Presentation to the International
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the National Association
of Women and the Law
- impacts of welfare and social program reforms on women
November 1998
"Our mission
is to reduce, and one day, eliminate family violence in our Aboriginal communities."
-
incl. links to : Home | Mandate | History | Board Members | Membership | Events
| Success Stories | Publication List | Annual Reports | Newsletters | Links |
International | Jobs | Site Map | Contact Us
Press Release
June 1, 2004
"The National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence (NACAFV) is calling
today’s sentencing of Judge David Ramsey of Prince George, B.C.-- the man
which admittedly assaulted Aboriginal women, some of as young as 12 years-old
is totally demoralizing and disconcerting for Aboriginal women across Canada."
Related Links:
Amy Carmichael
Canadian
Press
June 02, 2004
"PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. (CP) -- A former provincial
court judge pleaded for help Tuesday just before he was sentenced to seven years
in jail for sexually assaulting teen prostitutes, one as young as 12. 'I need
treatment,' David Ramsay, 61, told his sentencing hearing on sex charges Tuesday."
Source:
- from the
Google
Web Search Results : ""
Google News Search Results : ""
Each of the two links above will
open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always have links
to current content
Source:
NCWC is a national, non-partisan federation
of voluntary organizations, including local and provincial councils of women as
well as national organizations with goals similar to those of the NCWC.
-
incl. links to : Home | About Us | Councils and Memberships | What's New | Calendar
| Communications and Reports | Policy and Briefs | International Perspectives
| Contact Us| Links and Resources | Site Map
"Our goal is to enhance, promote,
and foster the social, economic, cultural, and political well-being of First Nations
and Metis women with First Nation and Canadian societies."
Related Link:
News Release
May 21, 2004
Source:
"Nellie's is a Toronto non-profit women's organization helping women and
children in crisis locate safe affordable housing, support services and a bridge
to a better future. We operate a 36 bed emergency shelter for women and children
who are homeless and women and children leaving violence. The Community Support
Program provides aftercare and follow-up support and service to women and children
who have left the shelter and are now living in the community."
- excellent
collection of online resources --- incl. links to : Women's Shelters (Toronto
and surrounding area | Ontario | Canada) - Issues (Poverty | Housing/Homelessness
| Violence against women | Health | First Nations women | Consumer/Survivor) -
Projects | Feminist | Children | Immigrant women | Lesbians | Women and the law
|Transgendered women
Research (Reports | Statistics) - Action
(Useful e-mail addresses | Marches and vigils
Women's
List - Federal Election 2008
September 2008
Issues of importance
to Canadian women’s equality in the 2008 federal election:
*
Deliver on the constitutional promise of equality
* Ensure equal rights for
Aboriginal women
* Fund quality early childhood care & education
* Ensure
a livable income
* Commit to affordable housing
* Eliminate violence against
women
* Ensure access to justice
* Improve maternity & parental benefits
*
Act for women’s health
* Increase female political representation
Click
the Women's List
link for a collection of over 120 individual resources related to the above
list of issues.
[Some of this info is specific to NB]
NOTE: Never
mind the federal election --- I highly recommend this resource as a primer on
women's issues in Canada!
Source:
(NSACSW)
The Advisory
Council was established in 1977 to educate the public and advise the provincial
government on issues of interest and concern to women. Check out the home page
(by clicking above) or go to the Council's
page - it offers an impressive choice of reports, fact sheets and media releases,
including:
News Release
October 22, 2002
"The national coalition of provincial and territorial
advisory councils on the Status of Women is calling on the federal government
to re-examine the state of women's equality in Canada."
June 2002
(January 1999)
Response of the NS Advisory Council
on the Status of Women to the Department of Community Services' Social Assistance
Restructuring Initiative
(August 1998)
- includes
information on the CHST and the social deficit, the NCB, the impact of social
program reforms on women in the Atlantic provinces, senior women and Aboriginal
women and their children
Over 200 links organized under the following headings: Children
and Child Care - Legal and Justice issues - Education - Policy and Research -
Employment/ Business - Women in Science and Technology - Equity Groups (ie: women
of colour, women with disabilities) - Women's Organizations/Agencies - Government
Nongovernmental - Health issues
Violence Prevention
- large collection of links to NGOs,
sites about children and child care, policy and research sites, education, employment,
business and more. All links except those to government sites include a short
site description.
by Kira Heinek
2003
"The Ontario
and Toronto Coalitions for Better Child Care announce the publication of their
new joint book, Woman Power & Politics. This guide for women on identifying
and maximizing power in today’s political systems looks through the lens
of child care as it influences women’s lives. Woman Power & Politics
invites women to participate in politics, take opportunities and determine their
future regarding areas such as education, poverty and domestic violence."
(PDF file - 211K, 40 pages)
- October 13, 2003
The Ontario Women's Justice Network is concerned
with violence against women and their children. OWJN provides legal information
in the form of essays on court decisions, definitions of legal terms, and analysis
of current events, and has an extensive list of online resources. We cover topics
such as sexual assault, domestic abuse, and custody and access.
Check
the for links to
information about : Justice Issues - Legal Info - Online Resources - Archive
The
section includes links to sites in the following areas : Crisis Services (Shelters,
Sexual Assault Centres and Transition Houses) - Woman Abuse Issues - Legal Resources
- Research - International Links
PAR-L is an electronic network of individuals and organizations interested
in women-centred policy issues in Canada. It is a tool for developing, conducting,
and distributing feminist research in a multidisciplinary context and in both
official languages. It is intended as a support for the community of feminist
researchers and activists in Canada. PAR-L also includes an electronic discussion
list.
"...committed to uniting
the poor across color lines as the leadership base for a broad movement to abolish
poverty"
(Word file
- 32K, 2 pages)
October 19, 2005
Related Link:
October 15-17, 2005
(Canada, International,
United Nations, etc.)
Centre Directors: Gwen Brodsky, Shelagh Day
(formerly
the Poverty and Human Rights Project)
"The Poverty and Human Rights Centre
is committed to eradicating poverty and promoting social and economic equality
through human rights.
The Library
is a searchable database of materials related to social and economic rights. It
includes texts of relevant international human rights treaties, Canadian and other
laws, court decisions, legal briefs, and articles.
To use the library, go
to buttons at the top of the page (topics, documents, resources).
Factum
Library What's new
The Factum Library section contains
factums, pleadings and other litigation documents from selected Canadian human
rights cases. The materials are organized by case name, articles, and date."
- incl. links to : Recently added links - Contact Us -
About the Centre - Centre Publications
(PDF file - 93K, 2 pages)
B.C.
Government Discriminates
Against Poor Single Mothers – report
Press
Release
April 28, 2005
Vancouver - Four constitutional and human rights
experts are issuing a report today that condemns the Government of British Columbia
for its treatment of single mothers on social assistance. Shelagh Day, Margot
Young, Melina Buckley and Gwen Brodsky conclude in Human Rights Denied
that single mothers are discriminated against by the B.C. Government.
Complete report:
(PDF file - 524K, 59 pages)
April 2005
By Gwen Brodsky, Melina Buckley,
Shelagh Day, and Margot Young
The Rural Womyn Zone is an expanding
network of women living in rural areas across the United States and Canada.
"Decreasing
barriers and increasing access to abused women is the principle behind Shelternet.
Women are reaching out to shelters through the World Wide Web, from their workplaces,
home or public Internet terminals such as libraries and schools. Shelternet can
help increase direct access to a local shelter. Linking women to their local shelter
is an essential part of a community-based response to violence against women.
(...) Shelternet provides a link for women and children to the local shelter services
and will help to equip shelters in building their Internet response. Local on-line
counselling, a web site shelter template and a protected area for shelters to
communicate with one another are some of the features. (...) Shelternet does not
provide direct service to abused women. Shelternet provides a link through technology
for women, for shelters to communicate to each other in a password protected areas
and supports an enhanced Internet presence to abused women shelters."
Links*
- almost three dozen links from Shelternet to information and help for victims
of abuse, including general information about shelters, contacts in family violence
groups and service providers and researchers in Canada, the U.S and in other countries
*NOTE:
the URL for the links page is about 124 characters long (argh, how I hate database
sites for that...), so you'll have to go to the home page (the link above) and
click on "Links" in the left-hand margin.
(Vancouver)
The Single Mothers Support Network
is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization supporting low-income single mothers
and fathers. Supports provided to low-income single-parent families include: Individual
Self-care with registered practitioners (Acupuncture - Aromatherapy Massage -
Counseling - Herbology - Reiki - Yoga Therapy) - Workshops (e.g.,art therapy,
life skills, and non-violent communication) - Community building (potlucks, telephone
tree, stuff for free and sale, help wanted, bartering, tool library, babysitting
co-ops)
- incl. links to Services (see the list of supports above) - Events
- Resources - Links - Newsletter - Background - and much more
Straight Goods is a subscription-based online magazine with a
decidedly left slant on current events and social issues. Current site content
is free, but you must be a subscriber to access most of the older material. If
you can afford the $30/yr. subscription fee ($10/yr. for low-income subscribers),
this is an excellent resource with an enormous archive of information.
The
"Features" page (see the link below) contains links to hundreds of Straight
Goods articles - the top ones in the list are free...
- links to ~600 articles in past issues of Straight Goods - $ subscription required
except for the most recent additions
*
Richard Shillington
May 2, 2004
"Canada's approach to Maternity Benefits
illustrates two disturbing impediments to democracy and effective social policy.
Those impediments are control by government officials of data and research to
make governments look good, and the three tier nature of Maternity Benefits."
(Ontario)*
Reuel
Amdur
April 29, 2004
"Walking on eggshells: Abused Women's Experiences
of Ontario's Welfare System, by Janet Moser, principal investigator, York University,
April 5, 2004
...the very negative picture that the study paints of welfare
workers does not correspond to my personal experience."
NOTE: For more
info about and links to this study, see the Canadian Social Research Links Links
to Canadian Non-Governmental Sites about Women's Social Issues page (under
"York University", near the bottom of the page)
*Sole
support mothers, elderly women hardest hit as the percentage of women living in
poverty rises
Monica Townson
May 5, 2004
"We used to hear
a lot about the feminization of poverty. It hasn't been in the news much lately.
Yet women remain among the poorest of the poor in Canada, and the percentage of
women living in poverty is growing. Almost 19% of adult women are now poor - the
highest rate of women's poverty in two decades. "
*NOTE: the three links to Straight Goods articles above will eventually take you to a ($) subscriber login page; Straight Goods keeps info on its free pages for a limited time.
- David Schreck (British Columbia)
March 1, 2004
"Gordon Campbell seems to
have a major disconnect with women; perhaps that is why a pamphlet has appeared
on the government caucus website under the heading "A New Era for Women".
It misrepresents what government has done in terms of communities, health services,
child care and self-sufficiency (code language for kicking people off welfare).
The word "equality" does not appear in the pamphlet."
NOTE: click the TD link for 20+ links to more special studies
from TD Economics
(PDf file - 76K, 3 pages)
September 25, 2007
(TORONTO) Market forces will
place women and men on more equal footing in the workplace over the next three
decades, ultimately eliminating the 5 to 15 per cent wage gap that cannot be explained
by factors such as hours worked, productivity or occupational choice, according
to a new report by TD Economics
(PDF file - 152K, 12 pages)
Related links:
By ROMA LUCIW
September 25,
2007
Women still earn less than men, but that wage gap will narrow in the next
few decades as the market forces employers to place both sexes on a more equal
footing, according to a forecast from Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Source:
- An Institute for Community Engagement
"Tamarack is a charitable
organization dedicated to helping Canadian communities take ownership of local
issues by making use of proven strategies for community engagement. Community
Engagement is commonly defined as citizens from different sectors of a community
joining together taking leadership, to address issues that affect them all. Tamarack
was founded as a partnership between Alan Broadbent of the Maytree Foundation,
and Paul Born. Designed to promote community building across Canada, the institute's
mission is to develop a process to help people create bold visions for the future
of their communities, and work together to achieve those visions more easily and
effectively."
"In order to reduce poverty and enhance the quality
of life in households throughout Canada, Vibrant Communities provides a process
and a working environment where diverse community leaders from across the country
work together to share ideas, practices and policies that strengthen their community-based
poverty reduction initiatives."
- incl. links to : Partners - Poverty
Reduction - Community Updates - Resources - Tools - Research & Policy - Coaching
- Evaluation & Learning - Face-to-Face Forum - Learning Themes - Gender &
Poverty - Sustainable Incomes - Additional resources - Related links
by Lang, Catherine
& Goldberg Leong, Toby
March 2004
Final report of the Gender and Poverty
Project
"...explores the gender dimensions of poverty; recognizes the
lack of child care policy as a significant barrier to poor women."
"The
Pan-Canadian Vibrant Communities Gender and Poverty Project was a unique partnership
with and between six local communities, Vibrant Communities sponsors, and project
facilitators to apply gender analysis to community-based, comprehensive poverty
reduction work."
Source:
Related Links:
[ funded by ]
The Gender and Poverty project provides communities participating
in Vibrant Communities with support to build on their capacity to create inclusive
communities through engagement in gender related analysis, strategies, and action
at the local and national levels. The project is funded by Status of Women Canada.
St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador)
July 8, 2007
Lana
Payne
The women of Canada are still paying a deep financial price for the economic
policies of Paul Martin. It’s been a dozen years since the former finance
minister for the country gutted health, education and welfare spending, slashing
billions from transfers to provinces. But women, especially, are still feeling
the impact where it hurts the most: in their pocketbooks.
Related link:
June 12, 2007
-
includes links to the complete study and the executive summary
Source:
- UNPAC (MB)
"The UN
Platform for Action Committee Manitoba (UNPAC) was established in 1995 to advocate
for the implementation of the Platform for Action and other United Nations agreements
which advance women’s equality."
- incl. links to : About UNPAC
- What's Happening (new reports and events) - Photo Gallery - Links
(over three dozen links to sites of interest for women in Manitoba, Canada and
elsewhere in the world)
- a project of UNPAC
"The economy has long
been used to intimidate and exclude. Women are especially affected because so
much of women's work is undervalued by the mainstream economy."
The text
links on the building blocks on the home page (Economics 101 - Women's Economic
Inequality - Women and Globalization - Women's Economic Contributions - Women's
Different Experiences - Economic Alternatives - Our Stories ) take you to the
different sections of this site; you can also use the sitemap to get an overview
of all of the content of this large and informative site on a single page.
Sample
content:
Women's Economic Inequality - Women and Poverty - Women, Poverty and
Social Assistance - Women, Poverty, and Minimum Wage - Intro to Economics - Role
of Government - Economics of War - Women and Globalization - G6B Report - Globalization
& Food/Migration/Women's Work - Women's Economic Contributions - Women &
Unpaid Work - Caring for Children - Alternative Money Systems - Valuing Unpaid
Work - Women's Different Experiences - The Economics of Ability - Manitoba disability-related
organizations - Aboriginal Women and the Economy - much more...
Graduate Collaborative Program in Women's Studies
This site provides information about women's
studies programs, resources & women's organizations in Canada.
-
incl. links to : Academic Information (Women On-line, Women's Studies Programs)
- Library Resources (University Bulletin Board, Web Resource Directories) - Resources
for Women by Topic (Art/Culture, Feminist Newsgroups and Discussion Groups, Feminist
Online Magazines, Film, Gender and Sexuality, Health, History, Law, Literature,
Sexual Assault, Subject Indexes and Search Tool) - Organizations
(PDF file - 24K, 9 pages)
by
Pam Alcorn, Heather Gropp, Joanne Neubauer, and Marge Reitsma-Street
January
2004
Women’s Housing Action Team, Victoria BC
"Over 21,000 women
lived in low income households in the Victoria Capital Region and spent 30% of
their income on shelter according to the authors of the report, “Housing
Policy Options for Women Living in Urban Poverty: An Action Research Project in
Three Canadian Cities”2 published in 2001. There is, however, little information
on the housing situations or perceptions of women themselves who are living with
disabilities. A research study by the Women’s Housing Action Teamwas conducted
in 2003 to help redress this gap. This short report offers a commentary on the
magnitude of concerns and a summary of housing realities and requirements identified
by a diverse group of women living with visible and invisible physical disabilities
in the Capital Regional District of British Columbia."
Source:
See also:
-
links to 15+ reports from May 2001 to date on a wide range of issues including:
housing, the two-year welfare time limit in BC, women, disability, the Canada
Pension Plan Disability Program, an analysis of B.C.'s Employment and Assistance
(welfare) Acts, and much more...
The Vancouver Status of Women works with women to
ensure our full participation in the social, economic and political life of our
communities in the profound belief that women's equality is a crucial step towards
a just and responsible society.
Community Press Release
March 24th, 2005
"Vancouver
Status of Women (VSW) launched its 2nd Edition of the Welfare Resource Guide for
Women this week. This guide provides updated general information to women about
British Columbia's welfare system or Employment and Assistance Regulations within
a feminist framework. This Guide is meant to help women apply for welfare, disability,
and child benefits, and offers guidance in application or appeal processes. The
Guide especially focuses on the needs of single mothers."
March 2005
Click this link to
read the intro, then scroll down the page to download the (565K, 57 pages) or to view the table of contents and
download the individual chapters.
Chapter 1: Welfare and Employment Assistance
Chapter
2: Disability Benefits
Chapter 3: Federal and Provincial Child Benefits
Chapter
4: Reconsiderations and Appeals
Chapter 5: Welfare Advocacy Resources
NOTE: Highly recommended reading if you're looking for information on how the welfare system really works in BC...
"The Victoria Status of Women Action
Group promotes social, economic and political self-determination and freedom for
all women. (...) We work primarily, but not exclusively, in Greater Victoria."
March 2003
by
Cindy L'Hirondelle
Related Link:
Philippe Van Parijs
"If you really
care about freedom, give people an unconditional income."
Source:
- "A Political and Literary Forum"
[This article
was originally published in the October/ November 2000 issue of the Boston Review]
For more links to info about guaranteed annual income initiatives, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Guaranteed Annual Income Links page
(University of British Columbia)
Extensive
list of Canadian and international sites
British Columbia:
(WISE)
"WISE began
in the summer of 2003, as one woman's vision. In exasperation with a system that
seemed to have no heart, "Chris" wrote her story of painful marginalization.
With the urging of friends, the story came to the attention of an understanding
Programs Officer at Status of Women Canada. Together, they convinced Chris to
write a proposal for a project on women's poverty, and once accepted, the rest,
as they say, is history. WISE is now a grassroots BC-registered nonprofit society
whose mission is to organize, represent, act on behalf of, and join together with
persons in British Columbia whose lives are negatively affected by policies of
exclusion."
(PDF file - 498K, 23 pages)
October 2004
"This
report outlines the findings from 21 stories which were collected during Phase
I of WISE's project "Policies of Exclusion, Poverty and Health: Stories from
the Front." Its companion report, Phase II - The Recommendations, will be
available shortly. There were three criteria for eligibility: i) the participant
must be female, ii) her household income must fall below the Low Income Cut Offs
(2003) and iii) she must live in the Cowichan Valley, a geographical region on
Vancouver Island that encompasses small urban and rural communities."
-
details the issues (predictors, and the primary and secondary conditions and effects)
that feature dominantly in participants' stories.
Source:
Women's Court of Canada
(PDF - 204K, 12 pages)
2008
By
Diana Majury
Source:
[ ]
In 2004,
a group of feminist / equality Charter activists, lawyers, and academics, decided
to do something about what they saw as the sorry state of equality jurisprudence
under s. 15. The solution, rewrite the key decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada
in this important area. The first six judgments of the Women’s Court of Canada
have now been published in Volume 18 of the . Over the coming months TheCourt.ca will have
the honour of reproducing these judgments and providing them with a permanent
online home.
Source:
- the
online resource for debate & data about the Supreme Court of Canada
(39 pages)
July 8, 2009
by Gwen Brodsky, Rachel Cox,
Shelagh Day and Kate Stephenson
The Women’s Court of Canada reconsiders
the 2002 decision [see link below, under Related links] in Gosselin v. Québec
(Attorney General), in which the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that section 29(a)
of Québec’s Regulation Respecting Social Aid, which reduced the welfare
rate of recipients under the age of thirty to below subsistence level (in the
1980s), did not violate sections 7 or 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms or section 45 of the Québec Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"(...)
We decided to participate in the Women’s Court’s reconsideration of
Gosselin because we believe that sections 15 and 7 of the Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms and section 45 of the Québec Charter of Human Rights
and Freedoms are fully capable of addressing poverty issues and that the reluctance
of courts in Canada to interpret them in this way reflects what Louise Arbour
has called 'judicial timidity.'’’
* Recommended reading for welfare historians and anyone interested in sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
NOTE: the Gosselin case is one of five cases that you'll find on the page (as at July 2009); the complete final list appears below.
Related links:
(106 pages)
- the official decision
of the Supreme Court of Canada
Source:
---
by Simon Fodden
March 5, 2008
The Women’s
Court of Canada launches this week. The WCC is a group of women academics and
practitioners who combined to rewrite six Supreme Court of Canada decisions to
take a full and proper account of women’s equality. The affected decisions
are:
* Symes v. Canada, [1993] : deduction — child care expenses —
women — taxpayer — income
* Native Women’s Association of Canada
v. Canada, [1994] : funding — freedom of expression — women — equal
— constitutional
* Eaton v. Brant County Board of Education, [1997] :
placement — disabled — special — child — pupil
* Law v.
Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1999] : discrimination —
differential treatment — claimant — survivor’s pension — dignity
* Gosselin v. Quebec (Attorney-General), [2002] : programs — welfare recipients
— security of the person — dignity — legislation
* Newfoundland
(Treasury Board) v. Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private
Employees, [2004] : pay equity — government — crisis — hospital
workers — women
SourceL
- a
cooperative Canadian weblog on things legal
---
Gutsy, legal-minded Canadian
women refuse to take 'because' for an answer
By Janice Kennedy
March
2, 2008
Law professors Natasha Bakht, Diana Majury and Rosemary Cairns Way
say it's time to get serious about women's equality. Majury, a law professor,
is a founding member of the Women's Court of Canada, to be unveiled this week.
They were probably a bit defiant as young girls. Uppity, even. These women must
have been the kind of kids who kept asking, "But why?" even after the
ultimate parental law had been laid down. "Because I said so" just didn't
cut it for them. Still doesn't. Their stage is large and public now, and the issues
more far-reaching, but these stubborn women are still challenging conventional
wisdom. And in Toronto later this week, International Women's Week, they will
engage in a startling act of uppitiness. They will unveil the Women's Court of
Canada. Bravo. The Women's Court is a group of Canadian lawyers, law professors
and activists who have decided it's time to get serious about women's equality.
Source:
Women worldwide report that governments have failed to
turn the Platform into action. (March 2005)
Bora Laskin Law Library
incl.
links to hundreds of articles, documents and websites organized under two dozen
headings, from the to
- LEAF is a national non-profit organization working to promote equality for women and girls in Canada. Using the equality provisions from section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as a basis to advance women's rights, LEAF presents arguments, or intervenes, in cases where women's rights are at risk in Canadian courts.
(Legal Education and Action Fund)
The LEAF site includes
info organized under the following topics : About Us - Educational Programs -
Issues - In The Courts - Law Reform - Fundraising - Resources - Contact
- Conference
April
28, 2005 - May 1, 2005
Vancouver, BC
National conference hosted by the West
Coast Legal Education and Action Fund (West Coast LEAF) and the National Association
of Women and the Law (NAWL). The Conference will be bilingual and will strive
towards accessibility. The focus of the Conference will be the 20th anniversary
of the equality requirements (Section 15) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. Section 15, which is part of the supreme law of Canada, prohibits discrimination
by Government on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion,
sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, and other grounds. The Conference will
include discussions on how the Charter affects women and our rights. The Conference
is expected to provide information on the law and discrimination, as well as a
unique opportunity to meet, strategize and share information with activists, community
workers, lawyers, and others from across the country about what actions we can
take to advance women's rights.
Related Links:
- British Columbia
January
2004
"West Coast LEAF, the Poverty and Human Rights Project and the Community
Legal Assistance Society are concerned about the impact on single mothers of recent
cuts to welfare rates and tightened eligibility rules. We
are seeking information from you that will help us to determine how a human rights
complaint could be filed on behalf of single mothers who are recipients of social
assistance.
If you are a single mother or an advocate,
we need help. Please share with us your response to the five questions listed
here so that we can be sure that we have the best information about how the cuts
are affecting single mothers in B.C. Please pass this on to other single mothers
and advocates and ask them to share their thoughts with us as well."
Source:
(Legal Education and Action Fund)
Affidavit Campaign 2003
Coordinated
by West Coast LEAF (British Columbia)
"As part of our efforts to restore
legal aid in B.C, West Coast LEAF will launch an Affidavit Campaign this summer
to collect convincing evidence from across the province that reflects the true
impacts of the cuts to legal aid programs on women and others most affected. The
majority of those affected include women, single mothers, and people with disabilities.
Our goal is to make a case for the restoration of the services through law reform
efforts or via test case litigation."
(PDF file - 135K, 4 pages)
Womennet.ca,
the Canadian Women's Information Centre, helps women respond to challenges and
improve their quality of life.
Womennet.ca provides the following features:
- The Directory of Canadian Women’s Resources, a searchable database
of over 2,500 women’s groups in Canada
- a Links Section, which contains
hundreds of annotated links to international and Canadian women’s sites
-
News and Resources, including Bulletin Boards
- a free womennet.ca e-mail address
-
A free e-list for notification of additions and improvements to womennet
•
Free listings on womennet.ca for Canadian women's groups!
• Participate
in the Save Medicare Postcard Campaign
• Post Your International Women's
Week Events on womennet.ca!
• much more...
- incl. links to : About
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