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Ten
reasons to vote for Mixed Member Proportional (MMP)
FAFIA
Dismayed by the Closing of Key Women’s Group
The
Canadian Feminist Alliance for
International Action (FAFIA) expresses its dismay at the closure of the offices
of the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL). As a long-standing
member group of FAFIA and collaborator on key policy issues affecting women, this
closure represents a significant loss to women in Canada. Read
More
The
October 10th Election & Referendum:
The
world premiere of Stories for Hemingway's Havana
Written
and Performed by Brian Gordon Sinclair
(Recipient
of the prestigious Sir
Tyrone Guthrie Award
for acting)
When:
July 7, 2007 at 7 pm
Where:
OISE (Ontario Institute of Studies
in Education) 7th floor Peace Lounge, 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto
(this
is a FREE event)
presented by CAPA (Coalition Against Psychiatric
Assault)
This
is a Mad Pride associated event
Read
More
Call
for Participants: Study of Online Social Economy Organizations
Sherida
Ryan, a graduate student at OISE's Social Economy Centre
is seeking participants for a research study of online social enterprises.
Follow
this link for details and contact information.
MAD
Pride Day - July 14, 2007 - An International Day Recognizing Mad People’s
Movement in Toronto
Survivors!
... Consumers! ... Mad Folks! ... Allies ... Activists ...
Help
Celebrate Mad Pride Toronto!
Join
the BED PUSH - A pride parade of sorts
Gather at 1pm at
the front door of CAMH 1001 Queen Street West at 1pm. We will march to Parkdale
Activity & Recreation Center for a celebration!
Mad
Pride Day, July 14th, an international day recognizing Mad People’s movement
has been proclaimed as such, within the city of Toronto.
Help
recognize and celebrate psychiatric survivors, consumers and mad folks
by getting involved in and supporting Toronto's first ever Mad Pride Bed Push,
a parade of sorts.
The
idea of a Bed Push is inspired by our British counterparts who staged The Great
Escape Bed Push, as a Mad Pride event last year.
Dressed
in Pajamas a group of campaigners pushed a psychiatric bed from Millview Psychiatric
Hospital in Brighton, 60 miles to the original site of “Bedlam” the
Bethlem Asylum in London, all the while being pursued by a giant syringe. The
aim of the stunt was to raise awareness about the poor levels of choice of treatments
and the widening use of force in the psychiatric system.
When:
July 14, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Where: CAMH, 1001
Queen Street West
Speakers: City Counselor
Gord Perks, M.P.P.
Cheri DiNovo, & M.P. Peggy Nash
Call
or email us, let us know that you
care about Mad Pride by getting involved in it. Read
More
Women
Against Poverty Take Over Abandoned Building
See
Photos and listen to Audio from the Women
Against Poverty Collective: Housing Takeover Day Rally
and March
en
francais
Photos:
John
Bonnar: www.johnb.smugmug.com/gallery/...
Graeme
Bacque: http://tinyurl.com/327u5j
Audio:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=23409
Articles:
CTV
Article: Police end anti-poverty group's house squat
- Sun. Jun. 3 2007 http://tinyurl.com/3cbkd7
CITYNews:
Police Clash With Protesters At Affordable Housing Rally - Sun. June 3, 2007 http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_11648.aspx
Women
Against Poverty Collective (WAPC)
- Press Release
Women
Against Poverty Demand Government Action On Housing:
Release dd June 3, 2007
Lack
of Quality Non-Profit Child Care a "Disgrace" Say Elementary Teachers
ETFO
Press Release dd May 30, 2007
Poor
quality care in licensed Ontario child care facilities documented in recent media
reports dramatically underlines the need for a national, non-profit child care
program, says the Elementary Teachers'
Federation of Ontario (ETFO).
ETFO
President Emily Noble acknowledged that the Ontario government quickly responded
to concerns about quality of care by promising to post details of child care inspections
on a government website. However, the issue of unsatisfactory child care continues
to be a serious concern, she said. Read More
Legal
appeal of Ontario Energy Board decision on low-income energy consumers
Low-Income
Energy Network (LIEN)
Press Release dd May 29, 2007
Today,
the Low-Income Energy Network
(LIEN) announced it will not be giving up the fight for fair energy prices
for low-income consumers in Ontario, despite a recent decision by the Ontario
Energy Board (OEB) that thwarted the group’s efforts. LIEN served notice
of its appeal to Divisional Court of the Ontario Energy Board’s (OEB) decision
issued April 26, 2007 that it does not have the jurisdiction to implement rate
affordability programs for low-income residential consumers. There was a very
strong dissenting decision in this matter by Gordon Kaiser, Chair of the three-member
Board panel, who found that the OEB does have the “jurisdiction to approve
special rates for low-income consumers in appropriate cases.” Read
More
Women
Against Poverty Collective (WAPC)
Women's Housing Takeover
Is
That Legal?
http://www.isthatlegal.ca/index.php?name=start.tenant_law
This
resource was created by Simon Shields, a lawyer whose goal in creating this site
was to "share his knowledge, experience and research regarding Ontario and
Canadian law with those in our society who most need it". The link is to
a new resource on the site --
an extensive legal
review of the new Ontario Residential Tenancies Act.
Summary
of Pro Bono Students Canada 2006-2007 ODSP Special Diet Allowance Analysis
Our
analysis examined the procedure associated with applying for ODSP Special Diet
Allowance funding, appealing special diet allowance rulings, and the various regulations
associated with this program. Based
upon our findings, we concluded that the ODSP Special Diet Allowance is failing
to meet its stated objectives. In our report we identified the major issues associated
with the current ODSP Special Diet Allowance program and recommended various steps
that maybe taken to properly resolve these issues.
Please
Support the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada /
Coalition pour le Droit à l’Avortement au Canada (ARCC-CDAC)
Responses
to Ontario Budget 2007
What
people are saying about McGuinty's "Don't Believe it Budget:
People
from across Ontario are saying Dalton McGuinty's "Don't
Believe it Budget" fails to deliver
Low
Income Families Together (L.I.F.T.)
Too
Little, Too Late! 2007 Provincial budget offers last minute pre-election crumbs,
but does not address poverty
O.D.S.P.
Action Coalition:
People with Disabilities Left in Poverty by Ontario Budget
Income
Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC):
Budget
good first step, but much work remains to be done: anti-poverty activists
CUPE
Ontario
Ontario's
families will wait for years to benefit from McGuinty's "war" on poverty
Wellesley
Institute:
Thanks for the thoughts, but where's the money?
Ontario
Federation of Labour (OFL):
Wait
...Wait ...Wait
Accessibility
For Ontarians With Disabilities Act Alliance Update (AODA Alliance):
What
the Ontario Budget Includes on Disability/Accessibility
John
Tory: McGuinty's Budget: No relief, few results for average taxpayers
Tory
says McGuinty missed an opportunity to use billions in extra money to help families
Daily
Bread Food Bank:
Budget's Ontario Child Benefit gets thumbs up from
Daily Bread Food Bank
Elementary
Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO):
Elementary
Teachers Applaud Government Focus on Education
Community
Living Ontario:
McGuinty Government's Commitment to Developmental Services
Encouraging
Ontario
Association of Food Banks (OAFB):
Food banks welcome focus on poverty --
OAFB welcomes
first step on a long journey to reduce poverty in Ontario
United
Ways of Ontario:
Budget
Addresses Needs of Vulnerable Ontarians
The
Ontario Child Benefit & the March 22nd Provincial Budget
Read
a backgrounder on the Ontario Budget 2007 prepared by the Income Security
Advocacy Centre
New
Federal Policies Affecting Women's Equality: Reality Check -- CRIAW's latest Fact
Sheet
Do
you agree with the federal Conservatives that “women are already equal”?
It
summarizes “facts” and “current government policy” for six
issues.
Read text here, highlighting one detail
from each section.
R.E.A.L
Women of Canada Press Release, February
8, 2007:
Hearings
by Status of Women Committee a Hoax
Commentary
on Sept. 26th Announcement of $1-Billion Funding Cuts
Canadian
Association of University Teachers (CAUT)
CAUT
commentary on Treasury Board funding cuts 
(PDF, 4 pgs, 20 kb)
On
September 26 Stephen Harper’s Conservative government announced a series
of cuts totaling $1 billion over the next
two years. The cuts were announced on the same day the government made a $13.2-billion
payment on the national debt. The cuts affect a vast array of departments but
are concentrated primarily on aboriginal programs, skills and literacy training,
social policy research, legal assistance and research, and funding for Status
of Women Canada. Read More
Support
a National Child Care Program
Momentum
is building for a private members’ bill that would boost child care from
a patchwork of services to a pan-Canadian program. Add your support today by emailing
your member of parliament about this important bill. Read
more and Take Action
Government's
real priorities revealed - Media Statement
We
are deeply concerned about the gutting of the only federal agency that addresses
critical questions pertaining to equality and about what it suggests about what
this government's true intentions are for equality matters in Canada.
Announced Monday, the 5 million dollar cut to Status of Women Canada (SWC) is
a serious attack on the lone federal department engaged in the development of
gender responsive policy and in the fulfillment of Canada's human rights obligations
to women at the international, domestic, and inter-governmental levels.
We
now see the government's real priorities revealed. Read
More
Canadian
Conservative Government Slashes Funding to Wasteful Anti-Family Programs
LifeSiteNews.com,
John-Henry Westen, dd September 26, 2006
OTTAWA, September 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com)
- The budgets of some of the most wasteful and at the same time biased Canadian
government funded programs have been slashed by the new Conservative Government.
Three organizations which have been overtly pushing for same-sex marriage have
been denied millions of tax-dollars they have been receiving for years under the
previous Liberal government. <SNIPED>
REAL Women Canada, a conservative women's
group said in a press release today that they were "especially pleased"
at the cut to Status of Women. "This is a good start, and we hope that
the Status of Women will eventually be eliminated entirely, since it does not
represent 'women', but only represents the ideology of feminists," said
the group. "The Status of Women was established in 1973 under Prime Minister
Trudeau and over the years, it has funded feminist groups to serve as agents of
change, never recognizing that other women have different views and have no wish
to be represented by these feminist organizations."
Hold
your nose & read more
National
Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) Responds to Federal Budget Cuts
Stephen Harper promised to
“take concrete and immediate measures …to ensure that Canada fully upholds
its commitments to women.”
The
elimination of the Court challenges Program will deny legal redress to
poor and marginlized women: the Conservative Government is abrogating CEDAW
Article 2 (c) To establish legal protection of the rights of
women on an equal basis with men and to ensure through competent national tribunals
and other public institutions the effective protection of women against any act
of discrimination. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not include
the financial means by which to access the courts on an equal basis with the wealthiest
citizens or corporations when a individual’s rights have been violated.
Harper’s
Government cut $5 million from the Status of Women budget despite the recommendations
of the Parliamentary Committee, representing all parties in the house, to an increase
in the budget of at least 25%. How does this action live up to his promised commitment
to Canadian women?
Cuts
to Status of Women and Court Challenges Program Undermine Government’s Commitment
to Women’s Equality
FAFIA (Canadian
Feminist Alliance for International Action) Press Release
Ottawa:
FAFIA, a pan-Canadian
alliance of women’s and human rights organizations, is denouncing the $5
million cut to the federal department of Status of Women over two years. These
cuts will be taken from its modest annual budget of $13 million. The grants and
contributions arm ($11 million) of the department was not affected.
“These
cuts will critically affect the federal government’s own commitment to live
up to its equality commitments to women,” said Shelagh
Day, Co-Chair of the Canadian Feminist Alliance (FAFIA).
FAFIA is
also dismayed by the elimination of the Court Challenges Program. “This
Program has provided Canadian women with their only access to the use of their
constitutional equality rights,” said Shelagh Day. “Equality rights
have no meaning in Canada if women, and other Canadians who face discrimination,
cannot use them.” Read More | en
français:
Des coupures à Condition féminine Canada et au Programme de contestation
judiciaire sapent l'engagement du gouvernement envers l'égalité
des femmes
Conservatives
Elimininate Court Challenges Program & Cut $5M from Status of Women of Canada
over next 2 years
The $5 Million cut to Status of
Women Canada (SWC) and the elimination of the Court Challenges Program (CCP),
seriously undermine the Government's commitment to women's equality. The
overall budget at SWC is $24 million. The women's program absorbs almost $11 million
(grants and contributions). That means the department functions on effectively
$13 million, 5 million of which has just been cut over next 2 years.
Here's
the pinpoint URLs to Treasury Board of Canada site with info on the cuts.
English: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/media/nr-cp/2006/0925_e.asp
En français: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/media/nr-cp/2006/0925_f.asp
Notes
from Pay Equity Press Conference, Ottawa, Sept/21/06
Andrée
Côté, National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL)
Bonjour,
my name is Andrée Côté,
and until a few weeks ago I was Director of Law Reform at the National
Association of Women and the Law. NAWL has been forced to lay off it's
staff in the last few weeks and is waiting for the renewal of our funding application
from Status of Women Canada.
The
Harper government response on pay equity this week demonstrates why it
is so important that women's groups receive adequate and stable funding: we need
to have the capacity to defend women's rights, and to respond to retrograde and
ineffective policies that bring us back 20 years. Read
More | plus en français
Pay
Equity: at the heart of equality
Canadian
Labour Congress & Public Service Alliance Of Canada
Press
Release dd Sept. 21, 2006
The
federal government announced yesterday that it is taking a giant step backwards
on the question of equal pay for women workers. More than thirty years after the
adoption of the Canadian Human Rights Act, women still earn less, on average,
than men regardless of their occupation, age or education. Today, a woman earns
72.5 cents for every dollar a man earns. Our equal pay legislation is not working.
The wage gap is even greater for Aboriginal women, women of colour and women with
disabilities. Read the full release in English
|
en français
Women's
groups fear federal cuts coming
by
Norma Greenaway, CanWest News Service, Vancouver Sun, Sept. 22, 2006
A
leading Canadian women's rights group has been forced to close its office for
lack of money and other federally financed organizations fear a similar fate as
the Conservative government zeroes in on a promise to cut spending by $1 billion
this fiscal year. The prospect cheers Gwen Landolt, vice-president of the pro-life,
pro-family conservative lobby group REAL Women Canada and a fierce critic of federal
funding of ''feminist'' and other special interest groups. ''It's simply an abuse
of taxpayers' money to fund only one ideology,'' Landolt said in an interview.
Read Full article at:
http://tinyurl.com/fl9aw
Conservatives
Take First Step Towards Dismantling Ministry for the Status of Women / Les Conservateurs
Amorcent Le Démantèlement De Condition Féminine Canada
NDP / NPD Press Release dd Sept. 20, 2006
Excerpt: OTTAWA – The future of women’s organisations across
Canada is being threatened as the Conservative Government is taking too long to
review Status of Women Program applications – forcing prominent women’s
organisations to close their doors.
“By
not responding to funding applications, the Conservatives are allowing programs
to shut down, one by one.,” said NDP MP critic for the Status of Women Irene
Mathyssen. "What's next? The entire department? It looks like Bev Oda is
spoiling to dismantle the Status of Women department."
As
of Sept. 12, The National Association of Women and the Law, has closed their doors
due to insufficient federal funding. The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International
Action (FAFIA) will shut down on Sept. 26. Organizations have put in applications
for funding, but have heard nothing from the Minister responsible for Status of
Women, Bev Oda.
English
version
en français
The
Effect of Bill 14 - Access to Justice Act - on Paralegals and the Public
In its on-going opposition
to Bill 14, the Paralegal
Society of Ontario (POS) emphasized the numerous concerns expressed by
both paralegals and non-paralegals to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy.
Read More
Womyn's
Voices Online Consultation - Violence Against Women: Sept. 18 – Oct. 13,
2006
Objective:
Engage women of
Canada, including equality seeking women’s organizations, in the federal
government ICT initiatives and collaborate on developing strategies to eliminate
online violence and exploitation of women.
Outcomes
Activities
Schedule
Register
Blair:
"clamp down on antisocial children before birth"
Setting
out plans for state intervention to prevent babies born into high-risk families
becoming problem teenagers of the future, Tony Blair said teenage mothers could
be forced to accept state help before giving birth, as part of a clampdown on
antisocial behaviour. Read More
Conservatives
Must Come Clean on Agenda for Status of Women Canada
Liberal Party
of Canada Press Release dd August
25, 2006
OTTAWA
– Liberal Critic for Status of Women and Multiculturalism Maria Minna
today called on Heritage Minister Bev Oda to reveal the Conservative government’s
true intentions for the future of Status of Women Canada.
“The
Conservative grassroots community is actively campaigning for the demise of this
important agency which promotes the rights of women in Canada,” said Ms.
Minna. “Ms. Oda must come clean and reveal whether or not she will bow to
the pressure of these extreme right-wing groups or if she will take a stand and
publicly distance herself from their position.”
Recent media reports
indicate that several socially Conservative blogs have begun a campaign to eliminate
the federal agency for the Status of Women. The group REAL women of Canada, which
also opposes same-sex marriage and legalized abortion, launched the campaign because
of their belief that the agency “promotes feminist policies on the false
premise that women in Canada are victims of a patriarchal society.” Read
More
Law
Society Silences Non-Advocacy Paralegals
Imagine
having your ability to make a living severally changed or eliminated, and you
are not able to use your constitutional right to speak out in protest. That
is what the non-advocacy paralegal faces, as the McGuinty government moves forward
with its controversial Bill 14, The Access to Justice Act. The bill,
if passed, would have paralegals regulated by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Read More
Federal
Court orders sign language services
In
a landmark ruling, the Federal Court of Canada has ordered the federal government
to make professional sign language interpretation services available on request
when providing services to people who are deaf or affected by hearing loss. Read
More
Women
& HIV/AIDS
Women
and HIV: The promise of microbicides
Randy
Sheppard, CBC News Online
According
to the World Health Organization, women account for nearly 70 per cent of HIV-AIDS
cases worldwide.
When
most people think about AIDS, they see it primarily as a problem of the gay community
or of those who share needles. And they wouldn't be wrong.
But
over the past half-dozen or so years, the face of AIDS in Canada and the United
States has begun to change quite dramatically. More and more of those acquiring
the disease turn out to be young heterosexual women, infected
by their partners. Read
More
AIDS 2006
16th International AIDS Conference
Time
to Deliver
www.aids2006.org/
Highlights
from the XVI International AIDS Conference,
Monday, August 14 - Friday, August 18, in Toronto,
Canada
Global
Leaders Speak Out: Mr. William Jefferson Clinton and Stephen Lewis - August 15,
2006 -- XVI International AIDS Conference
Read
Transcript and/or View Video of this session
Clinton,
Gates Address Stigma, Other Challenges to Combating HIV/AIDS Pandemic - August
14, 2006 -- XVI International AIDS Conference
Priorities
in Ending the Epidemic: Mr. William J. Clinton and William Gates - August 14,
2006 -- XVI International AIDS Conference
Read
Transcript and/or View Video of this session
Actor,
HIV/AIDS Advocate Richard Gere Says Media is Crucial in Fighting Pandemic - August
14, 2006 -- XVI International AIDS Conference
Women
at the Frontline in the AIDS Response - August 14, 2006 -- XVI International AIDS
Conference
Read
Transcript and/or View Video of this session
Media
and AIDS: Spreading Information Faster than the Disease - August 14, 2006 -- XVI
International AIDS Conference
Panelists at this session discuss the
mobilization of the media industry following the 2004 launch of the Global Media
AIDS Initiative by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at a special meeting organized
by the Kaiser Family Foundation and UNAIDS.
Read Transcript and/or View
Video of this session
High
Level Session on Leadership: Time to Deliver for Women and Girls - August 13,
2006 -- XVI International AIDS Conference
Read
Transcript and/or View Video of this session
Opening
Address at 16th International AIDS Conference Aug. 13, 2006 by Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
Daily
Roundup for Friday, August 18, 2006 from the XVI International AIDS Conference
Delegates at the
closing of the XVI International AIDS conference in Toronto were reminded that
now is the "Time to Deliver." Read
More
Daily
Roundup for Thursday, August 17, 2006 from the XVI International AIDS Conference
The XVI International
AIDS Conference began today by addressing the need for a coordinated and comprehensive
approach to HIV that includes elements some say are often overlooked, like
human rights and youth. Read More
Daily
Roundup for Wed., August 16, 2006 from the XVI International AIDS Conference
On Wednesday, achieving
universal access to HIV/AIDS was a major focus of the conference. The World
Health Organization released new estimates of global antiretroviral therapy coverage.
Read More
Daily
Roundup for Tuesday, August 15, 2006 from the XVI International AIDS Conference
The latest Daily Roundup includes comments from actor Richard Gere and
former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Read
More
Daily
Roundup for Monday, August 14, 2006 from the XVI International AIDS Conference
The Daily Roundup for Monday,
August 14 looks at the AIDS 2006 theme – Time To Deliver – and
features comments from Bill and Melinda Gates and former U.S. President
Bill Clinton.
Read More
How
you can participate online (free) in the 16th International AIDS Conference -
Aug. 13 to 18, 2006
In
preparation for the 16th International
AIDS Conference taking place in Toronto from Aug.
13 - 18th, 2006, (and to help inform both myself as a conference delegate
and other DAWN members) we've assembled some information on Women
and HIV/AIDS (see below) from the International
Women's Health Coalition (IWHC).
Please
note that portions of the AIDS 2006 Conference will be available for viewing on
the Internet at no cost and with no registration... Webcasts and transcripts,
along with additional coverage, will be accessible at a later date. You can now
sign up now to receive a daily update email during the week of the conference,
providing summaries of each day's developments and direct access to all of the
online coverage. Sign up at www.kaisernetwork.org/aids2006.
For
those of you living in or near the Greater Toronto Area, please note that there
are a number of women's events that will be held in the Global
Village at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. These are open to the general
public (free of charge) as well as to conference delegates.
Here
is the link to the Programme available online: www.aids2006.org/PAG/ProgrammeAtAGlance.aspx.
Any event marked with GV as the venue is scheduled to take place in the
Global Village and does not require a conference badge to attend. As
an example, here are 2 events scheduled at the Global Village (which I am anxious
to attend):
1.
An interactive sess
