Election
2004 Vote for Equality - Home
> Equality Rights Issues
Equality
Rights Issues
Sections
7, 15 & 36 of the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms
en français
Page
Index
|
Issues Index
Aboriginal Rights
Abortion
- Reproductive Rights
Anti-Discrimination,
Anti-Racism
Child
Care
Democracy
DisAbility
Employment
Insurance
Equal
Marriage
Equal
Pay
Fair
Trade
Federal
Budget - March 23, 2004
Housing
and Homelessness
Human
Rights
Immigration
Income
Security
Jobs
Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Transexual Rights
Post
Secondary Education
Poverty
Public
Health Care
Student
Debt
Violence
against Women & Children
Women's
Equality Rights
Women's
Health
Women's Pensions
Women & ICTs
Women & Politics
Women
in Prison
Women
of Colour
Young
Canadians
Party Positions ...
Health
Care
Same
Sex Marriage
Social/Environment
Economy
Cities
Defence
Housing
Women & Social Justice
Issues
Analysis
Gender
Based Analysis of Policy Platforms
Election
2004: Women’s Equality and Party Platforms
Canadian Labour Congress releases Gender-Equality
Analysis of main party platforms - June 24, 2004
Disability
Analysis of Federal Party Policy Platforms
Coalition
for Women's Equality (CWE) Analysis of Party Platforms
Conservative
Platform Will put Government in Deficit - CCPA Report
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Release dd June 11,
2004
Can the three
major national parties pay for what they say? That's the question
posed by a new study released today by CCPA. Can they
pay for what they say? A pre-election comparison of the Conservative,
Liberal, and New Democratic platforms, by economists
Ellen Russell and Sheila Block, assesses the ability of the
parties to balance their budgets and deliver on their promises.
Canadian
Labour Congress (CLC)'s Analysis of Party Platforms
Comparing the Platforms - Which party is the Better Choice for
working Canadians? For
working families, the important issues for this election are
clear. We want good jobs in a stronger economy and a health
care system that is there when we need it. We want education
and training opportunities that give working people and their
children the skills to succeed. And we want secure pensions
for every Canadian.
Conservative
income tax proposals disproportionately benefit men, upper-income
families -
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Report Media Release
dd June 22, 2004 -- Families with incomes over $150,000 are
the big winners in the Conservative Party's proposed income
tax package, according to Who benefits? A gender and distributional
impact analysis of election income tax promises. Furthermore,
low-income and even middle-income Canadian families benefit
very little from the Conservative income tax promises. The
study, released today by the Canadian
Centre for Policy Alternatives, also found that men received
the lion's share--73%--of the value of the tax reductions under
the Conservative's proposal.
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Aboriginal
Rights
Factsheet
on Aboriginal Rights
* What is the Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples, and what did it conclude?
* What is the UN Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous
Peoples?
* What is Canada's position on the Draft declaration?
* Questions for Candidates in the Federal Election
National
Métis Woman President Calls For Social Inclusion and Equality
-
Métis National Council Of Women Press Release dd June 22,
2004
Aboriginal
Women Continue to Face Major Challenges
Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network - Media Release dd March
5, 2004
Stop
Violence Against Aboriginal Women
Join the Native Women's Association of Canada's (NWAC)'s Sisters
in Spirit Campaign, a pan-Canadian initiative supported
by a broad coalition of organizations, intended to draw public
and political attention to the disappearances and murders of more
than 500 Aboriginal women across Canada. Launched March 22, 2004
Aboriginal
Women in Prison
CAEFS Fact Sheet
Report
finds information lacking for disabled First Nations
"A Saskatchewan policy organization says disabled Aboriginal
people aren't getting the services they require, and it blames
bureaucracy for the confusing the problem. The Saskatchewan
Institute for Public Policy (SIPP) is calling it the ping-pong
effect when describing what happens to First Nations people who
have disabilities. It says that they are bounced from agency to
agency without getting the help they need."
Abortion
- Reproductive Rights
Suggested
Questions for Candidates in the Upcoming Federal Election
Planned Parenthood
Federation of Canada (PPFC)
Abortion
rights at risk: Morgentaler, Callwood and Egan warn against the
Stephen Harper Conservatives
June 18, 2004
Conservative
Policies Attract Senator Cools – She Has Long Record Of Opposing
Equality, Abortion, Feminism - Led fight
in Senate against Hate Crime Protection for Gays & Lesbians
Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM) media advisory dd June 9, 2004
Who
Speaks For Women? Choice is a Woman's Right!
National
Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) Media
Release dd June 8, 2004
BC
Coalition of Women’s Centres Calls for Action on Conservative
Agenda on Women’s Reproductive Rights
media advisory dd June 8, 2004
Why
Canadian women (and men) should be worried
Action Canada for Population and Development
Conservative
Party Can't Hide Their Anti-Abortion Agenda
PRO CHOICE Action Network press release dd June 4, 2004
The Conservative Party of Canada has a not-so-hidden
agenda to regulate or even re-criminalize abortion,
said Canada's pro-choice community today. In a media interview
on Wednesday, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper indicated that
he would allow legislation against abortion in a second term,
but not during a first term.
Women
Don't Need Legislated "Informed Consent" on Abortion
- Candidates Should Focus on Improving Abortion Access
PRO CHOICE Action
Network press release dd June 2, 2004
Canada's
pro-choice community today denounced MP Rob Merrifield's recent
proposal for third party "informed consent" counseling
for women who have abortions.
Women's
Rights at Stake if Harper Wins: Morgentaler CBC Online
dd June 4, 2004
Canada's leading abortion rights activist waded into the federal
election campaign Friday, warning a woman's right to choose could
be in "serious danger" under a Conservative government.
Abortion
activists warn of Conservative policy Toronto Star June
5, 2004
A high-profile group of women who led the fight for abortion rights
in Canada for decades has reassembled to oppose the policies of
the Conservatives under leader Stephen Harper. Activist June Callwood,
journalist Doris Anderson, actor and medicare crusader Shirley
Douglas and Norma Scarborough, the woman considered the grandmother
of the abortion-rights movement in Canada, held a news conference
yesterday to warn women that their right
to choose would be jeopardized if the Conservatives win the June
28 federal election.
Anti-Discrimination,
Anti-Racism
Call
to Action: ACTION: Stop
Racist Backlash in Canada
The
Canadian Arab Federation (CAF) needs your help. The Canadian
government is reviewing a new bill in the house of commons called
Bill
C-2, An act to amend the Radiocommunications Act. Bill
C-2 will make it illegal
for anyone to watch Al Jazeera, ART Global, ART movies, Dubai
Satellite Channel, ESC-1, Future TV, LBC, MBC, Nile Dram even
if you pay for a subscription by a non-Canadian provider. Anyone
caught watching these channels will be liable to a $25,000 fine
or a year in jail under the new proposed law. Bill C-2 will
treat as criminals those who watch Arabic language channels.
Women's
experience of racism: How race and gender interact - CRIAW Factsheet
Conservative
Policies Attract Senator Cools – She Has Long Record Of Opposing
Equality, Abortion, Feminism - Led fight in Senate against
Hate Crime Protection for Gays & Lesbians
Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM) media advisory dd June 9, 2004
Conservatives
again spout extremist views - June 7, 2004
Another Conservative candidate has spoken her mind – undermining
leader Stephen Harper’s strategy to present their party as
“moderate”. Flaming homophobe
Cheryl
Gallant, MP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, said June
5 that she believes the Conservative caucus wants to repeal
recent protections afforded gays, lesbians and others under Canada’s
hate crimes legislation.
Child
Care
Party
Platforms on Child Care
Danger
ahead: Harper's Canada does not include child care
An open letter to Canadians – June 2004
Seeing
and Solving the Child Care Crisis: Options for Progress
It's time for advocates from every region to come together and
develop a child care strategy for Canada. That's what the CCAAC's
discussion paper is all about. It's an opportunity for all of
us to collectively help shape a strategy that ensures every child
in Canada has access to high quality, publicly funded child care.
It can't happen without you, so please get involved.
Child
Care - A better choice for working Canadians (CLC Fact Sheet)
A growing number of
today's working families are headed by women. For the majority
of families with two parents, the key to making ends meet and
earning a decent standard of living means both parents need to
work. What this means is that, more than ever before, women need
to work on an equal footing with men. ...
CAW
Report: How Canada compares
Canada has one of the worst systems of support for early childhood
education in the industrialized world. Only the United States
has a worse record.
Child-care
proposal earns praise
by Laurie Monsebraaten, Toronto Star dd Jun. 4, 2004
Child-care advocates are lauding the Liberals' $5 billion child-care
platform as a major step forward in their push for a national
program. Although the Liberals have broken campaign promises on
child care in the past, advocates note that yesterday's pledge
is different because it is centred on legislated principles and
is not tied to provincial funding. Full
Story
Download
the "Who Speaks for Us" postcard
http://www.nac-cca.ca/Documents/04%20FedElection%20Postcard.pdf
 (PDF
file - 1 page)
Conservative
Platform Will put Government in Deficit - CCPA Report
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Release dd June 11, 2004
Can the three major
national parties pay for what they say? That's the question posed
by a new study released today by CCPA. Can they pay for what
they say? A pre-election comparison of the Conservative, Liberal,
and New Democratic platforms, by economists Ellen Russell
and Sheila Block, assesses the ability of the parties to balance their
budgets and deliver on their promises.
Moore
hopes Canada doesn't vote Conservative
Hopefully Canadians will not set a trend at the end of the current
federal election and vote into power a political party that says it
would have joined the Bush administration's invasion-of-Iraq coalition,
says U.S. filmmaker Michael Moore.
Employment
Insurance
Employment
Insurance: Maternity and Parental Leave
Background Highlights - More Than Just Premiums:
Quebec and Canada
Submission to the Canadian Bar Association Standing Committee
on Equality
by Marcell M. Marion
(published with permission)
Modernizing
E.I. - Employment Insurance that works (CLC Fact Sheet)
Canadians pay for employment insurance (EI) incase
we lose our jobs. We pay for it on every single pay cheque.
So we expect it to be there for us when we need it. But for
too many working people, especially women and new workers,
these vital benefits are always out of reach. Right now, only
38% of unemployed workers get any of the benefits they've
paid for. Many workers don't qualify. Many run out of benefits
months before they can find work. It's even worse for women.
Less than a third of unemployed women see any benefits. And
it's the same for working moms with new children. While they
all pay premiums for pregnancy and parental benefits, about
a third of them never will because they just can't get the
600 hours of work needed to qualify.
Equal
Marriage
Party
Platform:
Equal
Marriage
Equality
–
An
Open
Letter
from
Itrath
Sayed,
the
New
Democrat
candidate
for
the
Delta
-
Richmond
There
has
been
lots
of
discussion
about
my
position
on
gay
marriages.
I
am
writing
this
open
letter
to
clarify
my
position,
so
that
people
can
understand
my
position
before
delivering
khutbas
[sermons]
about
me
and
writing
me
hate
mail.
I
should
first
state
very
clearly
that
this
is
my
position,
not
the
position
of
my
family,
and
that
any
discussion
about
these
issues
should
not
involve
them
in
any
way.
My
position
is
very
clear.
I
support
the
principle
that
all
human
beings
in
Canada
must
be
equal
under
Canadian
law
and
have
the
same
rights
in
Canada.
Every
single
person
Conservative
Policies
Attract
Senator
Cools
–
She
Has
Long
Record
Of
Opposing
Equality,
Abortion,
Feminism
-
Led
fight
in
Senate
against
Hate
Crime
Protection
for
Gays
&
Lesbians
Canadians
for
Equal
Marriage
(CEM)
media
advisory
dd
June
9,
2004
Canadians
for
Equal
Marriage
(CEM)
This
federal
election
will
determine
if
equal
marriage
legislation
is
passed
&
whether
a
number
of
very
anti-gay
candidates
are
elected
to
Parliament.
Please
visit
www.equal-marriage.ca,
and
see
how
easy
it
is
to
make
a
difference
in
this
crucial
human
rights
battle.
Read
Press
Release
dd
April
28,
2004
Equal
Pay
Equal
Pay:
Making
politicians
make
better
choices
for
women
(CLC
Fact
Sheet)
Women
are
frequently
told
we
have
achieved
equality
and
don't
need
pay
equity
laws.
But
when
we
look
at
the
facts,
the
wage
gap
hasn't
gone
away.
On
an
hourly
basis,
the
average
woman
still
earns
81.6
cents
for
every
dollar
earned
by
the
average
man.
The
average
wage
for
a
Canadian
woman
is
$15.82
compared
to
$19.38
for
the
average
Canadian
man.
It's
even
worse
when
we
look
at
the
earnings
of
all
women
–
63.9%
of
the
average
earnings
of
men,
or
$13,
414
less
a
year
(a
gap
that
has
grown
since
1997).
Read
More
Canadian
labour
believes
pay
equity
is
mandated
by
Charter
of
Rights
and
Freedoms
The
Canadian
Labour
Congress
will
be
in
the
Supreme
Court
of
Canada
tomorrow,
Wednesday,
May
12,
2004,
to
argue
that
the
Canadian
Charter
of
Rights
and
Freedoms
also
apply
to
governments
when
they
prepare
their
budgets.
The
case
is
a
long-standing
pay
equity
dispute
between
the
Newfoundland
government
and
its
employees.
At
issue
is
whether
a
law
that
repeals
pay
equity
payments
that
are
owed
to
women
workers,
to
redress
wage
discrimination,
violates
equality
rights
under
the
Charter.
In
resolving
this
issue,
the
Court
will
be
asked
to
examine
the
government’s
duty
to
consider
Charter
equality
obligations
in
their
budgeting
process.
Women's
Equality
Rights
Are
Not
For
Sale!
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
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
&
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.
Fair
Trade
Fair
Trade
- A better choice
for working Canadians
(CLC Fact Sheet)
Over
the past fifteen
years, the federal
government has
been signing "trade"
agreements with
more and more
countries. Better
trading relationships,
so the theory
goes, are supposed
to result in more
opportunities
for Canadians
to sell products
in other markets
and lowering taxes
on foreign goods
coming into our
country, which
in turn results
in more jobs in
Canada and savings
for consumers.
Federal
Budget -
March 23, 2004
2004
Speech from the
Throne
CBC:
Budget Analysis
CBC:
Budget 2004 Highlights
With
an estimated surplus
of $5.5 billion,
Finance Minister
Ralph Goodale's
first federal budget
focused on fiscal
management and avoided
typical pre-election
goodies like personal
income tax cuts
or major spending
on new programs.
Highlights
include:
- Measures
designed to
improve control
over spending
by government
departments,
including reestablishment
of the office
of the comptroller
general and
more rigourous
auditing procedures
in every department
- A
full GST rebate
to municipalities
that will cost
an estimated
$7 billion over
the next 10
years.
- A
new Canada learning
bond of up to
$2,000 for every
child born after
2003 to low-income
families.
- A
new upfront
grant of $3,000
for first year
post-secondary
dependent students
from low-income
families.
- The
creation of
a new Canada
Health Agency
to improve the
response of
the public health
system to such
emergencies
as SARS.
- An
additional $250
million to cover
the costs of
Canadian Forces'
peacekeeping
in Afghanistan
and $50 million
for the military
mission to Haiti.
- Up
to $250 million
available for
venture capital
for start-up
businesses.
Responses
to
Budget
2004:
Housing
and Homelessness
Party
Platforms on Housing
VOICES:
Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada
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. More...
Affordable
Housing Is On The National Agenda
HOUSING back on the map - Canadian Housing and Renewal
Association press release dd May 28, 2004
After a decade as a largely-invisible issue during
federal election campaigns, affordable housing is taking
centre stage in this year's election ...
Conservatives
Fail the Grade on Housing
Canadian Housing and Renewal Association
Call
for Endorsement - National Coalition on Housing and Homelessness
The National Coalition on Housing and Homelessness needs
your support and asks you and or your organization to
endorse calling upon the federal government to commit
to a new social housing agenda.
Affordable
Housing Now - Federal Election Housing Toolkit (PDF
file - 4 pages)
The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association has
put together a toolkit for the upcoming election to help
you bring the affordable message to your local candidates
Homeless
Women Crisis - Homeless women 10 times more likely to
die
AIDS, drugs, suicide common causes, researchers find;
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... HIV-AIDS and drug overdoses are the most common
causes of death among younger homeless women. Read
More
NHHN
Housing Report Card, 2004
Key messages from NHHN
Federal Throne Speech 2004: Nothing New for Housing
Allocations under Affordable Housing Program
Adding up Ontario Liberal housing promises
Housing
Facts
Help us keep housing on the national agenda!
Women need safe, stable,
affordable housing, new study finds
Researchers call on government to address Women's specific
housing needs
- Press
Release: Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence &
the Women's Health Clinic; Women with low incomes
have acute housing needs and are at greater risk of living
in unsafe and unhealthy environments, says a new study
conducted by the Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence
(PWHCE) and the Women's Health Clinic (WHC).
More women than men live in poverty and experience difficulty
finding and affording suitable housing. In order to better
meet women's needs, the study authors, Molly McCracken
and Gail Watson recommend that federal, provincial and
city governments need to adopt gender-based analysis for
all new housing policies and programs.
Human
Rights
Equality
– An Open Letter from Itrath Sayed, the New Democrat
candidate for the Delta - Richmond
There
has been lots of discussion about my position on gay marriages.
I am writing this open letter to clarify my position,
so that people can understand my position before delivering
khutbas [sermons] about me and writing me hate mail. I
should first state very clearly that this is my position,
not the position of my family, and that any discussion
about these issues should not involve them in any way.
My position is very clear. I support the principle that
all human beings in Canada must be equal under Canadian
law and have the same rights in Canada. Every single person.
Conservative
Policies Attract Senator Cools – She Has Long Record
Of Opposing Equality, Abortion, Feminism
- Led fight in Senate against Hate Crime Protection for
Gays & Lesbians
Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM) media advisory dd June
9, 2004
The
Devil in Stephen Harper
Who is this guy? Cautious and crafty, the Conservative
Party leader has perfected the soft sell, but a look at
his past pronouncements reveals he'll rip up every right
and service Canadians have fought for. dangerous? Hell,
yes.
Now
Toronto describes Stephen Harper as:
Anti-gay; Anti-immigration; Artful flip-flopper; Health
care profiteer;
Shill for big business; Magnet for racists; Human rights
violator; Native nightmare; Quebec hater; Yankee lover;
Western separatist; Eco terrorist. See Also:
Top 12 reasons NOT to vote Conservative
Immigration
URGENT
- STOP the deportation of a feminist activist on July
6, 2004
FFQ - Fédération des femmes
du Québec - June 25, 2004
Immigration-Settlement
and Integration
Immigrant
& Refugee Women - CRIAW Factsheet
Income Security
125 organizations call for end to welfare
time limits in BC
More
than 125 organizations are calling on B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell
to completely rescind a two-year time limit on the payment welfare
benefits. The
groups say they are not satisfied with changes that will merely
reduce the number of people affected by the limits. Instead, they
want them removed from the statute books entirely. The groups are
also calling on Prime Minister Paul Martin to withhold federal
transfer payments to any provinces that impose such time limits
Press
Release dd Feb 12, 2004
Letter
dd Feb 12, 2004
Letter dd Feb 5, 2004
Jobs
Good Jobs for Canadians
(CLC Fact Sheet)
On an average day in Canada, there are over 1.25 million Canadians
who want to work but do not have a job. That's a lot of wasted potential
and lost opportunities for too many workers and their families.
While our economy has grown over the past ten years, it has not
produced enough of the jobs people need to maintain a decent standard
of living. Unemployment remains stubbornly high, especially for
younger workers. When new jobs are created, they tend to be of lesser
quality than the jobs that are lost – they come with lower
pay, fewer benefits and less security.
CALL to ACTION: Upcoming Federal Budget
& Employment of Persons with Disabilities deadline
to write is March 12, 2004
Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Transexual Rights
Conservative
Policies Attract Senator Cools – She Has Long Record
Of Opposing Equality, Abortion, Feminism
- Led fight in Senate against Hate Crime Protection
for Gays & Lesbians
Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM) media advisory dd
June 9, 2004
Conservatives
again spout extremist views - June 7, 2004
Another Conservative candidate has spoken her mind –
undermining leader Stephen Harper’s strategy to
present their party as “moderate”.
Flaming homophobe Cheryl
Gallant, MP for Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke,
said June 5 that she believes the Conservative caucus
wants to repeal recent protections afforded gays, lesbians
and others under Canada’s hate crimes legislation.
Canadians
for Equal Marriage (CEM)
This federal election will determine if equal marriage
legislation is passed & whether a number of very
anti-gay candidates are elected to Parliament. Please
visit www.equal-marriage.ca,
and see how easy it is to make a difference in this
crucial human rights battle. Read
Press Release dd April 28, 2004
Sexual
Orientation - 'Separate But Equal' is never Equal
Transexual
Rights are Human Rights!
Transexual Day Of Rememberance - March 20th
Post
Secondary Education
Party
Platform: Post Secondary Education
Post
Secondary Education (CLC Fact Sheet)
Today, university tuition costs, on average, are
$4,025 – that's up from $3,749 last year. Cuts
in federal and provincial dollars to colleges and universities
have resulted in a doubling of tuition costs since 1990.
Tuition for law and medical schools have tripled and
quadrupled. Money from summer jobs and parents is a
small and shrinking portion of what a student needs.
The savings from most summer jobs is not enough to pay
even the tuition, and parents, on average, kick in not
much more than 17% of the total cost.
Canadian
Federation of Students - Vote Education
Open Letter to Paul Martin June 7, 2004 -- Therefore,
we request that you provide a definitive statement about
precisely when the dedicated transfer will be ...
Students Launch Vote Education.ca May 31, 2004
-- The Canadian Federation of Students launched an online
federal election resource, www.VoteEducation.ca. The
bilingual site more ...
NDP Platform on the Right Track May 26, 2004
-- The NDP has become the first major federal party
to commit to making Canada’s public universities
and colleges more ...
Poverty
NAPO
calls on poor people to vote to defend their rights
National
Anti-Poverty Organization press
release dd June
22, 2004 calling
on poor people to vote as if their lives depended on it. “If
they don’t exercise their voting power they may find a difficult
situation will get a lot worse,” warned NAPO President, Robert
Arnold. Many poor people get turned off the electoral process because
they feel that political leaders don’t care about poverty.
But it is a vicious circle. Politicians also know that there is
a lower rate of participation in the electoral process by poor people
and young people so they think they can afford to ignore their interests.
More
VOICES:
Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada
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. More
Surviving
on Hope is Not Enough: Women's Health, Poverty, Justice & Income
Support in Manitoba
Respect,
better benefits, information and advocacy will reduce stress and
enhance independence. Women’s health is harmed by stress
created by the welfare system, according to a study sponsored
by the Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence. The report
will be launched on May 28. According to principal investigator
Rhonda Wiebe, “In our study the women described the stress
of being dependent on a system that shames and scrutinizes them,
withholds significant information from them, is inaccessible at
critical times in their lives, and blatantly expresses no interest
in understanding the day-to-day factors in their lives.”
The
Welfare State as a Determinant of Women's Health: Support for Women's
Quality of Life in Canada and four comparison nations
- PDF version
(size: 148 kb, 17 pages)
Dennis Raphael,
School of Health Policy and Management, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal
and Professional Studies, York University, & Toba Bryant,
York Center for Health Studies, York University (posted with
permission from D. Raphael)
Poverty
in Canada: Media Coverage: Stats Can Report - Low income in census
metropolitan area
CAEFS'
Election Questions - Canadian Assocation of Elizabeth Fry Societies
(CAEFS)
New
United Way Report 'Poverty by Postal Code' Documents Changing
Toronto Neighbourhoods
United
Way of Greater Toronto Press Release
Key Findings
Links to
Report online
Links to
Media coverage
Walking
on Eggshells: Abused Women's Experiences of Ontario's Welfare System
Woman
Abuse and Welfare in a Rural Community: Rural Women Speak About
Their Experiences with Ontario Works
Rural Women Speak About the Face of Poverty
was the first step in a project to involve rural women in a larger
follow up project on rural women and poverty. The project was guided
by the Rural Women and Poverty Action Committee, comprised of women
of experience and their advocates in Huron, Grey and Bruce Counties.
Final Report: http://www.hurontel.on.ca/AbuseOWfinal.pdf
(PDF file)
FAFIA
Report: Toward women's equality: Canada's failed commitment
The high rate of poverty among women in Canada, and women's general
economic inequality, are evidence of Canada's failure to fulfil
its human rights commitments.
National
Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO) on the Federal Budget 2004
Obsession
with Debt Precludes Action on Poverty by Dennis Howlett, Executive
Director, NAPO
How
much do you know about POVERTY in Canada?
What
Has Happened to Government's Strategy on Child Poverty
Campaign 2000 Press Release dd February 4, 2004
Women
and Poverty - CRIAW Factsheet
The Gosselin case and the future
of anti-poverty litigation in Canada
"Gwen Brodsky, one of the lawyers intervening in
the Gosselin case, has written a paper on the implications of the
decision for future anti-poverty litigation in Canada." Gosselin
vs Quebec (Attorney General): Autonomy With a Vengeance What are
the implications of the Supreme Court of Canada in decision in Gosselin,
for future anti-poverty litigation?
If
Low Income Women of Colour Counted in Toronto
(PDF
file)
Final Report of the Action-Research Project Breaking Isolation,
Getting Involved
Written & Researched by Punam Khosla
Justice
and the Poor
CAEFS Fact Sheet
Public
Health Care
Sign
Petititon to Protect Canada's Health Care
If you believe in publicly-funded, not-for-profit
delivery of health services in Canada and you believe
that investor-owned, private-for-profit health care
threatens patient safety, universality, sustainability,
and undermines Canadian values, Shirley Douglas wants
your signature. You can ask the political parties
to stop any further privatization and to protect and
expand publicly funded and non-profit health service
delivery in Canada.
Student
Loan Limit Increases - Send a Message!
Download
the whole story on Debt Reduction in Repayment
(PDF)
Violence
Against Women & Children
Exploiting
a Tragedy to Score Political Points -Dishonest, Insensitive and
Cold
NAC Media Release dd June 19, 2004
Prevention
& Consequence Will Stop the Violence Against Women
DEMONSTRATION!
- Tuesday
June 29th 2004, 11:00 am - Montreal Palais
de Justice, St-Antoine entrance
Tammy
Shaikh grew up in Place Benoit. She was killed by her estranged
husband and has left behind 4 children. The
protest's mandate is to discourage the settlement of a plea bargain
for the lesser sentence of manslaughter in light of the heinous
and violent nature of this crime. The law must do justice for Tammy
and her family in this case, and must prevent Thomas Kane, and others
like him, from causing the brutality and sorrow this tragedy has
brought about. More
Walking
on Eggshells: Abused Women's Experiences of Ontario's Welfare System
Stop
Violence Against Aboriginal Women
Join the Native Women's Association of Canada's (NWAC)'s Sisters
in Spirit Campaign, a pan-Canadian initiative supported
by a broad coalition of organizations, intended to draw public and
political attention to the disappearances and murders of more than
500 Aboriginal women across Canada. Launched March 22, 2004
Campaign
to Stop Violence Against Women
Amnesty International - An Open Letter To The Women’s Movement
...
This campaign is designed to sound the alarm about violence against
women as a human rights crisis, educate the broader public about
the issues, mobilize both women and men to work to counter violence
and to use the power and persuasion of the human rights framework
in the efforts to stop violence against women.
Violence
Against Women and Girls - CRIAW Factsheet
Statistics
surrounding violence against women in Canada - by Regan Forsch
Nowhere
to Turn? Two new reports on violence against women
A major new study by the Canadian Council on Social Development/Conseil
canadien de développement social (CCSD) highlights the need
for comprehensive, coordinated and culturally appropriate strategies
to reach immigrant and visible minority women who are victims of
partner violence. The study was launched on International Women's
Day in Toronto and received extensive national media attention.
The full reports, by Dr. Ekuwa Smith, are available on the CCSD
website.
Violence
Against Women and Children
CAEFS Fact Sheet
Women's
Equality Rights
Election
2004: Women’s Equality and Party Platforms
Canadian Labour Congress releases
Gender-Equality Analysis of main party platforms -
June 24, 2004
Gender
Based Analysis of Policy Platforms
Equality
First: The Royal Commission on the Status of Women
The
Royal Commission on the Status of Women, called by
Prime Minister Pearson in February 1967, held the
notion of equal opportunity as its precept. Chaired
by journalist Florence Bird, the panel was criticized
both for exceeding traditional boundaries and also
for hedging on the conservative. But the great undercurrent
born of the Bird Commission was a renunciation against
inequality.
Still
In Shock -
Coalition for Women's Equality
At
the end of a long trail of broken promises, women
demand action
Governments
break too many promises to women, and political
parties don’t make enough. No wonder voter
turnout in Canada has steadily declined, dropping
nearly 10% to 61% between 1993 and 2000. As for
the drop-outs, women and young people are in the
lead. Women voters in Canada need to believe there
is something to vote for. As a follow-up to the
much acclaimed “Shocking
Pink Paper” of 1993, here are some
key issues relating to women’s equality that
must be addressed during the 2004 federal election.
Simply put, we need equality. We will make our votes
count.
PDF
file
Text
file
Women
made a difference! --- NAC Media Release dd June
30, 2004
Women’s
equality becoming an oxymoron - DAWN
Demands of the next
government, the immediate creation of a Parliamentary
Committee on Women’s Equality
DAWN Ontario - release
June 25, 2004
Vice-President
of the National Action Committee on the Status of
Women
NAC Media Release dd June 26, 2004
National
Métis Woman President Calls For Social Inclusion
and Equality -
Métis National Council Of Women Press Release
dd June 22, 2004
Women
Want Action, Not Promises:
Parties Must Move to Establish a Parliamentary Committee
on Women’s Equality,
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
(FAFIA) Release dd June 23, 3004
Les
femmes veulent des actions, pas des promesses
:
Les
partis doivent établir un comité parlementaire
sur l’égalité pour les femmes
L’Alliance canadienne féministe pour
l’action internationale (AFAI)
: Le 23 juin 2004
Paul
Martin: the devil women know by Barbara Cameron,
June 22, 2004
The Liberals may be better than the new Conservative
devils but that isn't saying much -- If the
only choice for women in the federal election were
Stephen Harper or Paul Martin, then Martin is certainly
the devil we know. His reign as Canada's Minister
of Finance represented 10 lost years for women's
equality. The changes introduced by his budgets
radically transformed Canada's post war social programs
in ways that undermined women’s economic and
social rights. It's small wonder that the NDP is
benefiting from the gender gap in women's voting
intentions. More
Conservative
income tax proposals disproportionately benefit
men, upper-income families
CCPA
Report -- Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
- Media Release dd June 22, 2004
Dear
Pollesters - Are you Listening To Us??? An Open
Letter
Coalition for Women's Equality dd June 21, 2004
Exploiting
a Tragedy to Score Political Points - Dishonest,
Insensitive and Cold
NAC Media Release dd June 19, 2004
Deafening
silence on women's issues: Leaders seem oblivious
to 52% of the Population
CAEFS' media release dd June 16, 2004
VOICES:
Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada
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. More...
Federal
Party Platforms - A Comparison
A summary of the political party platforms with
a focus on women's issues but also other social
justice issues... Gender Based Analysis by Michelle
Smith - Provincial Advisory Council on the Status
of Women
CAEFS'
Election Questions - Canadian Assocation of Elizabeth
Fry Societies (CAEFS)
Conservative
Policies Attract Senator Cools – She Has Long
Record Of Opposing Equality, Abortion, Feminism
- Led fight in Senate against Hate Crime Protection
for Gays & Lesbians
Canadians for Equal Marriage (CEM) media advisory
dd June 9, 2004
Women's
Equality Rights Are Not For Sale!
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
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 & 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.
FAFIA
Report: Toward women's equality: Canada's failed
commitment
The high rate of poverty among women in Canada,
and women's general economic inequality, are evidence
of Canada's failure to fulfil its human rights commitments.
Canadian
labour believes pay equity is mandated by Charter
of Rights and Freedoms
The
Canadian Labour Congress will be in the Supreme
Court of Canada tomorrow, Wednesday, May 12, 2004,
to argue that the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms also apply to governments when they prepare
their budgets. The case is a long-standing pay equity
dispute between the Newfoundland government and
its employees. At issue is whether a law that repeals
pay equity payments that are owed to women workers,
to redress wage discrimination, violates equality
rights under the Charter. In resolving this issue,
the Court will be asked to examine the government’s
duty to consider Charter equality obligations in
their budgeting process.
Le mouvement syndical
canadien croit quel’équité salariale
relève de la Charte canadiennedes droits
et libertés
Le
Congrès du travail du Canada comparaîtra
devant la Cour suprême du Canada demain, le
mercredi 12 mai 2004, pour soutenir que la Charte
canadienne des droits et libertés s’applique
aux gouvernements quand ils préparent leurs
budgets. L’affaire est un différend
de longue date entre le gouvernement de Terre-Neuve
et le personnel de la fonction publique de cette
province. Il s’agit de déterminer si
une loi qui révoque des paiements dus à
des travailleuses pour rectifier une discrimination
salariale viole les droits prévus par la
Charte. Pour trancher cette question, la Cour devra
examiner le devoir du gouvernement de tenir compte
des obligations de non-discrimination crées
par la Charte dans sa préparation budgétaire.
Homeless
Women Crisis - Homeless women 10 times more likely
to die
AIDS, drugs, suicide common causes, researchers
find; 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... HIV-AIDS and drug overdoses
are the most common causes of death among younger
homeless women. Read
More
Canadian
Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) Human
Rights Complaint
Re: the Systemic Review by the Canadian Human Rights
Commission of Human Rights Violations of Women Prisoners
by the Government of Canada NOTE:
The Canadian Human Rights Commission will
release their report on Wed. Jan. 28, 2004.
We are calling on Canadians to support the implementation
of the CAEFS coalition recommendations that the Canadian
Human Rights Commission adopts.
Women,
Health and Action - CRIAW Factsheet
Canadian
Women in the Global Economy
Young
Women Vote 2004 - The 20,000 Project
There's been lots of talk in the media, among politicians,
academics and thinkers about "how young people aren't getting
out to vote" and that "the youth of today don't care".
There is a lot of truth to these impressions. We are going to
change this. W e are starting a campaign, "The 20,000
Project", because as young women, we want to show Canadians
that we do care. Read More
Women
in Prison
CAEFS Fact Sheet
Download
the "Who Speaks for Us" postcard
Download
the "Who Speaks for Us" postcard (PDF
file - 1 page)
National
Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC)'s
election postcard campaign for funding of community groups
Women's
Health
Political
Parties Respond to Recent Canadian Breast Cancer Network Survey
Revealing the Significant Financial Cost of Having Breast Cancer
- Canadian Breast Cancer Network Urges Canadians to Study Responses
and Vote Accordingly, June 23,
2004
Health
researchers call on federal election candidates to focus on
home care - Women affected most by health reforms on home care,
Canadian research finds - From the National Coordinating
Group on Health Care Reform and Women & Canadian Women's
Health Network, June 21, 2004
As Canadians
prepare to go to the polls next week, the health care system
continues to be the primary concern of many. But few federal
campaigners have bothered to look at the ways in which health
reforms continue to affect men and women differently. Home care,
in particular, remains a crucial issue for many Canadian women
voters. While the Canadian health care system has been undergoing
steady change, the one thing that has remained constant is the
key role that women play in providing care. Women are estimated
to comprise nearly 80% of both the paid and unpaid care workers
in this country. Yet, their numbers do not coincide with their
influence even as their unpaid workload increases with health
care reforms.
Largest
Canadian study on rural women's health finds urban solutions
do not address rural problems
Centres of Excellence for Women's Health press release dd June
8, 2004
The
Centres of Excellence for Women's Health today released the
final report from a two-year study on the health of rural, remote
and Northern women. This is the largest qualitative study
in Canada to date to address the health concerns of this
important community. Rural, Remote and Northern Women's
Health includes data collected from focus groups and
workshops with women from diverse communities across Canada,
including fishers and farmers, and from Aboriginal, Francophone
and Anglophone communities from coast to coast to coast.
The report also draws on data collected from a National Consultation
meeting held in Saskatoon (2002). More than 200 women from rural,
remote and Northern regions in every province and the territories
in Canada were consulted during the study process.
Surviving
on Hope is Not Enough: Women's Health, Poverty, Justice &
Income Support in Manitoba
Respect, better benefits, information and advocacy will
reduce stress and enhance independence. Women’s health
is harmed by stress created by the welfare system, according
to a study sponsored by the Prairie Women’s Health Centre
of Excellence. The report will be launched on May 28. According
to principal investigator Rhonda Wiebe, “In our study the
women described the stress of being dependent on a system that
shames and scrutinizes them, withholds significant information
from them, is inaccessible at critical times in their lives,
and blatantly expresses no interest in understanding the day-to-day
factors in their lives.”
Women's
Pensions
Women's
Pensions: Making politicians make better choices for women
(CLC
Fact Sheet)
Women
live longer than men. Women participate in the workforce for
fewer years because of family responsibilities. Women are concentrated
in lower paying jobs and are more likely to work part-time,
non-standard, precarious jobs. What does all this mean for retirement?
It means that women earn less, so they retire with less to live
on for a longer time. It also means inequality in pension protection
for women. Read More
Women
& ICTs -
Womenspace
Women,
the Internet and Human Rights - by Alison Brewin
Government
of Canada Web Site Ignores Women - by Jo Sutton
Trafficking
in Women and ICTs - by cj Rowe
Visible
Minority Women and ICTs- NOIVMWC - by Anu Bose
Women
with Disabilities and ICTs - by Kathy Marshall
Young
Women and the Internet - by Brandi L. Bell
Francophone
Women and the Internet - by Katherine MacNaughton-Osler
E-government
and women in Québec - by Katherine MacNaughton-Osler
Canadian
Privacy Legislation - by Val Steeves
The
E-volution of Work - by Penney Kome
Information
Privacy and Children - by Val Steeves
eLearning: Women and the Internet - by Katy Campbell
Women Invisible on the Web - by Penney Kome
Women
& Politics
National
Council of Women of Canada - ELECTION ALERT - June 24, 2004
Equal
Voice: An Action Group for the Election of Women
Canada's multi-partisan, voluntary, non-governmental organization
dedicated to achieving equal political representation for women
in all parties and at all levels of government.
Women
in Politics: Making politicians make better choices for women
Women need to be involved in politics everywhere. We need
to have our voices heard and our concerns addressed at every
level. Our unions determine conditions and wages at work. Governments
provide services and protections from child care and education,
to health care and employment security. Women need to be part
of the decision-making everywhere. Voting is one way to make
a difference. Our votes count. Politicians know that women's
opinions matter. They know there is a "gender gap"
and that women are more interested in social programs, peace,
and justice. Use your vote to demonstrate what matters to you.
Even if your candidate does not win, the evidence of support
for progressive, people-centered policies from across the country
will make those who do win pay attention. Read
More
Still
Counting: Women in Politics Across Canada
Aa short and accessible account of why scholars and activists
continue to count the number of women elected to Canada's legislatures.
Canadian
Women Voters Congress
A non-partisan, grass
roots organization, dedicated to encouraging all Canadian women
to become strong, effective voices at all levels of government.
Women constitute 51% of the population, yet the number of
women in elected positions across Canada remains fewer than
25%. In addition, there is no effective manner in which
to measure the influence of women on government. In order to
affect the direction of governmental policies and action, a
significant, resonant, influential presence is essential. The
Congress is working to balance the scales of political representation
and to hold all parties accountable for including women in the
decision-making process. The Congress is nonpartisan, but acknowledges
that the way for women to be recognized is through the collective
voice heard within the circles of government.
Women
in Prison
CAEFS'
Election Questions - Canadian Assocation of Elizabeth Fry Societies
(CAEFS)
CAEFS
Fact Sheets
National Elizabeth Fry Week - May 3 - 9 2004
Human and Fiscal Costs of Prison
Women and Self-Harm
Importance of Community Options
Women in Prison
Aboriginal Women
Violence Against Women and Children
Canada and the Youth Criminal Justice Act
Justice and the Poor
Women
of Colour
If
Low Income Women of Colour Counted in Toronto
(PDF
file)
Final Report of the Action-Research Project Breaking
Isolation, Getting Involved
Written & Researched by Punam Khosla
Excerpt:"...
In the corridors of political power at City Hall there is little
discussion of issues facing poor women, let alone the mounting numbers
who are women of colour and immigrant women. They are rarely, if
ever, considered in decisions on community programs, policies and
spending priorities. In recent years, maps, statistics and reports
used by City Councillors to set policy have become decidedly gender
neutral and fail to detail the widening gaps for, and among, different
groups of women. ..."
Visible
Minority Women and ICTs- NOIVMWC - by Anu Bose
Immigrant
& Refugee Women - CRIAW Factsheet
Young
Canadians
Election
Basics - FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions for Young Canadian Voters
Young
Women Vote 2004 - The 20,000 Project
There's been lots of talk in the media, among politicians, academics
and thinkers about "how young people aren't getting out to
vote" and that "the youth of today don't care". There
is a lot of truth to these impressions. We are going to change this.
W e are starting a campaign, "The 20,000 Project",
because as young women, we want to show Canadians that we do care.
Read More
Young
Women and the Internet - by Brandi L. Bell
Canada
and the Youth Criminal Justice Act
Violence
Against Women and Girls - CRIAW Factsheet
Student
Loan Limit Increases - Send a Message!
Post
Secondary Education (CLC Fact Sheet)
Today, university tuition costs, on average, are $4,025 –
that's up from $3,749 last year. Cuts in federal and provincial
dollars to colleges and universities have resulted in a doubling
of tuition costs since 1990. Tuition for law and medical schools
have tripled and quadrupled. Money from summer jobs and parents
is a small and shrinking portion of what a student needs. The savings
from most summer jobs is not enough to pay even the tuition, and
parents, on average, kick in not much more than 17% of the total
cost.
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Updated July 16, 2004
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