OTTAWA, Sept. 26
/CNW/ - 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.
SWC is home to the
Women's Program which funds organizations that monitor and work to uphold
Canada's accountability to the principles of equality enshrined in the
Charter and in the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW).
The announcement of the SWC cut follows last week's 11th hour restitution
of federal funding to some national women's organizations by Minister
Beverley Oda and appears to be the latest cat-and-mouse game being played
with the values held by a majority of Canadians.
The strength and integrity of SWC is integral to efforts of organizations working to protect women's rights. We do work such as this because while some crucial legal reforms have granted equality to women in Canada, the substance of daily life for many women fails to live up to the promise that formal structures indicate.
The gap between real-life experience and legal equality is the basis for much of the work undertaken by SWC and the women's groups it supports. Until now, they were together supported at the bargain-basement cost of $24 million federal dollars a year (compared to the $15 billion announced by Harper in June for military vehicles over the next few years).
The announced set of cuts raises serious concerns about the Harper Government's ability to effectively steward the social values of Canadians. As such, we will be watching closely in the coming weeks for what other truths are revealed regarding this government's commitment to women's equality in Canada, and to the full equality of all citizens.
Signed:
Canadian Council
for Muslim Women (CCMW)
Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW)
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW)
Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC)
DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women's Network
MATCH International
Womenspace
YWCA Canada
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