Visit our R.E.A.L. Women of Canada WATCH page

 

The value of the financial support provided to women’s organizations in Canada to carry out research and provide services to women cannot be underestimated. Many of these studies have been pivotal and have provided ground-breaking materials for the drafting of exemplary legislation that has raised the standard of women’s equality in Canada. Groups that might not otherwise have had access to services, such as victims of domestic violence, disabled women and Aboriginal women, have been the beneficiaries of programs and initiatives funded through Status of Women Canada.

Rose V. Beatty, President Canadian Federation of University Women
source

Update: April 30, 2006

As a follow up to our Call for Letters in support of increased funding for women's equality-seeking groups, please see excerpt below from the April 28th Hansard containing the question posed by Maria Minna, Liberal critic for Status of Women and the response from Bev Oda, the Minister Responsible for Status of Women.

Source:
39th PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION - EDITED HANSARD . NUMBER 012 - Friday, April 28, 2006

Status of Women

Hon. Maria Minna (Beaches-East York, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, conservative-minded groups are actively campaigning to have the Status of Women Canada program disbanded. Can the minister reassure the House that the government will take no such action and that no cuts will be made to the budget of this very important department?

Hon. Bev Oda (Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the member's question gives me the opportunity to indicate that this government recognizes the importance of women. They represent 50% of all Canadians. We will support them in their endeavours. The resources they require so they can fully participate in Canadian life will be assured.

Now is the time to ACT and stand in solidarity with women's equality-seeking groups who on a daily basis, struggle to advance women's equality with very little resources.

I encourage every member of DAWN Ontario and our allies to share this far and wide. Please ask the same of women in your respective networks.

Write to the Prime Minister and send copies to the Minister Responsible for Status of Women and to the Liberal, NDP and Bloc Québecois Critics for Status of Women, in support of increased funding for women's equality-seeking groups! (sample letter appears below)

As previously posted, the R.E.A.L. Women of Canada group has been lobbying for the last 7 years to disband Status of Women. With Harper and the Conservatives in power, the time to act is NOW!

CONTACT INFO

Find your local MP's contact info at this link:
http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/mpscur.asp?Language=E

Send letter to:

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister

• Email: pm@pm.gc.ca
  
  
• Address:
  Office of the Prime Minister
  80 Wellington Street
  Ottawa K1A 0A2
  
  
• Fax: 613-941-6900

Send copies to:

Bev Oda, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Canada

• Email: Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
  
  
• Address:
  House of Commons
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1A 0A6
  
  
• Fax: 613.992.2794

Maria Minna, Critic, Status of Women, Liberal Party

• Email: Minna.M@parl.gc.ca
  
  
• Address:
  House of Commons
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1A 0A6
  
  
• Fax: 613.996.7942

Irene Mathyssen, Critic, Status of Women, New Democratic Party

• Email: Mathyssen.I@parl.gc.ca
  
  
• Address:
  House of Commons
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1A 0A6
  
  
• Fax: 613.943.8717

Mme Maria Mourani, Critic, Status of Women, Bloc Québecois

• Email: Mourani.Ma@parl.gc.ca
  
  
• Address:
  House of Commons
  Ottawa, Ontario
  K1A 0A6
  
  
• Fax: 613.992.1932

Sample Letter (added April 25, 2006)

Follow this link to Download Sample Letter as a Word doc

Instructions for copying & pasting text:

1. Select/block the text you want to copy
2. Press CTRL + C to copy text
3. Press CTRL + V to paste text into body of your letter or email message

[Date]

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
Langevin Block,
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON

Dear Prime Minister Harper:

During the recent federal election, you acknowledged that "Canada still has more to do to meet its international obligations to women's equality". I appreciate this acknowledgement. I am also pleased to learn that you plan to "take concrete and immediate measures, as recommended by the United Nations, to ensure that governments in Canada fully uphold their equality commitments to women(1)." ( http://www.fafia-afai.org/images/Conservative_response_Jan182006.pdf ).

As you may know, this year marks the 25th anniversary of Canada's ratification of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Canada ratified this convention in 1981 with the consent of all provinces and territories . While I recognize that some women in Canada have made progress since then, many women have been left behind.

In this anniversary year, you, as Prime Minister, have a unique opportunity to ensure Canada's full accountability for its human rights commitments to women. To do this, the federal government must sustain both its own efforts to achieve equality for women and its support of non-governmental organizations' contributions.

In particular, you can improve Canada's performance under CEDAW by immediately supporting the Minister of Status of Women to do the following:

• Release the report of the Expert Panel on Accountability Mechanisms for Gender Equality (commissioned before the federal election);
• Provide both project and core-funding to women's equality-seeking groups, including women-centered services;
• Increase the budget of Status of Women Canada (including to the Women's Programme) to $100 million.

These steps are necessary because as you know, women continue to face violence and poverty at highly disproportionate rates. For example, in 2004, 37% of all female homicide victims were killed by a current or former spouse, whereas this was the case with only 4% of male homicide victims(2). As well, in 2003, women employed full-time full-year in Canada earned only 71% of the amount earned by similarly employed males(3). As a consequence, more women than men are poor in Canada. In particular, the poverty rate for female lone parent led families is 38%, compared with just 13% of lone parent families headed by men, and just 7% of non-elderly two-parent families(4). These realities are only aggravated if one is a woman of colour, an immigrant woman, a woman with disabilities and/or an Aboriginal woman.

In addition, with women holding only 21% of the seats in the federal Parliament and 22% in the new federal cabinet, issues of significance to women do not always get the attention they deserve. As a consequence, through the research, analysis and support provided by Status of Women Canada, many women's organizations in Canada are able to play a vital democratic role in gathering and reflecting women's voices and experiences. These voices contribute to the development of just public policy for all Canadians.

As Canada prepares to report back to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in early 2007, it is time for Canada to make meaningful progress on the long-standing recommendations from the UN. Progress in these areas would represent positive steps towards improving Canada's record and advancing women's human rights in Canada.

With your support, Canada can make the 25th anniversary of our ratification of CEDAW an event worth celebrating.

Sincerely,

[Your name and address]

cc: The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of Status of Women - Oda.B@parl.gc.ca
Ms. Maria Minna, Critic, Status of Women, Liberal Party - Minna.M@parl.gc.ca
Ms. Irene Mathyssen, Critic, Status of Women, New Democratic Party - Mathyssen.I@parl.gc.ca
Mme Maria Mourani, Critic, Status of Women, Bloc Québecois - Mourani.Ma@parl.gc.ca

1 To see the UN's recommendations to Canada please see:
http://www.fafia-afai.org/images/CEDAW_UNrecs_to_Canada_2003.pdf
2 Statistics Canada. 2006. Women in Canada 2005.p.164
3 Statistics Canada. 2006. Women in Canada 2005. p.152
4 Statistics Canada. 2006. Women in Canada 2005. (2003 data). P.144

 

Relevant Links

From R.E.A.L. Women
ELECTION 2006 AND ITS AFTERMATH

Excerpt:

"A Conservative government will also begin the difficult work of dismantling the Liberal infrastructure that has served the Liberals so well over the years in perpetuating its left wing policies. These include the funding of feminist only and homosexual organizations, multicultural organizations, and the Court Challenges Programme. The Status of Women and the Law Commission must also be dissolved. The Conservatives must also devise a transparent and honourable method of choosing judges for the courts - there is already one vacancy on the Supreme Court that must be filled immediately."

National Post Thu 06 Apr 2006 Issues & Ideas A22, Andrea Mrozek
Feminist activism -- paid for by you and me
or Source Link

R.E.A.L. Women of Canada Press Release dd Feb 15, 2006
Feminist Shell Game
or Source link

R.E.A.L. Women of Canada newsletter, Issue Nov-Dec 2005
IMPOSING FEMINISM IN CANADA
or Source link

R.E.A.L. Women of Canada newsletter, Issue Jan-Feb 2000
THE STATUS OF WOMEN MUST BE DISBANDED
or Source link

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