Victoria Women Boycott BC Government's Dec 6 Event

Victoria Status of Women Action Group
Victoria Status of Women Refuses to Participate in
Cruel Farce by BC Liberal's Own Marie Antoinette

MEDIA RELEASE
December 5, 2002

For the second year, the Victoria Status Of Women Acton Group (SWAG) will boycott the provincial governments candle-lighting ceremony at the legislature at 11:30 am to commemorate the Day of Remembrance and Action to Stop Violence Against Women.

It is a cruel hypocrisy that a government who has embarked on an unrelenting campaign of cutbacks that primarily affect women, now says they are doing this ceremony to "remind us all to re-affirm our commitment to all women of British Columbia."

It has been clearly shown that these kinds of cut-backs will increase the incidence of violence in women's lives. Eileen Morrow from the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses recently wrote about how women were impacted by years of social spending cuts in Ontario: "Last week we learned that murders of women by their male partners have increased in Canada, with virtually all of the increase in Ontario. It is no surprise that when the conditions and supports women need to escape violence are removed, there will be dire consequences. (Long Haul, Dec. 02)

In Lynn Stephens' letter of invitation to the ceremony she also states that "each and every one of us has an obligation to do our part in promoting a safe environment for women.

Her idea of "promoting a safe environment to women" is being a part of a government that has cut legal aid, victim services, daycare, welfare, funding to women's sexual assault centre, funding to a homeless women's shelter, funding for poverty law advocacy, repealing private sector pay equity legislation in the Human Rights Code, and most alarming, diverting cases of spousal assault away from prosecution.

In addition Lynn Stephens is serving as the executioner of 33 women's centres around the province who will have their core funding from the province cut by March 04. These centres, especially in rural areas, play an extremely crucial role in being the first point of contract for women in crisis.

SWAG will instead participate in a community organized delivery of 77 socks to Liberal MLAs at 11:30 am at the legislature that are filled with eviction notices and other mementos of the increasing assaults on women's security that this government is responsible for. In addition we will attend the 4 pm vigil at the Women's Sexual Assault Centre at 754 Broughton St. and the coffee house at the Solstice café (529 Pandora) at 7 pm.

***
Contact:
Cindy L'Hirondelle, 383-7322, SWAG Coordinator

Victoria Status of Women Action Group (SWAG)
swag@pacificcoast.net
250-383-7322 (ph)
250-388-0100 (fax)
Box 8484, Victoria BC, V8W 3S1

Read the December 6 Speech by Dodie Goldney
Kamloops Women's Resource Centre
www.kwrc.cjb.net


source: BC Coalition of Women's Centres www.bcwomen.cjb.net

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Page last updated December 7, 2002