What’s the Status of Status of Women Canada?
Published by Patrick November 23rd, 2006 in News / OpEd, Womens Issues Tags: tories, women.Women in Canada Want Answers
(Vancouver - November 22, 2006) Women in want to know details of the $5 million cut to Status of Women. There is growing concern that regional offices may be closed and that regional staff may be pink slipped. The fate of the long established, independent research fund also remains unknown.
Since the announcement in September 2006, women across the country have not been informed about which parts of Status of Women’s functions will be cut. “We know that Minister Oda has been presented with some options, but the women of Canada have had no input,” says Alison Brewin of West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund. “It seems that the ways in which women’s equality will be protected and advanced in Canada is being decided without any involvement of women themselves.”
The Conservative track record on women’s equality has been disturbing. So far the Conservative government has dismantled the national child care program, refused to move forward on pay equity, eliminated the Court Challenges Program and changed the term and conditions of the Women’s Program to prevent recipients of grants from lobbying or advocating for women.
“The Government says it wants to uphold Canada’s commitments to women under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women” stated Shelagh Day of the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action, “but its recent actions contradict this.”
Benita Bunjun of Vancouver Status of Women said, “Women across the country want to know when these cuts will be announced, what impact they will have on our communities, and how we will access funding and support if there are closures and lay-offs in our regions”.
Shauna Paull stated, “Women don’t need more bureaucrats in Ottawa. We need access to Status of Women representatives in our regions, healthy collaborations and action instead of talk about action. Reductions in services will bring further marginalization for women living in poverty and for women working on social justice issues.”