status of women cuts update

Read the Evidence from proceedings of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (February 7, 2007). This is the third panel convened to determine what the impact will be from the $5 million cut to Status of Women, including the elimation of 12 regional SWC offices. How will the removal of funding for advocacy, as well as equality as a goal of the agency, effect women and women's organizations in Canada.
It's a good read. It cleared up some finer points of the policy change for me, and it also provided some heated and jolting discussion once REAL Women (yeah right) spokeperson Gwendolyn Landolt so clearly and unabashedly outlined her hardlined right-wing ideas on "what women want".

Highlights of the REAL vs. reality debate:

MP Irene Mathyssen: I wonder, do you think that equal pay for work of equal value is a laudable goal?

Ms. Gwendolyn Landolt: No, it's a feminist concept. We do not agree with that.

Mrs. Irene Mathyssen: You talked about professionals in Canada, women having reached professional status. Were you aware that even in female-dominated professions in Canada, women still make less on average than their male counterparts?

Ms. Gwendolyn Landolt: Yes. And do you know why that is? Because women work differently from men. We have a different work schedule.... the vast majority of women are still going into the other fields of teaching, service industry, and nursing because it suits them because of family commitments. That's what women prefer. Most of the part-time workers are women, because it's what they want.

In a discussion of LEAF - Women's Legal Education and Action Fund:
Ms. Gwendolyn Landolt: Well, first of all, a lot of what LEAF has done--for example, the rape shield law--we don't agree with.

Hon. Maria Minna: You and I can argue all day about whether or not we agree with the rape shield and all of the other things that were accomplished by LEAF, a great deal of it not through the women's program but actually through the court challenges program [which has been eliminated], and thousands of volunteer hours from the lawyers themselves. But my question to you was what you do for immigrant women who cannot access programs. You say we should not have advocacy. . Providing services and assisting immigrant women with, say, the English program or project isn't enough. Equality is not attained by simply giving a service. You also need to change the system.


In Landolt's opening statement she says:
"We [REAL] reflect what women in Canada want... Times have changed. We have to move into the 21st century. We have to deal with what women want. We have to listen to women- but women are not all feminists. It's deeply troubling that the government is putting out $11 million each year to a variety of feminists to promote an agenda that is not a reflection of what Canadian women want or need. " (She clearly knows what women in Canada want and need, and is speaking for them at this panel).

In her closing statement she says:
"On September 21, MP Mrs. Minna got up in the House of Commons, addressed the government, and said, 'On behalf of all the women of Canada, I'd like to ask about the funding.' Who gave her the choice to speak for all of us?"

Who are you Ms. Landolt?

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OTHER feminist happenings concerning the cuts to SWC:

New website - Put Equality Back on Track

Excellent blog and resource concerning the cuts and actions: F-email Fightback.
Go here to see some radical cheerleading, and dowload a postcard for Harper created by the New Brunswick Advisory Council.

A slave in a time of no slavery?

From the Telegraph-Journal:

An ad in a NB newspaper in 1786 promised a reward for the return of slaves who had run away from their "owner", a Loyalist from what is now Fredericton. The runaways included "Nancy, about 24 years old, who took with her a Negro child, about four years old, called Lidge". Nancy was seemingly returned to that slave owner, since in 1800, she asked the Supreme Court of New Brunswick to set her free. The slave-owner said that Nancy had been a slave since birth.
Her two lawyers, who had volunteered their services, argued that she should be freed since slavery was not officially recognized in N.B. On Feb. 18, 1800, the court announced a split decision among the four judges. Nancy lost and remained a slave for another 15 years. Soon after that yearlong trial, one of the slave-owning judges set his slaves free. Nancy's case touched off such protest that it is said slavery became an unworkable institution in the province.

Nancy's story - and other stories of New Brunswick women in our history - should be better remembered. One effort in that direction is Nancy's Award.
Middle-school students can win one of 15 awards named after Nancy Morton. Nancy's Award is offered to students whose entry in the New Brunswick's Regional Heritage Fair touches on some aspect of New Brunswick Women's history. Heritage Week Is Feb. 12 to 19.

World Press Photo Awards

Some of the winning photographs:

My favourite: Atmona outpost in the West Bank, by Oded Balilty -


The Winning photo, undeservedly so. It's a good photo, but it's not aesthetically nuanced. The photo says "hey look at the clash of opposites!"...yawn -


A fun photo -

Layton lays it out

Jack Layton's office always replies to e-mails:

"Thank you for sharing your concern for Canada's performance on
protecting our environment.

After so many years of federal inaction, everyday Canadians say the environment is their #1 priority, and New Democrats are listening. The NDP has a comprehensive plan to improve our environment and fight climate change. Our action plan includes:

- Meeting Canada's commitments under the Kyoto protocol
- Developing a national sustainability plan
- Significantly increasing the responsibility of large industries to reduce emissions
- Legislating a mandatory fuel efficiency standard that meets or exceeds leading North American jurisdictions
- Ending subsidies to polluting industries

For detailed information on the NDP's plan for short and long term action, please read the following links:

15 tough amendments to Clean Air Act

NDP's Climate Change Accountability Act

A Green Agenda for Canada

I appreciate your efforts to register your views with me. I hope I can count on your support to make Parliament work on behalf of all Canadians. All the best.


Sincerely,

Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth)
Leader, Canada's New Democrats"

Well, I guess he won't be making a video for Suzuk.

stymied styrofoam

I just wrote the NDP a note through their website, and suggested that since they are proposing bans on ATM charges, could they also propose a ban on styrofoam and plastic fast food containers (unrelated issues, but both ban something). Customers can bring their own re-usable containers, or, at the very least, only recycled paper products should be permitted to be used by fast food chains.

Imagine the savings, both economic and environmental: not producing the wasteful material in the first place; a reduction in garbage removal and dump space; a reduction in litter and clean-up costs (since most litter is fast food junk).

I know this is a hard sell, as bringing a plate with you kind of ruins the purpose of fast food. Perhaps there can be an incentive at first: a discount for those who bring their own container (i.e. how "No Frills" charges you extra if you want to carry your groceries in a plastic bag).

So, I thought of the idea because I was visiting David Suzuki's site, where he's promoting his "If I were Prime Minister" tour. He is asking people to submit 20sec videos through youtube in which they describe what measures they would take as PM to protect/clean-up the environment.

I think it would be righteous and hilarious if Jack Layton submitted a video. In fact, I told him so in my e-mail. Let's wait and see.......