Canadian Women's NGOs - Canadian Social Research Links

See also (on separate Canadian Social Research Links pages):
Links to Canadian Government Sites about Women's Social Issues
Links to International Sites about Women's Social Issues

The Breast Cancer Site

Lest we forget...

Federal Government Cuts to Women's Programs in September 2006
- this link takes you further down on the page you're now reading.

Members, Partners and Friends of FAFIA
- links to dozens of equality-seeking women's organizations in Canada
Source:
Canadian Feminist Alliance
for International Action (FAFIA)

Canada’s Human Rights Institutions At Risk
By Shelagh Day, Senior Editor and Publisher, Canadian Human Rights Reporter
July 28, 2010
It is time to go into worry mode about Canada’s human rights institutions.
Here are some recent developments that cause concern:
• Saskatchewan’s Minister of Justice proposes to dismantle the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal and send human rights complaints directly to the courts
• The B.C. Law Institute has been asked by the Ministry of Labour to conduct “research and analysis in relation to workplace dispute resolution mechanisms in British Columbia”. The disputes in question include human rights employment complaints.
* Heather MacNaughton, the widely respected Chair of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, was not re-appointed. Human rights watchers speculate that British Columbia also plans to dismantle its Tribunal.
• The Supreme Court of Canada has granted leave to appeal in Canada (Attorney General) v. Mowat, a case about whether the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has the authority to award legal costs to a successful complainant. This case arises because the Canadian Commission has stopped representing human rights complainants before the Tribunal and courts, and complainants are increasingly appearing unrepresented, with a high likelihood of losing, or they are hiring their own counsel.
* more...
The effect of shutting down Tribunals, sending human rights complainants to courts, and using legal costs as a substitute for public access, will be to weaken Canada’s system of human rights laws and discourage Canadians from using them.

Source:
Women's Court of Canada

The Women’s Court of Canada is an innovative project bringing together academics, activists, and litigators in order literally to rewrite the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms equality jurisprudence. Taking inspiration from Oscar Wilde, who once said “the only duty we owe to history is to rewrite it”, the Women’s Court operates as a virtual court, and ‘reconsiders’ leading equality decisions. The Women’s Court renders alternative decisions as a means of articulating fresh conceptions of substantive equality.
- incl. links to :
* Home * About Us * Blog * WCC Judgments * Media and Events * Resources * Archives * Contact

Women's Court of Canada Judgments
The first six WCC judgments were published in the Canadian Journal of Women and the Law in early 2008. These decisions concern issues that affect the lives of Aboriginal women, women with disabilities, women living in poverty, women with children, and women workers.
The WCC judgments are for the following cases:
* Symes v. Canada, [1993] : deduction — child care expenses — women — taxpayer — income
* Native Women’s Association of Canada v. Canada, [1994] : funding — freedom of expression — women — equal — constitutional
* Eaton v. Brant County Board of Education, [1997] : placement — disabled — special — child — pupil
* Law v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1999] : discrimination — differential treatment — claimant — survivor’s pension — dignity
* Gosselin v. Quebec (Attorney-General), [2002] : programs — welfare recipients — security of the person — dignity — legislation
* Newfoundland (Treasury Board) v. Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, [2004] : pay equity — government — crisis — hospital workers — women

Resources - links to over two dozen useful feminist resources

---

The Women’s Court of Canada: Gosselin v. Quebec (Attorney General), [2006] (39 pages)
July 8, 2009
by Gwen Brodsky, Rachel Cox, Shelagh Day and Kate Stephenson
The Women’s Court of Canada reconsiders the 2002 decision [see the link below] in Gosselin v. Québec (Attorney General), in which the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that section 29(a) of Québec’s Regulation Respecting Social Aid, which reduced the welfare rate of recipients under the age of thirty to below subsistence level (in the 1980s), did not violate sections 7 or 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or section 45 of the Québec Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"(...) We decided to participate in the Women’s Court’s reconsideration of Gosselin because we believe that sections 15 and 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and section 45 of the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms are fully capable of addressing poverty issues and that the reluctance of courts in Canada to interpret them in this way reflects what Louise Arbour has called 'judicial timidity.'’’

Gosselin v. Quebec (Attorney General), [2002] (106 pages)
- the official decision of the Supreme Court of Canada
Source:
Supreme Court of Canada Decisions

NOTE: for links to more info about the Gosselin case,
go to the Case Law / Court Decisions / Inquests page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/caselaw.htm

Related Links:

British Columbia Moves Backwards on Women’s Equality (PDF file - 174K, 40 pages)
Submission of the B.C. CEDAW Group to the United Nations Committee
on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
on the occasion of the Committee’s review of Canada’s 5th Report
January 23, 2003

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
- includes links to over a dozen official Canadian and U.N. CEDAW documents online
Source:
Canadian Heritage

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
- from Status of Women Canada

IMPACT of BC Government Cutbacks on Women
Updated July 9, 2002
"Elimination of Women's Rights = Violence Against Women and Children | Cuts to Income = Increased Poverty | Cuts to Health = Increased Risk | Cuts to Housing = Homelessness | Elimination of Justice = Violation of Human Rights | Elimination of Right to Education and Training"

Beijing and Beyond "The Women of the World are Watching"
"The Global Week of Action: Beijing and Beyond is an opportunity for everyone to get involved, apply pressure on their governments, demand women's human rights, and celebrate achievements."

Resources List

Beverley Smith's Page
In May 1997 a Canadian homemaker, Beverley Smith, laid an official complaint at the United Nations that Canada discriminates against homemakers in its tax, divorce and childcare laws and in Statistics Canada studies.
"Beverley Smith is a long-time researcher and activist promoting equality for all roles for men and women, paid and unpaid, and for the state to value the family side of the career family balance. (...) working to get a fairer tax climate to all kids, and all ways to raise them, addressing child poverty in a way that shows no favoritism for lifestyle or career choice"

Related Link:

Recent Developments in Caregiving - free newsletter by Beverley Smith (also available by subscription). Each issue includes recent news and information on a wide range of topics, including the positive effects of good care, the negative effects of bad care, caregiving research, the characteristics of caregivers, child and parent health, career trends, family finances, legal and political, and much more...

Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies
"CAEFS is a federation of autonomous societies which works with, and on behalf of, women involved with the justice system, particularly women in conflict with the law. Elizabeth Fry Societies are community based agencies dedicated to offering services and programs to marginalized women, advocating for legislative and administrative reform and offering fora within which the public may be informed about, and participate in, aspects of the justice system which affect women."
- large site, easy to navigate, incl. information about CAEFS, programs and services, conferences, fact sheets, annual reports, issue papers (Human Rights - Battered Women - Women’s Prisons - Young Women - Restorative Justice - Literacy), responses to proposed legislative changes - related Internet sources on prison issues and violence against women

More Promises to Women Not Kept
Press Release
March 8, 2005
"The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS), Native Women's Association of Canada Strength in Sisterhood Society and Women 4 Justice are alarmed at what they consider to be tacit acceptance by the Canadian Human Rights Commission of the relative inaction of the Correctional Service of Canada. Four years ago today, CAEFS and NWAC, supported by more than 25 other national and international organizations, urged the CHRC to conduct a systemic review and issue a special report regarding the discriminatory treatment of federally sentenced women at the hands of the Canadian government."
Source:
Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS)
Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC)
Strength in Sisterhood Society (SIS)

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social, economic environmental justice. Founded in 1980, the CCPA is one of Canada’s leading progressive voices in public policy debates.

Selected website content:

Recession sidelines polices to address women’s poverty: study
Press Release
September 1, 2009
OTTAWA—Canada still has shockingly high rates of women’s poverty but the recession seems to have sidelined anti-poverty policies, says a new study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Women’s Poverty and the Recession reveals even after taking into account government transfers and tax credits, almost one-quarter(24%) of Canadian women raising children on their own and 14% of single older women are poor, compared to 9 % of children. “Child poverty seems to win political points but Canadian governments are ignoring the very real and private struggle of women on their own who are living in poverty at shockingly high levels,” says CCPA Research Associate Monica Townson.

Complete report:

Women’s Poverty and the Recession (PDF - 662K, 54 pages)
September 2009
By Monica Townson
"(...) In Canada, the groups most vulnerable to poverty are Canadians from racialized communities, recent immigrants (many of whom are also from racialized communities), Aboriginal people, and persons with disabilities. Most of these groups have much higher rates of poverty than the general population. But in all the vulnerable groups, poverty rates for women are higher than those for men.

Related Links:

Third Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women ( Recommendations Only)
(Adopted by the Committee on May 16, 2006; Presented to the House on May 19, 2006)

Complete Report:

Funding through the Women's Program: Women's Groups Speak Out
Report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women (including recommendations)
Anita Neville, M.P.
Chair
May 2005
NOTE: this is one of those infuriating online reports from the Canadian Parliament website that has a teeny-tiny "NEXT PAGE >>" link at the bottom right-hand corner of each page that you must click (IF you notice it in the first place) to open the next page. Don't despair - here's a link to the Table of Contents, where you'll find hyperlinks to all sections of the report.

Source:
House of Commons Standing
Committee on the Status of Women

Two women's groups receive funding for one year
September 22, 2006
Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- A pair of women's groups that had prepared to close their doors for fear of cuts by the Conservative government learned Friday their federal funding has been secured for at least another year. The National Association of Women and the Law and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action had both taken steps to scale down their operations because of unusual delays in getting approvals for their funding.
Source:
CTV

The Federal Government must Renew the Women's Program!
September 14, 2006
- incl. : Intro * The Women`s Program * Standing Committee on the Status of Women Recommendations to improve the Women's program * The Context : women's inequality remains deeply entrenched * A Lack of Political Will to Address the problem * And this was Brought to you by the Women's Movement * Past Federal Acknowledgment of the Important Role played by Women's Groups * International support for the funding of Women's Groups * Conclusion

Source:
DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women's Network

To Improve Federal/Provincial Fiscal Arrangements, Federal Social Transfer Must be Strengthened, Say Women’s Groups
News Release
April 11, 2006
"Ottawa: While Premiers meet in Montreal today to discuss the “fiscal imbalance”, FAFIA, a broad alliance of women’s and human rights groups, is calling on governments to strengthen social programs and services for Canadians in all jurisdictions."

Strengthening the Canada Social Transfer: A Call to Account (PDF file - 130K, 23 pages)
April 2006
- incl. Introduction - The Canada Social Transfer and Women’s Human’s Rights - The National Context for the Canada Social Transfer - Funding Formulas, Designations and Standards - Implementation, Monitoring and Accountability
"FAFIA (the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action) looks forward to a revitalization of the Canadian social union and to reengagement by governments in the work of developing and sustaining social programs and services that meet Canada’s human rights commitments."

Backgrounder (Word file - 39K, 2 pages)

FAFIA's Position on Child care
March 2006
FAFIA encourages the federal government to keep the agreed upon deals between the federal government and provinces to develop Canada's provision of early learning and childcare.

JOIN FAFIA in supporting a national child care program in Canada
March 8, 2006
FAFIA is focusing on the status of Canada’s national child care program for International Women’s Day. To this end, we are inviting all of our members to sign onto an open letter from a FAFIA partner organization, the Childcare Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC). It asks the Prime Minister, other federal party leaders and the provincial premiers to honor the existing childcare agreements between federal and provincial/territorial governments.

Women's Civil and Political Rights in Canada 2005
The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
on the occasion of its review of Canada’s 5th report on compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
September 2005
Introduction - HTML
Full Report (PDF file - 179K, 55 pages)

Civil and Political Rights in British Columbia 2005
The Poverty and Human Rights Centre submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
on the occasion of its review of Canada’s 5th report on compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
October 2005
Introduction
Full Report (PDF file - 140K, 48 pages)
Source:
Poverty and Human Rights Centre

Human Rights Committee Opens 85th Session
Press Release
17 October 2005
"The Human Rights Committee, which reviews the implementation of the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its 153 States parties, this morning opened its eighty-fifth session, hearing an address by a Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, following which it adopted its agenda and programme of work."

Human Rights Committee - "Monitoring civil and political rights"
The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its State parties.

Human Rights Committee
85th Session (17 October - 3 November 2005)
Geneva

From WomenWatch*:
[*WomenWatch offers United Nations Information and Resources on Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women]

Forty-Ninth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women
Beijing +10 (United Nations, New York, 28 February to 11 March 2005)
- meeting of high level representatives from 100+ UN Member States and thousands of NGO representatives to review progress made since the Fourth World Congress on Women held in Beijing in 1995. The Ten-Year Review and Appraisal are part of the 49th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

Official Documents for the Commission on the Status of Women 49th Session

Review and Appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
and the Outcome Document of the Twenty-third Special Session of the General Assembly

A Decade of Going Backwards: Canada in the Post-Beijing Era
Beijing+10 UN shadow report
February 25, 2005
"This shadow report provides a comprehensive analysis of Canada’s progress on the commitments it made to women’s equality ten years ago in Beijing.

Beijing+10 Research and Resources

Ten Years of Federal Budgets:
Double Whammy for Women
Press Release
"OTTAWA – February 3, 2005 – Federal fiscal choices have done little to improve most women's economic security over the last 10 years, says the first ever analysis of federal budgets on Canadian women. The ground-breaking report, released today in Ottawa by the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action, tracks a decade of federal budgets. Written by award-winning economist Armine Yalnizyan, it measures the federal government's performance against the explicit commitments it made to gender equality in Beijing in 1995. It shows that massive spending cuts unduly hurt women in the deficit era and women's interests have been largely ignored since Ottawa began posting surpluses."

Canada’s Commitment to Equality: A Gender analysis of the last ten federal budgets
By Armine Yalnizyan
Complete report (PDF file - 609K, 117 pages)
Executive Summary (Word file - 65K)

Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW)
"CRIAW is a research institute which provides tools to facilitate organizations taking action to advance social justice and equality for all women. CRIAW recognizes women’s diverse experiences and perspectives; creates spaces for developing women’s knowledge; bridges regional isolation; and provides communication links between/among researchers and organizations actively working to promote social justice and equality for all women."
- incl. links to : Home - About Us - Contact Us - Fact sheets - Publications - Research and Activities - International Activities - Members - Links, Activities, Actions, Campaigns
"Currently, CRIAW is looking to link the research conducted by various groups at the community level and scholarly research in a single online forum to promote awareness of initiatives addressing issues that deal with women’s poverty and exclusion."

Sample site content:

New Publications on Women’s Experiences
of Social Programs for People with Low Incomes
The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) is proud to launch a new comprehensive research report and a new fact sheet. These publications are part of CRIAW’s publication series on re-thinking economic and social justice: women resisting poverty and exclusion.

Integrating the voices of low-income women
into policy discussions on the Canada Social Transfer:
First Nations women in Vancouver, immigrant and refugee
women in Calgary and women with disabilities in Winnipeg (PDF file - 640K, 119 pages)
August 2007
Quantitative data about women and poverty already exist. This research provides meaning and texture to that experience of poverty, highlighting issues that quantitative research and policy analysis too often
overlook.

CRIAW FACTsheet : Women’s experiences of
social programs for people with low incomes (PDF file - 644K, 119 pages)
2007
Based on the above study, this fact sheet weaves together the voices of women with critical analysis and detailed evidence on how the devolution of social programs has impacted on diverse low-income women’s lives. It provides important evidence as to why and how listening to women’s voices is critical to knowing the real issues in policy making and programming. (...) It combines existing quantitative research with new qualitative research based on the perspectives of policy makers, social service providers, low-income First Nations, immigrant, refugee women and women with disabilities from three Canadian cities.

Disentangling the Web of Women’s Poverty and Exclusion (PDF file - 151K, 16 pages)
Spring 2006
"Women’s Poverty and Exclusion : The poverty experienced by so many women in Canada is simply not acceptable in a country that has boasted eight consecutive years of budget surpluses. CRIAW’s broad-based consultations on women’s poverty and exclusion clearly showed that the depth of this poverty has increased over the last 10 years, a period that parallels the erosion of the country’s social programs. The consultations confirmed that subsuming discussions of poverty within economic policies alone allows issues of social justice, rights, and accountability to be overlooked."

Women and Poverty
Third Edition - 2005 (Posted March 2006)
PDF version (167K, 12 pages)
HTML version
"Women and poverty are connected for many reasons. Various structural factors work towards making women more vulnerable to poverty, or to keeping them in poverty. Over the last decade, Canada has been moving towards a different model for its economy, drastically cutting social services."
Source:
Fact Sheets

Providing Tools for Social Justice & Equality for All Women
Press Release
May 14, 2006
"The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) announces the publication of its critical reflection piece Intersectional Feminist Frameworks: An Emerging Vision. This publication is the result of over two years of conversations with community activists and academics on the intersectionality of various inequalities experienced by historically marginalized groups. (...) This publication informs women’s and social justice organizations in exploring ways of bringing diverse women’s voices into the centre of research and action. “This critical reflection piece provides an emerging lens to review public policies, such as immigration and labour policies, as well as internal policies and ethics of social justice organizations,” says Marie Katherine Waller, Research Coordinator.
[Found on the DAWN-Ontario website]

Rethinking Mainstream Approaches to Questions of
Social and Economic Policy: Intersectional Feminist Frameworks

Intersectional Feminist Frameworks (IFFs) Think Tank Report (PDF file - 110K, 24 pages)

Intersectional Feminist Frameworks (IFFs) Critical Reflection Piece

Intersectional Feminist Frameworks: An emerging vision
This critical reflection piece is a social change resource that aims to provide social justice organizations with a deeper understanding of the intersectionality experienced by historically marginalized groups. In particular, the reflection piece brings to the forefront the discussion of Intersectional Feminist Frameworks (IFFs) for marginalized women who are disproportionately experiencing poverty and exclusion in systemic, institutional, and individual ways. IFFs take into account the differential impact of policies and practices on different groups of women because of their race, class, disability, sexual orientation, refugee or immigrant status and age. It takes into account the full diversity of women and the intersectionality of various characteristics, the global economic and social forces affecting women’s equality and national policy-making.

Disentangling the Web of Women’s Poverty and Exclusion!
This information tool reveals that the issues affecting women’s poverty and exclusion are deeply interconnected in creating a web of economic insecurity and marginalization. The lens of Intersectional feminist frameworks (IFFs) is crucial in disentangling this web and in bringing about social change. Disentangling the web is not enough. Solutions and strategies to achieve social and economic justice must be explored and implemented if we are to build stronger movements to strengthen civil society’s capacity to influence policy. This information tool is about making the voices of activists and advocates being at the forefront of the work for social change and women’s substantive equality.

Free copies: Phone: 613-563-0681 ext 221, Email: info@criaw-icref.ca
(There is a charge for posting and handling if you order 10 copies or more)

Source:
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
CRIAW is a research institute which provides tools to facilitate organizations taking action to advance social justice and equality for all women. CRIAW recognizes women’s diverse experiences and perspectives; creates spaces for developing women’s knowledge; bridges regional isolation; and provides communication links between/among researchers and organizations actively working to promote social justice and equality for all women.

Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)

15 days, 15 ways to end violence against women
This is a postcard campaign of 15 messages we would like the government to listen to.
You can help by sending a fax to your MP about which ever message speaks to you. Send one, send 10, send them all - the choice is yours.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

14 dead women, 15 years later
"Women who think themselves equal and free but who won't call themselves “feminists” might want to Google “marc lepine” and understand how much women — all women — are loathed."
Source:
rabble.ca

Google.ca Web Search Results: "marc lepine"
Google.ca News Search Results: "marc lepine"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Google.ca Web Search Results: "National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women"
Google.ca News Search Results: "National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women"

Canadian Medical Association Journal

Risk of death among homeless women: a cohort study and review of the literature
April 13, 2004
Angela M. Cheung and Stephen W. Hwang
Abstract
Complete article:
HTML version
PDF version (146K, 5 pages)

Related Link:

Dying in the shadows: the challenge of providing health care for homeless people
Commentary on the article by Cheung and Hwang
By James O'Connell (Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School)
April 13, 2004
HTML version
PDF version (172K, 2 pages)

Homeless women 'crisis'
In Toronto, they're dying at 10 times the normal rate
AIDS, drugs, suicide common causes, researchers find
Elaine Carey
"Homeless women in Toronto are dying at 10 times the rate of other women between 18 and 44, according to a new study released today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal."
Source:
The Toronto Star

Canadian Policy Research Networks
"The Family Network supports CPRN's mission to help make Canada a more just, prosperous and caring society. To this end, we seek to identify the "best policy mix" for Canadians at every stage of their lives, from infancy to old age."
Family Network

A Decade of Challenges; A Decade of Choices: Consequences for Canadian Women
by Jane Jenson
[Click "Download" to open the file]
Release Date: 8 Apr 2004
Number of pages: 16
"Jane Jenson examines the impact on women - in the family, the community, or the labour market - of the misfit between social policy prescriptions and current social realities. She goes on to outline some of the implications for public policy."
Source:
Family Network

Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF)
The CWF was incorporated as a registered charitable foundation in 1989. As Canada's first and only national public foundation for women and girls, CWF has earned a reputation as an organization that is accessible to grass-roots women's groups. CWF was founded to support results-oriented solutions to the problems faced by women and girls.

Canadian Women's Health Network
"The Canadian Women's Health Network (CWHN) was officially launched in May, 1993 by women representing over 70 organizations from every province and territory. Based on the visions, hopes and needs of women working in the women's health movement, the CWHN emerged from the generous dedication of health care workers, educators, advocates, consumers and other Canadians committed to sharing information, resources and strategies to better women's health."
- incl. links to : Network Magazine - Women's Health Topics - Women's Health Databases - Women's Health Links - Centres of Excellence for Women's Health - Brigit's Notes - About CWHN - Text Index - What's Hot - Health Links - What's New - français

What's New at the Canadian Women's Health Network

Sample site content:

Brigit's Notes: Women's Health E-bulletin <=== latest issue of the bulletin
Brigit's Notes is a monthly electronic bulletin that's full of great women's health news. It will keep you informed about what's new on the CWHN web site, including new policy initiatives, research, calls for submissions, events and conferences, new resources and updates on women's health issues and activism.

Sample issue:

Brigit's Notes - September/October 2008
In this issue:
1. Bringing Women’s Voices and Concerns to the National Table Federal Election 2008
2. Helping an Abused Woman: 101 Things to Know, Say and Do
3. Invitation to provide feedback on gender, sex and health research in Canada
4. Women's Health: Intersections of Policy, Research, and Practice
5. Caregiver Connect
6. Steady work and mental health – is there a connection?
7. What about Women? Gender Analysis of Discussion Paper on New Brunswick's Tax System
8. AWHONN Canada
9. Midwifery Bridging Project
10. Human resources for health: a gender analysis

Network magazine
Spring/Summer - Volume 10, Number 2
June 2008
HTML version
PDF version (1.8MB, 36 pages)

Feature articles:
* Editor's Note
* Feeling the heat: Women's health in a changing climate
* Evidence for caution: Women and statin use
* The HPV vaccine, one year later
* Charter challenge on drugs ads: A challenge in the wrong direction
* Labels, laws and access to health care: How history affects health-care access for First Nations and Métis women
* Cherchez la femme in minority francophone communities
* Barbara Seaman (1935-2008): Pioneer in the women's health movement
* Status positive: Supporting women immigrants and refugees with HIV/AIDS
* 'Women CARE' in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
* Highs & lows: Canadian perspectives on women and substance use
-- and much more!

[ Archive of back issues ]

CWHN Partners:

* Centres of Excellence for Women's Health

* CBRN Research & Technology Initiative

* Women and Health Protection

* Women and Health Care Reform

-------------------------------------------

Startling acts of well-thought uppitiness
Gutsy, legal-minded Canadian women refuse to take 'because' for an answer
By Janice Kennedy
March 02, 2008
Law professors Natasha Bakht, Diana Majury and Rosemary Cairns Way say it's time to get serious about women's equality. Majury, a law professor, is a founding member of the Women's Court of Canada, to be unveiled this week [during International Women's Week].
Source:
The Ottawa Citizen

For related links, go to the Links to International Sites about Women's Social Issues page: http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/womeninternat.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to receive thebulletin by email
The Brigit Archives - issues of the bulletin back to 2001

Online/Email Resource:

Brigit's Notes - (archives)
- Subscribe to Brigit's Notes

What's Hot in Women's Health Policy - links to Policy Research - Job Postings - Events and Conferences - Sites and listservs - Issues and Activism

The Canadian Women's March Committee 2005 - EVENT UPDATE for May 1st - 7th, 2005
"Exciting progress has been made by the Canadian Women March Committee to celebrate the reception of the Global Charter for Humanity. Events are planned in Vancouver, Yellowknife, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Moncton and Quebec City as the Charter travels across Canada. (...) The Charter was created and agreed upon by 6000 women's organizations world wide. It is based on 5 core values; equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace. It is a feminist vision of a world free of exploitation, poverty and violence. It was launched on March 8, 2005 in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and will finish its global journey in Burkina Faso on October 17, 2005."

Schedule of Events - includes information about Women's March events in Vancouver, Yellowknife, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Moncton and Quebec City - and a contact name and coordinates for each location.
[From the website of DisAbled Womens Network - Ontario]

Source:
Canadian Women's March Committee (also in French & Spanish)
"The World March of Women is a movement composed of women’s groups of diverse ethnic, cultural, religious, political and class backgrounds, and different ages and sexual orientation. Far from dividing us, this diversity unites us in greater, more far-reaching solidarity. In 2000, as part of the World March of Women, we wrote a political platform containing 17 practical demands for the elimination of poverty throughout the world, wealth sharing, the eradication of violence against women and the respect of women’s physical and moral integrity. We transmitted these demands to the leaders of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and United Nations. We received not even one concrete response. We also transmitted these demands to elected officials and leaders in our countries. Ever since, we have ceaselessly continued to defend our demands. We are proposing alternatives to build another world. We are active in the world’s social movements and in our societies. We are furthering the thinking about women’s place in the world and the place we should be occupying."

Women's Global Charter for Humanity
Adopted on December 10, 2004, in Kigali (Rwanda)
PDF version (126K, 5 pages)

---

Canadian Women’s March 2005
Get Ready for October 17th, 2005
24 Hours of Feminist Action and Solidarity
"The Canadian Women’s March 2005 Coalition is committed to the elimination of poverty and violence in Canada and to making the links between local and global actions. We are committed to continuing our work to meet the 13 demands developed by the World March of Women in 2000 to eliminate poverty and violence against women in Canada. Today, major investments on social programs are still needed and none of the 13 demands have been met. This is why in May 2005 we supported relaying the Global Charter for Humanity across Canada. The Charter was created and agreed upon by 6000 women’s organizations world wide. It is based on five core values; equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace. It is a feminist vision of a world free of exploitation, poverty and violence."
Related Link:
World March of Women in the Year 2000 - September 2000

Related Links:

World March of Women
October 17, 2005 - Join us for the 24 hours of feminist mobilization
"On October 17, women in all time zones will successively take to the streets at noon to stage actions for one hour. This is how they will show their support for the blueprint for society depicted in the Women's Global Charter for Humanity."

Relay of the Women's Global Charter for Humanity, March 8 - October 17, 2005
Between March 8 and october 17, 2005, there will be the world relay of the Women's Global Charter for Humanity. The women from various countries will be passing the Charter from country to country. They will also organise actions to highlight this symbolic passing and the values of the Charter. These women will be sewing together a solidarity quilt that will illustrate the values of the Charter.

Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)
"CERA was established to ensure that human rights protections in housing would be effective for low income households and to address systemic barriers to accessing affordable accommodation."

Women and Housing in Canada : Barriers to Equality
March 2002
"This national report discusses federal government programs and policies from the standpoint of the particular barriers facing low income women in meeting their housing needs. The report situates women’s homelessness within the context of women’s poverty and it thus assesses not only programs and policies related to housing, but also those related to income support."
- incl. sections on : Re-Defining and Re-Thinking Homelessness - Federal Housing Programs (Rental Housing, Homeownership, Homelessness Secretariat) - Aboriginal Women and Housing - Income Support Programs (Income Assistance - CAP and Beyond, NCB Supplement, Employment Insurance) - Recommendations

Centre for Research on Work and Society (CRWS)
"Working out of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, CRWS addresses the many issues facing labour that arise from the current political and volatile transformation of the Canadian world of work."

CEDAW Call to Action - PovNet's CEDAW page (British Columbia)
Posted May 7, 2003
"The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) issued its Concluding Comments on Canada in April, 2003. It singled out B.C. for criticism because of the negative impact on women of cuts to welfare and legal aid, among other things.
Shelagh Day, who represented the B.C. CEDAW Group at the review of Canada's report, says, "The Committee states that it is concerned about the disproportionately negative impact on women and girls of a number of recent changes in British Columbia, including the cuts in funds for legal aid and welfare assistance; narrowed eligibility rules for welfare; the incorporation of the Ministry of Women's Equality under the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services; the abolition of the independent Human Rights Commission; the closing of a number of courthouses; the cut in support programmes for victims of domestic violence and the proposed changes regarding the prosecution of domestic violence.
BC CEDAW group has issued a call to action, asking people to write to the Premier as well as their MLA, to spur the BC Government into changing some of its discriminatory policies."
Source : PovNet

Centre for Research in Women's Studies and Gender Relations
[ University of British Columbia ]

Report Card On Women and Children in B.C. (PDF file - 146K, 4 pages)
March 15, 2004
By Michelle Stack
"Whether we like it or not, the media is part of governing."

Child Care Resource and Research Unit

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and Canadian women in the paid labour force
- incl. Background: Data on the State of Canadian Women - ECEC and Working Women - Useful Print Resources - Useful Websites
Source:
ISSUE files

Community Social Planning Council of Toronto

If Low Income Women of Colour Counted in Toronto
September 2003
Executive Summary (PDF file - 211K, 16 pages)
Full Report (PDF file -798K, 110 pages)
"Based on discussions with more than a hundred and twenty women in nine of Toronto's low income neighbourhoods, the report finds that the [low-income women of colour] are isolated, overworked, subject to racism and discrimination, and chronically poor. Most have trouble finding jobs and most say the have nowhere to go to meet women or neighbours. Contrary to popular stereotypes of low-income people as abusers of public resources, few of them know about critical City services and supports."

Cowichan Women Against Violence (CWAV)
"Cowichan Women Against Violence Society works from a feminist perspective to provide a supportive environment for victims and children who have been affected by abuse. We support diversity, change, choice and growth through counselling, advocacy, emergency shelter, community development and education"
CWAV Programs
Children Who Witness Violence - offers individual counselling and support groups for children of battered women.
Horizons Program is a personal development and pre-employment bridging program.
Safer Futures Program is a community research and development program that works to create and maintain community environments that promote safety of women and children in public places, in work places and in their homes.
Somenos Transition House - provides emergency shelter and emotional support primarily for battered women and their children.
Women Against Violence Against Women - counselling, emotional support, information, court support and referrals for survivors of sexual assault, childhood and adulthood abuse.

DAWN DisAbled Women's Network Canada
"DAWN Canada is a national organization controlled by and comprised of women with disabilities. We are from all backgrounds and all disabilities. We are a feminist organization working to achieve control over our lives and end the stereotype that labels us dependent burdens on society."
- incl. links to : Our National Network - Our Mission Statement - Our History - Profiles of Women - Special Initiatives - DAWNing Groups - Related Links - Guestbook - DAWN Canada's Email Discussion

DAWN DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario
"DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN) Ontario is a cross-disability, feminist organization working towards access, equity, and full participation of Women with disAbilities through public education, coalition-building, self-advocacy, resource development, and information & communication technology."
- incl. links to : Text version - What's New - Resources - Publications - Justice Issues - Health Issues - Inclusion Award - Access Checklist - Online Community - Research Posts - Who We Are - What We Do - Our Vision - Herstory - Fact Sheet - Action Alert - Membership - Join E-List - Guestbook - Feedback - Contact Us - Credits
Links - Links to hundreds of websites about women and disability - excellent resource!

Sample content on the DAWN-Ontario site:

From DAWN Ontario (Disabled Women's Network - Ontario):

DAWN Ontario's Open Letter to Premier McGuinty
Re: Proposed Reforms to the Ontario Human Rights Code
March 19, 2006
"We, DAWN Ontario: the Disabled Women's Network Ontario, are writing to voice our strong opposition to your Government's plans to weaken the Ontario Human Rights Code, announced on February 20, 2006." [see the link below to the Feb. 20 govt. announcement].

Related Links:

Human Rights Reform Action Kit (DAWN-Ontario)
Help Prevent the Gov't from Weakening
Enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code
"On Feb. 20, 2006, the Ontario Gov't said it will introduce a law (likely late March or April) to change enforcement of the Ontario Human Rights Code. That system needs reform. It's too slow, frustrating, and hard for many to use. Yet, the Government's proposal will make things worse, not better. It will create new barriers that make it harder for people to get their human rights respected."

------------------
From the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General:

Ontario Government to Modernize Human Rights System:
Better Serving The Public The Aim Of Proposed Changes
February 20, 2006
News Release
"A stronger, faster, more effective human rights system that better serves the public is the aim of changes being proposed by the McGuinty government, Attorney General Michael Bryant announced today."
-----------------------------

Federal Election 2004:
DAWN Ontario's Voter Education & Awareness Campaign for Women's Equality Rights in Canada
- incl links to : Political Parties in Canada - Federal Ridings & Candidates - Tools & Resources
Equality Issues
--- Aboriginal Women --- Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Racism --- Childcare --- Democracy --- DisAbility --- Employment Insurance / Maternity & Parental Leave --- 2004 Federal Budget --- Housing and Homelessness --- Human Rights --- Immigration --- Income Security --- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Transexual Rights --- Poverty --- Student Debt --- Violence against Women --- Women's Equality Rights --- Women & ICTs --- Women & Politics --- Women in Prison
Source:
DisAbled Women's Network-Ontario

Women's Equality Rights Are Not For Sale!
Women's Legal Education And Action Fund (LEAF) to Argue at the
Supreme Court of Canada for Women's Right to Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value
Toronto - May 11, 2004
"On Wednesday, May 12th, the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) will appear before the Supreme Court of Canada in the case of NAPE (Newfoundland Association of Public Employees) v. Newfoundland. At issue in this case is whether the Newfoundland government's reneging on an agreement to compensate its female employees for discriminatory wages violates the equality rights guaranteed to women under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The question is, can Newfoundland pay women less than men for work of equal value?
This case affects 5,300 female employees of the Newfoundland government, and has the potential to set a precedent for female employees across Canada.

More? - 100+ Federal Election 2004 Links

Feed the Kids AND Pay the Rent Campaign (Ontario)
"...many families in Ontario they have to choose between paying their rent or feeding their children"
Campaign endorsed by:
- Advocacy Centre for Tenants
- Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)
- DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Ontario
- Income Security Legal Clinic (ISLC)
- Ontario Social Safety Network (OSSN)
- The Workfare Watch Project
- Somerset West Action Network (SWAN)

United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin
March 16, 2004
From the DAWN-Ontario What's New page (the link above), you'll find links to the following Ontario-related articles:
Social Factors Drive Health Outcomes - Hospital Funding to Come With Accountability - Report Calls for New Investment in Non-Profit Agencies - Province Beefs up Family Responsibility Office - New Public Policy Resource for Non-profits and Charities - New Money for Children’s Aid - Municipalities Empowered to Hike Property Taxes on Businesses - Courts Upholds Charitable Property Tax Exemption
NOTE: each of these articles includes links to related reading and source material online
Source:
DAWN DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario

Women's History Month 2003
"In October 2003, Canadians will celebrate Women's History Month (WHM), with the highlight being Person's Day on October 18. The theme for WHM this year is What do you mean, women couldn't vote?"
- incl. : Questions and Answers about Women's History Month - What can I do to commemorate Women's History Month? - Suggested Readings - Some Web Sites of Interest - Video Suggestions - WHM 2003 Quiz - Evaluation and comments
Source:
DAWN DisAbled Women's Network - Ontario

Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-française
(This site is available in French only)
"La Fédération nationale des femmes canadiennes-française veut une société juste et égalitaire pour toutes les femmes vivant au Canada. La FNFCF représente les femmes de la francophonie canadienne vivant en milieu minoritaire. Elle défend leurs intérêts, revendique leurs droits et appuie leurs actions"
- liens vers les pages suivantes : Dossiers - En vedette - Nouvelles du jour - Quoi de neuf - Activités - Appels d'offre - Programmation - Centre de ressources - Communiqués - Bulletin - Membres - Équipe - Publications

Des droits sociaux pour les femmes francophones
en contexte minoritaire, une lutte pour éradiquer la pauvreté
Ce projet de recherche-action vise à lever le voile sur la réalité socio-économique des femmes francophones en situation minoritaire et à outiller des porteuses de dossier afin de poser les actions nécessaires pour améliorer la condition de vie des femmes.
- utilise une variété d'outils : données de statistiques Canada, ateliers de formation, rencontres provinciales, outils d'animation qui ont servi à former les femmes francophones en contexte minoritaire sur les enjeux de la pauvreté et des femmes, fiches d'information (avril 2005) portant sur les mesures de pauvreté, la sécurité alimentaire, le logement, les programmes sociaux, la santé et les outils et pistes d'avenir --- ainsi qu'un portrait par région de la situation des femmes francophones en contexte minoritaire au Canada.

Dossier Pauvreté
Des droits sociaux pour les femmes francophones en contexte minoritaire, une lutte pour éradiquer la pauvreté.

End Abuse Now
End Abuse Now is the website of the Grey Bruce Domestic Violence Coordinating Committee.
It provides information, resources and links for all members of the community on abuse and how we can work together to end it.

Selected website content:

Counting Women In:
A Toolkit for Rural Action on Poverty
Counting Women In: A Toolkit for Rural Action on Poverty is the culmination of eight years of research and community development by the Rural Women Take Action on Poverty Committee. The strategies and tools in the toolkit were developed and piloted in Grey, Bruce, Huron and Perth counties (Ontario) to make the issue of poverty more visible and to build hope for change. The toolkit is a resource to change attitudes and beliefs about rural women and poverty and to support action and change.

Counting Women In:
A Toolkit for Rural Action on Poverty (PDF - 1.8MB, 109 pages)
By Colleen Purdon et al.
June 2009

Counting Women In Additional Online Resources (PDF - 2MB, 43 pages)

The Fulcrum Project
"Our goal is to raise awareness among the public and the media to humanize poverty in order to make reducing poverty a provincial election issue."

Report Card on Women and Children in British Columbia (PDF file - 118K, 4 pages)
June 15, 2004
Charitable Food Banks or the Right to Food: Which Way for BC?
Graham Riches

Imagining Public Policy to Meet Women’s Economic Security Needs (Conference)
October 13-15, 2005 – Vancouver

Keynote Address by The Honourable Monique Bégin, PC, FRSC, OC:
Have they Forgotten Women? (Word file - 78K, 11 pages)
[Meeting Women's Needs: Government & Imaginative Public Policy]

Presentations from this conference
Links to the following presentations (Powerpoint, Word and PDF files):
- Femocratic Administration and Women's Economic Security Panel - Tammy Findlay (York University)
- Women of an (Un)certain Age - Charmain Spencer (SFU Gerontology Research Centre) & Elsie Dean (Women Elders in Action)
- Economic Security for Women with Precarious Immigration Status: Ensuring Labour Rights for All - Jill Hanley (Universite Libre de Bruxelles)
- Supporting Women's Economic Needs Through A Universal Home Care Policy - Melodie Kelly (Memorial University)
- Moving Beyond the Policy Debate: How Process Improvements can Dramatically Impact Service Delivery in the Health Care System - Larua Zilney (Canadian Federation of University Women)
- Saskatoon Community Clinic Supporting Women's Economic Security - Louise M McKinney & Patrick Lapointe (Saskatoon CHC Co-op)
- Enhancing Social Policy in Canada: The Gore-tex Approach - Rhonda Breitkreuez (University of Alberta)
- All the work women do: Imagining household and group provisioning - Marge Reitsma Street (University of Victoria), Stephanie Baker Collins (York University), Sheila Neysmith (University of Toronto)
- Abolishing Mandatory Retirement: What are the Safeguards for Women?
- Gaps in practice: Redressing the Devaluation of Precarious Jobs - Nancy Zukewich (Statistics Canada)
- Community-based research processes: addressing the needs of multiple constituencies - Catherine M. Scott (University of Calgary), Michelle Murdoch (Memorial University), Laura Dreuth Zeman (Southern Illinois University), & Joan Farkas
- For Better or Worse? National Employment Policy Approaches and Women with Disabilities - John Vellacott (UBC)
- Making Work: Income Security for Women with Mental Illness - Marina Morrow (SFU)
- Re-Visioning the Environment of Support for Single Mothers in Extreme Poverty - Penny Gurstein & Silvia Vilches (UBC School of Community and Regional Planning)
- Towards More Egalitarian Policies on Prostitution: What Canada Can Learn from the International Community - Emily van der Meulen (York University)
- Identifying Keys to Successful Transition From Social Assistance to Paid Work: Lessons from Canada, the United Stes, Australia and Europe - Shauna Butterwick (University of British Columbia)
- “Learning to be Poor: Job Training and Women in the U.S. ” - Jane Henrici ( University of Memphis)
- Poverty, Indifference & the Struggle for Political Autonomy - Chrystal Ocean (WISE)
- Are Wage Supplements the Answer to the Problems of the Working Poor? (Word file - 59K, 15 pages)
Conference presentation by Andrew Jackson (Canadian Labour Congress)
===>NOTE Re. the wage supplements presentation: See A Working Income Tax Benefit That Works from the Caledon Institute of Social Policy (next section below on the page you're now reading) --- both of these reports deal with the Working Income Tax Benefit proposed by the federal government.

International Women's Day (IWD)
"International Women's Day (IWD) is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women. Find out what local IWD events are occurring near you for IWD 2005."

Organisations Supporting Women
"The following organisations have proudly listed their 2005 International Women's Day (IWD) event on this site. Learn more about what these organisations do and how you can become more involved with them."
- links to 150+ women's groups

March 8 : International Women's Day

View IWD 2008 Events by Country (582 events)
- includes 59 events found in Canada (Select "Canada" from the drop-down country list)

New Report reveals a widening wage gap between men and women in Canada
News Release
March 6, 2008
OTTAWA – It just doesn’t pay to be a working woman in Canada today, according to a new report released by the Canadian Labour Congress. In fact, for today’s younger, more educated working woman, it pays a lot less than it did just ten years ago. (...) According to the report Working Women: Still a Long Way from Equality, women in Canada who worked full-time, full-year jobs in 2005 earned just 70½ cents for every dollar earned by men in full-time, full-year jobs.

Women in the Workforce: Still A Long Way from Equality
March 6, 2008
Introduction and Summary
Complete report:
PDF version (728K, 38 pages)
Text version (online, no formatting, small file)

Women's Economic Equality Campaign - International Women’s Day 2008

Source:
Canadian Labour Congress

Maclean's Magazine

Kids vs Career:
Many women can't find that elusive work-home balance and are choosing to drop out
March 15, 2004 Issue

Manitoba Women's Advisory Council :

Single Parent Families to Benefit from New Online Resource Guide
News Release
April 05, 2002
- Release of the sixth edition of Parenting on Your Own, a guide designed to support single parents, and launch of the Internet version of the guide.
"The handbook provides information about and resources for health, child care, finances, housing and many other topics. Hundreds of resources as well as contact information for community organizations are included. Over the years, more than 60,000 copies have been printed."

Parenting on Your Own - Manitoba (and some national) resources for single parents, incl. descriptions and links under the following headings : Aboriginal Services - Abuse - Child Care - Disabilities - Employment/ Education/ Training - Health - Housing - Income Assistance - Legal - Money Management & Stretching The Dollar - Recreation And Wellness - Support For Families
Introduction - Parenting on Your Own
Table of Contents - Parenting on Your Own

McGill Institute for the Study of Canada

Road-Testing the Third Way: Single Mothers and Welfare Reform
during the Clinton,Chréétien [sic], and Blair Years (PDF file - 134K, 11 pages)
Sylvia Bashevkin
Dept. of Political Science, University of Toronto
(The PDF file is dated November 2002)

Michelle Mann

Putting safety back into the social safety net
June 19, 2006
Social Justice by Michelle Mann
"Violence against women remains endemic in Canadian society despite law-and-order approaches, making it imperative that we consider and address systemic inequalities that perpetuate domestic violence. Ontario's social assistance policies facilitate violence against women in many ways, including subsistence-level rates, the treatment of fraud, and assumptions of spousal economic dependency. The erosion of social assistance rates in Ontario and across Canada has made it difficult for women to get out of violent situations. Social assistance rates that are grossly inadequate to address women's needs create a barrier to their ability to leave or avoid abusive relationships."

- incl. references to Charter challenges and caselaw as well as the spouse in the house rule ("Under Ontario's revised post-Falkiner regulations, the investigation of spousal status remains premature, kicking in after three months. This policy continues to enforce gendered economic dependency on women and make them vulnerable to abuse.") and more...

Michelle Mann is a Toronto-based lawyer, freelance writer, and consultant.
Check out her blog at http://manndates.blogspot.com

Source:
The Law Times

National Action Committee on the Status of Women
[Page d'accueil en français]
"The National Action Committee on the Status of Women is the largest feminist organization in Canada. A coalition of more than 700 member groups, NAC has been fighting for women's equality for over 29 years."
Site map - quick overview of site content

National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO)
- incl. links to : News/Commentary - Action/Campaigns - Events - Issues - Youth Initiative - Popular Education - Resources - NAPO News - About NAPO - Jobs - Join/Donate - Contact NAPO - Feedback - Links

Issues - Child Poverty - Face of Poverty in Canada - Federal Budget - Health and Poverty - Homelessness - Panhandling - Poverty Measures - Federal Budget - Government can't afford not to do something about poverty

VOICES: Women, Poverty and Homelessness in Canada (PDF file - 492K, 48 pages)
May 2004
"This new NAPO report on women who are homeless is based on interviews with 46 women who self-identified as homeless in Halifax, Ottawa, and Vancouver and features their voices and perspectives on homelessness. Researched by Marie-José Dancoste, written by Rusty Neal and edited by Sandra Bender, this 46 page report also makes recommendations for action by federal and provincial governments."

National Association of Women and the Law
"The National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is a Canadian non-profit organization that has worked to improve the legal status of women in Canada through law reform since 1974. NAWL is governed by a regionally representative National Steering Committee elected by our membership. (...) For 25 years, NAWL has used its unique research as a foundation for effective action and advocacy. Through its educational work NAWL has played a vital role in raising public awareness about legal issues affecting women."

Federal Government Cuts to Women's Programs
in September 2006 and since then:
Harper government working to silence women
Press Release
September 20, 2007
OTTAWA – Effective today, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is being forced to close its office, lay off its staff, and cease major consultations and advocacy on women's legal issues as an outcome of the Harper government's devastating changes to the mandate of Status of Women Canada. This closure is a grave blow to the continuing struggle for women's equality.
----------------
**NOTE: scroll to the bottom of the press release page for links to over two dozen media articles and reactions from other women's groups, unions and political parties
----------------
Source:
National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL)
NAWL is a feminist non-profit organization that has worked to promote the equality rights of all women in Canada since 1974.
Related link:
National Association of Women and the Law closes its doors
September 20, 2007
Ottawa – “It is outrageous that the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) has been forced to layoff its full time staff and close its doors because Stephen Harper’s government does not believe it deserves funding,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist. The Harper minority government changed the mandate of Status of Women Canada – the agency that funded groups like NAWL, and took out references to the advancement of feminist work. (...) In addition to the many regional women’s organizations faced with impending closure, the Harper government has also withdrawn funding from several other national women’s organizations including:
* Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW)
* Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)
* Canadian Child Care Advocacy Association (CCAAC).
Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees
---------------------------------------------------------
September 2006 changes to women's programs
What's New from Finance Canada:
News Releases:
Canada's New Government cuts wasteful programs,
refocuses spending on priorities, achieves major debt reduction as promised
September 25, 2006
Canada's New Government Is Getting Things Done by Providing Additional Funding for Transit, Housing and Education
September 25, 2006
- includes the following backgrounder:
One-Time Funding to Provinces and Territories --- "The 2005–06 Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada confirmed the availability of funds to provide for $3.3 billion in federal financial support to help provinces and territories deal with immediate pressures in post-secondary education, affordable housing and public transit, as well as over $320 million in support for international initiatives.
Notice of Ways and Means Motion Tabled
September 25, 2006 - includes a Notice of Ways and Means Motion to amend the Excise Tax Act and a Detailed Proposals on the Elimination of the GST Visitor Rebate Program.
Canada's New Government cuts wasteful programs, refocuses spending on priorities, achieves major debt reduction as promised
September 25, 2006 - includes backgrounders.
Annual Financial Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2005?2006
September 25, 2006
Reviews the government's spending and revenue performance over the past fiscal year, and discusses the factors affecting these results
Fiscal Reference Tables - September 2006
September 25, 2006
Provides historical information on federal public finances and on broad fiscal indicators at the provincial level as well as international fiscal comparisons.
------------------------------------------------------------
Related Link (from Treasury Board Secretariat):
Backgrounder - Effective Spending
"Canadians want to know their hard-earned tax dollars are invested responsibly in effective programs that meet their priorities."
NOTE: this is where you'll find a detailed breakdown of the spending cuts.
Here are the "Lowlights" of the cuts --- the biggest losers in the social envelope:
[Cuts/savings shown below are for a two-year period]
Status of Women
- Status of Women Canada Administrative Savings: $5 million
Health
- Elimination of Health Canada's Policy Research Program: $7.5 million
- “Health Portfolio” efficiencies: $28 million (not sure what this is)
Social Development Partnerships
- Efficiencies in the administration of CMHC programs: $45 million (any clue what this will affect?)
- Reduction in Low Priority Grants and Contributions Related to Social Development Partnership Program: $13.8 million
- Elimination of Funding for Canadian Policy Research Networks: $3 million
Others
- Elimination of Funding for the Law Commission of Canada: $4.1 million
- Elimination of Court Challenges Program: $5.6 million
(These "lowlights" were prepared by Pedro Barata - merci, Pedro!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Links from sources other than government:
Government's real priorities revealed
Media Statement
September 26, 2006
"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. (...)"
Signed:
Canadian Council for Muslim Women
Canadian Federation of University Women
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women
Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women's Network
MATCH International
YWCA Canada
-------------------------
Cuts to Status of Women and Court Challenges Program
Undermine Government’s Commitment to Women’s Equality
"(...) During the last federal election campaign, Stephen Harper promised to “take concrete and immediate measures…to ensure that Canada fully upholds its commitments to women.” These cuts are not consistent with Mr. Harper’s election promise,” said Shelagh Day, Co-Chair of the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)."
Source:
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
-------------------------
An important message from CPRN President Sharon Manson Singer
September 26
"You may have heard by now that CPRN is one of the casualties of the government’s search for one billion dollars in savings. It means that our new grant of $3 million a year will not be continued past the current year. We had no advance warning of this decision, nor was there any consultation..."
Source:
Canadian Policy Research Networks
-------------------------
If I had 13.2 billion dollars...
September 25, 2006
(With apologies to the Bare Naked Ladies)
OTTAWA - “If I had 13.2 billion dollars I’d restore funding to post secondary education, because an investment now secures a brighter future later. I would stop paying lip service to the environment and come clean with some good green..."
By Paul Moist, National President
Source:
Canadian Union of Public Employees
-------------------------
Google Web Search Results:
"canada, funding, women's groups"
Google News Search Results:
"canada, funding, women's groups"
Source:
Google.ca

Mother's Day Statement (PDF file - 74K, 1 page)
May 10, 2006
Press Release
“Mr Harper, on Mother's Day, women want more that just flowers: we want real equality now!”
Ottawa, May 10 2006- The National Association of Women and the Law released a Mother’s Day Statement that has been endorsed by over 100 local, provincial and national organizations across the country.

A Message to Stephen Harper from
the National Association of Women and the Law
- includes the complete list of groups that endorsed this statement

Canadian Women and the Social Deficit
A Presentation to the International Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the National Association of Women and the Law
- impacts of welfare and social program reforms on women
November 1998

NACAFV calls Judge David Ramsey’s sentencing demoralizing
and disconcerting for Aboriginal Women across Canada
Press Release
June 1, 2004
"The National Aboriginal Circle Against Family Violence (NACAFV) is calling today’s sentencing of Judge David Ramsey of Prince George, B.C.-- the man which admittedly assaulted Aboriginal women, some of as young as 12 years-old is totally demoralizing and disconcerting for Aboriginal women across Canada."

Related Links:

Former B.C. judge gets seven years for sex crimes against teens
Amy Carmichael
Canadian Press
June 02, 2004
"PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. (CP) -- A former provincial court judge pleaded for help Tuesday just before he was sentenced to seven years in jail for sexually assaulting teen prostitutes, one as young as 12. 'I need treatment,' David Ramsay, 61, told his sentencing hearing on sex charges Tuesday."
Source:
Canada.com

Ramsay gets 7 years for sexual assault
- from the CBC

Google Web Search Results : "Judge David Ramsay, Prince George"
Google News Search Results : "Judge David Ramsay, Prince George"
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always have links to current content
Source:
Google.ca

Native Women's Association of Canada
"Our goal is to enhance, promote, and foster the social, economic, cultural, and political well-being of First Nations and Metis women with First Nation and Canadian societies."

Nellie's
"Nellie's is a Toronto non-profit women's organization helping women and children in crisis locate safe affordable housing, support services and a bridge to a better future. We operate a 36 bed emergency shelter for women and children who are homeless and women and children leaving violence. The Community Support Program provides aftercare and follow-up support and service to women and children who have left the shelter and are now living in the community."
- excellent collection of online resources --- incl. links to : Women's Shelters (Toronto and surrounding area | Ontario | Canada) - Issues (Poverty | Housing/Homelessness | Violence against women | Health | First Nations women | Consumer/Survivor) - Projects | Feminist | Children | Immigrant women | Lesbians | Women and the law |Transgendered women
Research (Reports | Statistics) - Action (Useful e-mail addresses | Marches and vigils

New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women

Women's List - Federal Election 2008
September 2008
Issues of importance to Canadian women’s equality in the 2008 federal election:

* Deliver on the constitutional promise of equality
* Ensure equal rights for Aboriginal women
* Fund quality early childhood care & education
* Ensure a livable income
* Commit to affordable housing
* Eliminate violence against women
* Ensure access to justice
* Improve maternity & parental benefits
* Act for women’s health
* Increase female political representation

Click the Women's List link for a collection of over 120 individual resources related to the above list of issues.
[Some of this info is specific to NB]
NOTE: Never mind the federal election --- I highly recommend this resource as a primer on women's issues in Canada!
Source:

Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women (NSACSW)
The Advisory Council was established in 1977 to educate the public and advise the provincial government on issues of interest and concern to women. Check out the home page (by clicking above) or go to the Council's Publications page - it offers an impressive choice of reports, fact sheets and media releases, including:

Time for a New Royal Commission on the Status of Women?
News Release
October 22, 2002
"The national coalition of provincial and territorial advisory councils on the Status of Women is calling on the federal government to re-examine the state of women's equality in Canada."

Women and Healthcare: A Brief to the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada
June 2002

Rebuilding the System (January 1999)
Response of the NS Advisory Council on the Status of Women to the Department of Community Services' Social Assistance Restructuring Initiative

Brief to the Federal Standing Committee on Finance (August 1998)
- includes information on the CHST and the social deficit, the NCB, the impact of social program reforms on women in the Atlantic provinces, senior women and Aboriginal women and their children

NSACSW Web Links
Over 200 links organized under the following headings: Children and Child Care - Legal and Justice issues - Education - Policy and Research - Employment/ Business - Women in Science and Technology - Equity Groups (ie: women of colour, women with disabilities) - Women's Organizations/Agencies - Government Nongovernmental - Health issues
Violence Prevention

NSACSW Links to Women's Organizations
- large collection of links to NGOs, sites about children and child care, policy and research sites, education, employment, business and more. All links except those to government sites include a short site description.

Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care

Woman Power & Politics
by Kira Heinek
2003
"The Ontario and Toronto Coalitions for Better Child Care announce the publication of their new joint book, Woman Power & Politics. This guide for women on identifying and maximizing power in today’s political systems looks through the lens of child care as it influences women’s lives. Woman Power & Politics invites women to participate in politics, take opportunities and determine their future regarding areas such as education, poverty and domestic violence."
Complete Book (PDF file - 211K, 40 pages)
News Release - October 13, 2003

Ontario Women's Justice Network
The Ontario Women's Justice Network is concerned with violence against women and their children. OWJN provides legal information in the form of essays on court decisions, definitions of legal terms, and analysis of current events, and has an extensive list of online resources. We cover topics such as sexual assault, domestic abuse, and custody and access.
Check the site map for links to information about : Justice Issues - Legal Info - Online Resources - Archive
The Resources section includes links to sites in the following areas : Crisis Services (Shelters, Sexual Assault Centres and Transition Houses) - Woman Abuse Issues - Legal Resources - Research - International Links

PAR-L
PAR-L is an electronic network of individuals and organizations interested in women-centred policy issues in Canada. It is a tool for developing, conducting, and distributing feminist research in a multidisciplinary context and in both official languages. It is intended as a support for the community of feminist researchers and activists in Canada. PAR-L also includes an electronic discussion list.

Poor People's Economic Human Right's Campaign
"...committed to uniting the poor across color lines as the leadership base for a broad movement to abolish poverty"

Media release from the National Working Group on Women and Housing (Word file - 32K, 2 pages)
October 19, 2005

Poverty and Human Rights Centre (Canada, International, United Nations, etc.)
Centre Directors: Gwen Brodsky, Shelagh Day
(formerly the Poverty and Human Rights Project)
"The Poverty and Human Rights Centre is committed to eradicating poverty and promoting social and economic equality through human rights.
The Library is a searchable database of materials related to social and economic rights. It includes texts of relevant international human rights treaties, Canadian and other laws, court decisions, legal briefs, and articles.
To use the library, go to buttons at the top of the page (topics, documents, resources).
Factum Library What's new
The Factum Library section contains factums, pleadings and other litigation documents from selected Canadian human rights cases. The materials are organized by case name, articles, and date."
- incl. links to : Recently added links - Contact Us - About the Centre - Centre Publications

Human Rights Denied (PDF file - 93K, 2 pages)
B.C. Government Discriminates
Against Poor Single Mothers – report
Press Release
April 28, 2005
Vancouver - Four constitutional and human rights experts are issuing a report today that condemns the Government of British Columbia for its treatment of single mothers on social assistance. Shelagh Day, Margot Young, Melina Buckley and Gwen Brodsky conclude in Human Rights Denied that single mothers are discriminated against by the B.C. Government.

Complete report:

Human Rights Denied:
Single Mothers on Social Assistance in British Columbia (PDF file - 524K, 59 pages)
April 2005
By Gwen Brodsky, Melina Buckley, Shelagh Day, and Margot Young

Rural Womyn Zone
The Rural Womyn Zone is an expanding network of women living in rural areas across the United States and Canada.

Shelternet
"Decreasing barriers and increasing access to abused women is the principle behind Shelternet. Women are reaching out to shelters through the World Wide Web, from their workplaces, home or public Internet terminals such as libraries and schools. Shelternet can help increase direct access to a local shelter. Linking women to their local shelter is an essential part of a community-based response to violence against women. (...) Shelternet provides a link for women and children to the local shelter services and will help to equip shelters in building their Internet response. Local on-line counselling, a web site shelter template and a protected area for shelters to communicate with one another are some of the features. (...) Shelternet does not provide direct service to abused women. Shelternet provides a link through technology for women, for shelters to communicate to each other in a password protected areas and supports an enhanced Internet presence to abused women shelters."
Links* - almost three dozen links from Shelternet to information and help for victims of abuse, including general information about shelters, contacts in family violence groups and service providers and researchers in Canada, the U.S and in other countries
*NOTE: the URL for the links page is about 124 characters long (argh, how I hate database sites for that...), so you'll have to go to the home page (the link above) and click on "Links" in the left-hand margin.

Single Mothers Support Network (Vancouver)
The Single Mothers Support Network is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization supporting low-income single mothers and fathers. Supports provided to low-income single-parent families include: Individual Self-care with registered practitioners (Acupuncture - Aromatherapy Massage - Counseling - Herbology - Reiki - Yoga Therapy) - Workshops (e.g.,art therapy, life skills, and non-violent communication) - Community building (potlucks, telephone tree, stuff for free and sale, help wanted, bartering, tool library, babysitting co-ops)
- incl. links to Services (see the list of supports above) - Events - Resources - Links - Newsletter - Background - and much more

Straight Goods
Straight Goods is a subscription-based online magazine with a decidedly left slant on current events and social issues. Current site content is free, but you must be a subscriber to access most of the older material. If you can afford the $30/yr. subscription fee ($10/yr. for low-income subscribers), this is an excellent resource with an enormous archive of information.

The "Features" page (see the link below) contains links to hundreds of Straight Goods articles - the top ones in the list are free...
Features - links to ~600 articles in past issues of Straight Goods - $ subscription required except for the most recent additions

Maternity benefits not available to those who need them most*
Richard Shillington
May 2, 2004
"Canada's approach to Maternity Benefits illustrates two disturbing impediments to democracy and effective social policy. Those impediments are control by government officials of data and research to make governments look good, and the three tier nature of Maternity Benefits."

Study on abused women on welfare rings partly true (Ontario)*
Reuel Amdur
April 29, 2004
"Walking on eggshells: Abused Women's Experiences of Ontario's Welfare System, by Janet Moser, principal investigator, York University, April 5, 2004
...the very negative picture that the study paints of welfare workers does not correspond to my personal experience."
NOTE: For more info about and links to this study, see the Canadian Social Research Links Links to Canadian Non-Governmental Sites about Women's Social Issues page (under "York University", near the bottom of the page)

Women's poverty rates reach 20-year high*
Sole support mothers, elderly women hardest hit as the percentage of women living in poverty rises
Monica Townson
May 5, 2004
"We used to hear a lot about the feminization of poverty. It hasn't been in the news much lately. Yet women remain among the poorest of the poor in Canada, and the percentage of women living in poverty is growing. Almost 19% of adult women are now poor - the highest rate of women's poverty in two decades. "

*NOTE: the three links to Straight Goods articles above will eventually take you to a ($) subscriber login page; Straight Goods keeps info on its free pages for a limited time.

Strategic Thoughts.com - David Schreck (British Columbia)

Campbell's New Era Fails Women
March 1, 2004
"Gordon Campbell seems to have a major disconnect with women; perhaps that is why a pamphlet has appeared on the government caucus website under the heading "A New Era for Women". It misrepresents what government has done in terms of communities, health services, child care and self-sufficiency (code language for kicking people off welfare). The word "equality" does not appear in the pamphlet."

TD Economics
NOTE: click the TD link for 20+ links to more special studies from TD Economics

Market forces advance prospects for women in the workforce: TD Economics (PDf file - 76K, 3 pages)
September 25, 2007
(TORONTO) Market forces will place women and men on more equal footing in the workplace over the next three decades, ultimately eliminating the 5 to 15 per cent wage gap that cannot be explained by factors such as hours worked, productivity or occupational choice, according to a new report by TD Economics

Markets are a Woman's Best Friend (PDF file - 152K, 12 pages)

Related Links:

Gender and Poverty Project [ funded by Status of Women Canada ]
The Gender and Poverty project provides communities participating in Vibrant Communities with support to build on their capacity to create inclusive communities through engagement in gender related analysis, strategies, and action at the local and national levels. The project is funded by Status of Women Canada.

The Telegram St. John's (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Women still paying for Paul Martin’s policies
July 8, 2007
Lana Payne
The women of Canada are still paying a deep financial price for the economic policies of Paul Martin. It’s been a dozen years since the former finance minister for the country gutted health, education and welfare spending, slashing billions from transfers to provinces. But women, especially, are still feeling the impact where it hurts the most: in their pocketbooks.

Related Link:

A Basic Income for All
Philippe Van Parijs
"If you really care about freedom, give people an unconditional income."
Source:
Boston Review - "A Political and Literary Forum"
[This article was originally published in the October/ November 2000 issue of the Boston Review]

For more links to info about guaranteed annual income initiatives, go to the Canadian Social Research Links Guaranteed Annual Income Links page

Websites for Women's Studies (University of British Columbia)
Extensive list of Canadian and international sites

British Columbia:

Wellbeing thru Inclusion Socially and Economically (WISE)
"WISE began in the summer of 2003, as one woman's vision. In exasperation with a system that seemed to have no heart, "Chris" wrote her story of painful marginalization. With the urging of friends, the story came to the attention of an understanding Programs Officer at Status of Women Canada. Together, they convinced Chris to write a proposal for a project on women's poverty, and once accepted, the rest, as they say, is history. WISE is now a grassroots BC-registered nonprofit society whose mission is to organize, represent, act on behalf of, and join together with persons in British Columbia whose lives are negatively affected by policies of exclusion."

Policies of Exclusion, Poverty and Health : Stories from the Front
Project Report : Phase 1 - The Issues (PDF file - 498K, 23 pages)
October 2004
"This report outlines the findings from 21 stories which were collected during Phase I of WISE's project "Policies of Exclusion, Poverty and Health: Stories from the Front." Its companion report, Phase II - The Recommendations, will be available shortly. There were three criteria for eligibility: i) the participant must be female, ii) her household income must fall below the Low Income Cut Offs (2003) and iii) she must live in the Cowichan Valley, a geographical region on Vancouver Island that encompasses small urban and rural communities."
- details the issues (predictors, and the primary and secondary conditions and effects) that feature dominantly in participants' stories.
Source:

Women's Court of Canada
The Women’s Court of Canada is an innovative project bringing together academics, activists, and litigators in order literally to rewrite the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms equality jurisprudence. Taking inspiration from Oscar Wilde, who once said “the only duty we owe to history is to rewrite it”, the Women’s Court operates as a virtual court, and ‘reconsiders’ leading equality decisions. The Women’s Court renders alternative decisions as a means of articulating fresh conceptions of substantive equality.
- incl. links to :
* Home * About Us * Blog * WCC Judgments * Media and Events * Resources * Archives * Contact

---

Gosselin v. Quebec (Attorney General), [2002] (106 pages)
- the official decision of the Supreme Court of Canada
Source:
Supreme Court of Canada Decisions

NOTE: for links to more info about the Gosselin case,
go to the Case Law / Court Decisions / Inquests page:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/caselaw.htm

Resources - links to over two dozen useful feminist resources

Welfare Cuts and Single Mothers
A Human Rights Project - British Columbia
January 2004
"West Coast LEAF, the Poverty and Human Rights Project and the Community Legal Assistance Society are concerned about the impact on single mothers of recent cuts to welfare rates and tightened eligibility rules. We are seeking information from you that will help us to determine how a human rights complaint could be filed on behalf of single mothers who are recipients of social assistance.
If you are a single mother or an advocate, we need help. Please share with us your response to the five questions listed here so that we can be sure that we have the best information about how the cuts are affecting single mothers in B.C. Please pass this on to other single mothers and advocates and ask them to share their thoughts with us as well."
Source:
West Coast LEAF (Legal Education and Action Fund)

Legal Aid and Family Law: Women’s Access to Justice
Affidavit Campaign 2003
Coordinated by West Coast LEAF (British Columbia)
"As part of our efforts to restore legal aid in B.C, West Coast LEAF will launch an Affidavit Campaign this summer to collect convincing evidence from across the province that reflects the true impacts of the cuts to legal aid programs on women and others most affected. The majority of those affected include women, single mothers, and people with disabilities. Our goal is to make a case for the restoration of the services through law reform efforts or via test case litigation."
More info on the affidavit campaign (PDF file - 135K, 4 pages)

Women in Canadian History

Womennet
Womennet.ca, the Canadian Women's Information Centre, helps women respond to challenges and improve their quality of life.
Womennet.ca provides the following features:
- The Directory of Canadian Women’s Resources, a searchable database of over 2,500 women’s groups in Canada
- a Links Section, which contains hundreds of annotated links to international and Canadian women’s sites
- News and Resources, including Bulletin Boards
- a free womennet.ca e-mail address
- A free e-list for notification of additions and improvements to womennet
• Free listings on womennet.ca for Canadian women's groups!
• Participate in the Save Medicare Postcard Campaign
• Post Your International Women's Week Events on womennet.ca!
• much more...
- incl. links to : About | Directory | E-Mail | Resources | News | Bulletin Boards | Links | Publications | Suggest Content | Contact

Canadian Women's Non-Governmental Organizations
(Social Issues)

Organismes non-gouvernementaux axés
sur la condition féminine au Canada

Canadian Women's Non-Governmental Organizations(Social Issues)

Organismes non-gouvernementaux axés sur la condition féminine au Canada

Canadian Women's Non-Governmental Organizations
(Social Issues)

Organismes non-gouvernementaux axés
sur la condition féminine au Canada