Women's equality
March 4, 2008
Equality! Once and for all!
PSAC is part of a new campaign, Equality! Once and for all; a joint effort by the Canadian Labour Congress and its affiliates designed to focus serious attention on women's growing economic inequality.
February 29, 2008
International Women's Day 2008
PSAC asks: Where is the federal plan for women's equality?. »
December 6, 2007
PSAC statement on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women
Each year PSAC members remember and mourn the 14 young women in Montreal attending the École Polytechnique who were killed on December 6, 1989. Each year we rededicate ourselves to end violence against women. »
March 2, 2007
Equality for women and girls
Canada's February 28 statement to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women failed to mention the series of bad decisions the Harper government has made on equality for women and girls. PSAC has joined with women's organizations and released their own statement.
February 23, 2007
International Women's Day 2007:
Put Equality Back on Track
The Harper government may believe that women's equality has been achieved but women know better.
Pay inequity is still the rule. Women still only make 71 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Racialized women are at 64 cents and Aboriginal women are at 46 cents. This is equality!
Child care is either too expensive or not even available for many working parents. Harper's $100 a month taxable child care allowance doesn't make the grade if you're paying over a $1,000 a month for child care.
Status of Women Canada was responsible for promoting women's equality. No more, equality has been stripped from their mandate.
The Court Challenges Program that helped fund test cases to advance women's equality has been terminated.
It's time to put women's equality back on track.
Download and distribute this leaflet. (Color Version / Black & White Version
)Copies are also available from PSAC regional offices.
Wear a “Put Equality back on Track” sticker – available from PSAC regional offices.
Join in International Women's Day activities to put equality back on track that are taking place in your community. Keep checking for updates on activities.
RESOLUTION TO THE PSAC NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS SWC CUTBACKS AND PSAC FIGHTBACK
February 2007
WHEREAS full equality between women in men in Canada has yet to be achieved; and
WHEREAS the federal government has eliminated “equality” from the mandate of Status of Women Canada (SWC) and has imposed a 43% cut in its operational budget, effective April 1, 2007; and
WHEREAS these cuts to SWC have resulted in the loss of 61 out of 131 positions, the majority of which are held by PSAC-National Component members; and
WHEREAS these cuts to SWC will result in:
- the closure of 12 out of 16 regional offices;
- the gutting of SWC's capacity to analyze and recommend federal policies that advance women's equality;
- a severe reduction in the capacity for federal-provincial-territorial collaboration on issues of importance to women;
- the elimination of the Independent Policy Research Fund; and
- a stain on our leadership on women's equality at the United Nations and other international forums; and
WHEREAS the federal government has implemented changes to SWC's Women's Program which will eliminate funding for women's groups who do research and advocacy, and open up funding to religious and for-profit groups; and
WHEREAS the federal government has eliminated the Court Challenges Program, which funded test cases that challenged federal laws and policies which violated constitutional equality rights, thereby effectively eliminating the access to justice for minority and disadvantaged groups; and
WHEREAS the federal government has rolled back important commitments to build a national child care program based on accessible, affordable, quality early learning and care; and
WHEREAS the federal government announced in September 2006 that it would not proceed to introduce proactive pay equity legislation; and
WHEREAS these and other bad program decisions require us to double our collective efforts to get women's equality back on track;
BE IT RESOLVED that the PSAC strongly oppose the Harper government's cuts to Status of Women Canada, and call for:
- A Status of Women Canada with a strong mandate to advance women's equality;
- a Status of Women Canada with the resources to lead the way when it comes to research and policy development on women's equality issues within government;
- A federal presence for women's equality across the country;
- A Women's Program that funds not-for-profit women's groups who research and advocate for change.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the PSAC fully endorse the “Put Equality Back on Track” campaign initiated by the Canadian Labour Congress, several other labour affiliates and the newly formed Ad-Hoc Coalition for Women's Equality and Human Rights, which will take place across the country between now and International Women's Day, and which will focus on:
- fighting for a renewed Status of Women Canada,
- a national child care plan,
- proactive pay equity legislation, and
- the renewal of the Court Challenges Program;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the PSAC commit to actively participating in the Put Equality Back on Track Campaign, and encourage Components, Regional Councils, Regional Committees, Area Councils, Regional Women's Committees, and other Union structures to engage in this campaign; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the PSAC make women's equality a key issue in the next federal election.
News flash! According to the Conservative Government, women's equality has been achieved!
Harper's “New Government of Canada” believes women's equality has been achieved. So in October 2006, they removed “equality” from the mandate of Status of Women Canada (SWC) and they are cutting Status of Women Canada budgets. These attacks are outrageous.
Go to the following sections to learn more:
- We disagree with Harper's government
- Read PSAC's Submission to the House of Commons on the cuts at Status of Women Canada
- Women's equality : Our choices
- Get the facts, all the facts
- A renewed Status of Women Canada
- Here is what you can do
We disagree with Harper's government
Harper's government believes that they have done more for women equality in 8 months than the previous governement in years! We disagree. Read why!
You can also read PSAC's Submission to the House of Commons on the cuts at Status of Women Canada.
Women's equality: Our choices
We need a government that works for, and with women. We need a government that can work on more than five priorities at a time… and on priorities that matter to women. Here are a few ideas.
Get the facts, all the facts!
Status of Women Canada is the federal government arm responsible for promoting women's equality…at least it was until recently, when Harper's government eliminated equality from its mandate and cut $5 million out of the operating budget of $11.5 million. Read all the facts on this issue.
What we want: A renewed Status of Women Canada
PSAC is outraged at the cuts to Status of Women Canada. The job cuts will affect close to 40 PSAC members. And if fully implemented, the cuts will reduce SWC to little more than a granting agency and secretariat to the Minister. How efficient is that? And where's the accountability? Here is what we want.
Act now. Here is what you can do.
Here is what you can do for a renewed Status of Women Canada.
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Date Modified : 2008/11/03
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