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Women Femmes NB is sent out twice a month by the provincial government Women's Issues Branch. It provides news related to equality issues, including events, studies, initiatives and information from women's groups, governments, universities, etc.
Text from non-governmental sources will be published in the language(s) in which it is provided.
Women Femmes NB
November 23, 2011IN THIS ISSUE:
- DISCRIMINATION AGAINST COOPERATIVES: AN INSULT TO US ALL
- NOTICES
- WAGE GAP SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED
- MOOD DISORDERS BY SEX, NEW BRUNSWICK, 2010
- WOMEN TURNING TO DESPERATE MEASURES - ABORTION SERVICES
- GENDER EQUITY IN CANADIAN SPORT
- SINGLE PEOPLE WITHOUT CHILDREN - FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
- SILENT WITNESS ADDS 22nd SILHOUETTE
- COMMANDMENTS FOR A TEENAGE FEMINIST
- IMPACT OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DURING EARLY CAREER
………………………………………………………………….……………
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST COOPERATIVES: AN INSULT TO US ALL
… For some reason - perhaps because they aren't solely about making profit - cooperatives are not eligible for some federal funding that for-profit businesses are.
Five years ago, the federal government reduced in many ways the mandate & relevance of Status of Women Canada. Apart from dropping any mention of the word "equality", & forbidding that funds be used for advocating for change - the government added for-profit businesses & religious organizations to the groups that may apply for funding for projects related to women. They also explicitly forbade that funding go to projects submitted by cooperatives.
Huh? The government & Status of Women Canada officials give no explanation for this discrimination. We are left to imagine why the Harper government made this decision, & the reasons that we can think of are not flattering... Cooperatives could propose innovative projects to advance the status of women, especially for women living in rural areas where cooperatives often have a strong presence.
There are studies showing the advantages of cooperatives, including a 2009 Canadian study showing that when starting a business, "your best bet for surviving is by employing the cooperative model"...
To discriminate against cooperatives is an insult to us all. It's like insulting our elders, our heritage & the 17 million Canadian members of cooperatives.
The Occupy movement is also putting cooperatives in the news lately, inviting people who are sick of financial hooligans running the world to move their money from big banks to credit unions. It is one way to gain some control. Cooperatives give members some control.
I hope that a change in policy is on the horizon in time for 2012, the International Year of Co-operatives.
• Excerpts from a column by Jody Dallaire, Times & Transcript, 10 Nov 2011. http://bit.ly/v36pgy
NOTICES
Gender & Leadership: Pathways to Equality for Women in the Community Sector - Free workshop for employees & board members. Fri 25 Nov 2011, 9am-5pm, Crowne Plaza Fredericton. Coalition for Pay Equity & Atlantic Summer Institute. Register: 855-0002. [email protected]
2-day workshop for women interested in running for municipal office - 25-26 Nov 2011, Moncton City Hall. Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Register: http://bit.ly/rAx1rd
“Skills Work!® for Women” Networking Dinner for young women in grades 9-12. Dec. 1st, NBCC Saint John, 5:30pm. For more information contact Mélanie Gallagher at 506-453-8126 or [email protected].
Facebook Follies - 1hr documentary on unexpected consequences of people sharing personal information on social media. Meet people who lost jobs, marriages, dignity, or ended up in jail because of what they or someone posted on Facebook. http://bit.ly/vY5BBl
Women Social Activists of Atlantic Canada website – Launched Nov 2011. Profiles of 27 women. Project lead Liz Burge, UNB Fac of Education. http://bit.ly/vLI3N0
Are you interested in serving on N.B. agencies, boards & commissions? Submit a letter & résumé. Current opportunities incl: NB Arts Board, Psychiatric Patient Advocate Services Tribunal, Solid Waste Commissions, NB Wildlife Council, Family Income Security Appeal Board. http://bit.ly/hhEEYN
November is Violence Prevention Month in N.B. View the Silent Witness Silhouettes, lobby of Centennial Building, King St., Fredericton. On Dec 6 (Canada's National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women), attend the 8 am candlelight vigil at Centennial Building.
Canadian Women's Foundation Invites Proposals - 25 grants of up to 4 yrs will be given for initiatives with girls aged 9-13, either for programs (empowerment; sports; science; media /financial literacy; Aboriginal teachings); group mentoring; or capacity building of organizations. By 20 Dec 2011. http://bit.ly/rAlgd6.
Women & Mental Health Website - National Council of Women of Canada. Nov 2011. http://bit.ly/ttg84o.
Write a Play! – Theatre New Brunswick & NotaBle Acts invite submissions – 10-12 minute long plays with 2-4 actors. By 15 Jan 2012. [email protected]
My Journey to the Real Me; Am I There Yet? - keynote Debbie Melanson-Hebert, Support to Single Parents Annual Meeting, Wed 14 Dec 2011, 7 pm,178 Albert St, Moncton. Register by 7 Dec: [email protected] ; 858-1303, ext 101.
WAGE GAP SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED
Applications are being accepted until November 30, 2011 for Wage Gap Action Plan scholarships. They are open to women & men pursuing non-traditional training programs through N.B.'s colleges.
The Scholarship Program is part of the Wage Gap Action Plan of the Province of New Brunswick. The Scholarship Program is intended to encourage women & men, entering their first year at a N.B. college, to seek a non-traditional career where participation to date by women & men in these fields has been limited. Any occupations in which women or men make up less than 25% of the total workforce is considered "non-traditional".
Scholarships of equal value up to a maximum of $2,600 will be awarded, up to $150,000 total per year.
To apply, students must fill out an application & attach a short essay outlining their career interests & goals. Applications & additional information about the scholarships are available through the Women's Issues website. http://bit.ly/tR32am
MOOD DISORDERS BY SEX, NEW BRUNSWICK, 2010
Number of people (12 & over) who say they have been diagnosed by a health professional as having a mood disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, mania or dysthymia:
33,214 women and 16,439 men.
• StatCan, http://bit.ly/tkpRgj
WOMEN TURNING TO DESPERATE MEASURES - ABORTION SERVICES
A 14-yr-old pregnant P.E.I. girl turned to desperate measures of self-harm to induce an abortion due to lack of access. For two weeks, she ingested chemicals. She tried ramming her stomach into a table. She tried getting drunk & throwing herself down the stairs. Her body was bruised & damaged, but she still didn't want anyone to know what was going on. This is one experience of many that Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie at UPEI has gathered in a research project on the health impacts of abortion policies on P.E.I. She is shocked at the similarities in stories from women who tried to have abortions. Many have been turning to self-harm. “Desperate people do things they wouldn't normally do.”
P.E.I. is the only province that does not provide abortion services. The government covers the cost of the procedure off-Island, but only when done in a hospital & if a woman has been referred by 2 doctors. It will not fund abortions at private clinics. Fees at private clinics are around $800. Getting information on what services are available & what steps are necessary is not easy. Those who call the health dept are often told to contact women's groups for information. Those who go to their doctors may not fare much better…
Kandace Hagen experienced the difficulties in getting information when looking to terminate a pregnancy a few years ago. “(The doctor) told me that my only option was to go to the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton & gave me the number & that was it. He left the room.” He did not offer a referral to Halifax where the procedure would be covered by the province. He didn't tell Hagen she would require an ultrasound & blood test prior to travelling to a clinic… & that regional clinics only perform abortions up to 15 weeks. Hagen is now working with a group of women lobbying for changes (Reproductive Rights Organization)… “We have a real health issue here,” said Dr. Colleen MacQuarrie.
• The Guardian, PEI, 10 Nov 2011.
GENDER EQUITY IN CANADIAN SPORT
There are almost as many Varsity teams for women (425) as there are for men (431) at Canadian universities. But there are few women in leadership positions - women occupy 19% of head coach & 17% of athletic director positions. Researchers at Univ of Toronto's Centre for Sport Policy Studies conducted a comprehensive analysis of gender equity in Canada's interuniversity sport system. They call for sport bodies to establish stronger equity policies.
Mount Allison Univ: 39% of full-time students are male. Varsity roster positions are 63% male. There are 5 male & 6 female Varsity teams. The head coaches are 7 males & 1 female with a male Athletic Director.
Saint Thomas Univ: 31% of full-time students but 51% of Varsity roster positions are male. There are 7 male & 6 female Varsity teams; 11 male & 1 female head coaches; with a male Athletic Director.
Univ de Moncton : 37% of full-time students & 49% of Varsity roster positions are male. 4 male & 5 female Varsity teams. 5 male & 1 female head coaches, with a male Athletic Director.
UNB: 47% of full-time students & 50% of Varsity roster positions are male. 5 male & 5 female Varsity Teams. 10 male & 2 female head coaches, with a male Athletic Director.
• 26 Oct 2011, http://bit.ly/uQowjy.
SINGLE PEOPLE WITHOUT CHILDREN - FASTEST GROWING SEGMENT OF SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
… while lone parents are declining as a percentage of the social assistance population in Canada. One reason for the shift is that single people have little access to alternative resources. Ex., in Ontario, a mother of two on social assistance would receive 53% of her income from child benefits outside of welfare, easing the transition to work. Childless single people would receive only 11% of income from outside sources, making them much more dependent on social assistance. There were decreases in lone parent caseloads & increases in singles in Ontario, B.C., Alberta, Quebec, N.B., & Nfld.
• Trading Places, John Stapleton with Vass Bednar, School of Public Policy & Governance, Univ. of Toronto. http://bit.ly/u1raZp
SILENT WITNESS ADDS 22 nd SILHOUETTE
Paula McKeigan, 35, Memramcook, was killed in her home in Nov 2007. She was shot in the head by her common-law partner, who then took his own life. Paula was in a relationship with this man for approximately 13 years. Shortly before her death, Paula received her driver's license & was in the process of buying her dream home. Paula was an honest, sincere & thoughtful person… She had a zany sense of humor. She loved children & spent a lot of her time spoiling her nieces & nephews. She was an excellent cook & was very attached to her cat Kilo... - http://bit.ly/tpg4LC
COMMANDMENTS FOR A TEENAGE FEMINIST
Thou Shalt Verbalize - If at a young age you have the smarts to be prematurely aware of the sexism & injustice around you, you have an opportunity. It is a privilege, nay an obligation, to start conversations.
Thou Shalt Not Waffle - It is hard to be constant in your convictions. Especially when yours is not the popular party line... People who know me no longer receive mixed signals about what I find appropriate.
Thou Shalt Have A Sense of Humor - Instead of lecturing someone for using “gay” to describe something unlikable, say something along the lines of, “I didn't realize the broken pencil sharpener had a sexual orientation.” So it's not pee-your-pants funny but it's more amusing than ‘how dare you!?'
Thou Shalt Educate Yourself - It has never been easier to learn about all of the aspects of feminism.
Thou Shalt Not Vilify - It may feel gratifying to hate the people & things that contribute to our sexist society, this is often ineffective. Martin Luther King Jr. said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Thou Shalt Be Brave - Standing up for yourself & for other young women will be difficult & unpopular. But it will open up for you a world of empowerment.
Thou Shalt Eat Chocolate Cake - I just think it's important to eat food that makes you smile. Thou shalt also shamelessly watch trashy TV, be goofy with friends, stop studying after 3 hours, cannonball into the pool, give yourself a day off from school & say no to impossible requests.
Thou Shalt Be Creative - Start a blog! Check out groups like Girls on the Run. Babysit the children of women living in shelters. All those things you're doing to make your college application crazy cool? You can use them to make your community crazy cool as well.
Thou Shalt Say it Loud, Say it Proud - I am a feminist. These words may feel like social suicide. But the people worth being friends with will appreciate who you are…
• Excerpts, Lily's Blog, http://bit.ly/tO8qXP
IMPACT OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS DURING EARLY CAREER
Findings confirm sexual harassment is a stressor associated with increased depressive symptoms. Women & men who experience more frequent sexual harassment at work have significantly higher levels of depressed mood than non harassed workers, even after controlling for prior harassment & depressive symptoms. Sexual harassment early in the career has long-term effects on depressive symptoms in adulthood. Interviews with a subset of respondents point to a variety of coping strategies & links between harassment & mental health issues (anger, self-doubt).
- Excerpts, Impact of Sexual Harassment, Society & Mental Health, Jul 2011, http://bit.ly/ro8HRq
IN PARTING
The way to achieve happiness is to have a high standard for yourself & a medium one for everyone else.
• Marcelene Cox.