I can barely type I'm so pissed off
Hey look at what the Tories did!
So first they cut the funding to Status of Women in Canada. Then they removed the word "equality" from their mandate. 'Cause women are in fact equal in Canadian society, even though there's this fun thing called the "wage gap" (meaning that when matched for jobs and education level women are still only making 71 cents to every man's dollar), sexual assault and rape are the only violent crimes on the rise, and more and more women live in poverty...but we are equal guys! The Tories said so!
And now this. They are well on their way to abolishing the Status of Women in Canada all together. Well done! Sounds great! We are equal after all. No need to have this department at all.
I think the one office in Edmonton that is going to be serving all of Manitoba, Saskachewan, Alberta and British Columbia, is enough.
Don't you?
I AM SO ANGRY... and depressed. I'm so scared of all the damage this government is going to do the country I love.
The absolute worst thing however is the fact that we have this lobby group to blame. When most feminist or women's rights activist groups were unable to get time in to see Bev Oda (the federal minister responsible for the Status of Women in Canada), this group got ample time to present their case and make suggestions. And is it any wonder. Their motto is "Women's rights but not at the sake of Human rights" and their objectives are as follows:
1.To reaffirm that the family is society’s most important unit, since the nurturing of its members is best accomplished in the family setting.
2.To promote the equality, advancement and well being of women, recognizing them as interdependent members of society, whether in the family, workplace or community.
3.To promote, secure and defend legislation which upholds the Judeo-Christian understanding of marriage and family life.
4.To support government and social policies that make homemaking possible for women who, out of necessity, would otherwise have to take employment outside the home.
5.To support the right to life of all innocent individuals from conception to natural death.
I think #3 and #5 are my favourites. Is this who should be making decisons?
I don't even know what to think right now. I'm so disheartened. I can't believe this is real.
Labels: Feminism
Hey I just proofread through a letter to the editor of the Sun who went off about how if women cared about their rights-or had support for it- (aka the institutions the gov't are cutting) then we should be able to find private funding for it, or have at least have sought out this funding. . .
I am so glad that there are people like you making buttons and doing what you can. In the midst of all this, you can be proud that you are doing some things. Initially, I was very angry too, so much I actually thought I was going to vomit for a second there...ew. Anyway, I guess this is saying that the old ways are not working and it's time for a completely new strategy that works for everyone. Tessa, yours is such a cool example of productive anger. ...women and men can be both incredibly strong and loving, I trust that there is an answer.
Maybe what I am saying seems juvenile in its simplicity; all the same, it's what I believe.
Just maybe our government will take the money they previously paid to support groups and get it into the hands of the people that really need it.
This makes my heart sad. I know from personal experience, that I make about $5 dollars less an hour doing the same job as my Assistant manager...And all this is because I'm a girl and can't "handle" the same situations. Some how this is ok though...FLERGIN!