International Women's Day 2012

Thanks Maysie!!

hmm...that's odd. On my calender, it says International Women's Day is March 8th.  Anyone know why that would be?

At least I haven't missed it. Sad, I used to have the celebrations marked in my calendar weeks in advance. I have an 8-year-old daughter and it's long past time to step up her schooling!

Wishing everyone a very Happy International Women's Day - here is my new video "Shake the Tree"
in support of victims of violence! Please share and send out this message of hope and empowerment
to women and children everywhere! Peace and solidarity! :) xo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQOVUK68mTg

And if you like the song, you can download it for free on Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/572515436

From Québec solidaire's statement, [url=http://quebecsolidaire.net/actualite_nationale/les_femmes_ont_besoin_d%E... need jobs, recognition, and equality[/url]:

Quote:

Last Saturday in a Montréal daily newspaper, Mme Christine St-Pierre, Minister for the Status of Women, said that she preferred talking to youth about equality rather than about feminism, and that we should use more moderate language if we want to get people's attention. "We in Québec solidaire do not agree with the Minister. I am a young feminist and proud of belonging to a party which speaks its mind clearly. At the bidding of the women's movement, we are fighting for significant reductions in social inequality, protection of public services, insuring everyone's ability to retire in dignity, measures for work-family balance, the elimination of violence against women, and the development of women's self-confidence in particular with respect to their body image. Those are the issues that matter to women as well as men on this March 8, 2012" concluded Emilie Guimond-Bélanger, chair of the National Women's Commission of Québec solidaire.

[My translation]

You may recall Émilie, the courageous young woman who gave the media [url=http://youtu.be/TGjlHWarXeg]an account of her arrest and detention[/url] during the 2010 G20 events in Toronto. She has also served as co-spokesperson of the party replacing Françoise David during her absences.

Happy International Women's Day!

Well things change sometimes, don't they? 

Bring the quotation! You did a great job before. I'm not so adept at that kind of thing. I literally failed cutting and pasting. And we didn't have have computers then. 

Me, too. Thanks, Maysie. 

Cherry Hopton has been suspended from her post at Angus College for rightly objecting to an event planned at the college to 'commemorate' International Women's Day. The college decided to celebrate IWD by giving all the women a red rose by a 'man in a grey suit' because, as the posters initially stated, 'all women love a bit of romance.'

Reinstate Cherry Hopton

International Women's Day, by the NDP Caucus:

http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=hansard&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=41&Ses=1&DocId=5440000&File=0

At Question Period, every NDP question was put by a woman (did the media notice?): Nycole Turmel, Libby Davies (Vancouver East, NDP), Françoise Boivin (Gatineau, NDP), Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP), Irene Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe, NDP), Lysane Blanchette-Lamothe (Pierrefonds-Dollard, NDP), Anne-Marie Day (Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, NDP), Ruth Ellen Brosseau (Berthier-Maskinongé, NDP), Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (Hochelaga, NDP), Christine Moore (Abitibi-Témiscamingue, NDP), Marie-Claude Morin (Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot, NDP), Charmaine Borg (Terrebonne-Blainville, NDP), Megan Leslie (Halifax, NDP), Laurin Liu (Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, NDP), Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina, NDP), Anne Minh-Thu Quach (Beauharnois-Salaberry, NDP), Jean Crowder (Nanaimo-Cowichan, NDP), Hélène Laverdière (Laurier-Sainte-Marie, NDP), Sadia Groguhé (Saint-Lambert, NDP), and Élaine Michaud (Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier, NDP).

Françoise Boivin (Gatineau, NDP)moved Bill C-406, the Status of Women Canada Act, to make it a stand-alone department so that it can fulfill its mandate.

Irene Mathyssen (London-Fanshawe, NDP)moved Bill C-407, An Act to amend the Financial Administration Act (gender balanced representation), to require that federally regulated boards be made up of at least 40% women.

Five statements were made:

Rathika Sitsabaiesan (Scarborough-Rouge River, NDP)

Mr. Speaker, today I am happy to stand with my colleagues as we join people and nations around the globe to celebrate International Women's Day.

As young women, we have made many gains from our mothers and grandmothers. However, our work is not done and things are not getting any easier for women in Canada.

Since 2006, women in Canada have been the victims of a systemic attack. We have seen the slashing of funding for women's groups, the cancellation of funding for women's advocacy groups, the closure of 16 Status of Women Canada offices, the abolishment of the court challenges program, the elimination of pay equity, the scrapping of the long gun registry, a constant attack on unions and collective bargaining rights, and no child care funding initiatives. What is next is an attack on pensions and OAS, public service job cuts, cuts to services for Canadians, and the building of more prisons. Canadian women deserve better.

New Democrats are proud of the number of women and young women in our caucus who will continue to fight to protect the rights of women and work toward a Canada with gender equality.

Mylène Freeman (Argenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, today being International Women's Day, I wish to recognize the important contribution made by the women of Quebec on the long, hard road towards gender equality in Canada.

In Quebec, if there is one name that is synonymous with that struggle, it is of course Thérèse Casgrain. This great woman was at the heart of every battle and debate in what was at the time a rapidly changing society. She fought for many causes that redefined society.

Her efforts later brought her into the political realm, with the NDP, among other parties, and she was appointed to the Senate in 1970.

Most importantly, however, Thérèse Casgrain left all women a legacy to carry on and one over-riding duty: to continue to work towards true gender equality.

That is why I am pleased to pursue the same goals as the organization founded by Ms. Casgrain, the Fédération des femmes du Québec, which advocates for the right to abortion, pay equity and women's safety, to name a few. Together, we can continue her fight. Let's get the job done.

Djaouida Sellah (Saint-Bruno-Saint-Hubert, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, despite a record number of women elected to the current Parliament, Canada still ranks poorly internationally when it comes to the representation of women in politics. I would like to point out that Canada ranks behind Afghanistan.

The UN estimates that a critical mass of 30% women is needed in order for them to have an impact on public policy. However, in Canada, we have not yet passed the 25% mark.

There are only so many ways to improve the situation. The political parties have to take measures to encourage the election of women.

The NDP has tools in place, and the results speak for themselves, with 40% of our caucus being women.

Linda Duncan (Edmonton-Strathcona, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, despite mounting cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women and children, the government still ignores calls for a national inquiry by the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the Native Women's Association of Canada, Sisters in Spirit, Amnesty International and the women's families. The Liard Aboriginal Women's Society is pleading with the government to restore funds for its programs addressing the high rates of violence and drug and alcohol abuse, attributed in particular to the impact of residential schools.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports paying out double the anticipated compensation claims for abuse suffered at the residential schools. They call the schools an assault on aboriginal children, their families and their culture, and on self-government and sustainability. They said we should restore funding to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation in this budget.

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women have decried Canada's inaction on the poverty and violence suffered by aboriginal women.

Again, I implore the government to open Canada's doors to the UN investigators.

Nycole Turmel (Leader of the Opposition, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, International Women's Day is a remarkable time when the world stops to remember and celebrate.

I have spent my life defending women's right to pay equity, maternity leave and work-life balance. That is why I am so proud to be leading a party that fights every day for gender equality. I am proud that the NDP caucus has the largest proportion of women in Canadian history. Together, the New Democrats fight for justice, fairness, equal opportunity and the freedom to live without fear. There is still work to be done.

One by one, the Conservatives are erasing the victories won by women.

Canada has fallen to 20th position on the UN gender inequality index, but there is hope. We have come far; we must go further. New Democrats will continue to fight for women's rights. Together we can get it done.

While debating the NDP motion that Elections Canada investigation capabilities be strengthened, Annick Papillon (Québec, NDP) said:

Today, March 8, is International Women's Day, and I think it is important to note that this right was granted to Canadian women in 1918. The acquisition of this right was one of many pivotal moments in the history of Canadian democracy. Unfortunately, events of the past few days are anything but reassuring. The latest information from across the country suggests that some of our fellow citizens were tricked and thus deprived of their right to vote. These allegations are alarming.

Unionist wrote:

Beautiful! Thank you Wilf, and congratulations to the women of the NDP caucus!

Did any Quebec media notice?

I didn't see any media notice myself except a two-second reference on CBC. Our English Canadian media keep parroting "the NDP's unknown Quebec MPs" while failing to take any notice of them even when they put on such a beautiful show as they did on Thursday. What the heck do they have to do?

Wilf Day wrote:

Unionist wrote:

Beautiful! Thank you Wilf, and congratulations to the women of the NDP caucus!

Did any Quebec media notice?

Heh... yeah... [url=http://www.lechodemaskinonge.com/Actualites/Politique/2012-03-09/article... L'Écho de Maskinongé[/url]!... in an article belatedly noting Ruth-Ellen Brosseau's support for Mulcair:

Quote:

D’autre part, Mme Brosseau, membre du Comité permanent de la condition féminine, a ajouté sa voix aux autres femmes du NPD qui ont muselé symboliquement les hommes à l’occasion de la Journée internationale des femmes, en session parlementaire, hier, étant les seules à prendre la parole.

That's all I've seen. But it's better than nothing. Barely.

Maysie wrote:

Anna Willats, Toronto activist, on International Women's Day 2012

"Of course International Women's Day marks the day in 1911, March 25 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a terrible tragedy here in North America that killed 146 young women . . ."

If Wikipedia is accurate (never a certainty), the first International Women's Day was held March 18, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, implementing a decision made the prevous August by a Women's Conference held in conjunction with the Socialist International. Americans held it the last Sunday in February. Both were before the terrible New York City fire that caused the deaths of 146 garment workers and helped spur the growth of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union.

Pardon the quibble, but I wonder if some Canadian women might prefer to remember 1911 the way it happened around the world, rather than in New York City or "here in North America." (I don't live in North America, sorry.)