====================================================================
NEWSBYTES - NOV. 11, 2008
=====================================================================
The Advisory Council on the Status of Women is the provincial government agency that promotes equality, fairness and dignity for women, by bringing forward concerns and advising the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Act. Through research, policy, education, and partnerships, the council works to ensure women have an equal voice in society, fair pay and pensions, freedom from violence, and good health and well-being.
Newsbytes is a free bi-weekly e-mail newsletter with links to stories and contacts.
You can also read the newsletter and about coming events at the Advisory Council's website: <http://www.women.gov.ns.ca>.
Also, visit our online catalogue at http://women.gov.ns.ca/library.asp or come visit our library!
CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
/1/ During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence
/2/ Alice Housing Three-Time Winner of Donner Awards
/3/ Nunavut's New Premier and First Woman Leader
/4/ Canada Falls in Gender Gap Index
/5/ On the Campaign Trail 2008: Equal Voice Event
/6/ Tenure Gap for Women Academics in Canada
/7/ Public Housing: Generating Jobs and Other Social/Economic Benefits
/8/ Government of Canada Holds Employment Insurance Premium Rate at Lowest Level in 15 Years
/9/ Eight Million More Women than Men Voted for Obama
/10/ Did You Know?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/1/ DURING THE 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is Nov. 25 and Canada's National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is Dec. 6, a Saturday this year.
**Ceremony at Province House**
This annual ceremony will take place on Friday, Dec. 5, at 10:30 a.m. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, Minister Responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women, will be joined by a Panel on Violence Against Women: Lynn Hartwell, Department of Community Services; Pamela Harrison, Transition House Association of Nova Scotia; and Margaret Gullage, Youth Support, Girl Guides of Canada. The art therapy project Putting a Face on Abuse will feature masks by women who “show their faces” and experiences of abuse.
For details see http://women.gov.ns.ca/Dec6_08.asp .
**Public Lecture: The War on Women**
Brian Vallee, author of the War on Women, will speak at a free public lecture on Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at Potter Auditorium, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building, 6100 University Avenue, Halifax. Event sponsors include the Advisory Council, many government partners, the Metro-Interagency on Family Violence and the Dalhousie Women’s Centre.
** Commemoration in CBRM**
Cape Breton Regional Municipal Police Service is holding Victims of Domestic Violence Commemoration Ceremonies on Friday Dec. 5 at 11:30 a.m. Contact Helen.Morrison@cbrps.ca or at 902-563-5173.
**Post your event**
Let us know what your community is planning to raise awareness about violence against women, and we’ll spread the word. Send an e-mail to women@gov.ns.ca .
**Fact Sheets and Events**
Visit our website (Publications) next week for updated fact sheets on violence and to learn more about what’s happening across the province: http://women.gov.ns.ca/special-events.asp .
**Purple Ribbons**
It is customary for women and men in Nova Scotia to support the elimination of violence against women by buying and wearing purple ribbons. MLAs take a lead role in supporting this campaign run by the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia to raise awareness and raise money for services. Please contact THANS for ribbons at 429-7287 or admin@thans.ca .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/2/ ALICE HOUSING THREE-TIME WINNER OF DONNER AWARDS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alice Housing in Dartmouth is sharing top honours as the best in the country at the Donner Canadian Foundation Awards for Excellence in the Delivery of Social Services held Nov. 19 in Toronto.
“We won our category in 2004, 2007, but this year we not only won the category
but the overall prize,” said Joanne Bernard, executive director of Alice Housing. “The work we do with women and children who leave family violence is challenging but very gratifying to the staff and Board of Directors. We are particularly proud that we are the only organization east of Ontario to win the overall prize in the history of the Donner Awards.”
Alice Housing and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Peterborough, Ontario shared the $20,000-award for the highest performing agency overall. Alice Housing was also recognized for excellence in the provision of basic necessities, earning a $5,000-prize.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/3/ NUNAVUT'S NEW PREMIER AND FIRST WOMAN LEADER
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Advisory Council congratulates Eva Aariak, the first-time member of the legislature and the
first woman to lead the territory as premier. Okalik was elected in 1999, when the territory was first formed, and was re-elected to a second term.
Aariak has been a teacher and the Inuktitut book publishing co-ordinator for the Baffin Divisional Education Council. She has also worked for the CBC as a radio and TV reporter, headed public affairs for the Office of the Interim Commissioner of Nunavut and was the director of training with Nunavut's Department of Human Resources.
When she was first appointed languages commissioner in 1999, she said she wanted Nunavut to serve as a model of how three different languages can successfully co-exist.
Source: Canadian Press, Nov.14.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/4/ CANADA FALLS IN GENDER GAP INDEX
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada has plunged 13 spots in a global "gender gap index," slipping behind the United States in the annual analysis released by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. Canada is now 31st out of 130 countries, in gaps between men and women in income, education, health and political participation. The U.S. moved up four spots to 27th, and the first time ahead of Canada.
Norway, Finland and Sweden ranked at the top, with the gender gap score for all three at just over 80 per cent (100 per cent would represent overall equality). Canada's gender score is 71 per cent. The worst score is Yemen's 46 per cent.
Canada's overall score fell by less than one per cent. Its place in the standings dropped more dramatically because many countries have made larger strides, said report co-author Saadia Zahidi. She also added that Canada is one of the world's stronger performers in three of the four major categories -- economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment and health. But the dismal representation of women in the House of Commons has driven down Canada's ranking. She said Canada's "worrying" level of political participation in Parliament and the federal cabinet puts it 60th out of 130 countries.
Learn more: http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/story.html?id=a819af3c-1d2b-4d63-8421-1f52ce46a6a8
http://www.weforum.org/en/Communities/Women%20Leaders%20and%20Gender%20Parity/GenderGapNetwork/index.htm
Source: World Economic Forum, Nov.12.
Source: Statistics Canada, “Homicide in Canada, 2007", Oct. 2008.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/5/ ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL 2008: EQUAL VOICE EVENT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2008 saw more women candidates than ever before. Only a few could succeed in being chosen for office. But their experiences are important for all of us. Come hear first-hand experiences from the 2008 campaign trail, from the highs to the lows, and all points in between. What's it really like when women run for office? Election retrospective with candidates Carol Harris (New Democrat Kings-Hants) Catherine Meade (Liberal Halifax) Wanda Webber (Conservative Dartmouth). Chaired by Kim Kierans, Director of the School of Journalism, University of King's College.
For more details visit our Events Calendar at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/6/ TENURE GAP FOR WOMEN ACADEMICS IN CANADA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Tenure Gap is the latest study in the new Equity Review series from the Canadian Association of University Teachers. (See http://www.caut.ca/uploads/EquityReview4-en.pdf )
Women's share of all tenured positions rose from 12.9 per cent in 1985 – when fewer than 3 in 10 tenured positions were held by women – to 28 per cent in 2005.
"Academic tenure is an essential protection of academic freedom. It is vital to creating the conditions that allow excellent teaching and scholarly research to flourish,” the report states. “The existence of gender disparities in the awarding of tenure therefore raises serious concerns about the status of female faculty in Canadian universities."
Source: CAUT website, September 2008: http://www.caut.ca/pages.asp?page=598 .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/7/ PUBLIC HOUSING: GENERATING JOBS AND OTHER SOCIAL/ECONOMIC BENEFITS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada's
first ministers recently agreed to work towards a massive investment in
infrastructure to help respond to the current global economic crisis and also to
improve bridges, transit and other necessary public works.
See this website for five reasons to locate public investments in affordable housing as part of an overall economic stimulus package:
http://wellesleyinstitute.com/public-housing-investments-generating-jobs-and-other-social-economic-benefits .
See also Homelessness and Housing Links:
http://www.canadiansocialresearch.net/homeless.htm
Source: The Wellesley Institute,
November 11.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/8/ GOVERNMENT OF CANADA HOLDS EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PREMIUM RATE AT LOWEST LEVEL IN 15 YEARS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, welcomed the Canada Employment Insurance Commission’s decision from Nov. 17 to hold the Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate for 2009 unchanged at $1.73, its lowest level in 15 years.
Learn more: http://www.fin.gc.ca/news08/08-092e.html .
Source: Department of Finance Canada, http://www.fin.gc.ca/fin-eng.html .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/9/ EIGHT MILLION MORE WOMEN THAN MEN VOTED FOR OBAMA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nationally, 56 per cent of women voted for Barack Obama compared with 49 per cent of men. It is estimated that Senator Obama received 35,900,000 votes from women and 27,800,000 votes from men. This 7-point gender gap combined with women's greater turnout was a major factor in the election's results. The President-elect benefitted from a larger share of women's votes than John Kerry or Al Gore in 2004.
Obama emphasized his support for pay equity and work/life balance policies. He stressed McCain's votes against pay equity legislation and expanded health insurance for children.
"More African American women voted in this presidential election than in any other."
Learn more: http://www.iwpr.org/pdf/08ElectionRelease.pdf .
Source: Institute for Women's Policy Research, http://www.iwpr.org .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/10/ DID YOU KNOW...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ONLY 16 PER CENT OF WOMEN KILLED BY STRANGER
Of 414 solved homicides in Canada in 2007:
- 15.9 per cent were killed by a stranger
- 16 per cent were killed by a current or former spouse (married/common-law)
- 17.1 per cent, by a family member (parent, son or daughter, sibling, other)
- 36.5 per cent by an acquaintance (boy- or girlfriend, close friend, neighbour, business associate
- 14.5 per cent by a criminal relationship
Women continue to be about four times more likely to be victims of spousal homicide than men. Learn more: http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/85-002-XIE/85-002-XIE2008009.htm .
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEXT ISSUE – DEC. 5, 2008
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SPREAD THE WORD! FORWARD NEWSBYTES TO A FRIEND!
To subscribe, send a blank e-mail message to <join-nsacsw@lists.gov.ns.ca> .
Or you can sign up at <http://www.women.gov.ns.ca/medianewsletter.asp>.