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NEWSBYTES - March 20, 2009
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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/ Respite Partnership Offering Tax Session for Parents
/2/ Face of Caregiving: Working and Looking after Mom and Dad
/3/ In an Aging Society, Pity the Caregivers
/4/ Dartmouth Woman Won Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Contest
/5/ Women the Answer to Ending Recession
/6/ Scholarships for Students with a Disability
/7/ Workshop on Seeking Social Justice: Aboriginal Encounters with the Justice System
/8/ Women Sought as Mentors
/9/ Women Volunteer Board Members Needed
/10/ Premiere Film Screening "A Sense of Wonder”
/12/ Did You Know?
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/1/ RESPITE PARTNERSHIP OFFERING TAX SESSION FOR PARENTS
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The Nova Scotia Partnership on Respite, Family Health and Well-Being is pleased to offer a free tax information session on March 26 for parents/caregivers who have children or adult children with disabilities. In conjunction with the Canada Revenue Agency’s Outreach Program, the session will present information on topics such as:
• Disability Tax Credit
• Caregiver Amount
• Medical Expenses
• Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)
• Fitness Credits
• Attendant Care
• Child Disability Benefit
If you would like to attend, please call the Advisory Council at 424-8662 or toll-free at 1-800-565-8662 to let us know.
More details on our Events Calendar: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .
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/2/ FACE OF CAREGIVING: WORKING AND LOOKING AFTER MOM AND DAD
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Research has projected that the number of Canadians in the workforce involved in eldercare will increase from one in five to one in four in the next decade. Work-life conflict will become more problematic over the next several decades as more employed Canadians take on the additional role as caregiver for an aging or elderly dependent.
Research also finds that those who work and provide caregiving indicated changes in their employment status due to their caregiving responsibilities. These include quitting/retiring early or making other changes in their work situation (e.g. schedules, role). In addition, disruptions at work are greater among those who had no choice in taking on a caregiver role and among those caring for someone with a mental disability.
Learn more from a new report: “Balancing Paid Work and Caregiving Responsibilities: A Closer Look at Family Caregiving in Canada”. The study describes key issues and challenges facing employed Canadians, who also provide caregiving to a relative. It identifies the support key stakeholders (e.g. family, organizations, and governments) could offer to assist caregivers.
To access the resources visit this site: http://www.cprn.org/doc.cfm?doc=1995&l=en .
See also our publication: “The Caregiver’s Handbook: A Helping Hand for Families and Friends Giving Care in Nova Scotia”,
http://www.women.gov.ns.ca/pubs2007_08/Caregivershandbook.pdf
Source: Canadian Policy Research Network, March 5, 2009.
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/3/ IN AN AGING SOCIETY, PITY THE CAREGIVERS
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Another publication on the same subject argues that caregiving is performed mainly by women and that it is so undervalued that few even recognize it as a sector of the economy. Yet, if voluntary eldercare workers in Canada, among other duties, stopped fetching medicines, sitting up by the bedsides of elderly relatives and friends ... it would cost an estimated $5 billion a year to replace them.
Women have done the bulk of caregiving for centuries. Now, record numbers of women are in the paid workforce. That, combined with the elderly boom, has created a care gap and a need for a national strategy on caregiving which would include a better-organized system of respite care and more financial support for caregivers.
The looming crisis is being hurried along by the lack of support for those who provide care. Voluntary eldercare workers tend to be invisible, impoverished and exhausted - not the makings of a strong lobby group. Currently, 6 weeks of Employment Insurance is available for those caring for dying relatives, but many don't qualify because they have been out of the workforce for too long.
Learn more: http://www.ccc-ccan.ca/media.php?mid=85 .
Source: “In an Aging Society, Pity the Caregivers”, Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen, 12 Feb 2008.
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/4/ DARTMOUTH WOMAN WON HEART AND STROKE FOUNDATION’S CONTEST
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The Advisory Council would like to congratulate a Nova Scotia woman, Helen Cross, for her participation and win in the national interactive heart-healthy contest announced at http://www.thehearttruth.ca .
The contest organized by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada enabled users to receive weekly lifestyle tips (dubbed "heartbeats") via e-mail, text message or RSS feed. A goal of the heart truth campaign was to raise awareness that heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 causes of death among women and get women to sign up and receive information on how to lead a healthier life.
In fact, 6,200 of Canadian women signed up for "heartbeats" in January and February. The foundation’s website notes that 45 per cent more Canadian women die of strokes than men, and women are 16 per cent more likely than men to die of a heart attack.
Source: The Chronicle Herald, March 19, 2009.
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/5/ WOMEN THE ANSWER TO ENDING RECESSION
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A European Union Commissioner recently quoted a series of studies showing that a more active participation by women in the workplace helps make businesses more efficient and avoid riskier investments.
One such study of 15,000 small- and medium-sized businesses in Finland found that those run by women tend to be 10 per cent more efficient than those run by men. Another recent French study showed that companies with more women on their board of directors tended to perform better on the stock exchange. Research has shown women to be more risk-averse and to focus more on a long-term perspective.
According to EU figures, women continue to earn considerably less money than men for the same work. Only 30 per cent of Europe's managers are women. This figure drops to just 10 per cent for large corporations. Worst still, women are paid on average 14.7 per cent less than their male counterparts doing exactly the same job.
While pointing out that reasons for a gender gap are varied, the EU says working women tend to have less lucrative jobs and positions than men, and part-time work and career hiatuses for family reasons limit career and pay advancement.
Learn more: “Why Women Managers Shine in a Downturn” by Michel Ferrary.
http://www.generation-europe.eu.com/drupal_prev_v1/system/files/u7/WomenManagersShine-in-aDownturn_FT_200900302.pdf
Source: Financial Times, March 3, 2009.
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/6/ SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY
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The Partnership for Access Awareness Nova Scotia (PAANS) is offering a scholarship to assist Nova Scotians with a disability in their pursuit of post-secondary studies. The Awards in the amount of $1,000 each are available for the academic year beginning September 2009.
To be considered, scholarship candidates must:
•Be a person with a permanent disability, meaning a limitation that restricts the ability of a person to perform the activities necessary to participate in educational activities or in the labour force within the range considered normal. This limitation is expected to remain with the person for life.
• Be a permanent resident of Nova Scotia.
•Be entering or continuing studies in a Canadian post-secondary institution that is recognized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
•Not be involved in the selection process or be a close family member of any scholarship selection committee member.
The applications of candidates meeting the above considerations will be forwarded to the selection committee. Applications are weighed on a number of factors including:
• Community involvement
• Extra-curricular activities
• Reaction to obstacles
• Academic performance
• Educational goals and direction
Contact PAANS office to learn how to apply. Due date April 27, 2009. Tel: (902) 424-6920 or email: paans@eastlink.ca .
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/7/ WORKSHOP ON SEEKING SOCIAL JUSTICE: ABORIGINAL ENCOUNTERS WITH THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
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Everyone is invited to a workshop organized by the Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association.
Topic:
In an increasingly diverse country, is it important for the justice system to be aware of the social and historical realities of the people who come in conflict with the law?
• The Supreme Court of Canada’s 1999 decision in R v. Gladue clarified the duty of sentencing judges to consider background and systemic factors in sentencing Aboriginal offenders, and in so doing has acknowledged the legacy of discrimination faced by Aboriginal people in Canada.
• Now police, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and workers in community-based agencies alike are trying to determine both the practical and philosophical implications of Gladue.
• Though the focus of this workshop will be the Aboriginal experience within a justice context, people interested in social justice issues and anti-oppressive practice generally will find it of great interest.
For more information, go to our Events Calendar at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .
To ensure registration, submit a completed form and payment by March 20, 2009.
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/8/ WOMEN SOUGHT AS MENTORS
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African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) is inviting you to sign up as a potential mentor for round two fellowships. AWARD offers mentors an opportunity to make a big difference in the careers of African women working in agricultural research and development. The mentors also benefit as they get to sharpen their own leadership skills. Every AWARD fellow will be matched with a mentor based on expertise, location and preferences.
AWARD is looking for mentors who offer:
* one hour per month
* five days to participate in the Mentoring Orientation Workshop, along with selected fellow
* a good reputation in his/her field of expertise
* strong interpersonal skills and positive attitude
* commitment to nurture the next generation of scientists
* willingness to share ideas, strategies, networks and good examples
* sensitivity to special issues women may face in the workplace, and
* willingness to learn new things and to sharpen his/her own skills via participation in AWARD.
The deadline for the Mentor program is June 15, 2009. All queries should be sent to: awardmentors@cgiar.org . Web: http://www.genderdiversity.cgiar.org .
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/9/ WOMEN VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS NEEDED
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Want to become involved in a women's organization? A feminist collective providing employment support to women is looking for volunteer board members. We require women who are feminist, and who are committed to attending monthly meetings and participating in other activities as required. If this interests you please send your resume to Women's Employment Outreach: admin@womensemploymentoutreach.org or call (902) 422-8023.
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/10/ PREMIERE FILM SCREENING "A SENSE OF WONDER”
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Everyone is invited on March 26 to a film screening in Halifax about the life of Rachel Carson, the courageous American biologist, who wrote the book "Silent Spring" in 1962. Organized and sponsored by the Nova Scotia Environmental Network, Nova Scotia Nature Trust, Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women, and the Arthur Irving Academy for the Environment, Acadia University. Proceeds will go to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust and the Nova Scotia Environmental Network.
More about the film here: http://www.asenseofwonderfilm.com .
For other locations of the same event visit our site at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .
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/11/ DID YOU KNOW...?
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That President Obama established a White House Council on Women and Girls?
According to a White House memo: "The mission of the Council will be to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families. The Council will be chaired by Valerie Jarrett, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor, and will include as members cabinet-level federal agencies. The Executive Director of the Council will be Tina Tchen, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison at the White House."
Source: New York Times, White House Memo, March 11, 2009.
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NEXT ISSUE – April 3, 2009
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