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NEWSBYTES - May 15, 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/ Sexual Assault in Nova Scotia: a Statistical Profile, May 2009

/2/ Until the Violence Stops Festival

/3/ Acadia Marks Milestone for Women Graduates

/4/ Girl Power! Summer Camps for Girls 8 to 12

/5/ Seniors’ Legal Planning Information Kit Project

/6/ International Women in Science Awards

/7/ Scholarships, Bursaries for Adult Learners

/8/ Information Session: Connecting People with Possibilities

/9/ Breast Fest Film Festival: Call for Short Film Submissions

/10/ Ideal Way Poetry Competition

/11/ Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health 2009 Funding

/12/ A Wednesday Lunch Club

/13/ Did You Know?

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/1/ SEXUAL ASSAULT IN NOVA SCOTIA: A STATISTICAL PROFILE, MAY 2009

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This Advisory Council profile pulls together in one document the statistics that exist on sexual assault in Nova Scotia. The victimization survey included in the General Social Survey showed that the vast majority of sexual assault victims are female, while more than 90 per cent of accused are male. Most victims are young, with close to half under the age of 25. One disturbing finding is that most victims of sexual assault do not report the crime to police.

While Nova Scotia’s rates of sexual assault appear to be higher than rates in Canada as a whole, the difference is not statistically significant. What is statistically significant is a rise in the Nova Scotia rate since the previous survey.

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/2/ UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS FESTIVAL

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You are invited to take part in the "Make Halifax the Safest Place on Earth for Women and Girls" event presented by the V-Day Halifax Community Campaign. This is the first time the Until the Violence Stops Festival has ever occurred outside of the United States. The festival aims to unite various communities in Halifax Regional Municipality through entertainment, education and empowerment.

The two-week festival includes a showing of Necessary Targets, a play about women and war, about the violence of dark memories and the enduring resilience of the human spirit, directed by Kate Wilkinson. There will also be showing of Anyone of Us: Words from Prison, a production that reveals the connection between women in prison and the violence that often puts them there.

There are many opportunities to get involved in the plays and other activities. To learn more about what’s going on, see the flyer on our Events site (June section) at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .

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/3/ ACADIA MARKS MILESTONE FOR WOMEN GRADUATES

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The Advisory Council congratulates the women who earned degrees and awards last week at Acadia University’s Spring Convocation. It was 125 years ago that Clara Bell Marshall became the first woman to receive a degree at the university. Also of note this year, Edith Cromwell (`93) received an honorary doctorate in civil laws. Dr. Cromwell is being remembered as a well-respected teacher who overturned barriers for African-Nova Scotian students.

Middleton resident Shae Griffith received the Award for Entrepreneurship. Ms Griffith owns four businesses and is a supporter of community and educational entrepreneurship. Other honourees who have made outstanding contributions to society include singer Measha Brueggergosman, nutritionist and author Susie Langley (’61), and Baptist educator Dr. Lois Mitchell.

Source: Acadia University Press Release, May 5, 2009.

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/4/ GIRL POWER! SUMMER CAMPS FOR GIRLS 8 to 12

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Central Nova Women's Resource Centre is holding its popular summer camp program called Girl Power from June 29 to August 21 in Truro. There are weekly, full-time and family rates available.

Space is limited. The resource centre is holding two nights of Girl Power Registration on May 20 and May 21, from 6 to 9 p.m., at 523 Prince Street, Truro. Call 895-4295 or send an e-mail to cnwrc@eastlink.ca .

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/5/ SENIORS’ LEGAL PLANNING INFORMATION KIT PROJECT

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The Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS) and the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging are partnering on a project to develop a Seniors’ Legal Planning Information Kit. It will be targeted to seniors and their caregivers, but will also be of interest to concerned relatives and friends, and others who provide services to seniors. Project organizers will conduct focus groups to assist in the development of the Kit and will hold free information sessions to introduce it.

The scope of the project is limited to Nova Scotia, since most of the relevant legal issues are under provincial jurisdiction. Yet the Kit could be a model for programs in other jurisdictions.

The promotional materials and Kit will be available in both official languages and online, likely by spring of 2010. For more information, contact the Project Officer for the Seniors’ Legal Planning Information Kit at seniorsinfo@legalinfo.org .

There’s more information on our Events Calendar: http://women.gov.ns.ca/admin/adminCalendar.asp .

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/6/ INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN SCIENCE AWARDS

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Fifteen women researchers from around the world received UNESCO- L’Oréal International Fellowships in March. These organizations established the annual awards in 2000, to support women’s research in life sciences at the doctoral or post-doctoral levels. The researchers received as much as US$40,000 over two years to help finance research and will have a unique opportunity to pursue studies at a renowned institution abroad.

Source: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organization, Paris, 4 March, 2009.

See: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=44704&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html .

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/7/ SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES FOR ADULT LEARNERS

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Literacy Nova Scotia offers scholarship and bursary awards for learners in all programs in 2009-2010. There are two scholarships of $1,500 (one is designated for a Nova Scotia Community College student in Truro), for adults who have completed Grade 12 through an adult learning program and who are going on to or continuing in college, university, or a trades and technology program. Three bursaries of $500 are for adults who did not finish Grade 12 in the public school system and who are currently enrolled in or planning to attend an adult upgrading program. The money for these grants comes from the PGI Golf Tournaments for Literacy.

The application forms are available at: http://www.ns.literacy.ca/learner.htm#schlburs .

To receive a paper copy, call: 1-800-255-5203 or 902-897-2444 or email: literacyns@nscc.ca .

The deadline for applications is October 2, 2009, no later than 4:30 p.m.

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/8/ INFORMATION SESSION: CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH POSSIBILITIES

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If you are a job seeker, if you are anticipating a career transition, or if you are an employer, consider attending these sessions in the Annapolis Valley on May 27 and in Metro on June 3. It’s a chance to learn more about what career resources and training opportunities are available in your region/community, and how to access them.

The sessions will provide information on services and programming to help individuals and organizations who wish to take advantage of training and retraining, networking opportunities, career development and job search information and resources in the region. The events will follow a trade show format with booths hosted by government, industry and community partners and stakeholders. There will also be a schedule of workshops people can attend. For more details visit our Events calendar at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .

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/9/ BREAST FEST FILM FESTIVAL: CALL FOR SHORT FILM SUBMISSIONS

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Rethink Breast Cancer will present the second annual Breast Fest Film Festival on November 20 and 21 in Toronto. The festival plans to showcase films about the emotional spectrum of the disease.

Breast Fest is seeking entries for a short film competition. Filmmakers and those touched by breast cancer directly or indirectly are invited to produce a short video, film, animation, or Public Service Announcement that sheds light on issues surrounding breast cancer and breast health.

More information: http://www.breastfestfilmfest.com/ .

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/10/ IDEAL WAY POETRY COMPETITION

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Be part of an Annual IDEAL WAY Poetry Competition, from April 1 to June 30. It’s a competition designed just for persons with an intellectual disability living in Canada. IDEAL-WAY was founded by Robert Pio Hajjar, who was born with Down syndrome. Rob knows that his intellectually disabled peers are deserving of multi-media publicity and world-class competition judging!

For more information, official rules, regulations and an entry form, visit http://www.ideal-way.ca/ or contact the executive director of IDEAL WAY at info@ideal-way.ca , or by phone at 416-620-4500.

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/11/ CANADA POST FOUNDATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH 2009 FUNDING

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You can now apply to the Canada Post Foundation for Mental Health for project funding. Support will go to projects aimed at building community-based support for those affected by mental illness or for those supporting them in a non-professional capacity (e.g., family, friends), such as ...

• hiring and/or training staff ;

• enriching current services through support that helps improve understanding of and the ability to address related challenges and/or provides comfort and a sense of well-being; and

• covering certain costs related to delivery of front-line programs (e.g., mileage, rental of facilities, communications activities).

To be eligible for funding, projects must provide direct support to those affected by mental illnesses, including addiction. Organizations that are applying, however, need not focus exclusively on direct support to those affected by mental illness. All the necessary information is on this website -- http://www.canadapost.ca/CPfoundation . Send applications by mail – to be received no later than 5 p.m. on June 5, 2009.

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/12/ A WEDNESDAY LUNCH CLUB

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The pilot project “The Lunch Club” will start in September 2009 and will be accessible for people with special needs, including intellectual disabilities. Meals, shopping, cooking, cleaning and socializing are planned activities. You will learn about new recipes and ways of cooking simple meals. A field trip to the Farmers Market to buy local food is a possibility.

If you are available on Wednesdays at lunch during the fall and winter and would like to take part, contact Alice at (902) 405-2053, registerinfotheclub@gmail.com .

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/13/ DID YOU KNOW?

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That a new blog called “Women and Girls Matter” is now up and running at http://womenandgirlsmatter.blogspot.com . The site says, “Women and our allies in Nova Scotia and beyond are invited to share their analysis, commentary and ideas on issues affecting women and girls in our province.” There’s provincial election coverage and other information sponsored by Women's Centres Connect!

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NEXT ISSUE – May 29, 2009

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