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NEWSBYTES - September 18, 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/ Remembering, Celebrating Muriel Duckworth
/2/ Two Women Recipients of ONS
/3/ Female Elected Chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
/4/ Parent Information Program
/5/ Women’s Poverty and the Recession: Study
/6/ Recession Relief Coalition
/7/ Supporting Working Canadian Families
/8/ Canadian Dads at Home
/9/ Women of Excellence Awards
/10/ Native Violence Prevention Toolkit
/11/ 2010 Halifax Business Awards
/12/ Economics for Everyone: a Course for Everyone
/13/ EMO'S New Website
/14/ Women's Healthy Living Fair
/15/ Did You Know?
AFTER A SHORT VACATION BREAK, NEWSBYTE IS BACK!
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/1/ REMEMBERING, CELEBRATING MURIEL DUCKWORTH
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The passing of Muriel Duckworth affected women in Nova Scotia and beyond. She was an awe-inspiring activist who advocated and contributed to the movements of peace, social justice issues, human rights and women’s rights. She stood up for what she believed regardless of circumstance. She personified the sentiment that, “One voice can make many listen”.
Muriel received recognition for her many accomplishments. She was a Member of the Order of Canada, and in 1991 she received the Lester B. Pearson Medal. She was a member of the Raging Grannies – a group of women who would sing to protest peacefully. She received the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Person’s Case, which recognizes the struggle of women for equality.
Muriel mentored many women, so there is no doubt her legacy will carry on. She will never be forgotten: she laid the stones that we walk on today on the road to advancing equality, fairness and dignity for all women in Nova Scotia.
Join the Duckworth family and friends and celebrate Muriel's life. An event will take place Sept. 27. For details visit our website at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .
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/2/ TWO WOMEN RECIPIENTS OF ONS
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Kudos to two Nova Scotia women who will receive the 2009 Order of Nova Scotia at a ceremony on October 7 at Province House. Viola Marie Robinson of Truro, a longtime advocate for Mi’kmaq people, has worked to advance aboriginal and treaty rights in the country. She helped develop a process to address the social, legal and political issues between Mi’kmaq and the federal and provincial governments. Muriel Duckworth will be recognized posthumously for being a crusader and advocate for social justice. She was involved with several organizations over the past 70 years, working for women’s rights and peace movements at locally, provincially and nationally.
The Order of Nova Scotia Advisory Council chose the recipients from 79 nominations from across the province.
Source: The Chronicle Herald, Sept. 3, 2009
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/3/ FEMALE ELECTED CHIEF OF THE CONGRESS OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES
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New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council president Chief Betty Ann Lavallée was elected national chief of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples at the annual general meeting in Ottawa last week. A long-time advocate for aboriginal issues, Ms Lavallée succeeds Chief Patrick Brazeau, who was appointed to the Senate.
A proud Mi'kmaq woman, Ms Lavallée served for 17 years with the Canadian armed forces before becoming involved with the council, an affiliate of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. She has an extensive background in administration, transportation, business and leadership management, including working as economic development officer for Wabanaki Enterprises Inc. She has been a member of several boards at provincial and national levels and has served committees dealing with issues such as housing, economic development, and training. She is described as a staunch advocate for employment for women in non-traditional roles and protective of inherent rights for off-reserve aboriginal people.
Source: http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/news/article/793291
A5By Yvon Gauvin, Times & Transcript staff, September 16, 2009.
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/4/ PARENT INFORMATION PROGRAM
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The Supreme Court in Halifax is looking for volunteer facilitators for the Parent Information Program. The program assists parents involved in proceedings concerning custody and /or access before the Supreme Court (Family Division). Each parent is required to attend one three-hour program. In Halifax, sessions are held on Tuesdays and Wednesday, from 6 to 9 pm, and on Saturday mornings from 9 am to noon.
This program does not provide counseling, therapy or legal advice, but aims to ...
• Increase parents’ awareness of the impact of parental conflict on children
• Improve communication between parents about the needs of their children
• Provide new ways to avoid placing children in the middle of issues between parents
• Discuss methods other than going to Court for resolving custody, access and support issues
The volunteer commitment is minimal, about 9 to 12 hours per year. Training sessions will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 5:30 to 9 pm at the Supreme Court (Family Division), 3380 Devonshire Ave., Halifax. A light supper and beverages will be provided.
If you are interested call 424-5232 or email bakecm@gov.ns.ca before Sept. 30. Send your CV prior to the training session.
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/5/ WOMEN’S POVERTY AND THE RECESSION: STUDY
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A recently released report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds that women raising children on their own are almost five times more likely to be poor than two-parent families. Canada already has shockingly high rates of women’s poverty but the recession seems to have sidelined anti-poverty policies. “Women’s Poverty and the Recession” reveals that even after taking into account government transfers and tax credits, almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Canadian women raising children on their own and 14 per cent of single older women are poor.
Among the study’s findings:
• The poverty rate of older women on their own is almost 13 times higher than seniors living in families.
• Women working full time year round earn only 71 cents for every dollar earned by men.
• About 40 per cent of employed women work in precarious jobs that are generally poorly paid with little or no job security and no benefits such as pensions.
• Only 39 per cent of unemployed women compared with 45 per cent of unemployed men are receiving EI benefits.
• Women account for 60 per cent of minimum wage workers; minimum wages in all provinces are less than $10 an hour.
Learn more:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/~ASSETS/DOCUMENT/National_Office_Pubs/2009/Womens_Poverty_in_the_Recession.pdf
Fact Sheets: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/~ASSETS/DOCUMENT/National_Office_Pubs/2009/Women_and_Poverty_Fact_Sheets.pdf
Source: Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Sept. 9, 2009
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/6/ RECESSION RELIEF COALITION
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Check the Recession Relief Coalition at http://www.recession-relief-coalition.org .
The Recession Relief Coalition is a broad-based group of organizations and individuals concerned about the impact of the recession on Canada’s most vulnerable and marginalized people. More than 260 organizations and over 1,100 individuals across Canada have endorsed the coalition’s call on the federal government to create a recession relief fund, to prevent cuts to public and private not-for-profit agencies serving vulnerable communities, and to increase support to vital social services including homelessness programs and settlement services.
Source: Canadian Social Research Newsletter, Aug. 13.
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/7/ SUPPORTING WORKING CANADIAN FAMILIES
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Women interested in income security policy and family policy benefits that enable a better balance between work and family life may want to consult the new study “Supporting Working Canadian Families: the Role of Employment Insurance Special Benefits.”
The study explores Employment Insurance policy objective of encouraging long-term labour market attachment by providing temporary income support during absences from work due to life events such as illness, childbirth and caring for a terminally ill family member. It also examines how EI may need to adjust to better align with shifts in the labour market and society. The report lists five EI special benefits: Family Supplement, Sickness, Parental, Maternity and Compassionate Care. The paper also includes a chronology of major developments in family-related benefits in EI policy from 1941 to 2006.
Learn more: http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/819ENG%2Epdf .
Source: Caledon Institute of Social Policy, Sept. 2009.
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/8/ CANADIAN DADS AT HOME
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Canadian fathers are taking more time off work to be at home caring for children, according to the numbers from Statistics Canada. Specifically, the number of stay-home fathers has risen by 50 per cent in the past 10 years, and the number of fathers taking paid paternal leave after a birth or adoption has increased 900 per cent since 2001.
Most of the increase has occurred in the province of Quebec, where the new Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, implemented in January 1, 2006, introduced "Daddy Days" – five weeks of paid paternal leave which cannot be transferred to the mother. In Quebec, 73.6 per cent* of all fathers took paid parental leave compared to 28 per cent in 2005. (Statistics Canada, 2008).
This increase in stay-home fathers is also most likely due in part to evolving attitudes about gender roles in parenting. However, some of the increase may be related to the fact that women are more likely to out-earn their husbands/partners than in the past. When families wish to have one parent at home while children are young, the decision about which parent stays home has always been partly economic – who has the highest salary, benefits and job security.
Source:
1. Statistics Canada, The Daily, June 2008: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2008106/article/10639-eng.htm
2. Fathers and mothers... by the numbers: http://www42.statcan.ca/smr08/smr08_130-eng.htm
3. Father Involvement Research Alliance, http://www.fira.ca/article.php?id=140 .
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/9/ WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS
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The Progress Women of Excellence Awards Dinner this year will be held on November 19, at the World Trade and Convention Centre.
This fundraising event of the Canadian Progress Club, Halifax-Cornwallis awards dinner is the only one of its kind in this region. Money raised from the event supports Phoenix Youth Programs, a long-term shelter for homeless and at-risk youth.
Again this year celebrated finalists will be
extraordinary women, whose impressive achievements spanning six business sectors
make a powerful impact on our community. A special guest speaker from Phoenix
Youth Programs will underscore the accomplishments we all can make with a bit of
inspiration and support.
More information at: http://www.halifaxcornwallisprogress.ns.ca/abspage.aspx?siteid=1&lang=1&id=1016 .
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/10/ NATIVE VIOLENCE PREVENTION TOOLKIT
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Native Women's Association of Canada’s Youth Council put together the “Youth Violence Prevention Toolkit,” to empower youth to be leaders in violence prevention (domestic violence, sexual assault, date and emotional violence, bullying). The Facilitator Guide and Workshop Handouts are available at: http://www.nwac-hq.org/en/vpk.html .
Source: Native Women Association of Canada
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/11/ 2010 HALIFAX BUSINESS AWARDS
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The Halifax Business Awards recognize risk takers and the success of the thriving business community. The 10th anniversary gala will be held on January 28, 2010. Learn more, and nominate yourself, your business or another deserving business.
Learn more: http://www.halifaxchamber.com/default.asp?mn=1.65.70
Source: Business Voice Online, July 8, 2009.
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/12/ ECONOMICS FOR EVERYONE: A COURSE FOR EVERYONE
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The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia presents the following course free to the public: Economics for Everyone. This course, based on Jim Stanford 's book “Economics for Everyone,” covers topics such as the history of the economy, capitalism and markets, investment, capitalism and the environment, the role of government, globalization and more. Instructor and Course Coordinator Angella MacEwen is a research associate with CCPA Nova Scotia. Guest lecturers include Economics Professors Martha MacDonald, Michael Bradfield and Mathieu Dufour.
The course is on Thursdays until November 26.
For more details visit our Events Calendar at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .
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/13/ EMO'S NEW WEBSITE
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The Emergency Management Office has a new website designed to help the public better prepare for and cope with emergency situations. Visit the site at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/emo to explore the expanded content, new training section, and improved navigation.
Direct any suggestions or comments to sibleyjm@gov.ns.ca .
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/14/ WOMEN'S HEALTHY LIVING FAIR
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You are invited to the Women's Healthy Living Fair, Saturday, September 26 at North Woodside Community Centre, 230 Pleasant Street, Dartmouth. Free admission and childcare! There are Information booths, refreshments, entertainment and door prizes. Educational talks topics include Boost Your Self-Esteem, 5 Secrets to Healthy Eating, 5 Values for Life, Stress Reduction, and Dress for Success. The Fair is generously funded with a grant from the Dartmouth Community Health Board and hosted by Breast Cancer Action NS.
For more information visit our website at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/calendar.asp .
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/15/ DID YOU KNOW...
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That you can apply now for the Energy Efficiency Program designed for Low-Income Homeowners with Electric Heat?
• Do you live on a low income?
• Are you a homeowner?
• Do you heat your home with electricity?
If so, you may be eligible for Free Insulation and other Energy Efficiency upgrades to your home to help reduce your electricity use. Call 1-877-434-2136 for further information or email katherine.reed@nspower.ca . The free Energy Efficiency upgrades for Low-Income Homeowners (who heat with electricity) are funded by Nova Scotia Power and are aimed to reduce electricity use and help save money.
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NEXT ISSUE – September 18, 2009
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