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NEWSBYTES - October 30, 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 access it through the Provincial Library at "One-Place-to-Look" <http://ibistro.library.ns.ca/, or come visit us!
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CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
/1/ Experts, Beginners Show Passion for Politics at Campaign School
/2/ Alice Housing – Excellence in Provision of Basic Necessities Award
/3/ Your Province Needs You
/4/ UN Approves Long-awaited New Women's Agency
/5/ Aids Awareness Week
/6/ Study: Changes in Parental Work Time and Earnings
/7/ More Babies Born to Thirty Something Moms
/8/ Myths about Girls and Science
/9/ How to Measure Violence Against Women
/10/ Support Caregivers
/11/ What Can We Do about Pensions?
/12/ Did You Know?
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/1/ EXPERTS, BEGINNERS SHOW PASSION FOR POLITICS AT CAMPAIGN SCHOOL
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The elected representatives in the room kept saying it – they were “bowled over by the caliber of the women” who participated at the fifth Nova Scotia Campaign School for Women. The session ran from October 16 to 18 at Mount Saint Vincent University, which, once again, generously provided the venue.
The “would-be candidates” and their teams used what they learned at the sessions to create campaign strategies and then they acted our the scenarios and speeches. Mentors provided feedback to the five groups that presented – mentors like Marian Horne, Minister of Justice in the Yukon, Cynthia Dunsford, an MLA in PEI, Marney Simmons, the Mayor of Mulgrave, Shirley MacNamara and Liz Chisholm, both municipal councillors, and Irene MacLeod, a campaign manager for national and provincial campaigns.
Every campaign school is unique. This year, this impressive lineup of speakers and presenters boosted the program’s effectiveness, in order of appearance:
Jean d’Entremont, Council chair; Alexa McDonough, interim president, MSVU; Dr. Daurene Lewis, principal of the Institute of Technology Campus of Nova Scotia Community College; Irene MacLeod; Vi Carmichael, municipal elections officer; Christine McCulloch, chief electoral officer; Shirley McNamara; Anne Marie Foote, executive assistant to Megan Leslie; the Honourable Denise Peterson-Rafuse, minister responsible for the Advisory Council on the Status of Women; Halina St. James, Podium Coaching; Megan Leslie, MP Halifax; Michele McKinnon, managing director, Communications Nova Scotia; Barbara Emodi, professor, MSVU Public Relations Department; Cynthia Bruce, Nova Scotia League for Equal Opportunities; Sherri Aikenhead, communications director, Department of Justice; Elaine Casey and the troupe from Theatre Arts Guild; and Louise Carbert, associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Dalhousie University.
Special thanks go to MSVU’s Jill Hurlbert, and Greg and Adam, for excellent service and problem solving. And thank you to everyone who shared their experiences, expertise and passion for politics.
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/2/ ALICE HOUSING – EXCELLENCE IN PROVISION OF BASIC NECESSITIES AWARD
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For the third time in four years, Alice Housing was nationally recognized with the Excellence in Provision of Basic Necessities Award presented on Oct. 16 by the Donner Foundation. The Council congratulates Alice Housing on receiving such prestigious recognition – again.
In 2008, Alice Housing won the top honour of the William H. Donner Award for Excellence in Service Delivery in Canada. With 19 units located throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality, the organization provides safe second- and third-stage housing and supportive counseling for women and children fleeing domestic abuse.
Since its inception in 1983, Alice Housing has helped more than 800 families recover from the devastating impact of family violence. It is the largest second stage housing organization in Atlantic Canada and one of the oldest such organizations in the country. Next year will be its 27th year in operation.
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/3/ YOUR PROVINCE NEEDS YOU
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The Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women and other provincial agencies, boards and commissions are looking for volunteers. This is an excellent way for women to take part in government decision-making in an area that interests them and in which they are knowledgeable. Apply now. Or, if you know a woman who is qualified to sit on an agency, board or commission, encourage her to apply.
Send a resume and covering letter for each position .
-- by mail to the Executive Council Office, One Government Place, 6th floor, 1700 Granville St., P.O. Box 2125, Halifax, N.S., B3J 3B7.
For further information about the non-adjudicative process, board position profiles, current opportunities and how to apply, visit this website http://www.gov.ns.ca/exec_council/abc or e-mail execounc@gov.ns.ca .
To access the Advisory Council on the Status of Women’s board selection criteria, go to: http://www.gov.ns.ca/exec_council/abc/non-adjudicative-position-profiles.asp and click on our organization name. See http://www.gov.ns.ca/exec_council// or phone 902-424-4877 or toll free 1-866-206-6844.
The government of Nova Scotia is committed to affirmative action in making appointments to agencies, boards and commissions and works to promote equitable participation of aboriginal persons, women, persons with disabilities and members of racially visible groups where they are under-represented. Applicants who wish to identify themselves as potential affirmative-action candidates are encouraged to do so.
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/4/ UN APPROVES LONG-AWAITED NEW WOMEN'S AGENCY
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After years of foot-dragging, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution aimed at creating a new agency for women, decades after the assembly created such agencies to deal with children, refugees, food, environment, education, health etc.
None of four existing women's entities in the UN, which will be consolidated into one, are
as powerful and financially stable as full-fledged UN agencies. The new agency will be headed by an under-secretary-general, the third highest ranking position in the UN system.
A coalition of 300 international non-governmental groups, which has been pursuing a campaign for Gender Equality Architecture Reform in the UN system, said it was pleased.
Source: IPS News, 15 Sept, 2009, www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=48439 .
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/5/ AIDS AWARENESS WEEK
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From Nov. 24 to Dec. 1 AIDS Awareness Week aims to increase public knowledge of HIV and AIDS. Each year the organizing committee identifies how HIV/AIDS affects a particular group, for instance in 2008, it was Aboriginal people. In 2009, messages will target youth, particularly girls and young women, and will focus on healthy sexuality and HIV/AIDS.
A poster contest for youth will re-enforce that HIV/AIDS is still a problem, particularly for young women. To see contest rules, visit our website at: http://women.gov.ns.ca/ and look for What’s New.
Source: Alice Housing, October 19, 2009.
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/6/ STUDY: CHANGES IN PARENTAL WORK TIME AND EARNINGS
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Between 1980 and 2005, the time parents spent on the job rose substantially for families with children, mostly because more mothers were working more. During this period, the proportion of families with two parents working on a full-time, full-year basis more than doubled from 15 per cent to 32 per cent.
Single-parent families, particularly single mothers, also increased their work time: the proportion of single mothers with a full-time and full-year schedule rose from 43 per cent to 51 per cent.
Two-parent families in all earnings groups saw increases in their work time but increases were greatest in the low and middle earnings groups. For example, the proportion of parents working full year and full time in the middle earnings group – families who earned between $46,700 and $93,400 in 2005 – tripled over the period from 11 per cent to 32 per cent.
Single parents with low earnings also recorded significant increases in their work hours, especially lone mothers. Between 1980 and 2005, the proportion of single mothers with low earnings working on a full-year and full-time basis rose from 8 per cent to 20 per cent.
Among single mothers, increasing work hours contributed to a third of the overall increase in annual earnings. These gains were mostly associated with rising work hours of single mothers with low earnings. Conversely, because single fathers increased their work time by much smaller amounts, most of the changes in their annual earnings were driven by changing rates of pay.
For more information contact sebastien.larochelle-cote@statcan.gc.ca .
Source: The Daily, October 23, 2009.
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/7/ MORE BABIES BORN TO THIRTY SOMETHING MOMS
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Canadian women are having all kinds of babies — more than they have in nearly two decades, according to Statistics Canada. In 2007, Canadian women gave birth to 367,864 babies, or 3.7 per cent more than were born in the previous year, representing the fastest annual increase since 1989. Those kids could populate a Canadian city entirely on their own.
Most Canadian mothers were between the ages of 30 and 34, continuing the trend of slightly older women starting families later than previous generations. Young 30 something moms accounted for 56 per cent of the increase in births in 2007. That year, they gave birth to 115,415 babies, the highest number of all age groups.
The numbers represent the fifth annual increase in births in Canada. The baby boom was biggest in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and BC, which accounted for 83 per cent of the total increase in births. Alberta alone accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the total national increase, trailed by Ontario (21 per cent), Quebec (18 per cent) and BC (14 per cent).
The average number of children per woman increased to 1.66 in 2007, up from 1.59 the previous year. The highest total fertility rate was back in 1992.
Learn more: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090922/dq090922b-eng.htm .
Source: National Post, Sept. 23, 2009.
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/8/ MYTHS ABOUT GIRLS AND SCIENCE
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Reality: In elementary school about as many girls as boys have positive attitudes toward science.
A recent study of fourth graders showed that 66 per cent of girls and 68 per cent of boys reported liking science. But something else starts happening in elementary school. By second grade, when students (both boys and girls) are asked to draw a scientist, most portray a white male in a lab coat. The drawings generally show an isolated person with a beaker or test tube. Any woman scientist they draw looks severe and not very happy.
The persistence of the stereotypes start to turn girls off, and by eighth grade, boys are twice as interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers as girls are. The female attrition continues throughout high school, college, and even the work force. Women with STEM higher education degrees are twice as likely to leave a scientific or engineering job as men with comparable STEM degrees
Source: The Society of Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST)
http://www.scwist.ca/index.php/main/entry/back-to-school-five-myths-about-girls-and-science/
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/9/ HOW TO MEASURE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
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Violence against women and girls is increasingly being seen as a critical issue to be addressed in the international arena. However, the dearth of rigorous evaluations of violence against women initiatives has resulted in a lack of data to support recommendations for best practices. One reason is the difficulty of obtaining reliable data to assess the scale of violence. There is also a lack of consensus re which indicators should be used to monitor and evaluate the impact of programs aimed at prevention and response.
This compendium of indicators addresses these gaps. Learn more: Violence against Women and Girls: a Compendium of Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators, S. Bloom, 2009, USAID: http://www.cpc.unc.edu/measure/publications/pdf/ms-08-30.pdf .
Source: Siyanda: http://www.siyanda.org .
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/10/ SUPPORT CAREGIVERS
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This new paper discusses limitations of these measures and proposes preferred options for caregiver support and gives thanks to the 3 million Canadians who provide informal care to infirm or aging parents, or to relatives with severe disabilities.
While most caregivers would not want to give up their caregiving role, many admit that it can create onerous financial strains, which threaten to push them into poverty. These pressures arise from paying for basics for family members unable to work, reducing work hours or leaving employment altogether, and covering additional age- or disability-related expenses. In recognition of these “three ghosts” of poverty, Ottawa provides modest income tax relief through the caregiver credit and infirm dependant credit.
Learn more: Talking Turkey on Taxes http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/821ENG.pdf
Source: Caledon Institute of Social Policy, October 2009.
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/11/ WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT PENSIONS?
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Canada’s pension system needs urgent attention, says a new report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The report outlines problems with Canada’s pension system and examines some of the options that have been proposed to deal with them.
See: Pension system needs urgent attention: report
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/news/2009/10/article2318/?pa=BB736455
What Can We Do About Pensions? (PDF - 147K, 9 pages)
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/%7EASSETS/DOCUMENT/National_Office_Pubs/2009/What_Can_We_Do_About_Pensions.pdf
Source:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, October 2009.
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/12/ DID YOU KNOW....
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That there is a quiz developed for Women's History Month:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/story.html?id=2106503 .
Source: Merna Forster, Author of "100 Canadian Heroines: Famous and Forgotten Faces".To learn more about Women’s History Month, click here: http://women.gov.ns.ca/WHM2009.asp .
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NEXT ISSUE – November 3rd, 2009
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