CAUT | ACPPU

Today, on the anniversary of the murder of 14 women at Montreal’s École Polytechnique in 1989, we must look at what has happened since and re-dedicate ourselves to eliminating violence against women.

Although there have been some advances in the past 22 years, rates of violence against women have not decreased and inequalities are still massive for historically marginalized groups, including aboriginal women and women with disabilities.

Unfortunately, the Harper Government’s actions have undermined important work necessary for the eradication of violence against women.

The dismantling of the long gun registry, a program historically implemented as a response to the Montreal Massacre, undermines the ability of the police to protect against gun violence – the main victims of which are women.

The Harper government’s omnibus crime bill (Bill C-10) will have particularly negative consequences for many women, particularly those living in poverty.

The hundreds of millions of dollars needed to fund the new prisons and the rest of the “tough on crime” agenda will be money not spent on  funding education, research, social programs, and community organizations working to improve the lives of women.

While aboriginal women represent only 3% of the overall population, they represent 34% of the imprisoned population, a gross overrepresentation only to be inflated through the perpetuation of cycles of poverty, violence and crime.

More than 582 aboriginal women have been missing or murdered in Canada, and yet the Harper government cut funds for Sisters in Spirit — the program tracked information on missing and murdered aboriginal women.  Many other vital resources for women, listed below, have likewise seen their funding cut by the Harper Government.

On this December 6th, we remember the 14 murdered women of the Montreal Massacre, and all of the women who are missing or have been murdered before and since. But equally importantly we must mobilize across Canada to restore funding for women’s organizations and unite our voices to ensure that the power of government is used to advance justice and equity for all.

List of gender “advocacy” organizations whose funding has been cut or ended by the Harper Government
(as of April 25, 2011)

– Action pour la protection de la santé des femmes
– Action travail des femmes
– Alberta Network of Immigrant Women
– Association canadienne pour la promotion des services de garde à l’enfance
– Association des femmes autochtones du Canada
– Association féminine d’éducation et d’action sociale (AFEAS)
– Association nationale Femmes et Droit (ANFD)
– Centre de documentation sur l’éducation des adultes et la condition féminine
– Child Care Resource and Research Unit, Trait d’union
– Coalition ontarienne pour de meilleurs services éducatifs à l’enfance
– Coalition pour l’équité salariale du Nouveau-Brunswick
– Condition féminine Canada
– Conseil d’intervention pour l’accès des femmes au travail (CIAFT)
– Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women Toronto
– Fédération canadienne des services de garde à l’enfance
– Fédération internationale pour le planning familial
– Feminists for Just and Equitable Public Policy (FemJEPP) en Nouvelle-Écosse
– Fondation autochtone de guérison
– Institut canadien de recherche sur les femmes (ICREF)
– Kelowna Women's Resource Centre (KWRC)
– Marie Stopes International
– MATCH International
– Older Women's Network
– Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses (OAITH)
– Programme d’équité en milieu de travail/en matière d’emploi
– Réseau action femmes
– Réseau des Tables régionales de groupes de femmes du Québec
– Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre, Toronto
– Société de soutien à l’enfance et à la famille des Premières Nations du Canada
– Sœurs par l’esprit
– South Asian Women’s Centre
– Tri-Country Women’s Centre Society
– Womanspace Resource Centre (Lethbridge, Alberta)
– Women for Community Economic Development in Southwest Nova Scotia
– Women’s Innovative Justice Initiative –  Nouvelle-Écosse