PSAC NATIONAL WOMEN'S CONFERENCE

UNDE EVP REPORT

The PSAC National Womens’ Conference took place in Toronto November 22-25 inclusive. According to the registration list provided by the PSAC, 18 UNDE Sisters registered as delegates: Debbie Graham (VP NL/NB), Dianne Barnes (303), Della Bennett (802), Zelma Buckley (608), Clay Joyce (654), Joy Clayton (406), Donna Gourley (406 ), Susan Hicks (629), Colleen Hodder (403), Vanessa Hruska (802), Gloria Kelly (608), Nina Kiviluoma (903), Christina Meagher (1007), Karlin Roat (619), Shirley Ryan (101), Diane Senécal (503), Mona Simcoe (705), Donna Henderson (603), and two (2) observers, Brenda Moore, UNDE Employment Equity Advisor, and myself.

Overall, there were 257 delegates, NBoD members, guests and observers in attendance at the conference. Sister Robyn Benson, PSAC REVP Prairies, opened the conference, co-chaired by Sister Jeannie Baldwin, PSAC REVP Atlantic. Brother John Gordon, President PSAC, was the only male member invited to attend the conference to address the delegates.

A panel discussion on the state of women's equality featured three women activists who are no strangers to the continuing struggle for women's rights:

Michèle Asselin, the President of the Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ), she was instrumental in the recent development of a Protocol of Solidarity between the FFQ and the Femmes autochtones du Québec;

Andrée Côté, recipient of the Quebec Bar Association's Christine Tourigny Award for the advancement of women in the profession, was the Director of Legislation for the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) for seven years. NAWL was forced to close their offices this year as a result of a Conservative government decision to put an end to the funding of women's advocacy work; and

Paulette Senior, CEO of YWCA Canada, has spent years on the frontlines of social and community work in some of Toronto's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods and has become widely recognized as one of the most respected and vocal women leaders in the country.

All three panellists delivered similar messages on equality issues, gender equity, universal childcare, the lack of government funding and cuts to programs that impact directly on women. It was identified that 72% of women are in the workforce, and that they are still underpaid in comparison to their male counterparts, 71-72 cents on the dollar.

It was also identified that the Canadian Charter for Rights and Freedoms has been in place for 25 years and yet women still have to fight for their rights contained within the charter.

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/ShowTdm/cs/h-6///en?noCookie

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/Charter/index.html

The panel also discussed the Sharon McIvor vs Canada case, an Aboriginal sister who is challenging Section 15 of the Indian Act because it discriminates against First Nations Women on the grounds of sex and marital status; a ground breaking decision that may affect the Indian status of more than 200,000 Aboriginal women and their descendants (attached).

The Sisters were also encouraged to lobby their Members of Parliament for “non-profit childcare” (Bill C-303).

http://www.parl.gc.ca/legisinfo/index.asp?Language=E&Session=15&query=5101&List=toc

Workshops were conducted on Pay Equity, Defending Quality Public Services (DQPS) and Putting Equality Back on Track.

Attached is the Resolutions Committee’s Report (word)– I have taken the liberty of inserting the Carried, and I have deleted the resolutions that were not debated at the conference. Following the debate of the 22 priority resolutions, the following resolutions were moved up for debate: 61, 55, 60, 17, 68, and 8.

In closing, I would like to thank the UNDE delegates for their active participation at the NWC and in the UNDE caucus. UNDE delegates were successful in moving resolutions 61, 55 and 37 forward. This conference was my first NWC, I hope to attend many more.

In solidarity,

Mary Chamberlain
Executive Vice President