The N C W C Newsletter MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

This month we will again celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8th. Canada’s theme for IWD 2016 is “Women’s Empowerment Leads to Equality.” The Status of Women Canada (SWC) website states: “Empowerment is essential to gender equality. Women and girls who are empowered are better equipped to fulfill their potential and contribute their best to society.” SWC defines empowerment as: 1) Having access to education, 2) Getting involved in the community, 3) Becoming financially Independent, 4) Understanding your right to live free from violence, and 5) Knowing how government works and exercising your democratic rights.

One hundred years ago, in January 1916, Manitoba women were the first in Canada to have the right to vote in provincial elections; women in Saskatchewan followed in March, and Alberta in April of that year. It was two years later, in 1918, that women were given the right to vote in federal elections, and 1921 was the first federal election in which women exercised their universal franchise. The International Council of Women will be participating in the 60th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW60) to be held from March 14–24, 2016. Winnipeg will present a parallel event entitled: “Transforming Society through Political and Economic Empowerment of Women.” A delegation of eleven women from NCWC will be attending CSW60, including: 1st VP Kelly-Ann Stevenson, VP Jeannette Logan, and PCW Manitoba President Alberta Johnson. On March 23, they will hold a parallel event entitled: “Lessons from the Heart of Canada: Indigenous Women Bringing our Children Home.” See page 10 for details.

We are very pleased to invite you to attend our 123rd Annual General Meeting and Conference in Saskatoon from June 9–12, 2016. The Saskatoon Council of Women, which is celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year, will be hosting us along with the Provincial Council of Women Saskatchewan.

On February 6, I attended the IDEALaw 2016 Conference at the Schulich Law School, Dalhousie University, Halifax. The theme was “Access to Justice in Contemporary Canada,” and the sessions I attended were: Socio-economic Barriers to Justice; Miscarriages of Justice, Wrongful Convictions, and Beyond; Non-Human Animal Justice; and Cyber justice: The internet as a Tool for Access to Justice.

The one which resonated most with me was the discussion on the ‘miscarriages of justice’ and one of the cases referred to involved Dr. Charles Smith. “An Ontario coroner's inquiry reviewed 45 child autopsies in which Smith had concluded the cause of death was either homicide or criminally suspicious. The coroner's review found that Smith made questionable conclusions of foul play in 20 of the cases — 13 of which had resulted in criminal convictions.” [Dr. Charles Smith: the man behind the public inquiry, CBC News, Dec. 8, 2009]

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE

President’s Message …...………………...1-2

NCWC Education Fund/NCWCDO …..3

Local Women’s Councils ……...……….4-5

Provincial Women’s Councils ………..6-8

Standing Study Committees ………….8-9

Honouring NCWC Women.……………...9

Commission on Status of Women …...10

Nationally Organized Societies.......11-12

Topics of Interest……………. ………..13-17

March 2016 Volume 16, Issue 1

NCWC has worked for over 120 years to improve

the quality of life for women, their families and communities

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Most recently, with the Motherisk scandal, we have what could be one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in recent history. So many lives have been negatively impacted already, and it will be at least two years until Judge Beaman’s review, which will look at cases going back to 1990, is completed. Even then the fallout will be with those most intimately involved for the rest of their lives. “The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies said Monday between 200 and 300 cases have been flagged for review because they involved a now discredited program that used hair analysis to test for drug and alcohol use. Mary Ballantyne, the organization’s CEO, said that includes cases where a child has been placed in an adoptive home but the adoption has not yet been finalized, as well as where a child was eventually to be placed in an adoptive home. The process has been paused while an independent commission led by provincial court judge Judith Beaman examines cases affected by inaccurate testing by the Motherisk Drug Laboratory run by the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, she said, “Children’s aid

societies were directed last April to stop using the Motherisk hair-testing program, which had already been used in thousands of child protection and criminal cases...The program came under scrutiny after Ontario’s highest court set aside a criminal conviction in October 2014 on a basis of differing expert opinions about a particular hair-testing method previously used by Motherisk. Just over a month later, the Ontario government ordered a retired appeal court justice to review the program… more than 9,000 people tested positive through Motherisk between 2005 and 2015, but Beaman’s review will look back 25 years, to 1990. The review is

set to begin later this month and expected to span two years.” [Paola Loriggio, Canadian Press, Feb. 1/16, ctvnews.ca 2016-02-08] “The review looked into risk analysis done at the Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory, whose hair strand testing was used to back up allegations of drug and alcohol abuse in thousands of child protection cases in several provinces and even in some criminal cases. It found that neither the lab’s director, clinical toxicologist Gideon Koren, nor his staff had the qualifications or expertise to do that kind of forensic work and those findings have now thrown 16,000 child protection cases and six criminal cases into doubt… In the previous case, a lack of ‘basic knowledge about forensic pathology’ and faulty analysis autopsy results by Charles Smith, the former director of the hospital’s pediatric forensic pathology unit, led to at least 12 wrongful convictions of parents or caregivers for the deaths of children, according to a 2008 public inquiry. So, how did two spectacularly unqualified individuals end up as respected forensics experts working at one of the world’s most renowned pediatric medical facilities? “It’s a failing across the system. It’s a failing of prosecutors, defence and, in some occasions, the judiciary,” said James Lockyer, Senior Counsel to the Board of the Association in the Defence of the Wrongly Convicted.” [Ron Charles, CBC News, Feb. 8/16, Motherisk scandal highlights risk of deferring to experts without questioning credentials]

NCWC Annual General Meeting and Conference

JOIN US in Saskatoon from June 9th to 12th, 2016

Our 2016 NCWC AGM/Conference will be held at the Park Town Hotel in Saskatoon on the South Saskatchewan River and across from the Kinsmen Memorial Park. See directions: Map to Hotel The Opening Reception on Thursday evening will be held at the University of Saskatchewan's Faculty Club. See directions: Map to Club. On Friday evening there will be a reception, supper, and presentation at the Forestry Farm, which is a National Historic Site, and on Saturday night we will have our Banquet. Our Registration Packages will be emailed out shortly. Plan now to attend! Karen Monnon Dempsey, President, National Council of Women of Canada Email: pres@ncwcanada.com

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SAVE THE DATE — YOU ARE INVITED !

NCWC EDUCATION FUND SHINING A LIGHT ON STIGMA AND MENTAL HEALTH 2015 AGM PROGRAM

The National Council of Women Education Fund (NCWCEF) Board Members wish to thank all those who have supported our latest 2011-2015 series of joint NCWC/NCWEF programs on Women and Mental Health, by attending the four AGM programs and/or making donations

through the year. Your interest and involvement have helped us move this initiative forward.

For instance, most recently, our May program on ‘Homelessness & Mental Health’, “Shine a Light on” the very progressive, compassionate and effective work of front-line individuals and agencies, such as Matthew Pearce President & CEO of the Old Brewery Mission; Ruth Bresnen, Logifem Inc. Montréal and Diana Pizzuti, Director of Programmes at the Y des femmes de Montréal / YWCA of Montreal.

Heading up the program, lead speaker, Lauren Roy, McGill University and the Mental Health Axis at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, very effectively set the stage for the panel with an excellent outline of her research into homelessness and mental health. Her presentation can be found on our NCWC web site at www.ncwcanada.com; Home/Issues/Mental Health/Background/Articles and Reports.

All in all, the 2015 program acted as an excellent bridge between the 2011-2015 Common program topic of mental health and the upcoming 2015-2017 Common Program of “Safety and Security of Persons”, which in a recent memo NCWC President Karen Dempsey described as being “so broad as to encompass a wide variety of subjects, e.g. ..security of food or housing,…Aboriginal women, bullying,… violence against women.”

We are looking forward to planning our next year’s AGM program and have already heard of Councils who are working on the new joint NCWC/NCWC Education Fund Common Program.

Gracia Janes, President, NCWC Educational Fund

NCWC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Thirty years ago, the members of NCWC formed the NCWCDO to support educational and social welfare programs for women and children in Third World countries as well as in Canada. Since then members have raised funds annually to provide assistance for

specific projects, in designated communities, for the advancement of literacy and basic education and for skills training for women and girls.

Monies collected in 2014-2015 supported literacy and vocational skills training projects in Kenya and Pakistan.

Members are encouraged to submit projects that they want to be considered for financial support. Within your own community, elsewhere in your province or another, or in another country, there are organizations that have projects that deserve to be considered by NCWCDO for financial aid. Please consider letting NCWCDO know about in these projects!

Donations, by individuals or groups, are always welcomed and those over $50 are recognized in the NCWCDO Annual Report. This is a non-profit organization and tax receipts are issued for donations over $10. Local and Provincial Councils are urged to hold a special fundraising event during the year in order to support NCWCDO in the help it offers to improve the lives of so many.

Carol Schweitzer, Chair, NCWCDO ncwcdo@gmail.com

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RECEIPTS

Receipts for tax purposes will be issued promptly for donations to NCWC Education Fund and NCWCDO.

NCWC EDUCATION FUND DONATIONS

Mail your CHEQUE or MONEY ORDER to NCWC Education Fund P.O. Box 67099 Ottawa, ON, K2A 4E4 OR On line by CREDIT CARD to CanadaHelps.org

NCWCDO DONATIONS

Mail your CHEQUE or MONEY ORDER to NCWCDO Treasurer P.O. Box 67099 RPO Westboro Ottawa, ON K2A 4E4 OR On line by CREDIT CARD to CanadaHelps.org

LOCAL COUNCILS

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HALIFAX

Several of LCW Halifax’s activities this year have been fact finding for the areas where we see need in our community. We shared a meeting with CFUW and representatives from other agencies which included the film

“My Week on Welfare” showing the reality. The film was followed by a panel discussion. We will be meeting again with Jackie Torrance, the producer of the film, to see where we can make a difference. We often think of our policy that you can't help everyone but everyone can help someone.

We will have another joint meeting with members of other organizations, and the subject will be ‘Child Welfare.’

Currently. our government is proposing changes to this system so knowing the current system will allow us to speak on the issues.

We have also been giving some support to the Marguerite Centre. They deal with and help and guide women who have problems with alcohol. They had their budget cut while the similar agency for men saw no cuts. We saw this as discrimination and have spoken out on this and have provided a little money and currently we are helping them with a small fundraiser.

We are also looking at prospective recipients for our recognition award. Sandra MacLennan, President, LCW Halifax

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MONTREAL

As MCW moved onward in December 2015, our members celebrated the honouring of a woman, who made a difference in the fight to improve the lives of women by alleviating the violence against them. Many wore orange to mark the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence which included Huan Rights Day and also the National Day of Commemoration of the Polytechnique Tragedy.

Our Woman of the Year (WOTY) award in December 2015 went to June Michell, Co-Founder and Coordinator of Femmes Averties / Women Aware. The awards luncheon was attended by many members, guests, past WOTY awardees and the media.

MCW also used this opportunity to launch its 120th

anniversary book, “The Montreal Council of Women,

120 years and counting…A retrospective”. The book

is a kaleidoscope of the actions of various women’s

organizations in Montreal over the past 120 years. The

beautiful cover designed by well-known artist and MCW

member Cheryl Braganza is a representation of

The Famous Five who were instrumental in having

women declared as persons under the law.

MCW continued on to hear guest speaker Rachel Zellars speak during Black History Month about her

successful efforts in the decommissioning of place names and symbols of anti-blackness of some natural

places in Quebec. The presentation kept the audience totally engrossed and the details of the information

was a revelation to many. She is now spearheading a move to have persons of the black community

who, were connected with the sites, take the lead in the renaming of these places.

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June Michell, WOTY 2015

LOCAL COUNCILS

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MONTREAL

MCW looks forward to the last few months of the year and to hearing from other speakers such as

Sharon Hackett of the Conseil des Montréalaises and Wanda Bedard of 60 Million Girls who are making

a difference in the lives of women and girls in their own way. MCW also looks forward to hearing about the

NCWC and ICW experience at the upcoming 60th Commission on the Status of Women meetings in New

York and the progress report on the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and what this will mean

for women and girls around the world and in Canada.

Chitra Chopra, President, Montreal Council of Women

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VANCOUVER

The May meeting of the Vancouver Council of Women was the first one I chaired as the new President. Our speaker, Alice Jongerden, BC Representative of the Raw Milk Institute of Canada, gave a very interesting presentation on the rise and fall of her business. She wanted to supply safe, nutritious unpasteurized milk to 450 Chilliwack families from a herd–share hobby farm. The political and free choice implications of this enterprise were very interesting and being discussed in the Courts.

In June, Lynda Coutts, President of the Vancouver Newcomer’s Club, filled us in on the success of this group throughout the province, providing a social venue for all women experiencing a change in their life style.

We had a number of members reach and surpass their 90th year. A great time celebrating their Birthdays with cake and goodies took place in September, with many stories of summer adventures recounted. Congratulations to Margaret Gall, Marie Rusnak and Stella Shulhan.

Rosemary Mallory, both Vancouver and Provincial Council Past President, was honoured in May 2015 with a Lifetime Membership at the NCWC AGM in Montreal. Rosemary was part of several NCWC delegations to the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, and has represented NCWC at International Council of Women meetings in Johannesburg, Seoul, Bogota, and Izmir. She entertained us with her pictures and stories at the October meeting.

In November, Eliza Olson, President and Founder of the Burns Bog Conservation Society informed us about her passion. It is the largest Peat bog on the west coast of North America, home to hundreds of species of flora, fauna and birds following their migration path. Peat lands cover 3% of the world surface, but store 10 X more carbon per hectare than the rainforests. When considering the dangers of climate changes it is so important to protect these natural areas of the Earth from exploitation.

December celebrated the giving season. Donations of hand knit garments, children’s books and toiletries were contributed by many members and delivered to local shelters. Stella Shulhan contributed some of the over two hundred sweaters for children that she had knit during the year, having sent a major aid parcel to European children. Avis Harley read from her books of poetry for children, and the University Women’s Club of Vancouver “Hycroft Singers” entertained with festive carols.

On February 1st, 2016, Woman of Distinction Neena Randhawa, from Chimo Community Services, opened with a very interesting discussion on this non-profit Richmond organization. CCS serves people in crisis by partnering with local property developers to supply temporary transition housing.

Beryl Matthewson, President, Vancouver Council of Women

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PROVINCIAL COUNCILS

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BRITISH COLUMBIA The National Inquiry on Murders and Disappearances of Indigenous Women and Girls — A Rights-Based Approach

We were pleased that a representative from the Vancouver Council of Women participated with the Coalition on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in the pre-inquiry process to a national inquiry. The Coalition met with the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, in Vancouver on February 13, 2016, as follow-up to a submission tabled at a meeting with Minister Bennett on January 12th entitled: “The primary objective of the inquiry must be to eliminate violence against Indigenous women and girls by recognizing that Canadian governments and other state institutions have both the ability and an obligation under human rights law to address the root causes of that violence and adequately respond and investigate when it occurs.”

Both the Vancouver and New Westminster Council members are getting ready to vote on the National resolutions, and I am encouraging members to attend the National AGM in June.

Barbara Hall, President, PCWBC ———————————————————————————————

ONTARIO

The Ontario Gender Wage Gap Strategy Steering Committee is consulting with Ontarians on how to close the pay gap between men and women. It has prepared consultation papers and is holding town hall meetings across Ontario. One of the Steering Committee members is the Provincial Council of Women of Ontario VP Economics, Linda Davis. Linda also recently presented a brief on behalf of PCWO to the Ontario Government Pre-Budget Consultation.

In November at our Semi-Annual Meeting at Queen’s Park in Toronto, we met with six MPPs. The next day we had a strategic planning meeting where we determined three strategic priorities: 1) grow the organization, 2) raise awareness of the public about us, 3) raise our impact with government. We are currently having a new website designed and urging all our VPs and Convenors to train someone to take over her position later.

Thanks to Gracia Janes, our VP Environment, we have been actively opposing the provincial and federal nuclear programs. We are still fighting to stop the transportation of liquid nuclear waste from Chalk River near Ottawa to South Carolina through the Niagara Peninsula. We urged the Provincial Government to decommission the Pickering nuclear reactors as soon as possible because the Ontario Power Generation Company breached the terms of its operating licence. We recently signed onto a letter asking the Canadian and U.S.

governments to designate radionuclides as Chemicals of Mutual Concern so that data and science will be generated and then preventive actions can be taken to protect the Great Lakes from the threats of radionuclides. We also signed onto a letter asking that the federal government reject the Ontario Power Generation’s proposal to bury radioactive wastes beside Lake Huron.

PCWO was saddened to hear of the passing of Carol Canzona who was a member of Toronto and Area Council of Women, President of Oakville and Area Study Group and recently the Membership Convenor of PCWO. Carol was also a Past-President of PCWO. We are in dialogue with Toronto Parks to see if we can plant a tree in Allen Gardens in memory of Carol.

Mary Potter, President PCWO

Linda Davis, PCWO VP Economics

PROVINCIAL COUNCILS

ONTARIO—STATUS OF WOMEN

What can NCWC do to Help “Comfort Women” and their Lengthy Struggle for Justice from the Japanese Government?

A small news item caught my attention and intrigued me. “Comfort Women: compensate them”. I did some research and discovered there are only 46 women left out of the tens of thousands Korean women who were kidnapped and trafficked as sex slaves, from the many islands conquered by the Japanese army during the Second World War. Now these remaining women are in their 80s and 90s, bowed by the passing of time and the physical and emotional wounds they suffered at the hands of their captors. Girls as young as ten and older women were shipped many miles from their homes to

Tokyo, where they were incarcerated in army ‘Comfort Stations’ or brothels.

It was not until the 1990s that 238 women found the courage and overcame their feelings of shame, to sue the Japanese government for restitution. After much denial from the Japanese government, there was but a statement and with no compensation from the Japanese Prime Minister in 1995, which the Comfort Women refused to accept because it did not meet their conditions. In December, 2015, twenty years later, the South Korean government agreed to a “final” apology to the women from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, accompanied by $11.5 million to create a foundation to provide support for the victims. The money has yet to be forthcoming, which also included the removal of a memorial ‘comfort girl’ in front of the Japanese Embassy. For all political purposes the matter—which had been a central grievance between the two countries—is now over. But it is not over for the women who were not consulted. A former comfort woman Lee Yong-su, 88, asked, “Isn’t it natural to make legal compensation if they commit a crime?” She said that it is not right that Japan will be able to continue to ignore its responsibility to the women directly affected. The only thing they could remotely begin to do, is, a full acknowledgement with compensation, recognize in their history books for education purposes, an accurate record that this war crime committed against young girls and women in the Comfort Stations be recognized, so that this crime will not happen again in any country, and that the memorial statue, a reminder of their suffering, must remain always.

My interest in studying this issue is that I am aware that the next G7 meeting will be taking place in Tokyo, Japan, in July, 2016, which includes our Canadian representative, without resolution. I also hope that this issue will be raised at the next United Nations Status of Women meeting in New York City. I strongly believe that this long-standing Human Rights grievance purported against the Comfort Women must be resolved to the satisfaction of the victims, before they die.

I am pleased to learn from my research that there are many South Korean women’s organizations, including the Korean National Council of Women, My Sister’s Place (Du Rae Bang) support center for women in US military camp towns and the Korean Council of Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery. I have written to the latter for information, but have not yet received it. There are many resources about the plight of the Comfort Women. An excellent resource (but dated book) is, “COMFORT WOMEN: Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military During World War II,” by author Yoshimi Yoshiaki (1995), available from the public library.

For some quick reference, see: Comfort Women from Wikipedia (22 pages) and Protecting the Human Rights of Comfort Women: Hearing - the Hearing before the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the global Environment of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, USA, 110th

Congress, first session, February 15, 2007.

Thelma A. McGillvray, VP, Status of Women, PCWO 7

PROVINCIAL COUNCILS

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QUEBEC

CPFQ-PCWQ has recently sent a letter of condolences to Sheila Goldbloom, C.M. on the death of her husband, Dr Victor Goldbloom, C.M. Many obituaries and tributes illustrate the extent of his contributions in many spheres of life in Canada and in Québec. Mrs. Goldbloom has also long been involved in public life including a public consultation a few years ago on the lives of Seniors in Québec, of which she was co-chair with Minister Marguérite Blais, and travelled to many meetings with seniors across the province. In April 2009, members of CPFQ-PCWQ were privileged to have Sheila Goldbloom, who is also a member of MCW, as the guest speaker at our AGM. We were glad to hear a first-hand account of her experiences during the consultation, whose report “Suivi de la consultation publique sur les conditions de vie des aînés” had just been issued in French and in English. After her talk, entitled “Seniors – Aspects of Respect”, we had a lively discussion on preparing the future with our seniors. Needless to say, in the past seven years we have all become older and are still concentrating on what can be done to improve the lives of our growing demographic! Elizabeth Hutchinson, President, CPFQ-PCWQ ——————————————————————————————

ECONOMICS AND EMPLOYMENT

Mental Health and the Workplace

Mental illness is an affliction that is difficult to broach even in this Information Age. One in five Canadians experiences mental illness in any given year. We experience challenges in life which makes us vulnerable and potentially impacts our mental health.

1 Most of us pull through with the support and caring of our loved ones and our community. There are more resources available to us than ever before but they still do not come anywhere near meeting the need.

2 Workers spend approximately one third of their adult working life in the workplace so colleagues can be an asset or a liability. As Convenor for Economics and Employment, I urge employers and workers to inform themselves about the issues related to stress management, respectful workplaces, safe work environments, peer support programs as ways to promote mental well-being. Employers can begin to change by setting an example of courtesy and respect, express appreciation and invite feed-back so the whole team of workers will feel each one is a valued employee contributing to significant, meaningful output. Such workplaces are likely to benefit from increased loyalty and productivity which can in turn translate in a pleasant work atmosphere where creativity thrives and which can impact positively the bottom line. There exists a range of in-service workshops that deal workplace challenges: How to create a positive motivating atmosphere; respect for human rights can eliminate sexism, racism - celebrating diversity, instead; establish progressive human resources policies; how to deal with employees who may be experiencing family violence; workshops on mood disorders, depression/suicide prevention, etc.

Dr. Victor Goldbloom, C.M. and

Sheila Goldbloom, C.M.

STANDING STUDY COMMITTEES

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STANDING STUDY COMMITTEES

ECONOMICS AND EMPLOYMENT

Mental Health and the Workplace

experiencing family violence; workshops on mood disorders, depression/suicide prevention, etc. New domains to explore in the modern workplace include the stress of 24-hour accessibility through technology; hazards of social media, harassment, the importance of work-family balance, policy regarding workplace relationships, and the notions of power and consent, to name a few. Gisèle Saurette-Roch, Convenor for Economics and Employment, NCWC __________________ 1 Smetanin, et al. (2011). “The life and economic impact of major mental illnesses in Canada: 2011-2041” 2 Mental Illness and Addictions: Facts and Statistics, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health web-site:

http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/newsroom/for_reporters/Pages/addictionmentalhealthstatistics.aspx

Note: The terms ‘mental illness’ and ‘addiction’ refer to a wide range of disorders that affect mood, thinking and behaviour. Examples include: depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, as well as substance use disorders and problem gambling. Mental illness and addictions can be associated with distress and/or impairment of functioning. Symptoms vary from mild to severe. ——————————————————————————————

HONOURING NCWC WOMEN IN MEMORIAM: DOROTHY BEACH—1913-2016

New Westminster Council regrets to announce the passing of Dorothy Beach, Life Member of New Westminster Council. Dorothy was active at Local, Provincial and National levels in the Council and was instrumental in bringing forth many of our environmental policies.

Florence Erwin, NCWC

A lifetime of contributions: Dorothy Beach, a woman who pioneered environmental activism in the Royal City, has passed away at the age of 102. She lived most of her life in New Westminster and remembered the area around River Drive as a wilderness of bushes and greenery. Her efforts earned her the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, which she wore with pride.

Beach's lengthy list of environmental endeavours includes serving as the director of the Fraser River Coalition and chairing the National Council of Women at the UN Habitat Conference in 1976. She received the Life Achievement Award from the B.C. Provincial Council of Women, the Burns Bog Spirit of the Cranes award and other honours for her environmental efforts.

Photograph By Jennifer Gauthier

© 2016 New West Record—articles below

1) See Obituary: http://www.newwestrecord.ca/community/new-west-loses-well-loved-environmental-activist-1.2160992

2) See Article “I was born in that room that I sleep in now”: http://www.newwestrecord.ca/news/i-was-born-in-that-room-that-i-sleep-in-now-1.557367

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Dorothy Beach

CSW60—U.N. COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN 60

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT | SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The sixtieth (60th) session of the Commission on the Status of Women, will be held from March 14-24, 2016, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Priority theme of the session will be “Women's Empowerment” and its link to sustainable development. The Review theme is: the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. See: http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw/csw60-2016

National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) / Council of Women of Winnipeg (CWW) Topic: “Lessons from the Heart of Canada: Indigenous Women Bringing our Children Home” Manitoba leads the western world in the removal of Indigenous children from their families. These Indigenous women are leading the way to challenge existing systems using Indigenous knowledge, laws, traditions and belief systems to create positive change. Moderator: Kelly-Ann Stevenson - 1st Vice President NCWC / President CWW Presenters: Sarah Gazan - Nisichawaysihk Cree Nation Family and Community Wellness Centre Margaret MacKinnon - Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre Lore M. Mirwaldt Q. C. - Lawyer, Winnipeg MB Cora Morgan - First Nations Family Advocate Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Jackie Walker - Nisichawaysihk Cree Nation Family and Community Wellness Centre

Date: Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Time: 4:30pm Venue: CCUN Room (The Church Center, 777 UN Plaza (corner of 44th and First Ave), New York, NY Please follow CSW60 NCWC delegates on our blog: http://csw2016.blogspot.ca/ Kelly-Ann Stevenson, 1st Vice President, NCWC

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NATIONALLY ORGANIZED SOCIETIES

CANADIAN COUNCIL OF MUSLIM WOMEN (CCMW)

The Canadian Council of Muslim Women, founded by the late Dr. Lila F. Fahlman, is a group of dynamic and devoted Muslim women from across the country. They seek to mobilize their passion for social justice and faith in order to enrich their communities and work towards the common good of Canadian society. Our vision is to maintain equality, equity and empowerment for all Canadian Muslim women.

For more information about our work, please visit www.ccmw.com or send us an email at info@ccmw.com.

Project Communitas: CCMW's Project is coming to an end but we have lots of wonderful updates! In the past two years, we had the opportunity to engage with young changemakers from across the country. We were able to conduct seven resilience workshops at ran community forums to gain even more insight on community and individual resilience. To bring our findings to the grassroots, we released the Human Resilience Toolkit, that is posted on our website: http://communitas.ccmw.com/project-reports/

We are planning to hold a community forum in London, Ontario. We will conclude the project with a final national gathering of changemakers from across to country. We expect to learn more about the impact of the project and how to create more resilience in individuals and communities.

Project: Engaging Men and Boys in Ending Violence in the Home

CCMW, in partnership with White Ribbon and Afghan Women’s Organization, held a two-day conference from February 4-6, 2016 on “Averting Violent Extremism”. Our three-year project “Engaging Men and Boys to End Violence in the Family.” has been funded by Status of Women Canada with the goal to engage men and boys, from Muslim communities, to end violence in the family. The objectives are to:

- Develop and strengthen the skills of men and boys, working in partnership with women and girls, to identify and respond to issues and gender-based violence in their communities.

- Engage key decision makers in the communities so as to transform the environment and create a cultural shift. We will be coming to the following cities for focus groups and local workshops: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, London, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary. Should you like to learn more about the project, please contact us at projects@ccmw.com.

Arshia Lakhani, Executive Administrative Assistant, CCMW for Alia Hogben, Executive Director 11

Stephane Pressault, Project Co-ordinator for CCMW’s Project Communitas

CCMW is working in partnership with the In-tercultural Dialogue Institute of Ottawa as well as the Carleton Center for the Study of Islam to bring you this 2 day conference held on February 4th- 5th, 2016.

Sahar Zaidi of CCMW speaks on CP24 about our ongoing project CP24 VIDEO: http://www.cp24.com/video?clipId=792017

NATIONALLY ORGANIZED SOCIETIES

CANADIAN HADASSAH-WIZO (CHW)

Canadian Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) passionately supports programs and services for Children, Healthcare, and Women in Israel and Canada. The past few months at Canadian Hadassah-WIZO (CHW) have been eventful, to say the least. On November 7th, 2015, CHW hosted I Love Israel! A Gala Soirée at the Eaton Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto. The evening was filled with mouth-watering food, lively entertainment, and incredible company. It was a truly wonderful evening, made even more so by the keynote speakers, inventor of the Iron Dome, mPrest founder and CEO, Natan Barak, and former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and very strong advocate of Israel, the Honourable John Baird.

Following dinner, Natan Barak and John Baird gave their keynote addresses to an engaged audience made up of CHW members and friends. Natan Barak’s inspiring presentation detailed the creation of the Iron Dome missile defense system, and its incredible significance for the safety of the Israeli population.

John Baird discussed his lengthy friendship, both personal and on behalf of Canada, with the State of Israel: a relationship he worked tirelessly to foster and maintain throughout his career.

The evening was capped off with the musical talents of local Toronto rhythm and blues band, Community Soul Project, who played lively renditions of Mo-Town classics. By the end of the night, the hearts and minds of all our guests were filled with the knowledge that they helped support a truly amazing cause.

In December, CHW had our end of year appeal where we helped “Spread the Light of Chanukah” in Canada and Israel. Each week of December we put the spotlight on a different CHW project, giving our donors the opportunity to learn more about the work we do. With the generous support of our donors we were able to raise additional funds in support of CHW’s projects helping Children, improving Healthcare, and supporting Women.

From January 17th to the 21st, World WIZO held their 26th Enlarged General Meeting (EGM). National Executive Director, Alina Ianson, four other members of our leadership team and I represented CHW at the meeting. The EGM brought together top Jewish female leaders from around the world to gather for a week of thought, reflection, and celebration. The event showed us how women are making a difference in shaping the State of Israel and Jewish communities around the world.

At the meeting CHW Immediate Past National President, Marla Dan was presented with a World WIZO Honorary Life Member Award. We were thrilled to have been able to attend the ceremony for this wonderful person.

While we have certainly been busy lately, we know that our hard work is being recognized. We are motivated, and we are excited about everything this new year will bring!

Claudia Goldman, National President, CHW

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Left to right: Colonel (Ret.) Natan Barak, CHW National Executive Director, Alina Ianson, CHW National President, Claudia Goldman, The Honourable John Baird at the I Love Israel! Gala Soirée

ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN CONTEMPORARY CANADA On February 6th I attended the IDEALaw 2016 Conference at the Schulich Law School, Dalhousie University, Halifax. This biennial student-run event hosted by the Social Activist Law Student Association brings together activist and legal communities. The theme this year was “Access to Justice in Contemporary Canada.” We were welcomed by Jennifer Hand, Law Students’ Society President, and Dan Nicholson, Dalhousie Student Union President, both of whom thanked the Mi’kmaw peoples for letting them host the conference on their land. The first panel addressed Socio-economic Barriers to Justice and two of the panelists were: Kasari Govender (Executive Director, West Coast LEAF & Adjunct Prof. of Law, Peter A. Allard School of Law, UBC) and Kaitlyn Mitchell (Staff Lawyer & National Program Director, Ecojustice, BC). They spoke to:

the inability to afford legal counsel and the need to broaden legal aid availability

access to justice is far more than a problem with the traditional justice paradigm

substantive access to justice would be more concerned with substantive outcomes

rights-based legal system needed - should cover any matter where your human dignity is at stake

implementation gap: ideas don’t always get implemented due to lack of political and financial commitment

need to look at a more holistic approach to advocacy; building relationships in the name of social

justice; understand your client’s issues re race, etc.; do a cultural impact statement - understand who it is you are representing

Restorative Justice process – used as an approach when it does less harm

phrase “visible minorities” mentioned by one panelist as not being acceptable anymore (referenced by the UN in 2006 in the Elimination of Racism)

The second panel addressed “Miscarriages of Justice, Wrongful Convictions, and Beyond” and was one of the best attended sessions. Panelists included: The Hon. Justice David P.S. Farrar (Justice, N.S. Court of Appeal), Sean MacDonald (Sean T. MacDonald Law Office & Director, Assoc. in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted, Toronto), and El Jones (Instructor, Dept. of Sociology, St. Mary’s University, Halifax). Themes from this riveting panel discussion were:

currently many innocent people in prison due to police misconduct; tunnel vision; no critical assessment; no forensic evidence to support case; eye witness identification which in many cases which have been later overturned by DNA evidence; innocent people induced to make guilty pleas; jailhouse informants are a problem and dangerous evidence to rely on

overrepresentation in the justice system of those with mental disabilities

wrongful convictions seen in Canada seen with regularity most over-represented in criminal justice system: lower socio-economic persons who lack resources to

access legal system

the first step into criminal justice system is most important as minor infractions often lead to convictions – then 3 or 4 convictions – they find themselves with a record – because they haven’t had meaningful access to real legal advice, so they may feel they have to plead guilty to get a lesser plea even when they are innocent – so they become more and more vulnerable - the further you walk down this road the more vulnerable you get

hundreds of people in federal penitentiaries who are innocent – dealing with life threatening conditions in prison – difficult to find people outside to help – lack of access to phone and no support most of the time.

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TOPICS OF INTEREST

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ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN CONTEMPORARY CANADA ineffective assistance of counsel is the most common cause of appeal and there have been Royal

Commissions into wrongful convictions; for example: Donald Marshall case – police only sought out ‘evidence’ to convict Donald who they determined was guilty; witnesses coerced to lie; failure of crown prosecutor and Donald’s own lawyer in their duties; Donald was coerced to say he had tried to rob the victim, which was not the case. After he was acquitted, he was still perceived to have been involved in a robbery which was not the case.

The third panel dealt with Non-Human Animal Justice and panelists included: Lesli Bisgould, Staff Barrister, Legal Aid Ontario & Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, U. of Toronto, The Hon. Justice Catherine A. Fraser, Chief Justice of Alberta Court of Appeal and Chief Justice of the Northwest Territories and Chief Justice of the Nunavut Court of Appeal, Edmonton, and Camille Labchuk, Executive Director of Animal Justice Canada and Animal Rights Lawyer.

Some of the ideas put forth in this session:

there still is a lot of opposition to the idea of non-human animal justice

very few lawyers involved in this field; Camille currently taking a course at Harvard on this topic with 50 people in the course so interest is growing

the sad case of Lucy the Elephant in the Edmonton Zoo [The CBC (Aug. 4, 2011) “The Appeal Court ruling Thursday means that Lucy, the only elephant in Edmonton’s Valley Zoo, will have to stay there, barring a further appeal...But Chief Justice Catherine Fraser differed in a 42-page dissent, writing that the “case should go to trial on the important points of law that potentially impact on both the protection of animals in this province and the public interest in the city’s compliance with the law. The appellants, for the public and on behalf of Lucy, are entitled to their day in court...Chief Justice Catherine Fraser”]

there is a bill upcoming in the Senate which would prohibit cosmetic animal testing

a question to the panelists referred to the rights of First Nations’ peoples and the Seal Hunt, for example: Camille stated that no animal rights lawyers she is aware of are trying to restrict the rights of the First Nations’ peoples in the north to participate in their traditional trapping and seal hunt as opposed to the seal hunt which is being carried out in Newfoundland

The fourth panel addressed Cyber justice: The internet as a Tool for Access to Justice and ideas discussed were:

for students today the internet is the number one tool re where to find the law, how to articulate the law - also accessible to lay people; transformative

internet largely unregulated

bullying part is quite scary - concerns for women and those who are already marginalized; there are laws already existing to address issues that arise which need to be used

is there a right balance between someone’s right to speak freely and other people’s responses

internet inherently international – different norms in different countries – some things unlawful in many places

people are looking for legal information; a role in providing legal education; assist in access to info through the internet; how to design legal information to make it accessible; design tools so as to not just churn out text

one panelist said “social media has forced mainstream media to do their job” - people being impacted are now being talked to – media now asking how they can better do their job – people want the facts, not just someone’s opinions, mainstream media has become an amplification of the voices online – if your voice is there, they will find you – they can google you, etc.

re emotional abuse – cyber bullying – at the moment people cannot recover damages in a civil case for emotional distress if no physical harm was sustained - this situation may have to be revisited

crime rate is going down in the ages of people who use the internet the most

(or maybe they are just committing crimes online that people don’t recognize – cynical view)

is the internet creating a new kind of privilege - limited access re geographic location, cost, knowledge of how to use; internet doesn’t create privilege, it just reflects it; has opened access to those with physical disabilities, etc., but still large inequities exist

protections needed especially around children – have to understand that putting stupid things on the internet never go away – education around this needed

The above is just a very brief summation of the main ideas/thoughts discussed and is by no means complete. The topics were extremely timely and the panelists, foremost in their fields, came from all across Canada. Micaela Sheppard, a Schulich Law School student whom I met that day has called me for an interview; she is working with the Canadian Bar Association as a student researcher on their Access to Justice project. I am already looking forward to the 2018 Conference and I have to say that I really envy the women in law school today.

Karen Monnon Dempsey, President, NCWC 14

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PROGRAM ON THE BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE / AKA THE BIG PUSH

The following article appeared in go

/be|weekly and was one of three media reports of a public meeting on “The Basic Income Guarantee” held jointly by the St. Catharines & District Council of Women and the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network. Over 85 people attended, including politicians, academics, public health nurses, students, front-line agencies, community groups and the general public. It was published ahead of the meeting, but captures the spirit and content of the evening.

Gracia Janes Social Justice Convenor St. Catharines & District Council of Women

The following article is by David DeRocco and can be found in go

/be|weekly. Click on this link: Basic Income Guarantee: Can It End Poverty In Niagara

Is ending poverty in Niagara as simple as guaranteeing everyone a basic income? That’s the concept that was presented on Wednesday, January 13th at a public forum being held in St. Catharines, Ontario.

All the glitz and glamour of its shiny casino industry, its rolling vineyards and its international reputation as a tourism destination can’t hide the hidden truth about Niagara: the region is suffering from the ill effects of a fragile Canadian economy

and a significant loss of its manufacturing industry. With unemployment rates hovering around eight percent and the percentage of people on welfare climbing, poverty in the region is becoming a serious social issue. The St. Catharines and District Council of Women and the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network believe that ending poverty is within our means, and a basic income guarantee is part of the answer.

To explain what a “basic income guarantee” would mean to the region, the anti-poverty organizers behind the event invited interested Niagara residents to attend a free public forum featuring Dr. Lisa Simon, Associate Medical Officer of Health for the Muskoka Simcoe Public Health Unit. Dr. Simon agreed that in a country as rich as Canada, many people don’t fully understand what poverty is.

“There are many definitions of poverty, but a nice one is from Quebec’s Bill 111,” she explained. “It defines poverty as ‘the condition of a human being who is deprived of the resources, means, choices and power necessary to acquire and maintain economic self-sufficiency and participation in society.”

At the forum, Dr. Simon discussed the concept of a “basic income guarantee,” a program that achieved good results when initially piloted in Dauphin and Winnipeg back in the ‘70s. What differentiates the concept from other social assistance programs for low income and unemployed people is the fact it’s distributed unconditionally.

“Basic income involves a regular, reliable, distribution of money from government to people to help ensure total income sufficient to meet common basic needs,” said Dr. Simon. “It can be distributed on a universal basis, or using the income tax system on an income-tested basis. It is different from other social assistance programs because it is unconditional. One doesn’t have to be looking for work; the only criteria is income level. It likely presents less of a barrier for returning to the workforce, and most proposals are more generous than current social assistance rates. It really treats a basic income level as a right, along with the rights of health care and education, for example. Because of all these factors, it has also been shown to be less stigmatizing than social assistance, which is very important.”

The forum was hosted in part to help drive awareness of the correlation between poverty and health, a growing concern in Niagara according to event organizers who recognize how massive job losses have affected the region.

“I know that since 2008 or even earlier we have lost a lot of jobs, as companies such as Atlas Steel have gone out of business and GM downsized drastically, going from over 13,000 workers in 1979 to about 2,500 at most now,” said Gracia Janes, Convenor of Social Justice St. Catharines & District Council of Women. “Our number of welfare cases has escalated by over 42%, and the numbers of people visiting food banks has risen dramatically.”

Janes said that people living below the poverty line struggle to get proper nutrition despite the availability of food banks and their best efforts to distribute healthy foods.

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TOPICS OF INTEREST

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PROGRAM ON THE BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE/AKA THE BIG PUSH

“There is the idea out there that people can just go each week to a food bank or two,” she said. “However, they can only go to one food bank once a month except in emergencies. Despite considerable efforts to improve the donated food’s nutritional value at the food banks, healthy food is still mainly an unaffordable luxury for many. This is definitely not healthy for a person with a pre-existing health issue, such as diabetes.”

Organizers of the event say momentum for a basic guaranteed income is growing and could become an effective tool in the preventing poverty. As for who she would like to see attending, Dr. Simon says the night is really a public information session for anyone who would like to see poverty in Canada eradicated through more effective distribution of dollars.

“Really anyone interested in learning more about the connection between poverty and health, the potential role for a basic income, and local advocacy opportunities on this issue,” she said. To learn more about a basic income guarantee, join the St. Catharines and District Council of Women and the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network on Wednesday January 13, 2016 at 7:30pm at the St. Catharines Centennial Library, 54 Church St., for an informative presentation.

PS: On February 5th, 2016, the following announcement was made by the Chair of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network, which was the co-sponsor of our St. Catharines & District Council of Women event.

David DeRocco, go

/be|weekly, Niagara Entertainment Listings

FLASH ! Robert Rainer Basic Income Advocate, Perth Ontario February 25th 2016

Breaking news from Ontario today: the Ontario government has made a budget commitment to undertake a basic income pilot project. This represents a break-through for the cause of basic income in Canada - formal, explicit recognition by a senior government (in this case the government of Ontario) that basic income has merit and ought to be thoroughly explored. The commitment comes following many expressions of support from within Ontario for basic income, perhaps most nota-bly from within the health sector (and kudos to those health profes-sionals who have led on this). See what Robert Rainier’s article and other experts say. The specific budget text focusing on basic income is as follows:

"In the 2015 Budget, Ontario introduced a consultation on social assistance rate restructuring. Through ongoing discussions, there emerged a clear consensus on the need to move policy considera-tions beyond social assistance rates to include aspects of the broader income security system.

"As a result, this year, the government will continue to engage with delivery partners, clients and sector advocates to chart the path to comprehensive reform that effectively reduces poverty, supports people in their efforts to participate in the economy, and provides human services in a way that makes sense to the people who need them. This process will look across government and at the broader income security landscape to ensure that various existing and future programs work together to help Ontarians. The government will also engage with First Nation, Inuit and Metis communities to ensure that the path forward recognizes unique challenges on and off-reserve and helps all Ontarians live a better life.

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TOPICS OF INTEREST

We are delighted to announce that following a presentation by the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network, Niagara Regional Council endorsed a Basic Income Guarantee! - Gracia Janes

Robert Rainer , Basic Income Advocate

TOPICS OF INTEREST

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Report on Health, Social Development and Seniors & Youth, by Sheila Pepper, VP, Social Development, NCWC, March 2016

TO OUR MEMBERS HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY ! ENJOY CELEBRATING THIS SPECIAL DAY WITH THE WOMEN AND GIRLS IN YOUR LIVES!

NATIONAL COUNCIL

OF WOMEN OF CANADA

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015-16

PRESIDENT: Karen Monnon Dempsey

PAST PRESIDENT: Denise Mattok

VICE PRESIDENTS:

Kelly-Ann Stevenson, 1st VP

Sandra Cohen-Rose

Barbara Hall

Patricia Leson

Jeannette Logan

Sheila Pepper

TREASURER:

Stephanie Courneyea, CGA

DISCLAIMER

The opinions expressed by the

contributors are their own and do not

necessarily reflect or represent the

views of the National Council of Women

of Canada, its members or federates.

National Council of Women

of Canada

P.O. Box 67099, Ottawa, ON

Canada K2A 4E4

Telephone: 1-902-422-8485 Email: pres@ncwcanada.com

VISIT THE NEW NCWC WESITE www.ncwcanada.com

EDITOR & WEBSITE MANAGER

Beverley Colquhoun

editornewsletter@ncwcanada.com

PROGRAM ON THE BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE / AKA THE BIG PUSH FLASH ! Robert Rainer Basic Income Advocate, Perth Ontario, February 25th 2016 "One area of research that will inform the path to comprehensive reform will be the evaluation of a Basic Income pilot. The pilot project will test a growing view at home and abroad that a basic income could build on the success of minimum wage policies and increases in child benefits by providing more consistent and predictable support in the context of today’s dynamic labour market. The pilot would also test whether a basic income would provide a more efficient way of delivering income support, strengthen the attachment to the labour force, and achieve savings in other areas, such as health care and housing supports. The government will work with communities, researchers and other stakeholders in 2016 to determine how best to design and implement a Basic Income pilot.”

Gracia Janes, Social Justice Convenor, St. Catharines & District Council of Women

REMINDER—SUBMISSION DEADLINE

EMAIL YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS, NEWS, ARTICLES & PHOTOS

To The Editor: editornewsletter@ncwcanada.com

Submission date for the next issue of NCWC newsletter

October 15, 2016

FORMAT: WORD, Rich Text, Arial 11 pt, 500 WORD MAXIMUM

THE NCWC WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU...

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...cont’d from page 16

ARTICLES TO LOOK FOR ON NCWC’S WEBSITE CLICK on Topics of Interest to NCWC