The federal Conservative government is threatening the survival of women’s organizations by delaying funding, the NDP charged today.
“By not responding to funding applications, the Conservatives are allowing programs to shut down, one by one,” New Democrat MP Irene Mathyssen said.
“What’s next? . . . It looks like Bev Oda is spoiling to dismantle the Status of Women Department.”
The National Association of Women and the Law closed its doors Sept. 12 due to a lack of federal funding, the NDP said, while the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action shuts down Sept. 26.
Oda, the minister responsible for the status of women, told the House of Commons that the real issue is taking action on behalf of women and children, not launching more studies and handing out money.
“Unlike the former Liberal government that studied and studied and consulted for years, we believe that we have to act now,” Oda said, promising to address violence, housing and the credentials of immigrant women.
“Our new government will act and make a difference in the lives of women . . . So much of that money is wasted and we want to make sure it goes to those who need it.”
NDP President Anne McGrath says it’s clear the Tory government is not interested in consultation or investigation when it comes to women’s issues.
December marks the 25th anniversary of Canada ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
But the NDP women’s caucus says Ottawa has not met its obligations, particularly on violence against women, poverty, aboriginal women and social housing.
Well Harper seems to want to re-do everything the previous governments have done, like this issue, daycare, environment, Insite etc.
..relations with george!! By the waym what's Steve saying at the UN?
Look at us, cokm rape our North, take control of our arctic, make it more difficult to cross into our biggest trading partner's alnd, and here's the key to our water, just in case you need it someday?
Luther Wrote:
a butt load of people who sit in those small cubicles pretending to work while submitting a "take."
Tories to cut off funding for women's lobby groups
The federal Conservative government says it will no longer fund women's groups that do advocacy, lobbying or general research.
The drastic change to the mandate and operation of Status of Women Canada also drops the word "equality" when listing the agency's goals.
Previous objectives such as helping women's organizations participate in the public policy process and increasing the public's understanding of women's equality issues have been eliminated from government literature.
Organizations that receive funding from the Trudeau-era agency were stunned.
"When you look at this Conservative government's policy it's like, 'Be good girls, be quiet.' It's shocking really," said Monica Lysack of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada.
Groups initially thought the agency's core program had escaped the axe during a government-wide spending review announced last week, when only the administrative side of Status of Women Canada was cut.
Move toward results-oriented projects
But they were told this week by Status of Women Minister Bev Oda that they would no longer be able to receive funding for projects that involved advocacy work, lobbying of the government or general research, as part of new terms and conditions for grants.
Oda was not available for comment Wednesday.
Funny, whenever the conservatives make an announcement, the Minister in charge is never available for comment.
So the "new" government is cutting off funding to more womens groups as well.
