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| November 2000 |
Vol. 1, No. 2 |
The World March of Women
2000 Next Steps
The Moment is a new communiqué of Halton Social Planning Council and
Volunteer Centre to share with you important community initiatives. The Moment
is a translation of the Spanish word "coyuntura". This word is used
throughout Latin America to describe the coming together of a number of
important, historical, economic and social factors that create a
"moment" of opportunity to implement social change.
This is the second "Moment" focusing on the World March of Women
2000. The Halton Organizing Committee, of which the Council is a member, has
asked that we share the real story of the March of Women in Ottawa on October
15, 2000.
Introduction
The World March of Women 2000 is an international campaign of women to raise
awareness of and to eradicate poverty and violence against women.
Our national media poorly covered this celebration for peace and justice. On
October 15, 2000 the World March of Women, Halton Organizing Committee, along
with women from across Canada, took these demands to Ottawa. Simultaneously,
women from across the globe brought similar demands to their nation's capital.
The March
Thirty-three Halton women, from teenagers to seniors, with a variety of
experience, created a bond on the bus trip that will last beyond "the
March." On the way to Ottawa ideas were shared, friendships were made and
information was provided about the campaign that had begun on March 8, 2000. In
Ottawa they joined other women from Halton to create a Halton contingent of
approximately 50 women.
More that 15,000 people, mostly women, marched and rallied on Parliament Hill
in a joyous celebration of hope and a call for justice to eliminate poverty and
violence against women in Canada and around the world. The demands of Canadian
women include:
- Women's right to social security
We demand full access to welfare and income security, fully funded
public health care and education, social housing, and adequate pensions.
- Women's right to equality at work
Working women demand improved labour standards, including a minimum wage
above the poverty line ($10 an hour), the right to unionize; we want
effective and enforceable pay and employment equity legislation; we need
sexual, racial, sexual orientation and personal harassment protection, and
we demand the restoration of unemployment insurance to at least 1996 levels.
- Care for our children
Women demand access to quality, state funded childcare, paid maternity
leave and dependant care leave.
- The right to be free of violence
Women demand that the federal government provide $50 million in funding
directly to women's shelters, rape crisis centres and sexual assault
centres.
- Access to the rights of citizenship
Women in Canada demand an open immigration and refugee policy, domestic
workers rights, access to work and welfare for immigrants and refugees. We
demand that the federal government return to core funding for women's
organizations. We demand full lesbian legal equality and access to all
benefits available to others.
- Women's rights internationally
We join with women around the world in our full support of the demands of
the international march.
Support for the March and its objectives was evident from the colourful
banners, signs, drums, and musical instruments carried by the wonderfully
diverse groups which had come from every part of the country. Banners from as
far away as the Yukon, B.C., Alberta, Newfoundland were seen, as well as many
Ontario and Quebec groups.
Many voices were heard during an open mike session expressing hope, outrage
and a variety of stories of women's lives. The youngest marchers lifted us up
with their articulate visions of a better future for women. They also led us in
chants and songs as we proudly marched behind our beautiful handmade banner
designed by grade 8 students from Montclair Public School in Oakville.
The March was well organized and started from 3 major staging areas, with the
plan being that at a certain point just prior to arriving on the Hill the
columns of marchers would merge into one beautiful whole. This entailed somewhat
of a wait to accommodate the large number of marchers involved… It was well
worth the wait!!! The sight of what appeared to be an endless stream of women
joining together with one voice in sending a message to our government that our
demands for justice and equality must be met was very powerful and a complete
validation that our journey to Ottawa was necessary and the right thing to do.
The message that we delivered is loud and clear, the U.N. determined the date
for women's equality to be the year 2000; in other words it is NOW!!!
Next Steps
Many of us returned to Halton buoyed by the strength we had gathered on this
historic day. We promised to revive the women's movement in Halton.
The concerns and demands that we have presented to Government point to areas
of social policy development and action, if women's inequality in Canada is to
be addressed. Women's inequality is not a debatable issue; it is real and
affects us everyday. We are tired of waiting and need a positive and respectful
response to our demands. We should also be vigilant and try to do our part in
keeping the aims of the March alive by routinely contacting both our Provincial
and Federal representatives in all cases when we hear of proposed legislation,
which will impact women in a negative way.
On November 16th at 4:00 p.m. at the Women's Information Centre at Hopedale
Mall in Oakville, Halton marchers will begin the next phase of the campaign.
Join us as we organize to follow up on these important demands.
Helen Szuliga and Brenda Dolling, both Halton participants in the World March
of Women, prepared The Moment. For further information on follow up activities
associated with World March of Women contact:
Helen Szuliga
World March of Women, Halton Organizing Committee*
P.O. Box 1573
Burlington, ON L7R 4L9
Tel: (905) 825-3624
or visit the website at: www.canada.marchofwomen.org
*The Halton Organizing Committee includes: Elementary Teachers Federation
Ontario, Halton Branch; Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, Halton;
IDEA; Halton Coalition for Social Justice; Halton Multi-Cultural Council; Halton
Rape Crisis Centre; Halton Social Planning Council and Volunteer Centre; Women's
Information and Support Centre of Halton; Halton Women's Place and Oakville and
District Labour Council.
Produced by the Halton Social Planning Council
860 Harrington Court
Burlington, Ontario L7N 3N4
(905) 632-1975, (905) 878-0955; Fax: (905) 632-0778; E-mail:
office@cdhalton.ca
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