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All Issues | 2015 Issues

WOMEN FEMMES NB

IN THIS ISSUE:

Featured Article:
New Brunswick to Attend Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls  

Notices

Did You Know?

In the News:
    - 5 Recommendations for National MMIW Inquiry: Native Women's Association of Canada
    - Tamara Nichol Steps Down, Encourages Others to Run in DEC Elections
    - The Black Women Who Helped Build Canada
    - #HealthyLove    

Parting Thoughts

New Brunswick to Attend Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls 
23 February 2016

FREDERICTON (GNB) – New Brunswick is sending a delegation to the second National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, to be held Feb. 24-26 in Winnipeg.

The delegation will be led by Ed Doherty, minister responsible for aboriginal affairs.

“I am honoured to once again be joining national aboriginal organizations, provincial and federal representatives as well as family members of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls from across the country at this important event,” said Doherty. “This will be an opportunity to hear directly from family members, engage in discussions on moving the issue forward and to collaborate on identifying solutions to reduce violence against indigenous women and girls.”

Doherty will be accompanied by aboriginal women leaders; family members of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls from the Elsipogtog, St. Mary’s and Esgenoôpetitj First Nations; and government officials.

“It is critical to involve First Nation communities and aboriginal people in open dialogues on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,” said Candice Paul, chief of the St. Mary’s First Nation. “I am honoured to be part of the delegation leading New Brunswick’s efforts on this issue. I hope we are able to draw more attention to this crisis and achieve a renewed sense of collaboration for moving forward with change.”

The roundtable will focus on prevention and awareness; community safety; and policing measures and justice responses.

The roundtables are the result of an August 2014 commitment by national aboriginal organizations and the premiers to engage in focused discussion to reach targeted outcomes to address and prevent violence against aboriginal women and girls.

“Aboriginal women and girls are almost three times more likely than non-aboriginal women to report having been a victim of a violent crime,” said Doherty. “This is a significant issue, and it affects aboriginal communities and families throughout New Brunswick. We are pleased to have this opportunity to work together to improve the quality of life for aboriginal women and girls.”

http://bit.ly/1STTIPG

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NOTICES

Everyone is invited to an Open House to celebrate International Women’s Day at the Women’s Equality Branch. Refreshments will be served. Come meet staff, learn about our publications & programs & celebrate the day! Date: Tuesday March 8, 2016, Time: 2:00PM - 4:00PM, Venue: Women’s Equality Branch, 551 King St. Suite A Fredericton

International Women's Day - Women in Business Panel. The Saint John Community Loan Fund and ReAction Events are presenting this event taking place March 3, 11am-1pm at the New Brunswick Museum, Market Square, Saint John.  All around the world, International Women's Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality. Three seasoned businesswomen from the region will share their success story: Networking, panel discussion and light lunch. Tickets available at eventbrite.ca  or by calling Christina Allain (506) 652-5601.

International Women’s Day: I'm Worth It! A personal money management program for women. Information and tips shared by women for women to help manage money and the role it plays in their lives. $15. To register:
    · Tuesday, March 8, Moncton Crowne Plaza in English, 7:30 am – 9 am (breakfast). Reserve now:
      506-743-5441, [email protected]
    · Wednesday, March 9, Fredericton Crowne Plaza in English, 11:30 am – 1 pm (lunch).  Reserve
      now: 506-452-3918, [email protected]
    · Thursday, March 10, Grand Falls Quality Inn Près du Lac in French, 11:30 am – 1 pm (lunch).
      Reserve now: 506-473-9775, [email protected]

UNB Seeks Input on Sexual Assault Policy Draft. The University of New Brunswick has unveiled a draft of its sexual assault policy. The document, available on the UNB site, outlines university policy on responding, reporting, investigating and dealing with cases of sexual assault in the UNB community. View the policy here.   The university is inviting community feedback in either written form (emailed to [email protected]) or in the town hall meetings (scheduled February 24, 25, and 29). http://bit.ly/1Rl5Gif

Municipal Academy: The City of Bathurst, in collaboration with the Bathurst Head Start Project, will be hosting a bilingual Municipal Academy at the K.C. Irving Regional Center on February 26 and 27.
The purpose of the Academy is to provide knowledge on topics such as:
    · Local governance
    · How to get involved - Elections NB
    · Roles and responsibilities of elected officials and staff
    · How and what to communicate to the media during the election process
    · How to balance the different segments of your life: work, family, politics and time for yourself
    · How to organize a campaign
There is no cost to participate, but you must register. The registration form and full agenda are available on the City of Bathurst’s Website.
For more information, contact Anne-Marie Gammon, [email protected], (506) 545-6821 (h) or Susan Doucet, City Clerk, [email protected], (506) 548-0702 (o).

Municipal Elections in Canada: A Guide for Women Candidates. Why should women enter municipal politics? With women at the table, their issues are more likely to be included in all political discussions. Women also take a different approach to the process and to policy content. http://bit.ly/1f5G1K2

Women Also Know Stuff: A Crowdsourced List of Women Political Scientists. The political science community is putting together a crowdsourced list of women political scientists, listed by areas of expertise. The list is called Women Also Know Stuff.  This site is intended to provide an easily accessible database of female experts in a variety of areas.

Women in Local Government. FCM's new program, the Diverse Voices for Change initiative, seeks to increase the number of women from diverse communities who are actively informed by, and engaged in, local government decision-making. In collaboration with a select number of participating municipalities and drawing upon an already established network of Regional Champions, FCM will support elected officials to create a more inclusive municipal decision making system, which include the participation of women from diverse communities in advisory committees, local agencies, boards, and commissions. http://bit.ly/1Ks2Mna

Canadian Women in Municipal Government Scholarship. FCM's scholarship program for secondary school students began in 2010. There are five awards of $1000, each, with one award to be presented in each of the five regions of Canada (British Columbia, The Prairies and Territories, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada). The scholarship is open to women students enrolled in any year of study in secondary school and who are contributing to their school´s leadership team or student council. View Eligibility Requirements

Mayor Andrée P. Boucher Memorial Scholarship. Since 2006, an FCM scholarship has been presented to a female college or university student deemed to have submitted the best research paper on a topic related to women in politics.  FCM will award two (2) scholarships, one (1) scholarship to a student at the college /university undergraduate level, and one (1) scholarship at the university graduate level. Each award will be $4,500 and will be presented in the winner's municipality. Applicants should be considering making a contribution to/or entering the political realm. View Eligibility Requirements

The 21inc Board of Directors is Looking for 3 New Directors. Anyone interested in joining the board of directors can express their interest by:
    · completing this form
    · reviewing the role description here
    · and e-mailing a short CV to [email protected] by March 4th, 2016.

The Snooty Fox is hosting a Benefit Brunch for Family Enrichment in Fredericton on Sunday, March 20, 11 am to 2 pm. Live music by Tom McAvity, door prizes, 50/50 draw! The Snooty Fox prepares a Special Menu for the event and donates $5 from each meal ordered from that menu.  Proceeds support the subsidized services offered to children, youth, and families in the community! www.familyenrichment.ca

Catherine Martin, Nancy's Chair St. Mary’s University 2015 – 2017, will be speaking about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Tuesday, March 29, 7-9 pm, St. Bernard’s Church (basement), Moncton. A member of the Millbrook First Nation in Truro, Nova Scotia, Catherine is an independent film producer, director, writer, facilitator, communications consultant, community activist, teacher, drummer, and the first woman Mi’kmaw filmmaker from the Atlantic region. Catherine’s many award-winning documentaries tell the stories of her nation. Free Will Offering (to support the continued work of the Partners in Healing project). Coffee & Sweets will be provided. RSVP:  phone:   506-854-3502, email:  [email protected]

Violence Threat Assessment – Planning and Response, Moncton: March 31 (early rate deadline March 10). This workshop provides a communication and decision-making model to help businesses, schools, organizations and communities become more effective in their management of threats. Early Rate $198; Regular Rate $220. Unable to attend? Join the live webinar March 22 from 1 pm - 2 pm (CST).

Status of Women Canada is soliciting proposals for projects that will empower women to participate more actively in the democratic and public life of Canada. Organizations can apply for funding under Stream 1 of this call for proposals – Empowering Indigenous Women for Stronger Communities – by June 1. Organizations can apply for funding under Stream 2 – which includes both Empowering Women for Political Action and Empowering Women for Community Action – by April 20. For more information: http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=1034539 or http://swc-cfc.gc.ca/fun-fin/cfp-adp/2016-1/index-en.html

Current Opportunities to Serve on New Brunswick Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs):   Qualified women and men having the highest personal and professional integrity are invited to serve on New Brunswick Agencies, boards and commissions (ABCs).  For more information, check out the following link:    ABC current opportunities

Voices of New Brunswick Women Consensus-Building Forum: Contact Us: Sartain MacDonald Building, 551 King Street, Suite 103, Fredericton NB E3B 1E7, T. 506.462.5179, 1-844-462-5179, F. 506.462.5069, E. [email protected], www.voixfemmesnb-voiceswomennb.ca.

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In the News:

5 Recommendations for National MMIW Inquiry: Native Women's Association of Canada

The federal government has wrapped up the cross-country pre-inquiry consultation with families and has announced the inquiry for missing and murdered indigenous women will be launched by this summer. But there are still many questions about how the government will conduct the inquiry.

The Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) has released a list of 22 recommendations to help guide the inquiry, created with the help of indigenous female leaders, family members of murdered and missing indigenous women, and human rights experts from the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.  

"The road ahead will be grueling, but it is nothing we can't handle if we remain focused and committed to our overarching purpose: bringing justice to our women and girls," NWAC president Dawn Lavell-Harvard stated in a release.

Here are a few themes highlighted in the recommendations:

Led by indigenous women

The report urges that the inquiry be led by indigenous women, since they would be the best to speak to the unique experiences of other indigenous women.

"We have a long history of governments, and the mainstream, stepping in and attempting to do for us, and speak for us, which has never led to positive outcomes," Lavell-Harvard told CBC News.

"So even though it seems like a bit of a 'no brainer,' it needs to be absolutely included."

Examine root causes

The group wants the federal government to examine why indigenous women and girls remain socially and economically disadvantaged, in addition to examining why indigenous women experience sexualized stereotyping.

"We can't lose sight that this isn't just a race issue, that it is a fact that a particular group is being doubly discriminated against … because you have the intersection of the racism and the sexism, and the challenge here is about the intersectional violence," said Lavell-Harvard.  (…)

Continued: http://bit.ly/20TiKxO

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Tamara Nichol Steps Down, Encourages Others to Run in DEC Elections

The outgoing chair of the Anglophone East District Education Council is encouraging people to run for positions on the education boards in the upcoming May election.

Tamara Nichol is stepping down from the district education council to run for city council in Moncton, but says she has enjoyed being part of the education system in New Brunswick.

"We need to have fresh voices on the council to talk about education and to help come up with the best ideas to ensure that we do have the best education for our children," Nichol said in an interview Thursday on Information Morning Moncton. 

Elections New Brunswick spokesperson Paul Harpelle says it is an ongoing challenge to attract candidates for the district education councils, which set policies and ensure they are carried out. (…)

District education council members receive a stipend of $3,000 per year, while chairs receive $6,000 annually plus travel expenses.

Nichol's best advice to anyone who is considering serving on a local DEC is to be objective and listen to all sides.

"People want to know they're being listened to," she said.

"If you're going to be the chair you have to be a good listener and you have to be able to look at a situation from both sides." 

Two information sessions are being held at Bernice McNaughton High School in Moncton on Feb. 15 and March 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a candidate.

Nominations open March 21 and close April 8 and Harpelle says this year candidate contact information and links to social media will be provided to the public on the Elections New Brunswick website.

Continued:  http://bit.ly/1TDD5rM

Get in the Race:
http://www.electionsnb.ca/content/enb/en/MDEC-and-RHAE/get-in-the-race-.html

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The Black Women Who Helped Build Canada

Much of my time as a first-generation Black Canadian woman is spent contemplating the ideas of identity, belonging, culture, and history—and the older I get, the more this last point rises in importance. What am I made of? Where do I come from? What impact have my people made in the lands that I call home? Finding the answers to these questions has been a complicated task, and leads me to liken my familial and cultural histories to a broken necklace: the strings holding it all together have snapped and the beads have been strewn about the place, but I’m slowly able to find and gather the pieces and make it whole again.

I’ve been particularly interested in uncovering the stories of Caribbean women in Canadian history. What made up the mettle of women who, like my own mother, left the life they knew for the hope of something better?

Until the “liberalization” of immigration policy in the early 1960s, Canada had racially discriminatory laws designed to prohibit non-whites from entering the country. In order to fill its post-war need for domestic labor in the 1950s, Canada began recruiting Black women from the Caribbean. The West Indian Domestic Scheme launched in 1955 and brought thousands of women from the region to Canada—in exchange for one year of service as domestic workers, these women were granted permanent residency and the eventual opportunity to send for other family members to join them in their new home. (…)

Toronto’s York University recently held a conference honoring the women of the scheme with a keynote address from the Hon. Jean Augustine, the first Black woman elected to Canada’s House of Commons and the first Black woman to serve in Canada’s federal Cabinet. Born in Grenada, Augustine came to Canada under the scheme, serving her year as a domestic before finding careers in education and politics.  

Continued: http://bit.ly/23a9OIb

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#HealthyLove

In collaboration with the Canadian Women's Foundation, the RCMP is proud to promote healthy relationships to end intimate partner violence. During the month of February the RCMP is encouraging Canada's youth to take a stand against relationship violence by embracing the concept of #HealthyLove.

Healthy relationships should always be free of dating violence. Dating violence is any intentional psychological, physical or sexual attacks on one partner by the other in a dating relationship. Dating violence is abuse. According to the Canadian Women's Foundation, in Ontario high schools, 27% of girls said they have been pressured into doing something sexual they didn't want to do, and almost half have been the victim of unwanted sexual comments or gestures. Teenaged victims may also be up to three times more likely to become a victim in their adult lives.

The Government of Canada works actively towards promoting healthy relationships, eliminating dating violence and providing support and resources for victims of abuse. In Canada, Aboriginal women are almost three times more likely to be violently victimized than non-Aboriginal women. In 2014, the Government of Canada released a five-year Action Plan to Address Family Violence and Violent Crimes Against Aboriginal Women and Girls.

The RCMP encourages youth to familiarize themselves with the 14 commitments for a healthy relationship and to post their commitments on Twitter, using the hashtag #HealthyLove.

The 14 commitments to build healthy relationships:

1. I will share my feelings.
2. I will be truthful.
3. I will admit when I'm wrong.
4. I will listen when my partner needs to talk.
5. I will help my partner realize their potential.
6. I will respect my partner's boundaries.
7. I will express my anger in a nonthreatening way.
8. I will never use intimidation or violence.
9. I will always speak to my partner with respect.
10. I will value my partner's opinion.
11. I will accept responsibility for my mistakes.
12. I will be open to compromise.
13. I will share decision making.
14. I will take on my fair share of responsibilities.

*The 14 commitments to a Healthy Relationship are provided by the Canadian Women's Foundation. (…)

Continued: http://bit.ly/1Rl5TBK  

Parting Thoughts

“I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. 
All I want is education.  And I’m afraid of no one.”

-Malala Yousufzai
 

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Women's Equality Branch | 551 King Street, Suite A | Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1