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| Greetings!
Welcome to the latest issue of D&D, keeping you up to date on Ontario Council activities.
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March 16th, 2013
Standing Committees |
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Joint Morning Session
Although our mandate at Ontario Council is to address Ontario issues with respect to the standing committee topic Human Trafficking, "Control, Exploitation, Profits," the speakers provided members with a much broader understanding of this human rights crime against women, men and children. The panel gave attendees an overview based on their combined experiences coming from academic study, field work in Canada and abroad, governmental involvement with immigration legislation and work with Canadian refugees and from the experiences of grass roots organizations appearing in our province.
Karlee Anne Sapoznik, BAH, MA, PhD Candidate (Harriet Tubman Institute, York University, Toronto) led the morning session, introducing the other panel members and providing follow-up information as each finished their presentations.
Ms. Sapoznik researches and publishes works on slavery and is the President and Co-Founder of the Alliance Against Modern Slavery (AAMS). On February 26th, 2013 the AAMS held its Third Annual Conference, attended by more than 200 people and covered by CBC. The AAMS provides information on future events, conferences and workshops as well as resources for training and a link to ways concerned individuals can get involved. http://www.allianceagainstmodernslavery.org/
Members were given a powerful overview of slavery from an historical perspective with comparisons to the current situation. Today there are more slaves than during the pre-abolition period from the 1500's to the late 1800's, about twice as many.
Although there are a number of definitions of slavery, it always involves exploitation of one person by another for forced labour, marriage and/or sexual activity. Other conditions of slavery include :
- Forced work with no pay
- Threat or use of violence to the individual or their family
- No ability to walk away
When discussing Human Trafficking and slavery, Ms. Sapoznik categorized the many forms of enslavement including: forced labour, sex trafficking, bonded labour, debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labour, child soldiers, child marriages and child sex trafficking.
Karlee Sapoznik introduced Aura Burditt and Loly Rico, the other two morning speakers who offered their perspectives and experience. Aura Burditt outlined a grass roots approach to human trafficking while Loly Rico discussed the vulnerability of refugees in Canada.
Aura Burditt, Chair of the London Anti-Human Trafficking Committee (LAHT) in collaboration with The Salvation Army Correctional & Justice Services of London Ontario, used her experiences in founding and working with LAHT as a possible model for other communities. The objectives and goals of LAHT include the education and awareness for service providers and the general public on the regional, national, and international scope of trafficking. LAHT members advocate for support service for victims of trafficking and they collaborate with both governmental and non-governmental agencies to abolish human trafficking.
Loly Rico, President of Canadian Council of Refugees (CCR), gave our members an overview of how immigration changes impact human trafficking in Canada. The CCR comments on government policy to ensure that anti-trafficking legislation and practices adequately protect and respect the human rights of trafficked persons. Recent CCR national meetings have led to the identification of important gaps in both tools and in policy. Specifically Ms. Rico referred to Bill C-10 called the Safe Streets and Communities Act which passed on March 13th of last year.
Ms. Rico explained that the bill includes vague and overly broad amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act which mandate denial of any foreign national a work permit and do not specify what factors would be used to target an individual as 'at risk' of being exploited. Ms. Rico also pointed out that it is harmful to punish foreign individuals who are vulnerable to abuse. www.fcjrefugeecentre.org/
The speakers outlined a number of ways that our CFUW membership can support a movement toward ending human trafficking. The first necessarily is self-education and spreading awareness. There are symposiums and conferences, one-day training seminars and other forums that can be found on the AAMS website. A ground swell has started much as it did for domestic violence against women in the late 1960's. Ms. Sapoznik indicated that just as Human trafficking is a product of the efforts of organized crime, a solution will come only when organizations, governments and law enforcement put forth an organized front.
CFUW members in Ontario are asked to sign a petition to the Legislative Assembly. Member clubs will have copies of the petition and may take copies to others in our attempts at increasing awareness and moving toward legislative changes to help combat trafficking. Specifically, the petition calls to:
Support stronger legislation to enable more effective investigation and prosecution of those committing these offenses. Secondly we urge the government to provide more substantial funding to law enforcement, Non Governmental Organizations and other groups who are involved in combating human trafficking.
For more information on a national strategy, members are asked to read about a Canadian National Action Plan: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/prg/le/_fl/cmbt-trffkng-eng.pdf
Municipally members should present Toronto's decision made February 20th, 2013 to "pursue opportunities to reduce the impact of Human Trafficking in Toronto" to our member city councillors and elected officials. The following report and decision could serve as a model for cities not yet involved in the strategies to combat Human Trafficking in Canada:
1. City of Toronto Report: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2013/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-55437.pdf
2. City of Toronto
Decision : http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2013.EX28.2
Steps are being taken provincially and nationally to organize against Human Trafficking. A recent pamphlet, "I am not for sale", sponsored by the Government of Canada and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police provides information on
- Recognizing victims of Human Trafficking
- Understanding the difference between Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking
- Understanding the difference between International and Domestic Human Trafficking.
As explained in the pamphlet "I am not for sale", in Canada and throughout the world, the "vulnerable, economically challenged and socially dislocated sectors of the Canadian population represent a potential pool of trafficking victims."
At the March 16th morning session, our speakers reminded members that ongoing CFUW advocacy work in areas of poverty, education, status of women, human rights and legislation all contribute to the efforts made by those working against human trafficking. The root problems of human trafficking are the problems at the heart of all human rights issues:
- Poverty
- Vulnerablility
- Lack of voice
These elements in our society demand advocacy by those of us who have a voice and the means and freedom to express it. As Karlee Anne Sapoznik said before ending the morning session, we have achieved an important victory and taken a huge step forward at this point in history. Unlike discussions of slavery in the past, this time we are in agreement that trafficking human beings is wrong. There is no longer a debate on this point.http://www.stopht.ca/
Submitted by Sandra A. McCormick PhD/ CFUW Guelph
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Education Committee
Mathematics Curriculum K-12
Mary Jean Gallagher, Student Achievement Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister of Education for Ontario, was hired to improve learning and achievement in Ontario's schools in literacy and numeracy in 2008.
Independent testing has shown that improvement, from 54%, to 70% of students meeting the standard though math skills could be improved more. Ontario has 40% of Canada's students and Ontario scored above the national average in all three sectors. How was this achieved?
There was a partnership with the teaching profession that was collaborative in nature. Ontario is the top scoring English speaking education system in the OECD for equity and excellence. 84 international delegations visited Ontario's schools last year to see how we do it. Ontario is the most diverse region, also, 27% of its students were born outside Canada. All students, including special education students participate in the testing. Non participating students are counted as failures.
Mary Jean's Ministry group includes 140 staff members who have been borrowed from school boards for 3 years. They do professional development workshops in a school and follow up 4 weeks later. They provide a balance of support and pressure in their second follow- up 8 weeks later. Improvement in reading has been better than in math. 60% of students score in the 60th percentile now. It is hoped that full day Kindergarten will help give all students a better chance.
The scores in math have fallen the past two years by 2% in G 6 and 1% in G 3 so there is work to be done. With the help of technology, teachers can now individualize math teaching. The biggest problem seems to be reasoning ability. The text book is not the curriculum so teachers cannot just teach the textbook. There are parent guides available as well as curriculum guidelines from the Ministry of Education.
The presentation was a fascinating snapshot of Ontario's improvement efforts in the last decade.
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Legislation Committee
Topic: Immigration in Ontario "Building the Brain Trust"
Speaker: Indira Naidoo-Harris Communication Director Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration
CFUW Ontario Council President Brenda Robertson introduced the new legislation Chair, Sheila Lacroix.
Following up the January meeting, clubs reported on their work on Financial Literacy. Scarborough, Belleville and Guelph announced intentions to work on this in the fall.
Sheila introduced Indira Naidoo-Harris, former reporter and CBC news anchor, presently Communications Director for the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, to talk on Ontario immigration strategy.
Ontario faces a challenge. The province is in need of
economic class and skilled immigrants (entrepreneurs and workers in skilled occupations that are in short supply), and the number coming here has declined: 64% of Ontario's immigrants were economic class in 2001, 51% in 2011. As our population declines, and ages, more and more workers will be needed to provide needed services. Competition for skilled immigrants is increasing, both within Canada and in other countries, so that it is necessary for the province to actively recruit. At the same time, federal government grants for immigration are being cut by 20%, making it difficult for the province to recruit and provide services for immigrants.
It is acknowledged that many immigrants face difficulties adapting to life in Ontario, and the government has devised a strategy to raise its proportion of economic class immigrants to 70% while helping immigrants and their families to achieve success and make the best possible use of their skills. In addition, the government is working to get foreign credentials recognized, and on encouraging foreign graduate students to stay in Ontario.
In short, immigration is seen as essential to growing a strong, healthy provincial economy and allowing Ontario to be part of a globally connected economy. The main hurdle is lack of support from the federal government.
Submitted by
Peggy Pinkerton |
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Status of Women &
Human Rights Committee
Submitted by Sandra A. McCormick PhD, CFUW Guelph
Report on Building a Future for Women in Trades Conference
Before continuing the discussion on Human Trafficking, Cheryl Hayles, Regional Director Ontario South introduced Linda Gill, CFUW Hamilton to present her report on the Building a Future for Women in Trades Conference held at Mohawk College on February 28, 2013.
An invitation to attend was sent to Ms. Gill and CFUW Hamilton Past President Ethel MacDonald following their club's letter to Mohawk College about their CFUW resolution regarding Women in Skilled Trades.
The keynote speaker at the conference was Karen Walsh, Executive Director of the Office to Advance Women Apprenticeships, Newfoundland. The program headed by Ms. Walsh is an excellent model for other provinces working on initiatives to encourage women to enter the trades.
Three other speakers offered a variety of points of view on the subject. Cheryl Jensen, Vice-President Academic of Mohawk College, sited disappointing statistics for women in science, technology and the skilled trades: only 3% of students in the STARRT programs offered by Mohawk College are women.
A workshop by Jennifer Green, an industrial millwright mechanic at Linamar in Guelph provided an overview of her personal experiences made positive by the commitment of Linamar to encouraging women in trades.
Finally Edi Slovin from the Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science in the U.S. discussed the value of girls as young as seven and eight being introduced to careers in the trades.
Cheryl Ambrose, Ontario Council CFUW representative for Status of Women and Human Rights and member of CFUW Guelph, was a member of the afternoon panel discussing the work of various groups to encourage more women in non-traditional careers. Ms. Ambrose did an excellent job outlining the leadership role CFUW has taken in its resolution and advocacy work.
Continuing Discussion on Human Trafficking:
Presentations by Karlee Sapoznik, Loly Rico, Aura Burditt and Stan Burditt
The afternoon session offered more opportunity for questions and discussion between the panel and attending members. The presentations by all speakers were of a more personal and anecdotal nature, offering case studies and ongoing individual stories. Stan Burditt is the founder of Men Against Sexual Trafficking (MAST) and works in conjunction with The Salvation Army Correctional and Justice Services in speaking to organizations with the goal of raising awareness to the problem of Human Trafficking and the need to take individual responsibility to eradicate it.
Karlee Sapoznik's afternoon session discussions focussed on best practices and current strategies. Joyce Smith, MP for Winnipeg South, and the B.C. and Manitoba provincial governments were used as models of active provincial strategies that work in co-ordination with law enforcement, health, housing and children's services and employment agencies in their attempts to alleviate Human Trafficking within their provinces.
Ms. Sapoznik explained that any effective strategy must include five main actors:
- Government
- NGO's / Front Line Groups
- Law Enforcement
- Survivors
- Vulnerable Communities
She added that all of the following are needed for effective strategies against human trafficking:
- Trust-based relationships between the above partners
- Training (specifically for law enforcement, social workers, front-line service providers, employment agencies, medical personnel and health providers and teachers)
- Co-ordination and regular meetings to prevent duplication
- Research including data collection, case studies and analysis.
Ms. Sapoznik was open to questions as she discussed strategies. Several members expressed concern about focus on strategies dealing with victims of human trafficking rather than strategies to stop and catch human trafficking, increasing efforts at the stages of prevention, especially in areas of law enforcement and border control.
Loly Rico shared her personal experiences working with survivors of trafficking, specifically with her work with the crown attorney from Sudbury. Ms. Rico talked about the challenges of social assistance, language barriers, employment difficulties which make refugees in Canada susceptible to exploitation. She also stressed that Mental Health must be a part of the equation in helping those most vulnerable.
Stan Burditt was introduced as the final speaker of the day. He shared his personal story, describing how up until 3 ˝ years ago he considered human trafficking as a problem in third world countries until he read an article about human trafficking as it exists in Canada. He said that he decided to do some personal research, discovering that less than 5% of the population in Canada are aware that this is a human rights problem in our own country. He emphasized what we all realize, that this is not a women's issue or a man's issue but a societal issue.
Through his work with MAST, Mr. Burditt talks to men's groups about the need to change how our boys and young men view and understand human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women. He is working with the Truck Stop Campaign with the motto "Stop the Demand". As Mr. Burditt explained, if we view human trafficking as a supply and demand interaction, it is our responsibility to educate men to rethink their role.
Mr. Burditt talked about his experience in the "Walk for Freedom" between London and Toronto last fall and he mentioned a number of events and grass roots groups including Rising Angels and Walk With Me. Aura Burditt mentioned the Women's Support Network of York Region as another group working towards the prevention of Human Trafficking.
In the pamphlet used by the London, Ontario organization Men Against Sexual Trafficking http://www.mast-canada.com/ , the link between gender and poverty and the "push factors" that lead to human trafficking for sexual exploitation are listed as poverty, high unemployment, domestic violence, childhood abuse, discrimination against women and the desire for a way to help their families as the factors that make women and girls vulnerable to entry into the global sex trade.
The other side of the issue is the "pull factor" of demand for sex. Stan Burditt addressed the need for societal changes--starting with our sons, brothers, husbands, male friends-to view all forms of sexual exploitation within our society including things such as pornography, strip clubs, massage parlors, and prostitution as socially reprehensible with direct links to human trafficking.
The afternoon session ended with Karlee Sapoznik reminding us of the importance of awareness and, for Ontario, the need for a provincial strategy.
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CFUW St Catharines
&
CFUW Niagara Falls
co-host
Status Quo?
The unfinished business
of feminism in Canada
This past month CFUW St. Catharines celebrated two "firsts" for our Club. For the first time we joined with another CFUW Club for a joint public presentation and we participated in our first Club celebration of International Women's Day (IWD).
We accomplished both of these by collaborating with CFUW Niagara Falls to plan, organize and host a screening of the National Film Board's film "Status Quo? The unfinished business of feminism in Canada" .This year's IWD and our event have passed but I wanted to share with you how much this collaboration impressed me and hope that it will resonate with you as well. I had the opportunity to work with CFUW Niagara Falls' President, Alice Shoemaker, who was on board with the project right from the beginning. She was wonderful, engaging her members, developing a way to modify our posters to get the message out, spreading the word in the Niagara Falls area and remaining non-partisan regarding the choosing of a venue for the event.
Because neither Club had a budget and the National Film Board who supplied the film wouldn't allow us to charge admission we were challenged to make this showing a success. In the end we had about 50 participants who, along with viewing the film, engaged in a lively post-film discussion. It was a good showing for a first endeavour.
International Women's Day has been observed since the early 1900's and is celebrated in many countries throughout the world, with 27 countries having designated it as a national holiday. Canada's theme for 2013 is "Working Together: Engaging Men to End Violence Against Women" which was graphically illustrated along with other women's issues in the NFB's presentation.
For any of you who have not seen it, I urge you to check with the NFB to see where it is showing or how you can borrow a copy. It is well worth the effort.
Jean Armitage, 2012-13 President, CFUW St. Catharines | |
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TWO CFUW- KW MEMBERS
awarded
the QUEEN'S DIAMOND JUBILEE MEDAL.
Lynne Woolstencroft was elected the board of Waterloo Region District School Board in 1979 then as Chair from 1979-1982. Lynne then moved from the Board to Municipal and Regional councils in 1985 and ultimately elected as Mayor of Waterloo from 1999-2003. Lynne has served as Chair of the CFUW National Constitution and By-Laws Committee 2007 - 2008 as well as the Regional Director for Ontario West from 2008-2010.
Lynne Woolstencroft was awarded the Region of Waterloo Jack Young Civic Award on March 6, 2013. This is our highest civic award.
Mary Johnston was an active member of many local education board committees and provincial committees. Mary began teaching in a one room schoolhouse in 1950 and had a new school named in her honour in 1987, the year she retired. Other distinctions include the Wiegand Award for Teacher Excellence, Kitchener-Waterloo Professional Woman of the Year, and Her Majesty's Silver Anniversary and Golden Jubilee Medals.
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ONTARIO COUNCIL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MAKING CONNECTIONS,
MAKING COMMUNITIES
May 3 & 4, 2013
Hosted by CFUW Sudbury
brochure
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Open Space
Presidents/Leadership Workshop
OC AGM Sudbury
6:00 pm, Friday, May 3rd, 2013
Open Space is a concept used in business to problem solve issues that are important to participants. As the name suggests participants openly discuss matters that are of concern to their business practices with the intention of finding the most effective solutions to challenges. In our modified version, as this can fill a whole day of professional development, club leaders will confer around three topics.
We hope you will be able to join us in this space of open discussion on how to be most effective in the three areas listed below:
1) Running an Executive/General Meeting
2) Seeking Diversity in Membership
3) Engaging with Your Community Through Advocacy
Resources
http://www.co-intelligence.org/P-Openspace.html
http://www.openspaceworld.org/cgi/wiki.cgi?AboutOpenSpace
http://www.openspaceworld.org/cgi/wiki.cgi?WorkingInOpenSpace |
CFUW Recognizes
International Women's Day
CFUW Aurora/Newmarket recognized International Women's Day with a month long display of art, painted by some of our talented members, in three cafes on Main Street in Newmarket.
On Friday, March 8th, members gathered for morning coffee and then for lunch in the Upper Crust Bakery, Books Café, and Covernotes to appreciate the art and celebrate being women. Other festivities included singing "This Land is Your Land, This Land is My Land" on the Water Street bridge and viewing the movie "Status Quo: Unfinished Business", a film about the women's movement in Canada.
Members of a local Probus group and a United Church Women's group joined us for the movie.
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A Message from Mississauga
CFUW Mississauga President Mary Cousins
As spring approaches and I am nearing the end of my term as President of CFUW Mississauga I can report that the club continues to be a beehive of activity. We are continuing to change and adapt to the needs of the community. Perhaps one of the biggest changes for the club in Canada is the change to the constitution. In fact it is no longer called the "Constitution and Bylaws"; the new name is "Articles and Bylaws". We have posted the new document on our website but I want to draw your attention to some of the key elements of the document.
We all recognize the importance of the friendships and social interactions that come with being a member of the club and this is the result of working towards the goals as outlined in the Articles and Bylaws 2012.
For instance, did you know that the Purposes of the Club as per the
definition, are to
1. Promote high standards of public education in Canada, advanced study and research by women, and a sound concept of lifelong learning.
2. Advocate for the advancement of the status of women, human rights and the common good locally, nationally and internationally.
3. Promote cooperation, networking, support and understanding among women.
4. Encourage and enable women to apply their knowledge and skills in leadership and decision-making in all aspects of the political, social, cultural, educational and scientific fields.
With these in mind the executive has been reviewing the club's procedures to ensure we meet these goals and are truly inclusive. For example we are looking at the September sign-up process to ensure we meet our goals.
Another change in the Articles and Bylaws is the definition of Graduate women. "Graduate women means women who have studied at an institution of higher education followed by the award of a degree, diploma or equivalent qualification."
Membership has been redefined by the Articles and Bylaws:
Members
"There shall be one class of member in CFUW.
CFUW membership is open to Canadian non-partisan women's organizations interested in furthering the purposes of CFUW, whose members are predominantly graduate women, and who have applied for and been accepted for membership by an ordinary motion of the CFUW Board. "
In the more than thirty years that I have been a member of CFUW I have learned more about us in these past two years than ever before. I wanted to highlight the new Articles and Bylaws in this update and strongly urge all of you to read the document in full.
We are all concerned about the decreasing membership across all the CFUW clubs in Canada. With the rebirth that comes with spring I encourage you to have a new look at CFUW and revisit your commitment to the club. We still need a VP for next year and with a membership of more than 200 women we should have members jumping at the opportunity to contribute towards the goals and pass on the opportunities we ourselves have experienced.
As we conclude this year I would like to re-word President Kennedy and ask you to consider not what CFUW can do for you but what you can do for CFUW.
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Good News Story!
CFUW OC Advocacy
makes a difference!
City of Orillia extended the lease of the Orillia Central Preschool for 3 years!
Wendy Taylor CFUW Orillia, the Ontario Council Advisor on Child Care issues was the subject of an interview about the threat of closure for a local day care centre.
After the publication of the Orillia Packet & Times article, many phone calls and letters were sent to the city calling for an extension of the lease.
The City of Orillia has extend the lease and the day care centre is saved. Wendy was sent a congratulatory letter from her MPP. Thank you to Wendy and CFUW Orillia for making a difference in their community.
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