First Organizing Meeting of 2010

When: Sunday, 10 Jan 2010, 1pm
Where: Raw Sugar Cafe (692 Somerset St W, Ottawa)

All feminists welcome! Check out our manifesto.

Saturday, 28 Nov 09 - Break the Silence: Performance Against Violence

(English original follows)

Sujet : Samedi le 28 novembre 2009 - Rompre le silence : interprétations artistiques contre la violence

Bonjour tout le monde!

Pour contribuer aux 16 jours d'activisme contre la violence de genre, les RebELLEs d'Ottawa vont afficher un événement le samedi 28 novembre 2009 de 19h à 21h au Raw Sugar Café (692 rue Somerset O).

Ceci est un événement GRATUIT avec des interprétations de création parlée, une interprétation artistique et la musique du groupe montréalais Sunday Morning Headline.

Toutes et tous sont les bienvenu et nous espèrons que vous serez des nôtres pour nous aider à "rompre le silence" à l'égard de la violence contre le genre.

En solidarité,
RebELLEs d'Ottawa
******************************

Hello everyone!

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the Ottawa RebELLEs are hosting an event Saturday, 28 Nov 09, 7:00-9:00pm at Raw Sugar Cafe (692 Somerset St W).

This is a FREE event featuring live spoken word, performance art, and music by Montreal's own Sunday Morning Headline.

All are welcome and we hope you'll come out to help us "Break the Silence" on gender violence.

In Solidarity,
Ottawa RebELLEs

Forum: Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis at Work: What it means for Women and their Health

The Canadian Women's Health Network's Forum

Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis at Work: What it means for Women and their Health

Monday, November 30, 2009 1:30 - 4:00 PM
Ottawa Public Library (Main Branch)
120 Metcalfe (at Laurier)
RSVP by emailing info@cwhn.ca

What is sex- and gender-based analysis, and why is it important?

The forum will explore sex and gender as determinants of health and the concepts of sex, gender, diversity and equity as they relate to health. Panelists from the Centres of Excellence for Women’s Health across Canada will discuss the importance of a sex- and gender-based approach with practical examples from the brand new book, Rising to the Challenge: Sex- and gender-based analysis for health planning, policy and research in Canada.

This forum is important for women, those who provide their care, those who research their lives and plan policies that affect them.

Topics include:

• Gender in Manitoba RHA community health assessments
• Women and water, (privatization)
• Clinical trials
• Long term care
• Systematic Reviews
• Sex, Gender and Health Inequities
• Obesity

Registration is free. Please emailing info@cwhn.ca by Thursday, November 26 as space is limited.

----------------------------------

The Canadian Women's Health Network and the Centres of Excellence for Women's Health Invite you to a Reception and Celebration for the publication of the book,

Rising to the Challenge:
Sex and gender-based analysis for health planning, policy and research in Canada.

Monday, November 30, 2009, 5-7 p.m.
Hotel Indigo Ottawa, 123 Metcalfe (at Laurier)
Refreshments and cash bar begin at 5 p.m.
RSVP by emailing info@cwhn.ca

• Meet the book’s authors visiting from across the country.
• Mingle with Ottawa’s community builders, policy-makers and researchers.
• Have a look at our terrific publication!

Rising to the Challenge is a book that describes the process of sex- and gender-based analysis and offers a collection of case studies and commentaries that illustrate SGBA in action. The book is of interest to people working on policy, planning and research and to people at various levels of government.

It will help readers understand sex- and gender-based analysis and learn how to apply it in their work for and with women and men, girls and boys.
________________
Forum du Réseau canadien pour la santé des femmes

L’analyse des influences du genre et du sexe: L’impact de cette approche sur les femmes et leur santé

Lundi 30 novembre 2009, 13 h 30 à 16 h 00 (présenté en anglais)
Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa (édifice central)
120, rue Metcalfe (à l’angle de Laurier)
RSVP par courriel, à l’adresse info@cwhn.ca

Qu’est-ce que l’analyse des influences du genre et du sexe et pourquoi est-ce si important d’intégrer cette approche?

Le forum explorera le sexe et le genre en tant que facteurs déterminants de la santé ainsi que les concepts du sexe, du genre, de la diversité et de l’équité relativement à la santé.
Des panélistes des Centres d’excellence pour la santé des femmes de tout le Canada discuteront de l’importance d’adopter une approche intégrant le sexe et le genre, avec en main des exemples concrets tirés du tout nouveau livre Se montrer à la hauteur du défi : l’analyse des influences du genre et du sexe en planification, en élaboration de politiques et en recherche dans le domaine de la santé au Canada. Ce forum est un événement d’importance pour les femmes, notamment celles qui dispensent des soins, mènent des recherches sur le vécu des femmes et conçoivent des politiques touchant cette population.

Les thèmes suivants figurent parmi les sujets qui seront traités :

• Le rôle du genre dans les évaluations de la santé des collectivités des ORS du Manitoba
• Les femmes, l’eau et l’environnement
• Les essais cliniques
• Soins à long terme
• Les analyses systémiques
• Sexe, genre et inégalités face à la santé
• L’obésité
Cet événement est gratuit. Les places étant limitées, nous vous prions de vous inscrire d’ici le jeudi 26 novembre au plus tard. Vous pouvez vous inscrire par courriel dès aujourd’hui, à l’adresse info@cwhn.ca.

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Vous êtes également invités à une réception et à un lancement
de livre qui auront lieu après l’atelier.
Joignez-vous à nous pour célébrer le lancement du livre :

Se montrer à la hauteur du défi : l'analyse des influences du genre et du sexe en planification, en élaboration de politiques et en recherche dans le domaine de la santé au Canada

Lundi 30 novembre 2009, 17 h 00 à 19 h 00
Hotel Indigo Ottawa, 123, rue Metcalfe (à l’angle de Laurier)
Rafraîchissements et bar payant à compter de 17 h 00
RSVP par courriel à l’adresse info@cwhn.ca

• Venez rencontrer les auteures du livre, venues de tous les coins du pays.
• Mélangez-vous avec les leaders communautaires, les décisionnaires, les chercheuses et les chercheurs d’Ottawa.
• Prenez connaissance de cette excellente publication!

Le livre Se montrer à la hauteur du défi décrit le processus de l’analyse des influences du genre et du sexe et offre une série d’études de cas et de commentaires illustrant l’application de l’AIGS. Le livre intéressera les gens qui œuvrent à la conception de politiques, la planification et la recherche ainsi que les interlocuteurs de divers paliers gouvernementaux. Il aidera les lectrices et les lecteurs à comprendre les rouages de l’AIGS et la façon d’appliquer cette approche dans le cadre de leur travail, pour et avec les femmes et les hommes, les filles et les garçons.

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Production of this book and these events has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.

La réalisation de ce livre et la tenue de ces événements ont été possibles grâce à une contribution financière de Santé Canada. Les opinions exprimées aux présentes ne représentent pas nécessairement les positions de Santé Canada.

A WOMAN AMONG WARLORDS Afghan MP Malalai Joya to speak in Ottawa

When: 7pm, Thursday, November 26.
Where: Centretown United Church (507 Bank St)

Democracy Now! and the BBC have called her “The Bravest Woman in Afghanistan”. She has been a vocal critic of Canada and NATO's occupation of her country. And on November 26, outspoken Afghan Member of Parliament Malalai Joya will speak in Ottawa. Don't miss Malalai Joya at this special event to launch her book, A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Speak Out. To learn more about Malalai Joya, see: http://www.facebook.com/l/4d257;en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malalai_Joya and http://www.facebook.com/l/4d257;www.malalaijoya.com/dcmj/.

Co-written with Canadian Peace Alliance Co-Chair and writer Derrick O'Keefe, A Woman Among Warlords is an important and timely book. Malalai Joya's personal story is inspiring, and her political message is an uncompromising appeal for an end to NATO's occupation of Afghanistan and the impunity of the warlords of the Karzai regime.

Don't miss this rare chance to hear her in person.

TICKETS

Cost: $10, $5 for students and unwaged.
Location: Advance tickets are on sale at Octopus Books, 116 Third Ave, Ottawa.
Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm, Sunday - 12 pm - 5pm
Map: http://www.facebook.com/l/4d257;www.octopusbooks.org/contact | Phone: (613) 233-2589

New Study Examines Children's Awareness of Racism

And their conclusion?

By age 9, children are well aware of the existence of racism. "I think that would be surprising to many people, that by second or third grade a lot of kids get it, they get that there's racism in the world and they understand what it is", says one of the researchers involved.

Probably not surprising to the 9 year old kids who are the target of racism and prejudice...

Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada Membership

This is a fundraising appeal. PLEASE join ARCC! There's lots of good reasons why. First, it's damn cheap! - only $20 for a year. That includes our newsletter "The Activist/L'Activiste", issued 3 times a year, as well as your choice of private listservs to keep up to date on news related to reproductive rights in Canada.

Most of all, your membership helps to support our work ensuring abortion access and rights for Canadian women. The Conservative government and the anti-choice movement in Canada are both very active in trying to take away those rights, so our work is cut out for us - and we really need your ongoing support. And we're not shirkers: check out this update on ARCC news and activities over the last year and a half: http://www.facebook.com/l/8e408;www.arcc-cdac.ca/action/ARCC-activity.html. We hope you'll agree that our work deserves your support!

All of ARCC's revenue comes from private donations and membership fees - we receive NO funding from external sources. In addition, we are the only national POLITICAL pro-choice group in Canada - we're NOT a charity - which means our lobbying and political work is essential to the continued protection of abortion rights in Canada - even while fundraising is difficult because we cannot apply for most grants or provide tax receipts (sorry!)

So we hope you can join us in the ongoing struggle. Please visit our website for info on how to join: http://www.facebook.com/l/8e408;www.arcc-cdac.ca/membership.html (and for more info, email info@arcc-http://www.facebook.com/l/8e408;cdac.ca)

THANK YOU SO MUCH! :-)
Joyce Arthur, Coordinator

19 out of 20 young women 'would change bodies'

According to this Independent article, "Girls as young as seven would like to change something about their appearance".

"Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, whose party wants to ban airbsrushing pictures, blamed the pressure young girls find themselves under on an “unrealistic idea of what is beautiful means.”

“This report highlights the worrying number of teenage girls who are going on extreme diets or even considering cosmetic surgery because they're unhappy with the way they look,” she said, adding: “Airbrushing means that adverts now contain completely unattainable images that no-one can live up to in real life.

“Girls shouldn't constantly feel the need to measure up to a very narrow range of digitally manipulated images.”"

The Miss G__ Project: Ontario-wide GENDER STUDIES COURSE!

Dearest Everyone,

It is with great pleasure and deep honour that we present to you, at long last, the result of all our collective labour, the fruit of our feminist-activist loins: The final draft of the Ontario-wide GENDER STUDIES COURSE!!!

It is now online for you to read, review, and give the Min your feedback: http://www.curriculumreview.ca/SSandHumanities/index.html

This piece of province-wide, senior-level curriculum (nestled cozzily in a suite of new equity courses) has been nearly five-years in the asking/making, and is -- in our humble opinion -- a thing of beauty. It has been run through every test the Ministry could throw at it -- including several rounds of scrutiny by yours truly (the Miss G_ steering committee), and a pilot run in several schools across the province. It has thus faced and passed the ultimate test: the judicious eye of high school students. It has been drafted, drawing-boarded, tweaked, re-tweaked, projected through simulator wind-tunnels for aerodynamic endurance and agility, and is now ready to face the world. That is, YOU.

We are proud as punch to see the actual, for-serious WGS course in the flesh and ready for implementation. We anticipate that this will be a fantastic resource and space for discussion for students of all genders -- boys, girls, and everyone in between -- though of course it's only the beginning, rather than the end, of our effort to make education more equitable and accessible for all students.

Please take a few moments to survey the Gender Studies course that has come into the world thanks to all of your hard work and Ministry/government/media-

pestering abilities! Let the Ministry of Ed know what you think and feel free to offer them props and kudos for listening to your demands and making this a reality.

Yours ever,
The G__ Squad

--
The Miss G__ Project
for Equity in Education
themissgproject@gmail.com
www.themissgproject.org

Ottawa Ladyfest: Reel Thursdays - Celebrating Female Sexuality

When: Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Where: Mercury Lounge (56 ByWard Market - Upstairs)
Doors Open: 7:00pm
Screening Time: 8:30pm
Cost: $3

Here's an invitation to see what 'reel' filmmakers are up to at the Independent Filmmakers Co-operative of Ottawa (IFCO). Come check out IFCO's REEL THURSDAYS at the Mercury Lounge. November's REEL THURSDAYS screening is all about CELEBRATING FEMALE SEXUALITY!

8 fantastic IFCO female filmmakers were summoned by Ladyfest Ottawa to create 8 new Super 8 short films exploring the theme of Celebrating Sexuality. “Ladyfest Ottawa (LFO) is a non-profit, primarily women-organized music and arts festival that is open to everyone.” These films are sure to inspire, excite, provoke and keep all eyes glued to the screen.

It’s going to be a HOT one folks! So, make sure to drop by for a great night of captivating new short films.

You’re also invited to stay after the screening for Ottawa’s monthly TimeKode shake down, starting at (10pm), where great music and great people intersect!

Bring a friend and chill with us!

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS:
Lady Fest
Exclusive Film and Video

http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/event.php?eid=162986907591

Separation as a risk factor for women’s murder

In a review of 72 domestic homicides, an actual or pending separation was observed in 81% of cases… The Ontario Domestic Violence Deaths Review Committee found that within the domestic homicide cases where couples were separated, a significant reason for continued contact …was to deal with issues related to children. The risk may be increased... particularly when that contact relates to child custody issues. Victims and the public should be educated on the risk of separation and how to separate safely. Separation can be a long process rather than a discrete event. Research should identify critical issues to be considered when facilitating a separation involving a couple with risk factors…

Of 230 deaths related to domestic violence studied 2002-08 by DVDRC, 142 were women, 23 children, 65 men (the majority of men’s deaths were suicides by the perpetrator).

- Sixth Annual Report of Domestic Violence Death Review Committee, Ontario, 2008.
(Courtesy of NB Women's News – November 2, 2009. A service of the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women)

Monday, 26 Oct 2009: Conference at Carleton University

Gay rights in Russia: from freedom of assembly to same sex marriage

The first Russian lesbian couple seeking to get married will be speaking at Carleton about their struggle. They are eager to share their story after having their wedding ceremony performed in Toronto and before their return to Russia, where not only the validity of their licence will likely be rejected, but where they may also face intimidation, harassment and even detention. Nikolai Alekseev, the President of Gay Russia, a non-governmental organization fighting pioneering legal
battles to secure the rights of the GLBT community in Russia, will be accompanying this couple and will speak about the campaign for same-sex marriage in his country, as well as about the European Court of Human Rights case he is currently pursuing on Freedom of Assembly for
beleaguered Pride parade participants in Moscow.

Date: Monday 26 October 2009

Time: 2:00-3:30 pm

Location: 2017 Dunton Tower, Carleton University

Asterisk article

Hospital Forces Lesbian to Die Alone; Judge Gives Stamp of Approval

Posted by Matt in DOMA, Marriage, News, Politics on September 30th, 2009

U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan dismissed a lawsuit yesterday, essentially finding that the Jackson Memorial Hospital was within its rights to leave a dying woman alone while denying her present and immediate family to visit her, be updated on her condition, or even to provide the hospital with medically necessary information.

Named in the now-dismissed suit were Jackson social worker Garnett Frederick and attending physicians Alois Zauner and Carlos Alberto Cruz, who made the decision not to allow Janice Langbehn, Lisa Pond’s partner, to have standard family access to information, even after receiving durable Power of Attorney and a Living Will naming Janice as legal guardian with authority to make end-of-life decisions.

Jennifer Piedra, spokesperson for Jackson Memorial, released this statement after Judge Jordan said they could continue to turn [lesbian and gay] people away from their dying family members:

We have always believed and known that the staff at Jackson treats everyone equally, and that their main concern is the well-being of the patients in their care. At Jackson Health System, we believe in a culture of inclusion. For more than 90 years, the institution has taken great pride in serving everyone who enters its doors, regardless of race, creed, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. We also employ a very diverse workforce, one that mirrors the community we serve.

Jackson will continue to work with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to ensure that everyone knows they are welcome at all of our facilities, where they will receive the highest quality of medical care.

Yes, that sounds perfectly reasonable. If only there were a way to judge their words against their actions. Oh wait, there is, and guess what! They’re completely and plainly full of it! In March, Janice told the story of Lisa’s final hours:

On February 18, 2007, Lisa Pond, my partner of nearly 18 years and 3 of our 4 adopted children: Danielle, David and Katie were on board the Rfamily cruise preparing to set sail. Before leaving port, Lisa suddenly collapsed while watching the children play basketball. The kids were banging on the stateroom door saying, “Mommy was hurt!” I opened the door, and took one look at Lisa and knew the situation was very serious. As a medical social worker for many years, I have seen people in critical condition. I knew that my life partner was gravely ill. As the ship was about to leave, we had no choice but to seek medical help in an unfamiliar city. After local medics arrived, we hurried off the ship to the closest hospital in Miami, Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

As Lisa was put into the ambulance I had no idea when she signed “I love you” to the kids and I it would be the last time I would see her beautiful blue eyes. We arrived at the trauma center minutes before her ambulance. I tried to follow her gurney into the trauma area and was stopped by the trauma team and told to go to the waiting room. The kids and I did as we were told.

We arrived shortly after 3:30 in the afternoon, around 4pm, a social worker came out and introduced himself as Garnett Frederick and said, “you are in an anti-gay city and state. And without a health care proxy you will not see Lisa nor know of her condition”. He then turned to leave; I stopped him and asked for his fax number because I said “we had legal Durable Powers of Attorney” and would get him the documents. Within a short time of meeting this social worker, I contacted friends in Lacey, WA, our hometown, who went to our house and faxed the legal documents required for me to make medical decisions for Lisa.

I never imagined as I paced that tiny waiting room that I would not see Lisa’s bright blue eyes again or hold her warm, loving hands. Feeling helpless as I continued to wait, I attempted to sneak back into the trauma bay but all the doors to the trauma area had key codes, preventing me from entering. Sitting alone with our luggage, our children and my thoughts, I watched numbly as other families were invited back into the trauma center to visit with loved ones. I was still waiting to hear what was happening with Lisa, realizing as the time passed that I was not being allowed to see her and if the social worker’s words were any indication it was because we were gay.

Anger, despair and disbelief wracked my brain as I tried to figure out a way to find out what was going on with Lisa. I finally thought to call our family doctor back in Olympia (on a Sunday afternoon at home) to see if she could find out what was happening. While on the phone with our doctor in Olympia, a surgeon appeared. The surgeon told me that Lisa, who was just 39 years old, had suffered massive bleeding in her brain from an aneurysm.

A short while later, two more surgeons appeared and explained the massive bleed in Lisa’s brain gave her little chance to survive and if she did it would be in a persistent vegetative state. Lisa had made me promise to her over and over in our 18 years together to never allow this to happen to her. I let the surgeons know Lisa wishes, which were also spelled out in her Living Wills and Advance Directive. I was then promised by the doctors that I would be brought to see Lisa as “soon as she was cleaned up”. At that point all life saving measures ceased and I asked that she be prepared for organ donation.

Yet, the children and I continued to wait and wait. A Hospital Chaplain appeared and asked if I wanted to pray and I looked at her dumbfounded as if I hadn’t already been doing that for over four hours. I immediately asked for a Catholic Priest to perform Lisa’s Last rites. A short time later, a Catholic priest escorted me back to recite the Last Rites and it was my first time in nearly 5hrs of seeing Lisa. After seeing her I knew the children needed to see her immediately and be able to say their goodbyes and begin the grieving process. Yet the priest escorted me back out to the waiting room. Where I was faced with the young faces of our beautiful children to explain “other mommy” was going to heaven.

1967 - 2007" title="Lisa Marie Pond
1967 - 2007" class="size-full wp-image-851" width="300" height="200">

Lisa Marie Pond
1967 - 2007

I continued to assert myself over the ensuing hours again that we needed to be with Lisa. I even showed the Admitting clerk the children’s birth certificates with both Lisa and my name on them… and said if you won’t let me back, let her children be with her. I was told they were “too young”. I thought how old do you need to be to say goodbye to your mother?

In nearly eight hours, Lisa lay at Ryder Trauma Center moving toward brain death – completely alone and I continue to this day to feel like a failure for not being there to hold her hand to tell her how much we loved her, to comfort her and to sign in her hand “I love you”. All my pleas fell on deaf ears.

Lisa’s sister arrived driving straight from Jacksonville as soon as I knew Lisa would not survive. She announced who she was and I was at her side staring at the same person who had been denying me access all those hours. It was only then that I was told Lisa had been moved almost an hour earlier to ICU… and the hospital just kept the children and I waiting in the same waiting room, where Lisa was not even at.

On Monday February 19, 2007 at 10:45am, Lisa was officially declared Brain Dead. It was then that individuals from the Organ Donation Agency became involved (who I must point out are completely separate professionals from Jackson Memorial Hospital) that I finally was validated as Lisa’s spouse. They asked me which organs she wanted donated.

The Langbehn-Pond Family

Explain to me again how a straight couple would have been split like this even for five minutes, let alone hours. Explain to me how three children would have been kept from their straight mother’s side, how a dying straight person would be treated in such an cruel, vicious, I-don’t-have-enough-words way.

Tell me again why the word “marriage” doesn’t matter. Tell me again that we should just be patient and not rock the boat.

Better yet, tell it to Lisa Pond’s partner and children.

Yesterday a judge shrugged his shoulders and left LGBT victims unprotected. When will Americans demand better? Will Americans demand better?

Article taken from: http://blog.mattalgren.com/2009/09/hospital-forces-lesbian-to-die-alone/

First Women, First Voices advance ticket sales

Don't risk being turned away at the door!

We're now a week away from the event and advance tickets are definitely going to sell out. This is great news for us, but we don't want you to be disappointed and miss out on this spectacular event!

There will only be a LIMITED number of tix available at the door the night of the event.

Here's the ticket info:
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at VENUS ENVY (320 Lisgar, near Bank) or MOTHER TONGUE BOOKS (1067 Bank near Sunnyside).

You can also get tickets ONLINE at: http://www.facebook.com/l/dfac4;www.firstwomenfirstvoices.eventbrite.com

Looking forward to seeing all of you there, and thanks for your enthusiastic support!
---------------------------------------------------
Event info and details:
When: Friday, October 23, 2009 from 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM (ET)
Where: Mac Hall, Bronson Centre (211 Bronson Avenue, Ottawa)

Ladyfest Ottawa is thrilled to present First Women, First Voices - a night dedicated to showcasing and celebrating the work of aboriginal women in spoken word.

We'll begin this powerful evening with opening sets by TAQRALIK PARTRIDGE and by MOE CLARK & EMILIE MONNET, who will be debuting an excerpt of their new collaborative project, The BirdSong Prophecies.

TAQRALIK PARTRIDGE http://www.myspace.com/taqralikpartridge
MOE CLARK http://www.myspace.com/moeclarkspokenword
EMILIE MONNET http://www.electriques.ca/filles/artistes.e/m/monnet_em.php

Our featured artist for the evening is Calgary's Sarah Murphy, who will be presenting her performance piece "when bill danced the war." In this fierce anti-war critique of colonization, Murphy uses words and music to bear witness to her father's experiences fighting in three wars as an indigenous man and american soldier. She will be accompanied by Toronto musician and performance artist Cheryl L'Hirondelle.

SARAH MURPHY http://www.wordhoard.co.uk/bill.htm
CHERYL L'HIRONDELLE http://www.myspace.com/cheryllhirondelle

Ottawa Feminists RebELLEs meeting - rencontre de féministes RebELLEs Ottawa

The Ottawa RebELLEs is a young Ottawa Feminist Network that has adopted the Feminist Manifesto compiled at the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Conference (Montreal, Oct 2008) in its entirety. Membership is open to any feminist, regardless of age or gender identification.

Interested in being part of the movement? Come to the next meeting!

Date: Sunday, 18 October 2009
Time: 2:00pm
Place: Raw Sugar Cafe (692 Somerset St W, Ottawa)

Can't make the meeting, but would like to be a member? Contact ottawarebelles@gmail.com.

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Le réseau de jeunes féministes RebELLEs d'Ottawa ont adopté le manifeste compilé lors de la conférence pancanadienne de jeunes féministes qui a eu lieu à Montréal en octobre 2008. Le groupe est ouverte à tout(e) féministe.

Intéressé à faire partie du mouvement? Joignez-vous à notre prochaine rencontre!

Date: Dimanche le 18 octobre 2009
Heure: 14:00
Lieu: Café Raw Sugar (692 Somerset O., Ottawa)

Vous ne pouvez pas vous déplacer pour cette rencontrer mais désirez vous joindre à nous? Envoyez-nous un courriel: ottawarebelles@gmail.com

Decision Time on EI (From ACORN Canada)

As we all know, labour issues and the fight against poverty is central to feminist struggles. With that in mind I share with you this message from ACORN Canada:

With politicians declaring to Canadians that the Recession is over, the Bank of Canada is reporting that "...the economy has continued to shed jobs (albeit at a slowing rate), average hours worked have fallen, and the unemployment rate has risen to its highest level in 11 years."

Even worse, of the nearly 1.6 million out of work Canadians only about 45% qualify for Employment Insurance.

Let's send a message to the members of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance that the next Federal Budget needs to fix EI to protect laid-off workers. Click below to take action:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/2749/c/4714/t/5097/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2992

ACORN Canada along with our friends at the Good Jobs for All coalition are calling for reforms that will:

• Reduce the number of hours to 360 so that more workers in the precarious job market can access EI.
• Increase the number of weeks people can receive EI to at least 50 weeks in all regions.
• Increase benefits to at least 60% of normal earnings, using workers' 12 best weeks, and raise the maximum.

Click the link below to send a message to the Committee members:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/2749/c/4714/t/5097/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2992

Employment Insurance is a key piece of Canada's social safety net, and an important economic stabilizer. In past decades EI support was deeper and longer, and EI reduced the shock of job losses on working families and their communities.

Now is the time to expand EI to protect workers, their families and vulnerable communities.

4th Annual Sisters in Spirit Vigil in Ottawa

The Native Women’s Association of Canada proudly presents…

4th Annual Sisters In Spirit Vigil
Sunday, October 4th 2009
Ottawa, ON

Come light a candle for our missing and murdered Aboriginal Sisters In Spirit

4-6pm: Community Feast
University of Ottawa, Desmarais Bldg (55 Laurier Avenue East)
Entertainment, Food, Speakers

6pm: Unity March
U of O to Parliament Hill

7–8pm: Rally on the Hill
Welcome, Family Stories, Vigil

Call 613.722.3033 for information

In collaboration with:

Amnesty International Canada
KAIROS
National Association of Friendship Centres
Canadian Federation of Students

CARLETON STUDENTS OUTRAGED BY LATEST SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUS

For Immediate Release

September 29, 2009

OTTAWA—Carleton University students and the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre are outraged by the latest known sexual assault on campus. Carleton University Campus Safety has released information regarding an assault that occurred near residence on September 25^th, 2009 in which a woman was “struck in the face and groped by an unknown male”. Posters have been put up around campus reporting the incident. The Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre questions why the information describes a sexual assault but labels the incident as an “assault” only. “The information we have clearly speaks of a sexual assault and yet the University has labelled it otherwise. This isn’t an issue of semantics but of misleading information” says Julie Lalonde, coordinator of the Coalition.

The Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre was formed in 2007 after a high-profile sexual assault on campus exposed the lack of adequate support services. After a three-year campaign for increased services, students at Carleton University are still waiting for a centre, for which over 80% of students voted in favour in a 2008 referendum. The campaign reached a fever pitch this past summer when the survivor of the high-profile sexual assault filed a lawsuit against the University. In its statement of defence, Carleton argued that the woman, "failed to take appropriate or any action for her own safety". Harsh criticism from students, alumni and advocates across the country prompted the University to settle with the plaintiff. However, a Sexual Assault Centre remains to be seen on campus and students continue to demand one.

“This latest assault is further evidence that sexual assault and sexual violence, particularly against women, continues to happen at Carleton and that what the University has done is not working” adds Lalonde. “The official acknowledgement of sexual assault remains taboo on campus and the use of the term ‘assault’ rather than ‘sexual assault’ demonstrates this. The labelling of incidences on campus is shrouded in politics. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go at Carleton.”

For all media inquiries, contact Julie Lalonde at 613-301-2697, jlalond7@connect.carleton.ca or the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre at coalitionforcarleton@gmail.com

Ottawa RebELLEs Meeting - Sunday, 27 Sept 2009

Interested in being part of the movement? Come to our next meeting!

Date: Sunday, 27 September 2009
Time: 1:00pm
Place: Raw Sugar Cafe (692 Somerset St W, Ottawa)

The Ottawa RebELLEs is a young Ottawa Feminist Network that has adopted the Feminist Manifesto compiled at the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Conference (Montreal, Oct 2008) in its entirety. Membership is open to any feminist, regardless of age or gender identification.

Take Back the Night 2009 Ottawa Division

Take Back the Night is an annual event held around the world to raise awareness about violence against women and to reclaim the streets as safe for all. Take Back the Night celebrates women’s diversity and strength, and promotes a society in which the safety of women is guaranteed.

Each year more supporters participate in this event, bringing awareness of the need to end violence against women in our communities. According to Statistics Canada, half of Canadian women (51%) have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16 and one to two women are murdered by a current or former partner each week in Canada. This is a chance to publicly celebrate women’s solidarity; women will not be passive and accept the violence against them but will instead speak out and take action together for change

Please come out and show your support for our mothers, sisters, friends and loved ones.

Date: Thursday, 24 September 2009
Time: 6:00 pm
Location: The Women's Monument, Minto Park (Elgin and Gilmore), Ottawa

40 Days for Choice

The annual women's rights attack campaign "40 Days for Life" launched last night in Ottawa with Christian music and speakers on Parliament Hill. A feisty group of pro-choicers, organized by the Pro Choice Coalition Ottawa (PCCO), rallied with colourful banners and posters to show their opposition, launching the local "40 Days for Choice". The fuzzy picture on the left is of the two groups.

Women's rights under attack - what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!

Manifesto of the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering

The 'Manifesto of the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering' is our political tool. For us, it is an instrument of identification as well as mobilization and raising consciousness. The Manifesto describes us as young feminists as well as what we are fighting against, what we are struggling for, the world and communities we dream of building together and the gestures we will make to get there.

We hope that the Manifesto will be used across Canada, in our feminist networks, as well as in grassroots organisations and national unions: at feminist actions or to educate our friends, colleagues, mothers, brothers, etc. about feminism.

While united at the Waves of Resistance Gathering, the participants
collectively adopted the Pan-Canadian Gathering of Young Feminists Manifesto, developed from the proposal submitted by the Protest Committee made up of 14 young feminists from each of the Canadian provinces and territories and one First Nations woman!

The manifesto is a battle cry, a stronghold against apathy, a call to action and to unity for all the diversity in our "RebELLEs"!

--Integral text of the Manifesto--

We are the young RebELLEs who have answered a feminist call and we are proud to call ourselves feminists. We recognize that there are multiple interpretations of feminism and we celebrate and integrate this diversity. We are committed to the continual expansion of the plurality of our voices. We are committed to an ongoing process of critical self-reflection to inform and transform our movement. We acknowledge the historical exclusion of "Othered" women by the majority Western feminist movement. We strive to learn from the past, honour the struggles of our foremothers and continue to dream for the future. We value the allies of feminism who support us in our fight for equity and justice.

We are women of diverse abilities, ethnicities, origins, sexualities, identities, class backgrounds, ages and races. Among us are employed, underemployed and unemployed women, mothers, students, dropouts, artists, musicians and women in the sex trade. We state that transfolks, two-spirited and intersexed people are integral to our movement and recognize and respect gender fluidity and support the right to self-identify. Our women-only spaces include everyone who self-identifies and lives as a woman in society.

We are told that feminism is over and outdated. If this were true then we wouldn't need to denounce the fact that:

In reality, many of the demands of our feminist mothers and grandmothers remain unmet. Women continue to be the victims of sexual violence. Our communities are haunted by the silence that follows these assaults. Throughout Canada, in spite of our right to it, access to abortion services remains insufficient. Across Canada as well, colonized, marginalized, racialized and disabled women are coerced and/or forced to undergo unwanted or uninformed abortions, forced to use contraception and are subjected to forced sterilization. The hyper-sexualization of women in the media has taught us to view women as sexual objects rather than complete human beings. Getting off, lesbianism and being queer are taboo and a women's choice to seek sexual pleasure is seen as negative. Our identities are eroded as we are taught, from the time we are children, and through television and magazines, that how we should look, dress, and act is determined by our sex. Violence is normalized, sexual abuse eroticized. Our sexual health education is inadequate and our reproductive rights are disrespected. Our needs are not being met.

In reality, women still represent the majority of the underprivileged. Our government steals children from poor and Aboriginal women. Capitalism exploits working-class women and confines middle- and upper-class women to "consumer" roles. We are told that equality has been achieved, but still the wage gap persists. Immigrant women are denied acknowledgment of their academic credentials and are forced to endure intolerable work environments in order to stay on Canadian soil. We lack affordable and accessible childcare. Women remain underpaid, underappreciated, and undervalued in the work force. We have gained the right to vote, yet gender-based discrimination keeps women virtually unrepresented in political office.

In this globalized world, we must construct international feminist solidarity. The actions of Canadian political and economic elites harm women around the world, and in a way that is specifically gender-related. War, genocide and militarization are characterized by the use of rape as a war weapon, femicide, and the sexual exploitation of thousands of our sisters. Free trade contributes to women's increasing social, economic and cultural insecurity. In response to Canadian imperialism, we will globalize our feminist solidarity.

In this so-called post-feminist world, our roles in society are still defined by traditional views on gender. Religious and political forces aimed at maintaining the pillars of power in our society silence us from voicing our rights. We denounce the current rise of right-wing ideology in Canadian society and the steps backward in women's rights that this has caused. We are being stripped of rights for which those who came before us fought hard. Geography marginalizes women, with remote, northern and rural women lacking access to basic services. Showing solidarity with our sisters means trying to understand all of the issues we face - including race, class and gender - and standing together against oppression.

Finally, we denounce the dismissal of the feminist movement as redundant. Our struggle is not over. We will be post-feminists when we have post-patriarchy.

Feminists Unite!

DOWN WITH the colonial legacy of genocide and assimilation of Aboriginal peoples, particularly of Aboriginal women
DOWN WITH the sexism and racism of the Indian Act
DOWN WITH dishonoured treaties
DOWN WITH assimilation
DOWN WITH racial profiling
DOWN WITH Canada's fake multicultural policy
DOWN WITH warmongers & military power
DOWN WITH racist child welfare policies
DOWN WITH stereotypes in the media
DOWN WITH genocide and femicide
DOWN WITH stealing women and children
DOWN WITH COLONIALISM

RebELLEs AGAINST banks for hijacking the world
RebELLEs AGAINST drug companies for institutionalizing women's health
RebELLEs AGAINST public spaces that don't accommodate all bodies
RebELLEs AGAINST development that destroys nature
RebELLEs AGAINST the class system that keeps us impoverished and deprives us of safe, affordable housing
RebELLEs AGAINST the state that forces other countries to adopt the capitalist system
RebELLEs AGAINST the devaluation of women's paid and unpaid work
RebELLEs AGAINST corporations for making money off our backs
RebELLEs AGAINST the advertisers who destroy our self- esteem and then sell it back to us
RebELLEs AGAINST CAPITALISM

RISE AGAINST the industries that cause us to hate our bodies and our sexuality
RISE AGAINST heterosexism that makes it seem that there is only one way of living, loving and being sexual
RISE AGAINST the socialization of children in gender binaries, race categories and colonial erasures
RISE AGAINST the education that reinforces the heteronormative nuclear family
RISE AGAINST the religious Right and its influence on State policy and legislation
RISE AGAINST rape and violence against women
RISE AGAINST the objectification and control of women’s bodies
RISE AGAINST all anti-choice bills, laws and strategies
RISE AGAINST the sexual division of labour
RISE AGAINST poverty and women’s economic disadvantage and dependency
RISE AGAINST income support programs based on family status instead of individual status
RISE AGAINST masculinists, their false claims and demagogic arguments
RISE AGAINST sexual exploitation
RISE AGAINST PATRIARCHY

We envision communities committed to:
-> Eradicating all forms of violence – including sexual, institutional, emotional, economic, physical, cultural, racial, colonial, ageist and ableist
-> Challenging all forms of oppression, power and privilege
-> Recognizing that others’ struggles against oppression cannot be separated from one’s own, because all people are intrinsically linked; and being conscious of how one fits into the different structures of oppression while fighting to eliminate them all
-> Freeing our children and ourselves from the gender binary
-> Building institutions and structures that promote the principles of Justice, Peace & Equality
-> Eliminating economic inequality
-> Funding and supporting affordable, accessible childcare, and the economic freedom to mother in the way we choose
-> Learning and teaching true herstory and histories of our victories and struggles, especially those of women of colour and Aboriginal women
-> Fighting the stigma and shame of mental health and psychiatric survivors and supporting their struggles

We will: Change our attitude: get pissed off, refuse, resist, walk out, speak up!
We will: Transform our daily lives and relationships: actions can take place in small interactions
We will: Encourage people to learn about, care for and love themselves and their bodies
We will: Support safe and accessible space for individuals to define and express themselves without fear of judgement
We will: Create alternatives, write poetry, articles, letters, make art
We will: Join with others, find common ground, build community, create feminist spaces and gatherings, raise awareness, educate, spread the word
We will: Believe that a better world is possible and work to achieve it

We will: Organize and struggle: build alliances with existing feminist groups and create new ones, fight together in solidarity, be seen and be heard, disrupt, trouble, destabilize established powers, become culture jammers
We will: Build solidarity based on the commonality of our diverse struggles and perspectives
We will: Value people rather than profits
We will: Demand massive State reinvestment in social programs and the end of privatization
We will: Organize pan-Canadian decentralized days of feminist action against the rise of the Right
We will: Protest and resist sexist bills and laws that threaten our reproductive rights, racist immigration laws, war, free trade, repression, the criminalization of political movements, corporate exploitation and plunder of the earth, and violence against women
We will: Champion safety, respect, justice, freedom, equality and SOLIDARITY!

This manifesto was adopted at the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering Toujours RebELLEs / Waves of Resistance, Montreal, October 13, 2008.

It is a call to action!