You're not a feminist are you?
If you're going to be reading my blog, you should know right off the bat that I am a feminist. This will at times seep into my analysis of a situation, and at other times be blatantly obvious in the content matter. So I hope you're comfortable with, or interested in learning more about, feminisms. Yes, it's plural here because feminism is not by any means monolothic in my view and its plurality here highlights the diversity of practices, tactics and positions that feminist movements can embody. I take a post-structuralist position when it comes to knowledge and cannot claim I know everything about feminisms, but my years as a community organizer and activist have informed my practice and allowed me to (un)learn so much - and I've only just begun.
I haven't always strictly identified as a "woman" nor been properly gendered, though I generally pass as a woman and identify myself as such in public settings. I've been called "tomboy", "mistaken" for a boy, called "masculine", at times androgynous, or at least not the most generic brand of constructed femininity and sometimes left people wondering. Lately I've been more feminine, or femme, exploring aspects of femininity I had previously ignored within myself, and reclaiming the identity of "woman" as part of my social location. The first time I had heard about Women's studies I sensed it was something that would peg me into an artificial femininity, that I had to more fully identify as a woman to be included in this space, and dismissed an entire wealth of activism and scholarship that later helped me unpack and understand my complex relationship to sex and gender.
After completing a Fine arts degree at Concordia University, I navigated towards the University of Ottawa where I am currently completing my Master's in Women's Studies. I began realizing some of the discrepancies between academic feminism and street/activist feminism while simultaneously being confronted by some of the oppressive structures of academia that are being challenged and upheld simultaneous by feminisms inside and outside academia.
One of the spaces that has been instrumental in supporting my journey through academia and where I can put into practice the theories I learn in the classroom - while also learning and unlearning so much that informs how I read what I am exposed to in that same classroom - is the Ottawa RebELLEs collective. This local feminist collective is an offshoot of the pan-canadian (this word irks me with its colonial implications, but I won't get into that here) decentralized young feminist movement Toujours RebELLEs. While not being strictly a campus group, this collective is a UOttawa OPIRG action group and has already been active on UOttawa campus, marking the start of the semester with a presence at ALT-101's social justice fair on September 9, 2011.
Our most recent event took place on UOttawa campus Thursday October 6th, 2011 entitled . Partly inspired by bell hook's book titled "feminism is for everybody", this public event "You're not a feminist are you? (...but feminism is for everybody)" invites participants to a discussion on what feminism means to them, what feminist issues play out in their lives, and how feminism is still totally relevant for everybody.
We booked Café Alt for this event before the Occupy Mouvement insipaded the city and Occupy Ottawa usurped, it seems, campus activist energy for that day. We had a number of attendees present at our event and cut our discussions short so that people could join in on the Occupation. This raises some important implications for campus activism and feminist oganizing alike. The haste to ditch existing discussions on the continuining relevance of feminism is not only reflected in some of the sexist, racist and colonialist (to name a few) implications of the Occupy Movement, but it it supposes that feminist discussions should be set aside rather than included as a part of broader anti-capitalist struggles like Occupy Movement.
Meanwhile, as campus radicalism joins beautifully into a community-writhing mosaic of working towards a better world by making it happen right now, some of the principles that underlie this movement fall short. The analysis of Occupy Together forgets the political constituency of 51% of the 99% that it stands for.
In solidarity,
MH
This entry was also posted at:
http://pixiemakingwaves.tumblr.com
http://decouvrezuottawa.ca/en/
Showing posts with label feminist action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feminist action. Show all posts
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sharon McIvor will file complaint against Canada at the United Nations
From FAFIA (Feminist Alliance for International Action) via AWID (Association for Women's Rights in Development):
"Canadian Aboriginal woman lawyer, leader and advocate, Sharon McIvor announced today [December 22, 2010] that she will file a complaint against Canada at the United Nations. 'Canada continues to discriminate against Aboriginal women and their descendants in the determination of eligibility for registration as an Indian. Versions of the Indian Act, going back to the
19th century, have given preference to male Indians as transmitters of status, and to descendants of male Indians. Despite amendments made to the Indian Act when the Charter came into effect in 1985, Aboriginal women are still not treated equally as transmitters of status, and many thousands of descendants of Aboriginal women are denied status as a result.'
McIvor said: “I contested this discrimination under the Charter. It took twenty years in Canadian courts, and I achieved only partial success. Now I will seek full justice for Aboriginal women under international human rights law. Canada needs to be held to account for its intransigence in refusing to completely eliminate sex discrimination from the Indian Act and for decades of delay.”
In 1994, Sharon McIvor brought a constitutional challenge to the sex discrimination in the registration provisions of the Indian Act. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled that section 6 of the Indian Act violated s. 15 of the Charter. However, when Canada appealed, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled that although the Indian Act was discriminatory, the bulk of the discrimination
was justified because the Government’s purpose was to preserve the existing rights of the Aboriginal men and their descendants who had been given preferred status.
Parliament is now poised to pass a new amendment to the Indian Act, Bill C-3, in response to the Court of Appeal decision. But Bill C-3, if passed, will provide only a partial and inadequate solution to the sex discrimination. Bill C-3 will make some female line descendants newly
eligible for status, but they will still have a lesser ability to transmit status than their male line counterparts. In addition, Bill C-3 will still exclude many descendants of Indian women who were unmarried. As long as these Aboriginal women and their descendants continue to be ineligible for registration as Indians, sex discrimination will remain an entrenched characteristic of the Indian Act.
McIvor said: “Because neither Canadian courts nor Parliament have yet granted an adequate and effective remedy for the sex discrimination which has been a hallmark of the Indian Act for more than a hundred years, I will take my case to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.”
“Many people in Canada, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, recognize that this long-standing discrimination against Aboriginal women and their descendants is wrong and should end. Before me, Mary Two-Axe Early, Jeanette Corbière Lavell, Yvonne Bedard, and Sandra Lovelace all fought to end sex discrimination against Aboriginal women in the status registration provisions in the Indian Act. I will continue, with the same determination they had, until Aboriginal women enjoy equality,” said McIvor."
-End-
Sources:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2010/12/c3673.html
http://www.fafia-afai.org/en/news/2010/sharon-mcivor-takes-her-fight-united-nations
-----
Sharon McIvor has devoted her life to improving the conditions of Aboriginal women, and all women in Canada. Sharon is a member of the Lower Nicola Band in British Columbia , a practicing lawyer, and a Professor of Aboriginal Law at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. She has spent over two decades fighting to end sex discrimination under the status provisions of the Indian Act. At the same time she has been tireless in her work to end violence against Aboriginal women.
"Canadian Aboriginal woman lawyer, leader and advocate, Sharon McIvor announced today [December 22, 2010] that she will file a complaint against Canada at the United Nations. 'Canada continues to discriminate against Aboriginal women and their descendants in the determination of eligibility for registration as an Indian. Versions of the Indian Act, going back to the
19th century, have given preference to male Indians as transmitters of status, and to descendants of male Indians. Despite amendments made to the Indian Act when the Charter came into effect in 1985, Aboriginal women are still not treated equally as transmitters of status, and many thousands of descendants of Aboriginal women are denied status as a result.'
McIvor said: “I contested this discrimination under the Charter. It took twenty years in Canadian courts, and I achieved only partial success. Now I will seek full justice for Aboriginal women under international human rights law. Canada needs to be held to account for its intransigence in refusing to completely eliminate sex discrimination from the Indian Act and for decades of delay.”
In 1994, Sharon McIvor brought a constitutional challenge to the sex discrimination in the registration provisions of the Indian Act. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled that section 6 of the Indian Act violated s. 15 of the Charter. However, when Canada appealed, the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled that although the Indian Act was discriminatory, the bulk of the discrimination
was justified because the Government’s purpose was to preserve the existing rights of the Aboriginal men and their descendants who had been given preferred status.
Parliament is now poised to pass a new amendment to the Indian Act, Bill C-3, in response to the Court of Appeal decision. But Bill C-3, if passed, will provide only a partial and inadequate solution to the sex discrimination. Bill C-3 will make some female line descendants newly
eligible for status, but they will still have a lesser ability to transmit status than their male line counterparts. In addition, Bill C-3 will still exclude many descendants of Indian women who were unmarried. As long as these Aboriginal women and their descendants continue to be ineligible for registration as Indians, sex discrimination will remain an entrenched characteristic of the Indian Act.
McIvor said: “Because neither Canadian courts nor Parliament have yet granted an adequate and effective remedy for the sex discrimination which has been a hallmark of the Indian Act for more than a hundred years, I will take my case to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.”
“Many people in Canada, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, recognize that this long-standing discrimination against Aboriginal women and their descendants is wrong and should end. Before me, Mary Two-Axe Early, Jeanette Corbière Lavell, Yvonne Bedard, and Sandra Lovelace all fought to end sex discrimination against Aboriginal women in the status registration provisions in the Indian Act. I will continue, with the same determination they had, until Aboriginal women enjoy equality,” said McIvor."
-End-
Sources:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/November2010/12/c3673.html
http://www.fafia-afai.org/en/news/2010/sharon-mcivor-takes-her-fight-united-nations
-----
Sharon McIvor has devoted her life to improving the conditions of Aboriginal women, and all women in Canada. Sharon is a member of the Lower Nicola Band in British Columbia , a practicing lawyer, and a Professor of Aboriginal Law at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. She has spent over two decades fighting to end sex discrimination under the status provisions of the Indian Act. At the same time she has been tireless in her work to end violence against Aboriginal women.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Pro-Choice Call to Action
Dear Pro-choice Supporters,
Please send a letter to your MP asking them to vote against the private member's bill C-510, "an act to amend the Criminal Code (coerced abortion)." The bill was introduced in April and is scheduled for 2nd Reading vote on Nov 1.
Please check out the following link to some media coverage:
"Abortion vote inevitable, MP says"
For more info on the bill, see the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada's press release in:
How you can help defend women's rights?
Below is a sample letter that you can copy and paste into an email or a letter. Feel free to edit the letter or write your own. Address your email to your MP.
Look up your MP HERE.
________________________________
Sample Letter/Email:
Subject: Please vote against Bill C-510
Dear [insert your MP's name]
I'm writing to ask you to please vote against Bill C-510, an act to prohibit "coerced abortion", which is slated for a 2nd reading vote in Parliament on Nov 1.
Bill C510 is a private member's bill that would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit coercing a woman into an abortion via physical or financial threats, illegal acts, or through “argumentative and rancorous badgering or importunity”. It was introduced on April 15 by anti-abortion Conservative MP Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South), who chairs the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus.
I'm pro-choice and part of Canada's pro-choice majority. I believe this is an unnecessary bill that promotes abortion stigma, paternalizes women, and puts providers at risk. The bill is redundant because threats and illegal acts are already illegal under the Criminal Code, and counselors at clinics already screen for possible coercion in women seeking abortion. However, the anti-choice movement falsely believes that clinics coerce women into abortions, so we fear this bill may encourage frivolous charges against providers, as well as harassment and violence. The bill patronizes women by implying they are frequently coerced into abortion, but the vast majority of women make their own decision to have an abortion and take responsibility for it. If the intent is really to protect women from abusive partners, we need better and more comprehensive solutions than this bill.
The bill is supported and promoted by Canada's anti-abortion movement. It represents their latest attempt to get a foot in the door towards recriminalizing abortion. The bill refers to a fetus as a “child,” making it another Trojan Horse for smuggling fetal rights into law. As you may recall, the "Unborn Victims of Crime Act" from 2008 (Bill C484) passed 2nd reading
because its deceptive language fooled a number of pro-choice MPs.
Thank you in advance for voting against Bill C510.
Sincerely,
Please send a letter to your MP asking them to vote against the private member's bill C-510, "an act to amend the Criminal Code (coerced abortion)." The bill was introduced in April and is scheduled for 2nd Reading vote on Nov 1.
Please check out the following link to some media coverage:
For more info on the bill, see the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada's press release in:
How you can help defend women's rights?
Below is a sample letter that you can copy and paste into an email or a letter. Feel free to edit the letter or write your own. Address your email to your MP.
Look up your MP HERE.
________________________________
Sample Letter/Email:
Subject: Please vote against Bill C-510
Dear [insert your MP's name]
I'm writing to ask you to please vote against Bill C-510, an act to prohibit "coerced abortion", which is slated for a 2nd reading vote in Parliament on Nov 1.
Bill C510 is a private member's bill that would amend the Criminal Code to prohibit coercing a woman into an abortion via physical or financial threats, illegal acts, or through “argumentative and rancorous badgering or importunity”. It was introduced on April 15 by anti-abortion Conservative MP Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South), who chairs the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus.
I'm pro-choice and part of Canada's pro-choice majority. I believe this is an unnecessary bill that promotes abortion stigma, paternalizes women, and puts providers at risk. The bill is redundant because threats and illegal acts are already illegal under the Criminal Code, and counselors at clinics already screen for possible coercion in women seeking abortion. However, the anti-choice movement falsely believes that clinics coerce women into abortions, so we fear this bill may encourage frivolous charges against providers, as well as harassment and violence. The bill patronizes women by implying they are frequently coerced into abortion, but the vast majority of women make their own decision to have an abortion and take responsibility for it. If the intent is really to protect women from abusive partners, we need better and more comprehensive solutions than this bill.
The bill is supported and promoted by Canada's anti-abortion movement. It represents their latest attempt to get a foot in the door towards recriminalizing abortion. The bill refers to a fetus as a “child,” making it another Trojan Horse for smuggling fetal rights into law. As you may recall, the "Unborn Victims of Crime Act" from 2008 (Bill C484) passed 2nd reading
because its deceptive language fooled a number of pro-choice MPs.
Thank you in advance for voting against Bill C510.
Sincerely,
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Inspiring and brilliant action from la Marche Mondiale des Femmes du Québec!!
Way to go la marche mondiale des femmes!! Bringing back Guerrila style activism to feminism...absolutely brilliant.
Yesterday, 11 feminist activists occupied the office of the Minister of the Status of Women of Québec.
On est très inspiré de voir des actions si concrètes et provocatrices pour avancer la lutte féministe.
Hier, 11 militantes ont occupé le bureau de la Ministre de la Condition féminine à Montréal.
La version complète de l'article suit, incluant des liens médiatiques.
See full article below Including media coverage links (unfortunately the articles in English are very superficial). English follows.
Way to go la marche mondiale des femmes!! Bringing back Guerrila style activism to feminism...absolutely brilliant.
Yesterday, 11 feminist activists occupied the office of the Minister of the Status of Women of Québec.
On est très inspiré de voir des actions si concrètes et provocatrices pour avancer la lutte féministe.
Hier, 11 militantes ont occupé le bureau de la Ministre de la Condition féminine à Montréal.
La version complète de l'article suit, incluant des liens médiatiques.
See full article below Including media coverage links (unfortunately the articles in English are very superficial). English follows.
Des FÉMINISTES OCCUPENT LE BUREAU DE LA MINISTRE - Action historique de la Marche mondiale des femmes au Québec
par Feminists Rebelles, 15 octobre 2010, à 18:14
(SVP, diffuser largement dans vos réseaux. Merci.)
ACTION HISTORIQUE de la Marche mondiale des femmes au Québec hier
11 militantes occupent le bureau de la Ministre de la Condition féminine à Montréal
Photo : Annik MH De Carufel - Le Devoir
11 militantes de la Marche mondiale des femmes (MMF) ont occupé hier le bureau de la ministre de la Condition féminine du Québec durant plus de 8 heures, exigeant des réponses positives aux 8 revendications de la MMF 2010. Parmis elles, trois RebELLEs ont occupé le bureau. Neuf d'entre-elles - dont deux RebELLEs - ont été arrêtées, font maintenant face à des accusations et sont criminalisées pour avoir lutté contre la pauvreté, la violence et les politiques racistes, patriarcales et capitalistes du gouvenement provincial de droite, le gouvenement Charest.
SVP, exprimez votre solidarité avec les actions de la MMF 2010 et les arrêtées en écrivant directement aux organisatrices à apierre@ffq.qc.ca, c.c. info@rebelles.org. MERCI!
Vous pouvez consulter les revendications de la MMF 2010, lire les réponses de la ministre et suivre la couverture médiatique de l'événement en cliquant sur les liens suivants (ci-bas). Voici un court vidéo capté par les militantes durant leur occupation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQWD6R1Mtz8
LUTTONS POUR GAGNER!
Luttons avec autant de coeur que de rage!!
Féministes, VIVA!
Barbara Legault, l'une des 11 occupantes
Coordonnatrice du Secrétariat pancanadien du Mouvement RebELLEs
info@rebelles.org
Sarah.k Granke, l'une des 11 occupantes
Membre du Comité organisateur du rassemblement RebELLEs 2011 à Winnipeg (20-23 mai)
rebelles@femrev.org
Photo: Barbara Legault
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Marche mondiale des femmes au Québec - Toute l'information
La faible réponse de la ministre aux revendications de la MMF
- http://communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Octobre2010/15/c2801.html
- http://www.communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Octobre2010/14/c2522.html
Une partie de la couverture médiatique et autres liens
- http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/298095/marche-mondiale-des-femmes-le-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-pris-d-assaut
- http://videos.lcn.canoe.ca/video/en-vedette/les-dernieres-nouvelles/8805187001/occupation-du-bureau-de-christine-st-pierre-notre/636773704001
- http://fr.video.canoe.tv/archive/category/actualites/occupation-du-bureau-de-christine-st-pierre-notre/636783703001
- http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/societe/2010/10/14/001-femmes-longueuil-manif.shtml
- http://ruefrontenac.com/nouvelles-generales/55-enjeux/28905-occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-saint-pierre
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-quebecoise/201010/14/01-4332564-le-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-envahi-par-des-groupes-de-femmes.php
- http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101015/mtl_women_101015/20101015/?hub=MontrealHome
- http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/10/15/women-occupy-minister-office.html
- http://qc.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/101014/nationales/femmes_revendications
- http://www.cmaq.net/fr/node/42655
- http://www.jesuisfeministe.com/?p=2628
- http://actualites.ca.msn.com/national/cp-article.aspx?cp-documentid=25950486
- http://www.ffq.qc.ca/2010/10/occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-a/
- http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2010/14/c2677.html
- http://cybersolidaires.typepad.com/r/2010/10/occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-%C3%A0-montr%C3%A9al-par-la-marche-mondiale-des-femmes.html
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/societe/201010/13/01-4332197-marche-des-femmes-50-autobus-a-rimouski.php
- http://www.tv5.org/cms/chaine-francophone/info/Les-dossiers-de-la-redaction/Marche-mondiale-des-femmes-RDC-octobre2010/p-13347-La-Marche-mondiale-des-femmes-en-RDC.htm
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/opinions/201010/14/01-4332535-la-ffq-ouverte-a-toutes-les-femmes.php
- http://www.journalmetro.com/montreal1/article/660928--des-femmes-marchent-pour-leur-cause
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/la-voix-de-lest/opinions/courrier-des-lecteurs/201010/12/01-4331657-10-ans-de-marche-mondiale-des-femmes.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4331993_article_POS1
- http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=437236326425
Photo: Sarah.k
Photo: Sarah.k
Photo: Sarah.k
Photo: Sarah.k
Photo: Barbara Legault
Photo: Simon T-P
FEMINISTS OCCUPY MINISTER'S OFFICE - Historical action of the World March of Women (WMW) in Quebec yesterday
par Feminists Rebelles, 15 octobre 2010, à 18:10(Please, distribute widely. Thanks)
STRONG and HISTORICAL action of the World March of Women (WMW) in Quebec yesterday
11 Womyn occupied the office of the Minister of the Status of Women
Photo : Annik MH De Carufel - Le Devoir
11 activists of the World March of Women (WMW) occupied the Montreal office of the Minister of the Status of women in Quebec for 8+ hours yesterday, demanding positive responses to the 8 demands of the WMW! Three RebELLEs were among the womyn occupying! Two of them were arrested and now face charges and are criminalized for fighting poverty, violence and the racist, patriarcal and capitalist policies of the provincial right-wing Charest governement!
Please, express solidarity with the WMW actions and the arrestees directly to the organizers at apierre@ffq.qc.ca c.c. info@rebelles.org
Check out the WMW 2010 demands, the Minister's response and media coverage of the occupation at these links (below and posted on our fb page). Here's a short video (in French) made by the womyn who occupied:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQWD6R1Mtz8
FIGHT TO WIN!
Fight with Love and Rage!
Féministes, VIVA!
Barbara Legault, one of the occupants
Coordinator of the Pancanadian Secretariat of the RebELLEs Movement
info@rebelles.org
Sarah.k Granke, one the occupants
Member of the Organizing Committee of the 2011 RebELLEs Gathering in Winnipeg (May 20-23)
rebelles@femrev.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------
World March of Women in Québec - All the info
The Minister's poor response to the WMW demands
- http://communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Octobre2010/15/c2801.html
- http://www.communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Octobre2010/14/c2522.html
Some Media Coverage and other links
- http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101015/mtl_women_101015/20101015/?hub=MontrealHome
- http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/10/15/women-occupy-minister-office.html
- http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/298095/marche-mondiale-des-femmes-le-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-pris-d-assaut
- http://videos.lcn.canoe.ca/video/en-vedette/les-dernieres-nouvelles/8805187001/occupation-du-bureau-de-christine-st-pierre-notre/636773704001
- http://fr.video.canoe.tv/archive/category/actualites/occupation-du-bureau-de-christine-st-pierre-notre/636783703001
- http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/societe/2010/10/14/001-femmes-longueuil-manif.shtml
- http://ruefrontenac.com/nouvelles-generales/55-enjeux/28905-occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-saint-pierre
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-quebecoise/201010/14/01-4332564-le-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-envahi-par-des-groupes-de-femmes.php
- http://qc.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/101014/nationales/femmes_revendications
- http://www.cmaq.net/fr/node/42655
- http://www.jesuisfeministe.com/?p=2628
- http://actualites.ca.msn.com/national/cp-article.aspx?cp-documentid=25950486
- http://www.ffq.qc.ca/2010/10/occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-a/
- http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2010/14/c2677.html
- http://cybersolidaires.typepad.com/r/2010/10/occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-%C3%A0-montr%C3%A9al-par-la-marche-mondiale-des-femmes.html
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/societe/201010/13/01-4332197-marche-des-femmes-50-autobus-a-rimouski.php
- http://www.tv5.org/cms/chaine-francophone/info/Les-dossiers-de-la-redaction/Marche-mondiale-des-femmes-RDC-octobre2010/p-13347-La-Marche-mondiale-des-femmes-en-RDC.htm
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/opinions/201010/14/01-4332535-la-ffq-ouverte-a-toutes-les-femmes.php
- http://www.journalmetro.com/montreal1/article/660928--des-femmes-marchent-pour-leur-cause
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/la-voix-de-lest/opinions/courrier-des-lecteurs/201010/12/01-4331657-10-ans-de-marche-mondiale-des-femmes.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4331993_article_POS1
- http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=437236326425
FEMINISTS OCCUPY MINISTER'S OFFICE - Historical action of the World March of Women (WMW) in Quebec yesterday
par Feminists Rebelles, 15 octobre 2010, à 18:10
(Please, distribute widely. Thanks)
STRONG and HISTORICAL action of the World March of Women (WMW) in Quebec yesterday
11 Womyn occupied the office of the Minister of the Status of Women
Photo : Annik MH De Carufel - Le Devoir
11 activists of the World March of Women (WMW) occupied the Montreal office of the Minister of the Status of women in Quebec for 8+ hours yesterday, demanding positive responses to the 8 demands of the WMW! Three RebELLEs were among the womyn occupying! Two of them were arrested and now face charges and are criminalized for fighting poverty, violence and the racist, patriarcal and capitalist policies of the provincial right-wing Charest governement!
Please, express solidarity with the WMW actions and the arrestees directly to the organizers at apierre@ffq.qc.ca c.c. info@rebelles.org
Check out the WMW 2010 demands, the Minister's response and media coverage of the occupation at these links (below and posted on our fb page). Here's a short video (in French) made by the womyn who occupied:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQWD6R1Mtz8
FIGHT TO WIN!
Fight with Love and Rage!
Féministes, VIVA!
Barbara Legault, one of the occupants
Coordinator of the Pancanadian Secretariat of the RebELLEs Movement
info@rebelles.org
Sarah.k Granke, one the occupants
Member of the Organizing Committee of the 2011 RebELLEs Gathering in Winnipeg (May 20-23)
rebelles@femrev.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------
World March of Women in Québec - All the info
The Minister's poor response to the WMW demands
- http://communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Octobre2010/15/c2801.html
- http://www.communiques.gouv.qc.ca/gouvqc/communiques/GPQF/Octobre2010/14/c2522.html
Some Media Coverage and other links
- http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101015/mtl_women_101015/20101015/?hub=MontrealHome
- http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/10/15/women-occupy-minister-office.html
- http://www.ledevoir.com/politique/quebec/298095/marche-mondiale-des-femmes-le-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-pris-d-assaut
- http://videos.lcn.canoe.ca/video/en-vedette/les-dernieres-nouvelles/8805187001/occupation-du-bureau-de-christine-st-pierre-notre/636773704001
- http://fr.video.canoe.tv/archive/category/actualites/occupation-du-bureau-de-christine-st-pierre-notre/636783703001
- http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/societe/2010/10/14/001-femmes-longueuil-manif.shtml
- http://ruefrontenac.com/nouvelles-generales/55-enjeux/28905-occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-saint-pierre
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-quebecoise/201010/14/01-4332564-le-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-envahi-par-des-groupes-de-femmes.php
- http://qc.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/101014/nationales/femmes_revendications
- http://www.cmaq.net/fr/node/42655
- http://www.jesuisfeministe.com/?p=2628
- http://actualites.ca.msn.com/national/cp-article.aspx?cp-documentid=25950486
- http://www.ffq.qc.ca/2010/10/occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-a/
- http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2010/14/c2677.html
- http://cybersolidaires.typepad.com/r/2010/10/occupation-du-bureau-de-la-ministre-st-pierre-%C3%A0-montr%C3%A9al-par-la-marche-mondiale-des-femmes.html
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/societe/201010/13/01-4332197-marche-des-femmes-50-autobus-a-rimouski.php
- http://www.tv5.org/cms/chaine-francophone/info/Les-dossiers-de-la-redaction/Marche-mondiale-des-femmes-RDC-octobre2010/p-13347-La-Marche-mondiale-des-femmes-en-RDC.htm
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/opinions/201010/14/01-4332535-la-ffq-ouverte-a-toutes-les-femmes.php
- http://www.journalmetro.com/montreal1/article/660928--des-femmes-marchent-pour-leur-cause
- http://www.cyberpresse.ca/la-voix-de-lest/opinions/courrier-des-lecteurs/201010/12/01-4331657-10-ans-de-marche-mondiale-des-femmes.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_vous_suggere_4331993_article_POS1
- http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=437236326425
Friday, October 1, 2010
We Took it Back
Last thursday, many women from Ottawa and Gatineau got together to take a stand against violence against women and reclaim the night as a safe space for all. It was wonderful to see women from so many different backgrounds united together for the important cause.
After the March, Women's Organizations in Ottawa welcomed all those present to City Hall to give information on their services. The Women's Event Network did a wonderful job in coordinating the event and offering great food and entertainment for all! The Slam Poetry/Spoken Word Artists and Musician were very inspiring and captivating.
The Ottawa RebELLEs were happy to help organize the event and see so much enthusiasm from young women. We hope to collaborate with them in the near future.
Although the March was vibrant, many of us asked ourselves, why weren't more women of Ottawa present?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
"Pro-choice supporters make presence felt at the National March for Life"
So, our small pro-choice minority got some coverage in the Xtra!
Here is the link:
But what a small presence it was. I talked to quite a few people about it and everyone was surprised that we were in such small numbers.
The majority of people here (in Ottawa, Canada) are pro-choice, they said (I think so too!). Then why weren't we able to mobilize more people to oppose the atrocious 'march for life'?
I think it has to do with our really minimal conception of citizenship which is confined simply to voting ever few years. We just assume that every right that we have will stay undisputed and that we are powerless to change anything.
The sad part is that the extreme religious Right-wing ideology is rising, and unless we continue to provide opposition, we should get ready for a Canada with marginal rights for women and widespread social injustice.
Friday, May 14, 2010
ARCC Petition: Include funding for Family Planning and Safe Abortion in Canada's G8 Maternal/Child Health Initiative
As the host country of the G8 Summit on June 25/26, 2010 in Huntsville Ontario, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his governing Conservative Party of Canada have chosen to champion an initiative to improve maternal and child health in developing countries.
However, this admirable initiative has become deeply mired in the Conservatives' anti-choice ideology. The government announced on April 26 that they will not fund safe abortion services "under any circumstances" in developing countries. Although they were forced to back down from their earlier position that family planning and contraception would also be excluded from the initiative, there is still no firm commitment to fund family planning - only a vague promise to "consider" it, and to "not close doors against any options, including contraception."
Please sign the following petition to call upon Parliament to include funding for safe abortion and family planning/ contraception in Canada's G8 maternal/child health initiative.
Please sign our petition to Parliament.
Thank you!
Joyce Arthur, Coordinator
Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC)
Vancouver, BC
However, this admirable initiative has become deeply mired in the Conservatives' anti-choice ideology. The government announced on April 26 that they will not fund safe abortion services "under any circumstances" in developing countries. Although they were forced to back down from their earlier position that family planning and contraception would also be excluded from the initiative, there is still no firm commitment to fund family planning - only a vague promise to "consider" it, and to "not close doors against any options, including contraception."
Please sign the following petition to call upon Parliament to include funding for safe abortion and family planning/ contraception in Canada's G8 maternal/child health initiative.
Please sign our petition to Parliament.
Thank you!
Joyce Arthur, Coordinator
Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC)
Vancouver, BC
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Ottawa RebELLEs at International Women's Day 2010
It's nice to know we're not the only ones that think feminist critical thought is still essential today!
We performed our bilingual manifesto at the Women's Event Network event, 'Still Searching for Bread and Roses'. This was our second time performing it in the Ottawa Capital Region. What fun!
We were especially inspired by the Raging Grannies and made a pact that we will reunite in 50 years to follow their wonderful lead!
*please excuse the late post. Now that I've learned the ins and outs of blogging (thanks Michelle!), I'll be posting every wednesday.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Official Launch of Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre
The Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre officially launched a sexual assault support line for Carleton students, staff and faculty March 22nd, 2010 at 8am.
The number is 613-620-1030 and the line is open from 8am to midnight, 7 days a week.
The line offers free, confidential, peer support to all Carleton students, staff, and faculty regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, ability, age,
Mother Tongue or student status.
We are NOT affiliated with Carleton University administration in any way.
Our work is funded through an anonymous donor.
We are trained support workers who work within an anti-oppressive, feminist, survivor-driven framework. We are here for survivors, first and foremost and our creation of the line is a result of feedback from students over the past 3 years. The Coalition has been very active and very public since the fall of 2007 and in doing so, have been approached by hundreds of students either through our rallies, our Facebook group, our e-mail or through the Task Force on Gender-Based Violence, which was held in November, 2009. Students want access to services that are non-judgmental, non-hierarchical and responsive to the needs of the student body. Survivors want to be heard.
At the Task Force in November, we promised students that their demands would be heard. We are meeting that promise.
We are continuing to participate in a working group with Equity Services with the goal of a joint recommendation to President Runte by the end of this semester. The hope is that President Runte will consider our recommendations for improved sexual assault services on
campus and make an announcement in the fall, bringing concrete changes to Carleton. The Coalition is recommending a student-run, university funded sexual assault centre.
For more information, please call or e-mail us at coalitionforcarleton@gmail.com
The number is 613-620-1030 and the line is open from 8am to midnight, 7 days a week.
The line offers free, confidential, peer support to all Carleton students, staff, and faculty regardless of gender, sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, ability, age,
Mother Tongue or student status.
We are NOT affiliated with Carleton University administration in any way.
Our work is funded through an anonymous donor.
We are trained support workers who work within an anti-oppressive, feminist, survivor-driven framework. We are here for survivors, first and foremost and our creation of the line is a result of feedback from students over the past 3 years. The Coalition has been very active and very public since the fall of 2007 and in doing so, have been approached by hundreds of students either through our rallies, our Facebook group, our e-mail or through the Task Force on Gender-Based Violence, which was held in November, 2009. Students want access to services that are non-judgmental, non-hierarchical and responsive to the needs of the student body. Survivors want to be heard.
At the Task Force in November, we promised students that their demands would be heard. We are meeting that promise.
We are continuing to participate in a working group with Equity Services with the goal of a joint recommendation to President Runte by the end of this semester. The hope is that President Runte will consider our recommendations for improved sexual assault services on
campus and make an announcement in the fall, bringing concrete changes to Carleton. The Coalition is recommending a student-run, university funded sexual assault centre.
For more information, please call or e-mail us at coalitionforcarleton@gmail.com
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