News release

March 8, 2007

Harper government plays $5 million shell game with Status of Women Canada

OTTAWA – The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is calling the Harper government's latest announcement on the eve of International Women's Day a shell game.

The government has announced that the $5 million in cuts to Status of Women Canada (SWC) imposed last fall are now being “reinvested” into the Women's Program, the arm of Status of Women Canada that funds women's groups.  They even have the nerve to tout the reinstatement as a 42% increase in the Women's Program budget.

“While another $5 million to fund some women's programs is welcome, it shouldn't be at the expense of funding for women's groups to document the roots of women's inequality and to propose systemic solutions for change,” says PSAC National President John Gordon.” They continue to be denied access to Women's Program funding.”

The $5 million “re-investment” also won't keep open the 12 out of 16 regional Status of Women Canada offices scheduled to be closed, and won't provide SWC with the resources it needs to lead on women's equality.  “It's shameful that SWC will still not have the resources or the mandate to assume leadership on women's equality, both within and outside government,” says Gordon.  “This government just doesn't get it.”

“The Harper government has prided itself on its accountability agenda yet is failing when it comes to advancing and promoting women's equality,” says Robyn Benson, PSAC elected officer responsible for women's rights and Regional Executive Vice-President for the Prairies.  “Furthermore, SWC's mandate to promote women's political participation has been struck from their agenda, and from that of the Women's Program.  Yet, political participation by women is key to advancing their equality.”

Just last week at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, the Government of Canada's statement referred to the “close partnerships with women's organizations, non-governmental organizations and other sectors of society”, and acknowledged that “the voluntary sector has played a crucial role in raising public awareness and combating violence against women and girls”.  Yet this same government has eliminated funding to the very women's organizations that have raised awareness, documented, and advocated for solutions to violence against women and girls. 

The PSAC joins the Ad Hoc Coalition for Women's Equality and women from coast to coast to coast who want a strong and adequately resourced Status of Women that will take the lead on women's equality issues, and a Women's Program that funds women's groups to do research and advocate for change. 

For information:
Louise Laporte, PSAC Communications
(613) 560-4287 or 613-558-4975

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