Women's organizing has moved into high gear across the country since Minister Responsible for the Status of Women in Canada, Beverley Oda slashed almost 40% of funding to Status of Women Canada and removed the word equality from the agency's mandate. Most recently,  former Saskatchewan resident, Pam Kapoor and former rabble rouser, Audra Williams have set up StatusReport.ca , opening an online space for dissent.

According to Kapoor, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is "trying to paint women's groups who speak out on this issue as victimized or partisan.  To counter that kind of ludicrous spin, we've set up this independent space where anyone who cares about women's equality can participate in the project to protect SWC."

Groups across the country have issued statements condemning the moves and called on Oda and the Prime Minister to live up to their campaign promises to "support women’s human rights" and to "take concrete and immediate measures, as recommended by the United Nations, to ensure that Canada fully upholds its commitments to women in Canada."

NAC revitalized

Other women's organizations, such as the newly revitalized National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) and the National Association of Women and the Law are mobilizing citizens.  Newly-elected NAC President, Dolly Williams, insists that the NGC's attempt to silence women's groups in Canada will not succeed.  "Women will not stand by passively while this minority government unravels the work accomplished by the equality-seeking women's movement and its social justice allies over the past thirty years," she said. 

NAWL has issued an Urgent Call to Action to concerned citizens.  Since Members of Parliament will be in their home constituencies during the Thanksgiving break, it would be a good time, NAWL suggests, "to tell them you are not feeling particularly THANKFUL about Minister Beverley Oda's recent decisions and actions."  And, they suggest taking 10 minutes to "send a special NO THANKYOU to Minister Beverley Oda for making changes that will negatively impact the real lives of Canadian women."

Crash course in rights

NAWL also suggests to ask for such things as "a crash course on my rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and United Nations Conventions" or to "help me raise thousands of dollars so that I can fight a discriminatory law or policy in Canada" or to "come to my house to provide some childcare because the new child care bonus does not come close to paying for safe, quality child care."

Still other women's organizations have found creative ways to respond.  The Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women in Newfoundland and Labrador issued a brilliant tongue-in-cheek statement proclaiming "Women Are Now Equal" and suggested that "it's time for women to put down that hard and tiresome EQUALITY work. Never mind that we still haven't achieved the things our mothers and grandmothers were demanding 30 years ago. We no longer have to struggle for change because, baby, we've got it all!"

One of the more interesting demonstrations of support for Status of Women Canada is the techno-savvy, Progressive Bloggers meme inviting the blogging community to post, beginning October 2 and carrying on throughout October, their responses to the question, What are five things feminism has given you?  At last count, 89 responses are online.

There is no doubt that equality-seeking groups and supportive citizens will sit idly by and watch the work of the second wave of feminism crumble.  The third wave has, fortunately, come of age, and is leading the charge.  Williams and Kapoor, with an ad-hoc group of creative women, are dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of SWC and the role it should continue to play in the struggle for women's full equality in Canada.

Click on StatusReport.ca for updates.

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