Electoral Reform Committee must hear from women this fall
In 2016, the days of parliamentary committee meetings dominated by often well-meaning but largely male experts and organizations that often speak for only half of the population should be long gone. This should be especially true for the special committee convened by Parliament this past June to consider the fundamental question of viable alternatives to […]
Politics this morning: Trudeau to speak at National Press Theatre, Dion to participate in NYC diversity panel
Today is Wednesday, Sept. 21 Here’s what you should know before you start your day: The House is back in full swing now, and caucus meetings will commence this morning before Question Period begins at 2 p.m. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—back from his trip to New York City for his first UN General Assembly as […]
Kellie Leitch should be embarrassed and ashamed
OTTAWA—Kellie Leitch apparently wanted to get some attention in what so far has been a catatonic Conservative leadership race. Well, she certainly has! Just like over the past decade, some smarmy campaign official somewhere is patting himself or herself on the back complimenting their sublime political genius for finding the winning formula for their candidate: […]
Cancelled hiring of woman as university president cause for concern
OTTAWA—Brock University’s about-face on the hiring of a new woman president should be a wakeup call for all. Wendy Cukier was the ideal candidate. Not only does she have impeccable academic credentials, but also She has been a trailblazer in equality and justice issues. Cukier is a doer. She was so moved by the misogynist […]
Women in politics still facing challenges not shared by men
OTTAWA—On the eve of the 100th anniversary of some women in Canada gaining the federal franchise in 1917, women in Canada are enjoying newfound success and power in politics. Despite the fact that elected women are often held to higher performance standards, endure rampant online bullying, and “everyday sexism” at work, progress is nonetheless discernible. Particularly encouraging […]
French burkini ban perfect example of how not to fight racism
OTTAWA—By prohibiting body-covering swimwear on beaches in the south of France, Gallic politicians have actually managed to make the situation worse. The image of police officers surrounding a woman on a Nice beach and forcing her to disrobe at gunpoint should frighten any citizen who values freedom of democratic choice. Instead, French politicians weigh in, […]
Powers wrong on Supreme Court bilingualism
Re: “Supreme Court, like Parliament, can accommodate unilingual members” (The Hill Times, July 27, page 10). Tim Powers is a conservative lobbyist. Last week, he published an article in which he maintains that knowledge of the two official languages wouldn’t be necessary to become a judge at the Supreme Court of Canada. Mr. Powers, are […]
What we really, really want is an end to violence against women
To mark its 20th anniversary, artists from India to Nigeria recently revamped the Spice Girls’ world-famous Wannabe video. What they “really, really want” this time around is an end to violence against women. I really, really want that too. Because I know that our world continues to be an unequal, dangerous, and even deadly place […]
Feminist approach to peace, security requires more than words
On July 1, we marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The slaughter of hundreds of thousands of young men echoes through the century. I am Canadian because of my Scottish grandmother. She turned 19 the year the First World War ended. She looked around and saw that “there were no young […]
Harassment of female politicians done to ‘silence and intimidate’: experts
Politicians, civil society groups, and labour unions are raising concerns about the political harassment of female politicians after a golf tournament in Alberta welcomed players to take a swing at a cut-out of the province’s premier, Rachel Notley. “It’s outrageous and unacceptable,” said Nancy Peckford, executive director of Equal Voice, an organization dedicated to boosting women’s presence in […]
