Don't Make Us Work for Free! On September 17th, Ontario women started working for free because of the 29% wage gap between women and men. See the Ontario Equal Pay Coalition's Toronto Star Op Ed, "Ontario's gender pay gap cheats women workers ," and new "Don't Make Me Work for Free " sticker. Check out the website of the Equal Pay Coalition HERE for more information.
New funding for women's shelters; second stage housing programs! Read the Ontario government announcement HERE and our media response HERE .
Here are some ideas for children who want to do something:
Phoebe's bracelets: 12-year-old Phoebe has found a way to make her statement and support her local food bank at the same time. She weaves bracelets and sells them to folks. Then she donates 50 per cent of her earnings to the local food bank. Her bracelets are purple and white. The white represents poverty and the purple represents women and Phoebe's desire to stop both poverty and violence against women. [See the photos!]
Art projects: Children can draw pictures, take photographs or create artwork alone or in a group to send to their MPP or to contribute to a local graphics display or education day. To ensure privacy, pictures should have only the first name and age of the child and have the permission of their mothers to display.
Poems, stories and letters: Children can write their thoughts about violence against women and its impacts on children and send them to their local MPP, along with a letter from their mother.
