Newsflash
Find your candidates! The EFTO, a Step it Up! supporter, has a great chart on its website keeping track of candidate selection. Check it HERE and then send your candidates the Step it Up "Platform for Parties". Ask them to respond. To find riding check Elections Ontario in both English and French . Click on Find Your Electoral District at the top right hand corner. |
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We had an absolutely rockin' rally on Thursday in Toronto!! The speakers were mobilizing and the spoken word and song performances were moving, inciteful and just plain eloquent in every way. We so appreciate the words and music, the chants and action participation of those who attended. Unfortunately, no media attended. (Big shock!) We feel sorry for the folks that weren't able to join us today, but there's still time to be part of it. HERE is our rally action piece! Get out your cell or pick up a land line and get connected to the action!! Pictures and video coming soon. |
Women in Kingston question the candidates! Read the story HERE. Picture in our photo gallery. |
Survivor Voices raised in support of Step it Up! Read their story HERE in the Tillsonburg News. |
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Make Every Day Mother's Day! |
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Days to honour mothers take place in many countries and in diverse ways. Some of the earliest were observed in ancient Greece and Rome. In North America, the idea was picked up by Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist and social activist. In turn, she was influenced by an idea championed by a young Appalachian woman whose daughter eventually lobbied to have the day formally recognized as a national day in 1907. Canada and other countries adopted the idea in 1909.
Julia Ward Howe conceived of Mother’s Day as a “day of peace” and activism against war, rather than the consumer-driven event that we often see now. She urged women to unite in solidarity to end all war. Here is an excerpt from her Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870. “From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice." Blood does not wipe out dishonour, nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means Whereby the great human family can live in peace.” Women in Ontario can still connect to these words in our fight to end violence against all women and their children. Let’s educate our provincial political candidates to make the connections as well. What they should know: In 2006, 27 women and 12 children in Ontario were murdered in situations where the intimate male partner was either charged with the murder, or committed suicide. 20 children were left motherless. One woman was pregnant. -
One half of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical violence, and 1 in 4 Canadian women will be sexually assaulted during her lifetime, including your mother, grandmother or daughter.
In 2003/04, 11,565 children stayed in women’s shelters in Ontario. The numbers of women with children staying in shelters has dropped in the past decade. Advocates believe it may be linked to new child welfare reporting rules and rising poverty.
Of renters in Canada, 42% of female lone parents have trouble paying for their housing. -
In Ontario, families raising children have not made any headway to increase their economic situation in 30 years. The richest families have 75 times the income the poorest of these families (usually lone-parent mothers) have to raise their children.
In 2000, the median annual income of Aboriginal women was $12,300—about $5000 less than all women and $3000 less than Aboriginal men. Women of colour earned $3000 less than other women and $9000 less than men of colour. 35% of women who recently immigrated to Canada lived in poverty in 2001 compared to less than 20% of women who arrived before 1981. Women with disabilities earn an average $5000 less per year than other women and almost $10,000 less than men with disabilities.
Women on Ontario Works are unable to get the supports they need—child care, transportation, ESL, etc.—to access training or education in order to move from social assistance to work that will support their children.
In 2002, for the first time, mothers were given sole custody of less than half of children subject to a court order at divorce. Joint custody orders were given for almost 42% of cases. The majority of children, however, live solely with their mothers regardless of the court order. Joint custody most often means joint control, not joint care giving.
You can help change this! Make Mother’s Day in Ontario a day to join with other women to advocate for: Enforcement of Employment Standards and legislation to eliminate exploitive labour practices that force women, especially immigrant women, women of colour and Aboriginal women to work several low-paid, part-time and contract jobs to raise their children
Call, email or write to the four Parties running in the next provincial election. Use this information and your own knowledge. Ask them what is in their platform to solve these issues. Ask them how much money they will be providing to do it! Do it for Mothers and their children! Do it today! Click below for contact information for the provincial political Parties. |
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The 10 Steps to End Violence Against Women
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