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You can influence the candidates running for office in your area, your member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), your member of federal Parliament (MP) and, of course, the elected representatives on your own city or town council. Here are some ways you can make that happen.
Provincial MPPs The Ontario government is responsible for making and enforcing laws, funding programs to promote women's equality and giving leadership to communities on ending violence against women. Bring the 10 Steps to the government and demand action for women in your community. Email us and let us know about what you did! Write a letter or email a note about the 10 Steps to Dalton McGuinty, Premier and leader of the Ontario government. Find out where to send your letter by email, snail mail or fax on the Premier's own feedback Web site. Write a letter to your local MPP. You will need a stamp to send a letter to a provincial MPP. If you need to find out the address or email of your MPP, or who your MPP is, you can check the Legislative Assembly's directory. If a letter doesn't sound like enough fun, send something else: A 'symbol' of your message — unused keys to 'unlock' the barriers women face Pictures of an event to support the "Step it Up!" Campaign, A picture of you or you and your friends holding signs with the messages you want to send Letters from survivors about their experiences in escaping violence Artwork from women and children who want to send a message to politicians about violence against women Come up with your own idea and be creative!
Call and ask to meet with your MPP. Ask her or him to support the 10 Steps to End Violence Against Women. Ask what he or she will do to make the steps happen for women. If you have personal knowledge of abuse from an intimate partner, sexual assault, sexual harassment or any of the many barriers women face in escaping violence, let the MPP know that you speak from experience. You are the expert on your own life! Fridays are constituency day in Ontario, so your local MPP should be working in your community that day. If your MPP won't meet with you, organize an information picket at the MPP's constituency office. Drop off your request for support. Let local media know you will be there and invite them along. Opposition MPPs are Important If your MPP is not part of the Party in power (the Ontario Liberal Party), it is still important to contact that person. MPPs that aren't in power also have a voice and should speak for your rights. Go see them. Write, email or make a five-minute phone call to their office. Ask them to endorse the "Step it Up!" Campaign. They will be working hard in the next year to win your support. Make sure they know what they need to do for it. MPP Hopefuls On October 6, 2011, Ontario voters will go to the polls. Get connected now to all political parties planning to run candidates in your community and ask them to endorse the "Step it Up!" Campaign. Ask them to outline what they will do to implement the Platform for Parties. For information about local candidates, check with the political party main office. Here are some sites that will help: Start local planning now for actions that will make your local candidates positions on violence against women public: all-candidate meetings on violence against women, requests for written party positions on the 10 Steps, or your own creative idea. Don't Forget Local Town/City Council Ask your local city or town council to endorse the goals of the "Step it Up!" Campaign and to outline how they will work to make them real for women, both at the local level and in talks with their provincial partners. Here's how: Print up the 10 Steps list. Include material from the website and send it off to all local city or town councilors with a request to endorse. Ask them to reply with how will take to turn their support into action. Ask to speak to a local city or town council committee that works on social services, equity issues, housing or any other committees that you can link to any of the 10 Steps. Ask them to endorse the campaign. Take a picture of you making your presentation and send it to us for the website. Let your provincial MPP know if you receive a positive response from any local representatives. |
