From the Canadian Labour Congress:
On this December 6th, as we remember the lives of fourteen women murdered down nineteen years ago, we pledge to take action to prevent violence against women. The Canadian Labour Congress calls for action to end violence against women at home, in the workplace and in the community. Violence against women is a workplace hazard.Workers in every sector of the economy experience workplace violence. In the last ten years, workplaces have seen a 40% increase in violence. Women workers suffer violence at a much higher rate than their male counterparts.
Women are too often denied the right to a safe workplace because so many work at jobs that are part-time, low pay, precarious or unpaid, especially women of colour, Aboriginal women and women with disabilities.
Violence against women in Canada continues to be a serious problem and has followed women out of their homes and into their workplaces. The lack of government and employer action to provide safe workplaces continues.
Take action.
Take action by talking to your Member of Parliament and your provincial, territorial and municipal politicians about violence against women at work. Ask them to support measures that will:
change occupational health and safety laws to recognize violence and harassment as workplace hazards;
mandate employers to take concrete steps aimed at violence prevention;
change how workplace accidents are reported so that statistical data can be collected to measure the rates of workplace violence more accurately, and programs can be implemented to stop workplace violence;
create public awareness campaigns to highlight the economic and social effects of violence against women and the social policies needed to achieve women’s security and autonomy.Violence against women – it’s a workplace hazard
Ken Nuemann, United Steelworkers
Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women *this site has good resources and statistics for the province
B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Girl Guides of Canada *I really like this one
Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada
Congress of Black Women of Canada
Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Association
Canadian Federation of University Women & Fédération des femmes du Québec
Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter
Statement of Marie Minna, Liberal Status of Women Critic:
“Prime Minister Stephen Harper showed yesterday that he can run away and hide when his job is at risk, but women whose lives are at stake don’t have that luxury,” said Ms. Minna.“This is a day of remembrance and action not only for those 14 young women, but for all women and girls who face discrimination and violence on a daily basis,” said Ms. Minna.
More than 650,000 women aged 15 and over have experienced spousal violence in the past five years. Women are still six times more likely to be victims of sexual assault than men and continue to be victimized.
On November 25, 2008, the House of Commons unanimously passed a motion introduced by Ms. Minna to develop a violence against women prevention strategy.
“Progress on the equality rights of women has been undermined by the right wing ideology of the Conservatives,” said Ms. Minna.
“They got rid of the Court Challenges program and cut funding for women’s groups and are now trying to use the economic crisis to undermine pay equity. It is shameful that our country is moving backwards instead of forward. It is time for all Canadians to stand up and say together: ‘we have had enough.’”
You GO Marie!
Message from Her Excellency The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
mirabile dictu 