Action Now!

Take action on these issues today!

Social Assistance Review

Ontario's social assistance delivery is under review! By June of 2012, the Commission on the Review of Social Assistance will suggest changes to the system. Those changes will have long-term impacts on women and children in Ontario who struggle with poverty. But it is up to the Ontario government whether or not the changes are good for women and children.

Now is the time to join with other women and anti-poverty activists to organize against poverty and violence against women and to tell government it must focus specifically on gender and equity in its response to poverty in Ontario. It must change the system so that it helps, not hurts, women and mothers from all communities in Ontario.

There are groups working to end poverty and violence against women in Ontario that have information you can use to tell both the Commission and your MPP what you want.

Here are some ways to get involved right now!

1. Read materials on the website of the Commission at: http://www.socialassistancereview.ca/home Check out the latest proposals for change by the Commission in Approaches to Reform to see what it is suggesting for ways to change social assistance. Read what others have suggested to the Commission. The Commission website lists a number of ways you can contact them directly at: http://www.socialassistancereview.ca/wed-like-to-hear-from-you.
   
   
2. Get information from women who work with low-income women to evaluate Commission suggestions for changing social assistance at http://sareview.ca/ a website created by the Income Security Advocacy Centre. There you can also get a summary and analysis of Commission suggestions entitled: The Options Paper--What does it say and what does it mean?  Click on the title to read it now.
   
   
3. Organize in your area or organization to respond together. The Income Security Advocacy Centre can help you share your ideas and concerns with others in your community so you can organize together for a stronger voice. Visit the site at http://sareview.ca/ for resources, recorded webinars on the review issues and an MPP Lobby Kit. There are also very helpful resources about the current social assistance system on the ISAC main site at http://www.incomesecurity.org/.
   
   
4. Visit our Resources pages for more information and materials. Our Systemic Issues and Responses section has resources on violence against women, poverty, housing, and more. Find information on the government's Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Social Assistance Review in our Related Government Documents section. Read the Province of Ontario Poverty Reduction Act in our Related Legislation and Regulation section.
   
   
5. Click HERE to read and download the OAITH response to the latest Approaches to Reform: Discussion Paper 2.
   
   

Oppose new Tory law to target gun control!

The Harper government wants to turn back the clock on gun control. Now that he has a majority, new legislation will destroy the gun registry system in Canada--and all of the records created so far to monitor gun possession. The feds also want this done fast, so action to oppose the new law needs to be immediate!

Please call, write, email or fax your MP in Ottawa and in your own community to say you want them to vote against any law that destroys the registry of long guns. Let them know that women and children's lives are in danger, as well as the lives of police, if guns are not licensed and registered.

Get the facts on the guns and the new gun legislation HERE. Respond to the urgent call of the Coalition for Gun Control HERE. Don't let legislators make women and kids the target of their political agenda. Check our Action Tools page to find your MP contact information and have your say today.

Participate in the 2011 provincial election!

Provincial politicians make decisions on many of the issues that affect women who experience violence in Ontario. Women's independent community-based shelters, rape crisis centres and second stage housing programs. Aboriginal women's programs. Housing. Child care. Income security and social assistance. Pay equity. Accessibility for women with disabilities. Training and education. Child welfare. Policing. Criminal and family law policy. Funding for community-based women's neighbourhood groups. Interpretation and language translation. Public education on violence against women. And more.

All candidates running for office on October 6th should be about to demonstrate knowledge of how all of these issues affect violence against women in Ontario. They should be able to state their party's position on them.

Support the Step it Up Campaign to End Violence Against Women in its efforts to make violence against women visible during the 2011 election. Ask your candidates about their party's position on the Step it Up Platform for Parties, a list of measures the new government of Ontario can take over the next four years to help women and children. Go to www.stepitupontario.ca for more information and tools to get involved in the Step it Up Campaign. Visit us on Facebook, or 'like' us on the OAITH site Home Page.

Oppose new immigration Act (Bill C-49)

The proposed new ‘anti-human smuggling’ law re-introduced this week by the Harper government will be dangerous for women who experience violence.

Using the arrival of Tamil asylum seekers off the coast of BC in 2009 along with the arrests of four people in the case this June, the feds have re-introduced a law that further punishes refugees and does little to end human smuggling.

Some features of the new amendment to Canada’s Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act:

• Refugees coming in within a “group” can be designated as an “irregular arrival” and incarcerated for up to a year. A “group” is undefined with respect to numbers and could be anything from two on.
• At the end of the year, a “designated” person can then be held up to six-month periods without review.
• So-called “designated” arrivals will not be able to apply for permanent residency in Canada for five years, whether or not they are eventually determined to be in need of protection under the Act.
• During this period they cannot leave Canada, access health services (other than limited necessary medical intervention) or apply to have family members join them.
• “Designated” refugees must report to authorities for five years before applying for permanent residency and can have their refugee protection reversed if conditions in their home country change or they breach any conditions on them under the ‘anti-human smuggling’ provisions. They will be deported.
• Decisions regarding “designated” refugees under the Act cannot be appealed.

In a clear attempt to paint these refugees as criminals and terrorists, the government had the Minister of Public Safety table the bill.

This law endangers women who experience violence. (more...)

The Step it Up! Campaign is Back!

The Step it Up! Campaign "Platform for Parties" is ready for prime time. Check it out at our website at www.stepitupontario.ca. Join the growing list of endorsers of this campaign to put violence against women on the agenda of political parties running for the October 6th Ontario provincial election.

Join the campaign to end violence against women in Ontario and organize in your community! Go to the Step it Up! campaign website at www.stepitupontario.ca for more information and to send your endorsement of the Campaign. You can also 'like' the platform and follow the Campaign on Facebook .

Wear Purple on May 6th!

From the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region: No one asks for it! On Friday, May 6th 2011, join us in wearing purple in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Canada!

In January, a Toronto police officer at a campus safety information session at York University's Osgoode Hall Law School suggested women could avoid sexual assault by not dressing "like sluts”. In February, a Manitoba judge gave a conditional two year sentence to a man convicted of sexual assault (meaning he would not serve jail time) stating the victim had been wearing a tube top, high heels, a lot of makeup, and that “sex was in the air” the night of the assault.

Sexual violence is far more common than most people think. One in three women in our nation will experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime. Despite the prevalence and impact of this crime, sexual assaults have notoriously low reporting rates; more than 90% of victims do not report their experiences to the police.

On Friday, May 6th 2011, join us in standing up in recognition of those who have experienced sexual violence in our nation. Please share this event on your facebook and help spread the word about the campaign!

Federal Election!

Talk to your candidates about women’s issues. Share information about political party records on support for women and children in Canada with your neighbours, co-workers, family and friends.

For ideas on spreading the word and getting answers from local candidates, go to http://www.womensequality.ca/election2011.html The Women’s Equality website was created by the Ad Hoc Coalition for Women’s Equality and Human Rights, a country-wide coalition of equity-seeking women’s organizations. OAITH is a member of the coalition.

The website provides factsheets and links to numerous materials on federal political responses to some of women’s most pressing issues: violence against women, child care, housing, poverty, pay equity and decent work for women.

Speak out against racism on March 21st

March 21st is the UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Find out what your community is doing to recognize issues of racism. Join in events to mark the day and raise awareness of how racism affects women and children and how it makes women more vulnerable to violence and poverty. Use your voice in your own life: in school, workplace, home and public spaces to stop racism and make all communities in Ontario inclusive.

Unions, schools, local government and community services in your area should be ackowledging joint efforts to remove racist barriers for people of colour, Aboriginal peoples and newcomers to Canada. Be part of women's voice to end racism and bring equity to all women. For more information on the history of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and for ideas about what you can do to help end racism, check out our Equity Calendar for March 21st.

100 Years of International Women's Day!

Honour the work of our sisters and celebrate the gains they have made for women around the world. At the same time, renew our energies to continue their work to end violence and inequity for all women.

Participate in IWD events and actions to raise awareness of current struggles for women and their children in your community.

Some events are listed on our events calendar in our News section; contact your local women's services to find out about events and actions in your community.

You can find ideas for action and background information on International Women's Day on our Equity Calendar. Just click on March 8th on the calendar or on "International Women's Day" on the side menu.

Support Sisters in Spirit to continue their groundbreaking work!

Last week the federal government released details of its announced $10 million, which included money for the RCMP and for some community projects and services.

At the time of the announcement, the government acknowledged that it was acting as a result of the enormous work undertaken by the Sisters in Spirit campaign, which had documented the disappearance and murder of almost 600 Aboriginal women and the lack of serious investigation into or prosecution of these crimes.

While NWAC endorsed the announcement of the $10 million, it has also expressed a number of serious concerns. (more...)

G-20 human rights violations!

Support calls for an independent inquiry into police action during the G20 Summit in Toronto.

There have been numerous reports of human and civil rights violations during community actions during the G20 week. Peaceful protesters have been harassed. Women have reported being strip searched by male police officers, threatened with sexual assault and experiencing other sexist, racist and homophobic behaviour and comments from police in the make-shift detention centre where hundreds of detainees were held without charge.

You can do something about it! Here are some ideas for quick action. (more...)