What's With Status of Women?

The following is a guest post by my Facebook friend Elizabeth Pickett. I just lifted it off her profile, with her permission. I have added some linkage to hers.

What's With the Status of Women?

Well thanks for asking!

Helena Guergis has been MIA on the Status of Women's website since December 3, 2009 - despite the fact that "women's issues" have been much in the news recently, what with her esteemed leader's opportunistic offers to save mothers in "developing" countries - he didn't mention any money of course and didn't say exactly what he'd do. But Bev Oda is working on it. There's every possibility we'll wish she didn't.

But what about Guergis? Not a murmur from her - not even after Michael Ignatieff announced his support for a national childcare programme. And not since she objected to the way Antonia Zerbisias and others challenged the good faith of her Memorial for those killed in the Montreal Massacre because she's been unwilling to do anything about the Aboriginal women killed on the Highway of Tears. Or anything at all for women in general really.

Now International Women's Day is a mere month away - it's the 100th anniversary of that particular celebration on March 8th.

Since the take-over of our government by HarperCON it hasn't been a particular priority in Canada. In 2008, Status of Women designated the theme - "Strong Women, Strong World". That's suitably vague. Who knows what it means? So who could disagree? The Minister found the theme compelling though and wasn't able to come up with a different one for 2009. She added a few words, dusted it off and rolled it out again and we got "Strong Leadership. Strong Women, Strong World: Equality". Did she think we wouldn't notice?

But all that is water under the bridge. What I want to know now is, has our government decided to forgo International Women's Day altogether? I don't mind if they have - it would be more honest. I just want us to notice.

By the way, The UN theme for IWD 2010 is Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all

Yeah, well, I guess the Harper government would have a problem with that one.

Anyway, I checked Guergis' website and she seems to be very busy indeed -- handing out federal funding around her riding.

No wonder that, as she told the local media, her constituents are ''pleased'' with the prorogation.

You go Girl.

Thanks Elizabeth!

Comments

[skdadl]

Funny, isn't it, the way that words affect us. My first association with the word "strong" is "smell." So that slogan of Guergis's has me doubled up. Ah, the comedy, or should we say farce?

[Jim M]

Since Helena Guergis 'appears' (kinda often) to be too subservient to her leader and his business model for the sake of women, this song is for her by The Alan Parsons Project (which, btw, doesn't need any cheque-for-photo opportunities. Not to cast aspersion on those she is photographed with)
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/The+Turn+Of+A+Friendly+Card+V+The+Turn+Of+A+Friendly+Card+Part+Two/176752