On Person’s Day, Struggle for Equality Continues

 

October 18 2006                                                       

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

This morning, six extraordinary women will be honoured by Canada’s Governor General for their contribution to improving women’s lives in Canada.  Among them will be Charlotte Thibault and Joyce Hancock, who will receive the Person’s Day Award for their long history of advocating for women’s equality in Québec and Canada. 

 

National Person’s Day was established on October 18, 1929, when the British Privy Council decided that women were "persons" under Canadian law, and therefore eligible for appointment to the Senate. This decision was made after a lengthy legal and political struggle, known as the "Persons Case."

 

The recognition of these women comes at a difficult time for the status of women’s equality work in Canada.  The federal government recently announced an approximately 43% cut to the operating budget of Status of Women Canada (SWC), and changed the mandate to its funding program for women’s groups. It now excludes support for work on women’s political and legal realities, and disallows “advocacy” with federal funds, the very activity for which Ms. Thibault and Ms. Hancock are being celebrated.

 

Charlotte Thibault, current chair of the governmental relations committee for the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) has worked to build bridges amongst the women of Québec, Canada and the world for over 25 years. Through her activism with FAFIA, the Voluntary Sector Initiative, the Canadian Women’s Foundation, the Coordinating Committee for Beijing, Ms. Thibault has worked tirelessly to create an inclusive environment for Québec women. She has played an instrumental role in facilitating Canadian women’s participation in UN processes such as the Beijing World Conference on Women, and its follow up conferences in 2000 and 2005, to name a few. 

 

“I am very honoured to receive this award.  I have dedicated my life to women’s equality.  The struggle for equality in Québec and Canada is far from over.  So much still needs to be done. The United Nations has underlined this in their assessments of Canada. I sincerely urge this government to fully support women’s organizations who work to end discrimination in Canada,” said Ms. Thibault.

 

 “True democracy has many layers and confident leaders have long recognized that until women are equally and equitably represented in the politically decision making structures there will be a need for internal and external advocacy which is respected and resourced,” wrote Ms. Hancock  in a letter to the Prime Minister after learning that she was a recipient.

 

 

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For more information, please contact Bethany Sutton at 613-292-7941 (cell).  To view the complete list of participants, see: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2006/16/c8436.html