Leftwing Women’s Groups in Funding Squeeze
September 21, 2006 · By H. Cameron
The Toronto Star has a rather interesting article about how “women’s” groups are under attack from the federal Conservatives. Apparently the Conservatives are cutting funding to certain special interest groups and the first to feel the cuts are women’s rights groups.
OTTAWA—The Conservative government is poised to unveil more than $1 billion in spending cuts but some women’s groups say they’re already feeling the knife as their funding runs dry.
NDP and Liberal MPs have accused the Conservatives of using a spending review — expected to be released next week — as a guise to gut Status of Women Canada and the nationwide organizations it funds that seek to give women a greater voice and greater equality.
Noticed something missing? Yup, they left out the fact that the groups that are whining are the left-wing feminist groups. I don’t see any negative comments coming from REAL Women of Canada , or any of the other conservative women’s groups. Apparently those at Status of Women Canada think they speak for all women. The article goes on to say,
The agency disburses about $10 million a year in funding to support women’s organizations with the goal of promoting gender equality.
Already, the Ottawa-based National Association of Women and the Law has closed its doors after its request for annual funding went unanswered by Bev Oda, federal minister for heritage and the status of women, Mathyssen said yesterday.
Hmmm, let me get this straight - the National Association of Women and the Law has closed its doors because of the Status of Women had been unable to dole out sufficient amounts of handouts this year? Sounds to me like this organization is so firmly stuck on the teat of the federal government that it hasn’t bothered to look outside of government handouts for funding. Kind of pathetic isn’t it?
The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action says programs are in jeopardy after it hit a “wall of silence” in its request for $350,000 in renewed project funding.
You get no response, so instead of canvassing your membership and attempting to find other sources of funding, you cut your programs and blame the government - interesting approach. Likely the only approach for an organization which has no membership and no real objective other than to perpetuate the myth that all women are victims of a patriarchal society.
And finally, where would we be with out the hypocrisy?
Some women’s groups and opposition MPs have expressed concerns that funding may be channelled to women’s organizations that oppose abortion and gay marriage.
“They should be rejected because they’re anti-choice and they’re also anti-equal rights. They don’t support equality,” said Liberal MP Belinda Stronach (Newmarket- Aurora)
Actually Belinda, they do support equality, just not your mis-guided type of equality.
Funding should be eliminated entirely from these leftist groups, they have done enough damage to women already.
When Belinda Stronach starts bleating that women’s organizations that are “anti-choice” and “anti-equal rights” shouldn’t get governmental support because “They don’t support equality,” no one should worry, except that she’s an idiot and she sits in the House of Commons.
So-called “anti-choice,” “anti-equality” women’s groups don’t get governmental support. They forward their agenda by donations from their members–and have for years.
It’s actually the government-funded, left-leaning, feminist groups that are “anti-equality.” They’ve been getting millions of taxpayer dollars for years to promote “women’s issues” and will only share their largesse with women’s groups whose “eqality” definitions are theirs. I agree with Philanthropist that no special interest groups should be dipping into government funds to promote their agendas.
As a woman, I deeply resent the feminists’ hi-jacking of “women’s issues.” The NAC and SOW no more represent me than a flying squirrel would. Yet my taxes are supporting their myopic and lopsided agenda.
NO MORE GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR THESE IMPOSTERS. ENOUGH, ALREADY!
Does this mean, then, that you would agree with getting rid of the Status of Women Secretariate all together?
Not all of the work they do is bad. Politics aside, they have done more for pay equity in this country than any other government program, which is one of the largest non-political components of the women’s movement.
They are also responsible for all of the gender analysis that is now required by government policy do be done on every piece of new legislation / policy / program the government of Canada provides. This ensures that public policy does not unintentionally disadvantage women for the choices they make (i.e. to work, or leave the work force to have children, etc.).
As for the equal funding of one women’s group over others, I really do not have anything to say, other than, they were given a mandate, and followed it under the authority of their responsible Minister. Ministers should be held responsible for the actions of their departments and programs. So how come no one has “bitched” about Minister Oda and her views on equality.
Oh that is right… we don’t like to talk smack about Conservative Ministers here… since they are, after all, ultimately responsible.
Just in case you wanted to know a little bit more about Minister Bev Oda, she once sat on the board of of Equal Voice.
http://www.equalvoice.ca/index.php
And here is a link to a speach she gave right after the election on the occasion of the launch of Getting to the Gate / Osez vous lancer, the online campaign school of Equal Voice.
http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/newsr.....215_e.html
I imagine they get funding from Status of Women.
I think that the gov’t should say that they will fund any women’s group by matching or at least basing their contribution on the donations and membership fees that the group has attracted from their members. That way they’re not just cutting off people who disagree with them, and they are assuring that every women’s organization is accountable to its membership.
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