738 10 13267 https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2766/1981_Vol_6_No_6.pdf 88e30232ec453ea3a774fb2d62153882 PDF Text Text 90c 11 orAtrn 1amcma, 1/61 .6, No. 6 dournal/ e Thunden Bay, Ont. Augut 1987 IThrough the glass brightly A reflection I see Black, white and yellow These women are me Unified and distinct As stars in the sky Growing and thrusting Refusing to die The flames are a cleansing A rebirth a shrine A vision of oneness A vision of mine A. M. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �SINGING OUT LOU D by Elaine Lynch and Rosalyn Taylor Perrett Maybe it is a bias of perspective, or maybe it is a result of what feminism has been working towards for many years, but women at this year's Summer Solstice Festival in Thunder Bay seemed to shine and send forth a creative energy that was both exciting and exhilarating not only to fellow travellers, but to the and Indeed the - ience in general. many female performers shone in the various mixed workshops of the two and half day event, and the "Women on Women" workshop featuring the strength of Heather Bishop, the humour of Marg Lanchok, the poetry of Lauri Conger, the courage of Karen Howe and the versatility of Connie Kaldor seemed to have the most relevant things to say not just in terms of message, but in musical direction. The energy and spirit was unmistakably present whether the song was a heart-rending statement of support for battered women by crisis worker, Karen Howe, a satirical ditty like "Jerks" by Connie Kaldor, or "Sally Where'd You Get That Figure From?" by Marg Lanchok. LAURI CONGER Personal experience, whether real or fantasized is ever-present in the She described music of Lauri Conger. the evolution of her musical compositions in terms of a changing politi cal vision and a feel for less predictably melodic tunes on the keyThere is a degree of poetry boards. in her music that keeps her lyrical images allusive so that it is imY possible to ascribe an arbitrary "I Like That", meaning to any of it. pure fantasy about high-stepping Philidelphia night life, is as real a song as "Chesapeake Bay" that talks about actual experiences. Lauri has discarded some of the innocence and carnival atmosphere of some of her earlier tunes and traded it for the insights and strong feelings of a song like "Stolen Pearls" in which she reflects on themes in Adrienne Rich's pamphlet, "Points of Honour". "I can't agree with all of the anger in Rich, but I have been transformed by her prose and poetry so that the male viewpoint and history doesn't make sense to me anymore," explains Lauri who feels that her songs have lost a lot of their earlier ,naivety. For a long time Lauri's connection with the blues, established by her work with the old Bay street Blues Band, and her own renditions of Victoria Spivey tunes,slotted her in the minds of her Thunder Bay audience When she left for Toronto two years ago it was to work more in the .field of rock and roll. Along with Kim Erikson, another local musician, and Colin Linden, whom she feels is one of the most exciting musical characters on the contemporary Canadian scene, she entered a new realm which she feels has finally been accepted by people who have followed her career from its early Thunder Bay beginnings. She considers Toronto her home base now and works there with a feminist rock band, Mama Quilla which takes its name from an ancient moon goddess and performs mostly original Lauri Conger appeared on the Palace Show up front the Hamilton Philharmonic. It was a real experience and a taste of "big show biz" stuff material dedicated to the memory of its deceased founder. "The material is very well chosen and hence well received. We don't rant and rave or promote any "isms" We try to communicate ideas," she explains. Lauri has also been doing some work with Mendelson Joe, another alternative thinker, with some very appealing music. Because of her strong classical background, she is able to work well in the studio, and spends a great deal of her time working out back-up arrangements for people's albums. "Being able to read music is extremely useful for getting session work,"she explains. It has taken her from doing work with locals like Rodney Brown, to work with Colin Linden and Heather Bishop with whom she did a national tour last year. Touring with Heather was one of the most exhilarating experiences Lauri has had. "I was newly acquainted with a whole feminist political underground in this country and was so surprised by its strength and spirit. Depending on where we played, we would draw forth consciously feminist women, or in a place like Regina, a general audience. Heather's feminism doesn't encounter much antagonism because she is forceful, yet very There is a real warmth in gentle. her politics that made the whole thing a wonderful experience." So long as Lauri stays with music that she terms "close to the heart" she finds her work fulfilling working out colours and textures with keyboards to compliment other But she also plans people's music. to spend a lot of the next little while working on her own compositions. "Right now is a very exciting period for me. There is so much that I want to say and get down in It is just a matter of workmusic. ing it all out." Making a living is more lucrative at times than others, but in Toronto she has been very well received playing popular clubs like Edgertons and What she thrives on the el Macambo. are the musical connections to be made there. Because she has a strong feeling for theatre, (she is a trained dancer and worked for a time with a Montreal mime troupe), Lauri feels personal appearance on stage is important. She does not feel dubious about makeup and glittery dress because she feels it is all part of the spectacle. "The audience needs a focal point and they don't have one if a performer goes on stage in street clothes. I try to gear my appearance to the feeling of the concert." She seldom encounters discrimination in her profession and says that if a person goes into a session worrying about being put down then they don't get anywhere. Generally she has found male performers supportive and teaching. But working with women is something she needs to do for balance and because it is a whole different, exciting kind of energy that is very important to her development as an artist. ROXANNE KEDING Roxanne and Dan Keding are Traditional Musicians from the United States. They take traditional music cont'dof toCVISION pg. 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 1 �WHERE ARE WE GOING? by Danalyn MacKinnon The horse ran, riderless Off to the distance,over the hills Hoofprints vanishing The horse - mane flowing into the abyss beyond the last mound of sand. Our feminist community in Thunder Bay is experiencing trouble at a time of increased pressure from external societal shifts to a traditional, oppressive view of women. The irony is that, at a time when we should be pulling together and reinforcing our commitment to the emancipation of women, we are shying away from confrontation on important issues. We are suspicious and unable or unwilling to work with each other - thus leaving a divided, defenseless house. There are, of course, reasons for the current dilemma. Many of the ranks formed during the late sixties and seventies have become satisfied with the small gains made and are tired of change and/or the struggle for change. With no common philosophy or ongoing growth to counteract the swell of narrow-tied, blacksuited conservatism, many feminist groups have mellowed to small, ill-defined groups, or disappeared. In Thunder Bay, landmarks of the feminist movement such as the Women's Centre or the Northern Women's Credit'Union, have become cold monuments as a result of inactivity or lack of support. Individuals who once acted as leaders have left from disillusionment, fatigue or have claimed a secure seat by adopting a feminist institution as their personal matriarchal territory. Problems of funding have further divided and scored us by forcing us to compromise, to outbid one another, to wrestle for every cent, to expend our energies. Recently at the annual meeting of the Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre, all recognized solidarity and networking as key problems. Yet, even at that meeting It was evident that the function of the Centre itself was the real question. The Centre has been the parent of many special interest groups over the years, but also like many feminist institutions has become just an address, a place. Preferring a low profile it has failed to generate unity or provide the catalyst for political activity as it once did. To be fair, no other group in Thunder Bay has been successful in providing the necessary leadership to facilitate these needs. Consequently, we are unable to respond with one strong voice even on local issues such as health care, the oppression of immigrant women or the rights of native women. How did we ever become so neutralized? After thousands of years we are still fighting for basics such as equal pay for work of equal value. We have proven unable to maintain the impetus of our revolutions. Now again, our values and ideals, the core of our very collective existence, are being washed and swayed by our fears of confronting public institu- Dear Friends; How excited and pleased I was to find a new issue of Northern Woman Journal in my mailbox. Congratulations on publishing once again. There are lots of things happening in Yellowknife. This city is rich in aware, concerned women and I count my blessings for having moved up here. We shared a wonderful open house, pot-luck evening on International Women's Day in March and thirtyfive women from the community came together (bringing enough food for several days survival) to celebrate. The Northern Women's Collective is strong and in the process of completing the cataloguing of women's books bought with the aid of Secret- to Grace Hartman,President of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). She refused to submit to intimidation in the fight for the rights of hospital workers and went to jail for being a leader in their struggle. UPWISIDER BOOT To President Ronald Reagan for requiring that women government office workers in Washington wear dresses or skirts. Also for not recruiting women forsthe. military j or all the wrong tions, of reprisals and perhaps most damning, our fear of losing a little, singular power by becoming part of a larger, collective body. To survive in Thunder Bay, we must be unified and committed. We must seek the common ground and build on it. Without this strong home base, no special interest group will receive the resources and support necessary to attack social, economic and political injustice. Without a common, strong bond, we will fail individually Let's come together and discuss the issues. Let's bury the hatchet and mend the fences. Let us know that we are strong together, that we will never allow the world to excuse the oppression of women, that we cannot allow the world to go backwards, that we are committed to freedom of independence and equality! ary of State grant, to be included in the local public library. There is also a Women's Support Group and a committee of concerned women attempting (presently battling bureaucracy and paperwork) to start a transition house for battered women. Maria Campbell was here a month ago to give a reading from her book, Halfbreed, one afterwards spoke of the warmth and strength she found in northern women. The icing on this cake of activities is that The Folk on the Rocks Music Festival, taking place in Yellowknife on June 19,20, and 21, includes a Women's Festival starring "Ferron" and a stagefull of talented northern women. We are strong. - Joyce Thierry Yellowknife N.W.T. ATTENTION PAID SUBSCRIBER The Northern Woman Journc subscription rate entitles readers to six issues before Check your address renewal. label; it should indicate tt Vol. and Issue # of the last issue you'll receive. THEN PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUB If you are a woman in financial need and cannot affor( a subscription to the Norther Woman Journal, give us a cal: or drop a line to the Journa 316 Bay St. and we will glad put you on the mailing list. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 2 �UPDATE by Joan Baril WOMEN ON THE MOVE VALIUM - BREAST CANCER LINK The Canadian government's Bureau of Drug Research will begin tests this month to determine if diazepan (Valium) encourages cancer. The $150,000 research project comes in the wake of the findings of Montreal researcher David Harrobin who found low dosages promoted breast cancer in rats. Valium's reputation has been on the skids for the past five years. 1The original "mother's little helper", !Valium has been prescribed to thouslands of Canadian women under stress. Feminists, who were the first critics, focused on the underlying causes of such massive use. They pointed out that we have a society in which women become so stressed they have to be rottinely tranquillized. At first Valium was touted as nonaddictive, but we now know that constant users can have severe reactions on withdrawal. (Note: stopping valium should be done with care, under a doctor guidance.) Valium, like all drugs, can affect people differently. Some people speed up rather than even out into /7/" rte" f -,2,;,,,,; The Thunder Bay YM-YWCA is operating the new "Women on the Move ProgEL SALVADOR ram". The purpose is to bring program It is interesting ideas to contrast to women who are unable to travthe fuss the Americans over facilities. the el made to other Activities Iranian hostages, who, after yoga, all, dancercize, fitness, include returned alive, to the non-fuss made lectures and cards. crafts, stichery, over the four dead American women The program will run in eight neighreligious workers whobourhoods were raped, one afternoon or morning a tortured and murdered last December week for two hours. Quality pre-school in El Salvador by right-wing programs governare being offered to relieve ment forces. Ita Ford and Maura mothers of child care responsibilities Clarke were Maryknoll nuns. Dorothy while they participate in adult actiKazel was an Ursuline and Jean vities. TheDoncourses, involving gymnaovan was a lay missionary. four stics, The drama, dance, puppetry and were sent to El Salvador by will the operate on a skill develcrafts Archdiocese of Cleveland answer oping in level. to a call for volunteer For workers by information contact: further the Archbishop of San Salvador who Jo-Ann Berringer himself was later murdered.Program Co-ordinator The American government's 132ambassN. Archibald'Street ador to the United Nation's dis- 623-8411 missed the churchwomen as "political activists". As the Reagan regime cosies up to the El Salvadoran government which is unable or unwilling to control its troops, the new American charge d'affairs announced it had "de-linked" the murders of the American citizens from the question EDUCATION COMMITTEE of aid to the junta. e/ ......... ere are claims that the ivate the anxiety it is ppress so that users taking more pills, cle described in the ing As Fast As I Can". men, there are nasty de-effects. As the sayValium you never have problems" so that the s of the anxiety may ady to reinfect the s she goes off the drug. Dr. Martin Rodenburg ychiatric told the Association that se depression in eld- E AMAZON - MINNEAPOLIS N May saw the formation of the Education Committee, a conmittee whose goal is to establish a yearly scholarship to be awarded to a woman returning to school. In order to fund the annual award, an evening of brainstorming resulted in numerous ideas for fund raising. To date, the Committee participated in the Summer Solstice Festival by operating a food booth. Appreciation is extended to all those who donated chili, helped out during 'Chili Night' and worked the booth. Working together is the key to all success. Buttons which read "EducationLiberation" are on sale for $1.00 and are available at Women's Centre. Why not wear your support? Future plans include such events as a Wimmyn's Social (featuring live entertainment by a women's band), a Boogie (planned for fall) and If you go to a large city like Minneapolis, you don't at first see any evidence of the women's movement. The anti-abortion people are visible; they maintain a store-front office on Nicolet Street with pictures of fetuses all over the windows. Sometimes when I'm in a strange city I can network into women's culture through the YW or a women's centre. In the case of Minneapolis I found the woman's book store; lium is the best known The Amazon Book Store has been in diazepam, cheaper operation for about eight years. It raffles. is run by a collective of volunteers are now on the market. Tax deductible donations are also ome good news. Tranwhich has gone through a lot of gratefully accepted. These can be among Canadians decchanges over the years both in strumailed to the Education Committee r. cture and personel. The store is large c/o Women's Centre, 316 Bay Street, and attractive with an enormous or added to the Scholarship Fund number of titles - perhaps even more jar set-up in the Centre. than the Women's Bookstore on Harbord In order to award an annual $1,000. Street in Toronto. I spent a lot of ONED TO DEATH bursary, $10,000. must be fund time there buying magazines and newsYour support is needed. raised. papers, talking to the people and Get involved with the Committee. the Mexican news serreading the bulletin board. I realfter the assassination New ideas and volunteers are welcome. ized that if I were to stay longer in Contact the Women's Centre at Pope a mob in Mexico Minneapolis there would be all kinds 345-7802 and leave your name and to death a woman who of activities I could get involved in. her husband of using you will be notified number; The store is located at 2607 Henre meetings. ring about the attempt nepin Ave., a short bus ride from the ife. Let's all make it happen. area. PDF compression, OCR,downtown web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �DIGNITY IN THE WORKPLACE women and unionization by Teresa Legowski Let's face it. Government legislation far women's equality is a paper tiger. On one hand the government doles out funding for "women's projects" but on the other hand there is only enough money to pay the project co-ordinator minimum wages. Is this not an obvious subversive tactic? Let's face it. Corporations and the government own the economic wealth in Canada. We are simply hiding gur heads in the sand if we think otherwise. These patriarchal institutions decide the wages you and I earn. And since we are women they see us as a source of cheap labour easily disposed of at their whim. Women now make up two out of every five workers. Women work to survive, to support themselves and their families. Despite our real economic needs, women earn about 58% of what men do. As well we are not provided with accessible and financially reasonable child care; we experience sexual harassment on the job; we are discriminated against in hiring practices, and, often, we are caught in female job ghettos. Let's face it. Legislation, both federal and provincial, has been merely a token gesture for the betterment of women in Canadian society. THE ALTERNATIVE What are our alternatives? Unionization. With the influx of women into the labour force, militant women have learned to fight for their'rights through the union movement and unions are learning to respond to women's less than demands. Unfortunately, one out of every four union members is female, and most women are employed in clerical, retail and service sectors, or in small industrial plants. These areas are still largely not unionized. Of course, unions, in many instances, are chauvinistic, but the atmosphere is changing. There is a lot more room for the incorporation of women's demands within the labour movement. CHAUVANISTIC BACKGROUND Unions became male-dominated through their historical roots. During the period of 1881-1921, unions were beginning to become significant in Canadian life. At this time women represented 15% of the labour market, employed as servants, teachers saleswomen, and labourers in the garment industry. Most of them worked alone or in small work places and often left the workforce upon marriage. Unions, however, organized predominantly skilled male workers. Unionization of women was vehemently opposed by employers, since women ere a cheap source of labour (still true today). Unions (like men) held the view that women were exclusively wives and mothers. Even during World War 2, when women were employed in "men's" occupations, the government paid an average of 10-15 cents less an hour to women, than it did to men. Attempts to equalize the wages of female employees by unions was resisted by the male membership. It had to be pointed out to them that women were more attractive to employers due to their wage. This would mean the men would likely lose their jobs. Hence support for equal pay was won. OVERCOMING BARRIERS Resistance to unionization has taken many forms. Women, themselves, have a lot of psychological barriers to overcome. They have been socialized to be less demanding and more fearful of their employers. They are basically employed at the lower levels of the economy and are under their bosses' scrutiny at all times. In many cases the women who could benefit the most from unionization reject it, because of this master-servant brainwashing. Overcoming the fear of the boss is the first necessary step that unionized women workers must take. EMPLOYERS GET SCARED Secondly, the employer, who holds all the cards, does not want to lose his powerful economic position. The following is an example of one employer's reaction to unionization attempts of his female employees. Dealt Rep' esentatives os a union have been tming to get employees oi to sign union ca/tds. We do not think a union is necessary at We think we have a good &etationship with you and the othe& . employees. We know we a)te not pelfieet, but we alte always wo&king to impAove. As we have told you in the past, we welcome you& suggestions 6o& changes on impApvements. We Seel that we can woilk together to solve any p&oblem which do exist, and without a union. It has come to our attention that you are unhappy with you& wages, and the Length o6 time between wage incteasea. Thus we aim putting into eiiect this new policy: E6fiective May 31, 1981, att employees wilt teceive a keview oi that sata&ies twice a years. This review wilt be calmied out in May and Nov., with inc./Leases in satam to take place May 31, and November 30 annually. This inc&ease in pay will be based on you& pekimmance in you& daily duties, stone putio&mance, and cost oi living escalation. Also, elieetive May 31, 1981, all employees wilt receive a Acute 04 a bonus incentive system 40A the stou at the end oi November and May annua.Uy. The bonus system is based on the inekease in sates oven. the pkevious yea& Son that month. The &a es oi inclease and the cotAesponding bonus arse as 6ottowz: Bonus An increase oi: $50.00 10 - 14% $75.00 15 - 19% $100.00 20 - 24% Twice a yeah, the total bonus which a stole has calmed in the past six months will be divided among the £aU and pakt-time employees equally, based on hams worked. We will also continue with the policy o6 a hat6 km& lunch peitiod paid by IS someone asks you to sign a union card, there AA something that you should Aemembek. Unions ale not iltee. a union, ever In stones whole there week out every month union dues are deducated 6/fom each employee's pay cheque. We do not think Lt is necessany lion you to spend this money on a union. We Seel that working together, without a union, we can make an even better place to work. The letter indicates a lack of communication between management and the women employees. The threat of unionization finally forced the employer to review his wage policies. But note, there is no mention of providing day care facilities, policies on maternity leave, overtime wages, pension and medicaresplans, or job protection. . What the employer is offering benefits him.. Only more than ever, the woman working for him is under his scrutiny, and can be disallowed any of these "increases", or can even be continued on page 6 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 4 �CATCH BY JOAN BARIL LANGUAGE TRAINING The first priority for an immigrant, if she is to take any part in her new society at all, is to learn the language. If she does not do this she is I.----condemned to enter the most unskilled and lowest paid sectors of the labour force. She knows she is a liability on the labour market; she feels lucky to get her job and so she is set up for possible exploitation by her employer. 2.----condemned to remain outside the labour market entirely even if she wants to enter. Her sphere of action within Canadian society can be very small. She is restricted to her family perhaps her friends of the same language, a few neighbourhood businesses and stores. She becomes more and more "lost" to government programs designed to help her. The larger society is in many ways incomprehensible to her. What we don't understand, we fear. It is not surprising that she might have pieced together a lot of misinformation and paranoic ideas about Canadian life. Like Canadian home-bound women, as each year passes it becomes more and more difficult to enter the labour market. 3.----condemned to live on the fringes, her husband becomes the mediator between her family and the larger society. His relative power within the marriage increases. He looks after the finances, major purchases, decisions for the family. Even if, she came from a traditional culture, that society often awarded her status as a wife and mother. Now her status declines as her husband intrudes into her sphere. He holds all the information so he can define any situation as he sees it. 4. ---if a woman neither works outside the home nor speaks English she becomes very vulnerable to threats of separation and divorce. Her complete economic dependence increases the 1husband's power in the relationship. When Canadians become acquainted with immigrant families where the husband is extremely dominant, they tend to explain it as the result of a different culture. Rather, what they often see are the reflections of the conditions within Canada which favour the husband over the wife. It is a mistake to believe homebound immigrant women want to remain ,there. Like Canadian women, many want !the opportunities offered by jobs, either part -time and full-time. When an immigrant woman steps forth to get language training she is like Little Red Riding Hood entering the forest; everything looks beautiful at first but things will turn sour later. At first glance, there seems to be all kind of language instruction available; in fact a veritable hodgepodge of immersion courses, orientation courses, citizenship courses, parent and pre-schooler courses, offered by a veritable hodge-podge of organizations -- Secretary of State, local school boards, the "Y", Ministry of Culture and Recreation, settlement houses, multi-cultural associations and so on. But another glance and the picture is far from rosy. This mighty 22 variety is concentrated-around the Toronto area, it thins out in the larger cities, and, in many smaller places, especially as you head to the North, there are no language programs at all. A feast in the South becomes slim pickins' in the North. The City of Thunder Bay is luckier than the region surrounding it. Here the Lakehead Board of Education offers day and evening classes, there is a parents and pre-schoolers program and a very small Canada Manpower English as a Second Language program at Confederation College. The rosy picture dims even further as we look around the province. The quality of the various programs varies a good deal. Some are taught by untrained volunteers "hired" under the philosophy "if you can speak the language, you can teach it". Other courses are staffed by paid professional teachers with E.S.L. specialist certificates. The courses offered by the Manpower Training Division of Employment and Immigration through the community colleges are often a first choice of immigrants. These Courses are sixhour-a-day immersion programs, twentyfour weeks long staffed by professional teachers who often are E.S.L. specialists. Unlike many non-college programs, these courses have budgets for tests, sophisticated language labs, A. V. material and can call upon all the resources of the college community. Moreover, students who enter the program usually become Manpower trainees and qualify for the regular trainallowance. However, in many places, these courses are becoming closed to women. As we shall see a variety of barriers combine to keep the female immigrant out. THE WORKING IMMIGRANT Working immigrants, both male and female, turn to night classes for English training. However, there is a big difference between the working immigrant man's ability to take advantage of these classes and the working immigrant woman's. She usually has a second job to do at home after, work and her housework is often done without modern appliances, a car, extra money, or her husband's help. After the shopping is done, the supper made, the house cleaned and the children settled, there isn't any energy or time left to go out to classes. That a few working women do manage to do so is a tribute to their incredible stamina and tenacity. It is often difficult for an immigrant woman to "pick up" English at work. On the job she often sticks to her own ethnic group; communication with the foreman is often in her own language or through an interpreter. She has no free time to mingle with Canadians. At -home she speaks her native language. Everyone who works with immigrants can tell about women who have been in Canada for years and never learned the language. Immigrant men have more options. Although they find it tiring to go to school after the working day, they usually are not required to do housework or childcare as well. The greater mobility of immigrant men, especially single men, allows them to mingle with Canadians in their free time. Immigrant women, both married and single, spend more time at home. Most immigrant men, with the exception of the privately sponsored refugees, aim to get their main language training from a Canada Manpower E.S.L. program. The government training allowance, perhaps supplemented by the wife's income, will enable them to support a family albeit frugally. As well, a student can work for 24 hours a week without prejudicing the allowance. The training rates are: $70.00 a week for a single person, $90.00 with one dependent and up to $135.00 a week for four or more dependents. A student living with an employed parent or spouse received $25.00 a week. Although many immigrant men are able to make more money in the labour force, they believe the sacrifice is worth it in the long run in order to acquire English. WOMEN AND CANADA MANPOWER ESA. How are women kept out of the Man -, power E.S.L. program? (1) First, no privately-sponsored refugees are eligible for Canada Manpower Training Allowances for any Manpower program. This rule includes both women and men. The federal government rationale is that the sponsors can, if they wish, pay the tuition ($12.50 per week) for refugees to attend the college as well as provide the living expenses for the refugee and/or family. Since this is beyond the ability of most citizens, few if any privately-sponsored refugees attend these classes. However, once the one-year-refugee period is over, the refugees, whether male or female, may apply for training allowances. The male refugee will have a better chance to enter the course for reasons that will follow. (2) The Canada Manpower E.S.L. program has been defined as serving those people who wish to enter the labour force immediately on completion of the program. A pregnant woman for example, would likely be refused on the grounds that she would not immediately be entering the labour force. Women who had not worked outside the home in their native country could be turned down as having no committment to the labour force. This eliminates at one stroke women from Mediterranean or Third World countries with high unemployment rates. However, it is always assumed that a male has a committment to the labour force. Students (men or women) who ask for language training to continue their studies will be turned down flat, Exceptions have been made for immigrants who wish to enter E.S.L. and cont'd on page 7 ,..111111117111MW PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Dignity' continued from page 5 BEGINNINGS OF DECADE COUNCIL SETS PRIORITIES ' The Northwestern Ontario International Women's Decade Co-ordinating Council, at their 1981 Annual Meeting, held May 23rd, identified those issues of particular concern to women of Northwestern Ontario to be addressed in the 1981-82 year. Consistent with last year's efforts to increase women's full participation in our regional economy, Women and Economic Development is again slated to be a priority issue. Suggested direction from the general meeting includes; (a) working to establish an active outreach committee (encompassing and independent from existing standing committees) designed to collaborate on common economic, political and social concerns of Northwestern Ontario women and their communities, (b) to develop and implement follow-up strategies to the Women and Work study, directed at increasing the awareness of industry, business and government as to women's role in every facet of economic development and maintainance. Area representatives have identif -ied the issue of domestic violence against women and the lack of support services as a pressing concern throughout the region. In conjunction with The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses, Decade Council will continue to support organizations seeking to effect an adequate funding situation that will allow for the establishment and operation of crisis houses in Northwestern Ontario communities. A regional workshop offering technical assistance will be held in August when O.A.I.T.H. executive members will meet with area groups involved in established and proposed houses. The issue of Women. & Health has emerged this past year as an important concern. Traditional women and feminists have found a common ground; in many cases challenging orthodox male medicine. The Toronto based conference "Strategies for Well Being" and the April, Dryden hosted regional conference has illuminated health as a concern Northwestern Ontario Women see as crucial. Decade Council has received an excellent response from Health Promotion to institute a Women and Addictions Program, which is to be carried out in approximately 10 communities, during the 1981-82 season. The kit specifically addresses the impact on women, of alcohol and mood-altering drugs. In addition, the health committee is in the process of writing a two year health proposal to be assessed by regional groups. It is anticipated that a strong network will be formed, through this process, to make effective changes in the current level and quality of health services available. Delegates to Decade Council were unanimous in their support of (a) a 1981 regional celebration of women conference and (b) towards improving the communication and solidarity of all women's organizations in Northwestern Ontario. by Leni Untinen and Lauri Cunningham ***********************************t A HEALTH NETWORK Ignace INTERESTED WOMEN Sue Heffernan, P.O. BOX 1072, POT 1TO, 934-2942. Mental and physical health, especially stress from work inside or outside of the home. Sioux Lookout RESOURCE WOMEN Mary Ellen Aurandt - Box 894, POV 2T0. Workshops on parenting, assertiveness, marital problems. INTERESTED WOMEN Mary Ellen Aurandt - Health. Dryden INTERESTED WOMEN Freda Hoshizaki - 116 Queen St., P8N 1A7, 223-2137, 223-4314. Aging, death and dying. Patricia Johnson - Group 23, Box 9, R.R.#2, P8N 2Y5. Health, stress and cabin fever. Sylvia Thomson- Apt.3, 87 King St., * ************************************ Between 1962 and 1970 female membership in unions has risen 106%, compared to 38% for men. More recent examples include 480 Blue Cross office workers (99% women) organized in 1979. As of December 1980, a total of 73 bargaining units were represented by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) affilitates and the Union of Bank Employees. In spite of these gains, harassment and intimidation on the part of employers continues. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is the worst offender. The CLC has called for a boycott of the CIBC across the country, as a last resort to force unionization of the predominantly female staff. RESOURCE WOMEN Alda Henry - Box 505, POV 1CO. Knowsome mental health treatments. Red Lake INTERESTED WOMEN Box 66, POV 2M0. Kay M. Tingley Better health care for women. --1111Air: Audrey Anderson - Box 647, POV 2M0. Women and health. LNS Kenora RESOURCE WOMEN Gloria M. Alcock, Director of Public Health Nursing. Lorraine Thompson, R.N., BScN. Northwestern Health Unit, 15 Ocean Ave. West, R.R.#1 Kenora, P9N 3W7. Workshops, counselling, materials on family planning, pre-natal care, menopause, nutrition, fertility, human sexuality, women and health, preventive medicine approach. Thunder Bay RESOURCE WOMEN Margot Morgan - 25 Jean St., P7A 5E8, 344-8144. Workshops on birthing. Shelley Corvino - 943 Huron Ave., P7A 6L5, 344-6029. Lamaze childbirth, pre-natal and post-natal care, selfhelp group organizing, counselling depressed mothers. Gert Beadle - R.R.# 16, 683-6925. Hormones and menopause. Nora Fulcher - Suite 1, 516 Victoria Ave., P7C 1A7. Fitness for fun, organization for mass participation. INTERESTED WOMEN * creasing. P8N 1B8 Sexuality, well-being. Balmertown * *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL ? PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION fired, if her "performance" doesn't correspond to the employers approval and judgement. To increase sales in a fabric store is strictly in the hands of the economy, not the saleswomen. Lastly, the letter conveniently fails to mention that union dues are tax deductible. Although illegal, corporations have been known to use hired union breakers. Attempts to unionize female dominated sectors of the labour force have not been easy. There have been a few successes, and these are in- cont'd on page 13 BENEFITS FOR UNION WOMEN In what way does unionization benefit women? 1)Pay is improved. For example, of the 322,123 women office workers in Canada in 1977, unionized women received an average of $26 more per week than non-unionized women. Most non-unionized women earned less than $200 a week. 2) Women are in a position to demand benefits that concern them the most - maternit- leave, day care facilities, grievance procedures for sexual harassment, access to training programs and job postings, etc. 3)Unionized women have more control over working conditions because they have a legal right for collective barNon-unionized women have no gaining. such legal right. 4)Through unionization the wage gap between men and women is being reduced 5)Unions provide a legal means of job protection. The woman worker can take a grievance against her employer for an unjust dismissal. Women should not be uncritical of unions. Each union has various degrees of democracy and services they offer, various levels of concern about women's employment needs, various attitudes towards women in non-traditional occupations. Women wanting to organize cont'd. page 11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 6 �72§§§§§§§.§§§§§§§§§§§§§g§§-%S CATCH ll s, exe day care. . It ish g- d, b in esngshe r cunes an- that ment , is up , n nt ged k. ed ied ace. ass", e lass" of tory Emon mnppple rif- che -1§§KS this policy is causing hardships among the refugee women. The City has the legal right to eliminate any group it wishes from clothing vouchers and a small allowance for incidentals which is paid directly to the husband. The wife gets nothing. In theory, women as well as men are eligible for Manpower E.S.L. Policy seems to vary from city to city. In many places only single women are considered, and married women, even if they had trades or professions are not considered on the grounds that married women might withdraw to the home after language training and not immediately enter the labour force. Thus, the same discriminatory reason used by the department to eliminate family class women from training is used by local offices against married refugee women. Whatever these married women do, it will contribute to the reasons for If they stay their ineligibility. home, this proves they have no commitment to the labour force. If they go to work, this proves they don't need language training to get a job. If they do not enroll in community language courses, this proves they are not serious about learning the language. If they do enroll, especially in daytime courses, this proves they can acquire language training without a Manpower Training Allowance and anyway, why should they change schools? The concept of Catch 22 takes on new and expanded dimensions when applied to immigrant women. BACK TO THE WORK FORCE What is the City's rationale for choosing refugees? The City claims that the sponsors should pay for day care at the full fee of $200.00 a month per child. About half of Thunder Bay's refugees are sponsored by private individuals or groups. *It is beyond their means; and, in fact, no privately- sponsored refugee has children attending municipal daycare. The City further claims that the federal government sponsored immigrants. The federal government refuses to pay on the grounds that the federal government generously subsidizes day care as part of a funding transfer agreement between the provinces and Ottawa. Where does this leave the refugee mother and her kids? (1) First and most important, she's out of the labour market. (2) Next, the government sponsored refugee woman has collected one more reason why she is ineligible for Canada Manpower E.S.L. programs at the College. (She probably didn't need another reason but she's got it) She's also collected another reason why she cannot get on-the-job training or a skill course. (3) There is one thing a refugee mother can do in Thunder Bay. They can attend the morning language classes at Ogden Community School. She will not, of course, be eligible for any kind of training allowance, but there is a baby-sitting service for students only which has been set up by the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association. Which brings us to one of the most bizarre aspects of the day care situation in Thunder Bay. If you were to visit Ogden School any morning, you would see parents arriving with their children. The Canadian parents, on entering the school, turn to the left towards the beautiful_fullyequipped municipal day care centre with outside play areas located at the North end of the building. The immigrants (mostly Southeast Asians) go to the right, where their children get a play corner in the basement. In Thunder Bay, we start early teaching immigrant kids their place. In my experience, everyone dealing with the immigrant family assumes the 't husband is the breadwinner. Everyone eir continued page 10 mentally attaches an occupational label on him, in fact this occupation ounter The private sectors were not told could be the reason why he was acceptepartwhen they signed the sponsorship coned to Canada. A great deal of effort tracts that refugees would be ineligis spent explaining the Canadian emte ible for day care subsidy. The contrplyment system, steering him toward conacts do not mention day care. new openings in companies, translatening and validating his papers, helps ing him translate his work skills worinto Canadian terms. A. A. SEXIST ?? yment" To a lesser degree, the same attdeitude is extended to single women. our Recently I have become disillusioned But not to the immigrant wife. No one and with the Alcohol Anonymous groups I've asks her about her occupational goals. been involved with in Thunder Bay. I'm There is not the same urgency to get ecconvinced that meeting with other alher a job and immigrants do need help of coholic women (I'm still drinking) getting jobs because they are enterthwould be more beneficial than being in ing a tight labour market with a langge a male/female group. uage handicap. ly If you had/have an alcoholic proThe greatest disability that refin blem and are considering an all women's ugee women face in entering the labcs self-help group, drop a line to Annette our market in Thunder Bay is day care. have % the Northern Woman Journal, 316 Bay The City of Thunder Bay will not allour St., Thunder Bay. To guarantee anonow refugees to receive subsidies for imity please only include your first day care. As far as I can tell, immname. Thunder Bay is the only city in Canada his Based on the response to this notice which has this policy. According to gee. the Northern Woman Journal will publish the teachers at Ogden Community ar. in their next issue further information School where many of these women or on a meeting place and date. PDF compression, webclasses, optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy attend Board ofOCR, Education 's TAAWAM of CVISION PDFCompressor �THE INVISIBLE ARTISTS I ?? HOW MANY OF THESE WORKS HAVE YOU SEEN BEFORE ?? RACCOON FAMILY 2, OIL ON CANVASS "ROOTS" POLAR BEAR WITH CUBS 3.GRAPHIC DINA-POND INLET NURSING TIMBER WOLF 11 PASTEL VIGNETTES IA, INDIA INK - NORTHERN LANDSCAPE These artists are all Canadian women. If you would like to learn more about our hidden heritage in art from early middle ages till now, join me at Confederation College in Women in Art course. Donna Phoenix. lquad kauw .9 5, SO GREAT WAS THEIR LOVE 2TcP0 augdPC. 'S ACRYLIC ON CANVAS aq-m-uolmaN a IsTanyi .17 ssou uusns *£ aauD SITmH 'z sumou, Ica>laugs 6, HERRING ON SALT BAY 'f 'T OIL ON PANEL PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Something is dead in this house She searches, turning everything *upside-down I wonder what it is? She catches her breath, tucks herself in As though at will She-could be a wall or a shelf Where the laundry tells it all I'm a mirror and I'm good at lies I pretend to know What is on the other side But I have these questions and most of all I wonder why this house Shrinks her till she's small? THE ESSENCE OF WHAT I AM I am impartial, I view, and it little matters what I view for I am impartial. I am an eye. Born of an eye. My Father before me was a viewer, Rosalyn Taylor Perrett and I view. I am made of dream stuff. Even the "I" that I am is nothing. And my place of nothing I view. And it little matters what I view SOME ROUTES for a dream is only a dream, On a finely carved cabinet, Built to hold treasures, Bought with missed pleasures, Sit-loose-tattered lace doilies, A starch stiff lace dolly Knowing hours of patient creation. and I am but an impartial viewer of dreams. Marjorie Owen Children with long quick arms, Race by Laughing at the dolly, No eyes touch the doilie. Yet in the dark strings of evening, When their games come close to the ground, Children come near, To trace the wooden message, With tip-full felt pens, Learning about craftsmanship. F.H. Eger THE GIRL OF JUNE She's long gone now The girl of June She won't be back. The bright and wide-eyed girl of June Who used to braid the dandelions on the hill. I used to love to sit and watch her Making garlands of this common flower. She would make a wreath to crown her head; Bracelets for her ankles and her wrists; Two or three of different length around her neck; And make a rope to skip. One day I watched her skip out of the field. I called and begged her not to go. She did not hear, But happily skipped on down the street And out of sight and gone. They found her wreaths One here, one there, Scattered in the gutters of the town All black and tarnished. She's gone too long The girl of June She won't be back. Marjorie Owen she wore dungarees, a flannel shirt hair loose easy standing on a soap box Saturday afternoon in the park. curious glances snide remarks passers-by passing hearing but not listening. 'damn feminists' 'she's probably gay...' 'someone should shot 'em all' 'she probably can't get a man...' words of inequality, loss of individuality, social stereotyping, lost like yesterday's footsteps. Viola Nikkila PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �VOICES: A Survival Guide for Wimmin - reviewed by Sara Williamson This interesting Gestetnered newspaper comes from a Kenora-Winnipeg collective. Yes! a publication by sisters just a few hundred miles away! In explaining their objective, Voices says, "We focus on wimmin's health of body, mind and spirit. We want to provide a space for sharing information, ideas, experience, skills and dreams." They welcome written contributions on the many natural ays of coping with our present The Notthetn Woman Jounnat human created environment that threathail 4taAted a tegat in6okens mind and body. mation utumn and wetcome4 The third issue is a good example quatnn4 atom out iteadelus. of what they are aiming at. It We ate pkoviding gene tat announces a Summer Solstice SelfinpAmation only and i6 Healing Weekend for wimmin and kids women itequifte 6utthet mote and covers some of the philosophy ispeci6ic in6onmation they behind the celebration. may need to conzat e,ithet This issue also writes up an exchange a iset6-coun4et book, a &gat on the healing work of reflexology, clinic of a tawyet. an article cram-packed with helpful ideas on health and menopause, and a personal testimonial from a woman who through her own strength survived shock treatment and regained her self. QUESTION: When can a woman declare Bankruptcy and how does she do it? through Several pages address. descriptive discussion, International Firstly, I must say that I ANSWER: Women's Day celebrations that includam only going to deal here with pered the involvement of men but, shamesonal bankruptcies, not businesses. fully, not lesbians. An individual may declare bankruptcy Reviews, poetry, reflective quotes if they have debts of over $1,000.00 and a bit of news from native women and are insolvent. (which means that fill out the periodical. they are unable to pay their debts). Voices can be obtained by writing c/o I. Andrews,R.R.#2,Kenora,P9N 3W8 If you are considering bankfor $5 for 5 issues or $2.50 for ruptcy, you should know that the folmothers on welfare and free for lowing debts are not included in a women in institutions. bankruptcy and that you will still be required to pay these. Therefore, court fines, maintenance and support 'cont'dfrom page 7 CATCH 22 payments for a spouse or a child, debts arising out of fraud or embezzlement and, especially, debts for goods sup'plied as necessaries of life are exempt. Necessaries of life include basic clothing, food, and maybe necessary appliances and services such as a stove or gas payments for heating your home. In order for immigrant women to enter the labour force or any sort of job training, they must first have language training. Lloyd Axworthy, in a speech to a National Conference on Immigrant Women in Toronto, March 21st, 1981, stated "We are now working on the development of a new integrated language program available to all immigrants on demand". A check with Mr. Axworthy's depart ment reveals that plans for this "new integrated language program" are not very far advanced, a wee Let us hope the embryo in fact. Minister will give birth. Besides basic language instruction women need help entering the labour market. They need help in evaluating their skills and translating certificates. They also need job search training and assertiveness training. Women who are already working should have an opportunity to learn English at work. There are a few successful E,S.L. at the workplace programs in Toronto. What we need is a government push to get many more going. You should also know that there are certain things that you will b8 allowed to keep despite the bankruptcy. These include necessary and ordinary clothing up to $1,000.00 in value; household furniture, utensils, and general personal possessions of the family up to $2,000.00 in value; and tools and equipment of a business up to $2,000.00 in value. The tools and equipment exemption may apply to a car or truck if these things are used in a business. Remember, that items of this value or less will be exempt. If you have a vehicle that you are purchasing over time, then what is included in the exemption is the value of the car minus the loan that is outstanding. Only your equity is included, not what you owe the bank or financial However if you will not even be able to raise that much money, then you can write to the Registrar of Bankruptcy for Northwestern Ontario. His address is: Bankruptcy Office 203-260 St. Mary Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 0M6 They also accept collect calls at (204) 949-3229, and are available to give information. The Bankruptcy office offers a programme which enables individuals to declare bankruptcy without thei] being required to make any payments. Upoi filling out the F.I.R.P. application and returning it to the Bankruptcy Office in Winnipeg, they will appoint a trustee for you. The trustee will not look to you for any payment, but will be paid from your assets -- if there are any assets. The trustee's job is to notify all your creditors of your bankruptcy, turn all your included assets into cash, pay off your debts to the extent possiible, and then make an application to discharge the person from Bankruptcy. Once your assets have been distributed, you will receive a court order and you will then be a "discharged bankrupt", able to start your life over again without those debts. /1 datjhterS- to ta AFTER THE BANKRUPTCY You will probably be able to obtain credit relatively soon after becoming discharged. Since the rate of bankruptcies has been increasing, the stigma of bankruptcy has diminshed. Although some banks may not grant loans immediately, some finance Many of these agencies companies will. take the position that you are now a good credit risk -- because you don't have any other debts. HOW TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY In fact, you will probably have to exercise caution and responsibility to ensure that you do not become in debt again. There are two methods of declaring bankruptcy for individuals. Firstly, the most common method is to go to a local trustee (who is a specialThe fee for ly licenced accountant). this service is not high, from approximately $500.00 to $900.00 for a person or a married couple declaring bankruptcy together. Most people consider bankruptcy too late, that is, after their health and their family life has deteriorated under the weight of their debts. Bankruptcy legislation was enacted to enable people who have got deeply in debt to put the past behind them and start over again -- hopefully having learned from their past mistakes. company. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN paae 10 �TO BE OR NOT TO BE The Northern Women's was founded in Thunder Bay It was to provide a 1976. women to invest, to obtain NWJ: What has been the response of the women of Thunder Bay to the credit union? Well, if the rate at which we've grown over the past four years is an indicator, the response has not been all that great. I should qualify that by pointing out that we are all volunteers working in this and I do very strongly feel that there is a of the population in Thunder large Bay who would support a women's credit union if they saw it as a viable institution. We have to prove ourselves to the public of Thunder Bay and that takes a long time. The potential is here in Northwestern Ontario for a women's credit union. I think that a lot of people in this city still don't know we exist because we've never had the funds or the people to do a large public relations campaign. Faye: 4 Northern Women's Credit Union Ltd. Credit Union in January of place for loans and to provide an educational service. At that time, women faced credit discrimination and looked to the Northern Women's Credit Union as an alternative. The credit union operates under the guidance of a board of seven directA credit committee of fiveoreviews ors. all loan applications, grantsploans and does follow-up. A supervisory committee does a mini-audit once a month. All of these committees are volunteer and are elected annually with positions open on a rotating basis. Recently, the Northern Women's Credit Union, with approximately 309 members, has suffered financial difficultTo find out more about the current ies. status of the credit union, the Northern Woman Journal interviewed Faye Peterson, president of the elected board of the Northern Women's Credit Union. by Danalyn MacKinnon Term Deposits Available $100 Minimum Personal Loans Available Serving the Women of Northwestern untario 5 4 Court St. S. Above Crooks Pharmacy 345-3112 Open Thurs. 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tues. and Fri. 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Closed for lurch 1.2 them that in order for it to grow, they have to participate. In doing the membership survey, there appears to be interest in the credit union. Almost everyone I have talked to personally feels it is definitely a needed service, a valuable Some people have said service. they received loans from our credit union when they couldn't get them anywhere else. Now we have to get enough volunteers into the credit union to push us ahead. This year at your annual meeting a controversial by-law was passed Could you regarding membership. tell us about the by-law and why it was felt necessary? NWJ: 41011101001~0). At our annual meeting, our membership approved a by-law recommended by the board of directors, which would allow related male people, living in the same house with the women members, to also join the credit union and have full membership status. The reasons for this are varied and I suppose everyone you talk to might have a different response. From a board perspective, it is a matter This credit union was not NWJ: Could you tell us about the of survival. membership survey which you are presently going anywhere. We've had.a large response from carrying out? the women of Thunder Bay who felt it unnecessary to ban their spouses and We are presently conducting a Faye: male children from also being part of membership survey to try and determine The the credit union. Family finances interest in the credit union. are usually done in one institution and financial indicators show us that we've had many women come to us and .there isn't an interest in the credit pull out their memberships because union and poses the question to us, their family members couldn't join. Is there really a need for a women's credit union? Personally, very strongly, We're not opening it up to the general public. We're not becoming a community I believe there is, but our membership credit union. It's for women and their is an inactive one. We've sent out approximately two immediate families. newsletters a year since the credit union Women who very much want it was founded and in each one we ask for to be a credit union for women only, volunteers, for members to sell the haven't come forward to see it grow. As a credit union for women only, it credit union to their friends, to hasn't grown, but as a credit union for encourage people to join, and to show women and their families, it has a chance to survive. Dignity continued from page 6 How can the membership help NWJ: must choose with discrimination. at this time? But unions offer the most optimistic alternatives in battling for equalMembership can best help by Faye: ity. Many unions have been instrumentLet us letting us know they are there. al in bringing about changes in wages, know that this credit union is importworking conditions, fringe benefits, ant to them. Now it looks like we're job security and rights of women workers. Apparently, women are making the serving about fifty people. For all of the time, energy and work going into it nost gains for equality by playing an - it's not worth it for fifty active role in their unions. people. Together sisters, we are stronger. Faye: People can help by depositWe ing funds, by taking out a loan. need volunteers. With more volunteers we could open for half of Saturday, keep in touch with the credit union movement in Thunder Bay, have a good educational group to discuss budgeting and all aspects of finances. We could have a dental plan for the membership. But it needs one volunteer to come forward to administer the paperwork. It's It's selling it depositing money. to your friends and encouraging them to join. Where do you hope to see the credit union going in the future? NWJ: I certainly hope to see it I think some understanding of the structure of the credit union is necessary. We grow by deposits and we grow by loans. Money deposited in this credit union is as safe as in any other institution. We have $85,000 in assets but in order to hire one part-time staff member, we need To have a full$500,000 in assets. Faye: grow. time staff person we need $700,000 in So, we're a long way from being a self-sustaining institution. The economy right now is a really big factor. Our loans have decreased by half in the last year because we haven't had the money to loan out. We could borrow from credit union central but the borrowing rates are 20% and to have a 4% spread, we would have to charge 24% interest.' I still feel the potential is ithere. I'd like to be able to look into a crystal ball and say it's going to grow and be successful. It will be if we can stay small, in terms of finances and personal in terms of attitude. If we can grow slowly and gradually, we may be able to wait out the economic tide. The pendulum in our society is swinging so much towards activity for women, by women, that in five years, there will be a great potential. There is now, but we have to get out and let people know about it. It takes a long time to build a wom 's credit union - but we're wo i ng on it. assets. 4P PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISIONNORTHERN PDFCompressor WOMAN page, 1J. �is a combination of Irish, British and Southern Appalachian songs. " We look for good history, justice and we illustrate a different time." In political songs the message is delivered subtly. Ballads were like the news of the day with which we can compare present day news. Chicago is a melting pot of different people and different music. Roxanne liked die traditional music once exposed to it. She felt akin to the countryside and its music. She was raised in the city but discovered her roots in rural areas. TERESA DOYLE Teresa calls herslef a peoplist as opposed to a feminist because she feels that a self-proclaimed femin - ist performer is often manipulated by people for a cause. She feels it can also negatively predispose an audience,. also. Her degree in political science led her to conclude that political history seldom gives and arrange it to their own style. an accurate sense of the history of Roxanne began her music career people's feelings and so she tries playing guitar. Her older brother to capture this in the traditional played contemporary and popular folk tunes. She often chooses a song for music. She wanted to be a musician its story line. since the beginning of High School. "I don't choose many love songs Influenced by rock music, Roxanne had because I don't relate well to somemore of a personal interest in folk one else's experience, but I do music. At the Free Theatre in Chicago choose songs that give us an empathy Roxanne played in a Rock Band, got the with someone else's circumstances, taste of it and enjoyed it. She met no matter how long ago it was written. Dan when they were trying to form a I think it is important to get a Folk Group and the two others from glimpse of someone else's feelings." the group didn't show up. Roxanne and Her empathy for feeling and cirDan have been together ever since, cumstance are currently taking getting exposure in Coffee Houses and TC1'''" 4r the direction of the blues. Festivals. They moved from Chicago She does not play and instrument herto Medicine, Wisconsin where the pace self but would like to get to a point was slower. Through the Artists In where she can accompany her strong, Residence Program, they play for clear voice on the piano. She mostly Wisconsin Schools, entertaining stud- performs acapella now, but the songs ents from Kindergarten to Grade 12. of her heroines Besse Smith, Ella They make history come alive through Fitzgerald and Janis Joplin require Ballads which in turn makes learning accompaniment. more interesting. As far as her reception among musicRoxanne talks about what it is al collegues is concerned, Teresa has like to be married and working tolittle trouble. She loves to sing and gether. harmonize, and although she has had no " When you're married and working formal training whatsoever, her voice together you share the elation as lends itself to jamming with any vocal, well as the depression. You have arrangement. She also has a good your ups and downs at the same time." academic knowledge of much of the Roxanne sees the solo woman performer music she performs and is an asset in as being more vulnerablea folk festival environment. Her " They don't have as good a time of strong sense of self and sincerity it, especially in bars." command attention and mutual respect. Musically, Roxanne and Dan do a lot together so they are often seen as one. They split musically for a short while last year and it was good for them to be recognized as two separate people. They don't find themselves being steriotyped but Traditional Music is not seen as versatile even though there are many types of music played with a variety of Womens Roles were chauvinistic instruments. in traditional times. Their songs are a realistic portrayal of women at that time in history. Roxanne talked of finding songs in History that portray strong female that it surprises those unacquainted. She has long been noted for her failure to take unfair treatment from anyone. She is confident, selfpossessed and prefers to travel alone. She expects the best from people and usually gets it. Professional singing is actually her most recent career. Although she has been singing with her Prince Edward Island based family since childhood, she was never singled out by the people of Vernon River, P.E.I. for her ability to sing. She has been a fish dealer, a store manager and a camp cook. It was only two years ago when hitching a ride that she told a driver that singing was her occupation. Since then she has taken up singing as a career. Performing at a small festival in Faro in the Yukon, she was chosen to do the Winnipeg Folk Festival and from there, worked some Prince Edward Island pubs, and even journeyed to perform in some of the pubs in Ireland where much of her current material originated at one time. Coming from a sixth generation Prince Edward Island family, Teresa was brought up in an environment full of songs and old tales which later captured her imagination enough to seriously explore the roots of many of the Irish tunes that are a part of her current repetoire. "I choose songs because I like them. I don't try to analyze the content too much and I don't try to manipulate the material to make it represent one way of thinking. I don't sing songs that deal exclusively with the way things are today and I wouldn't reject a song because it offended modern sensibilities. People of the past had their story to tell and it is all a part of an important ethos," Teresa explains. There are traditional songs that she will not sing however, because they are pointlessly hating. "The Crooked Rib" is a vendetta against women written by a man thrown in the drunk tank as a result of his wife calling the police to come and take 'him away. _JUDE JOHNSON characters. " There are many of them when they are brought out in song." They break the serious ballads with funny songs. The political songs have a good story and a decent moral. It is hard to separate the singer from the song when singing songs from a by-gone age. Conditions and opinions were different. Sometimes the song is good for its melody but it isn"t necessarily a statement from the Jude relaxes in the Performers area Teresa sports lucky tie singer. " We are not afraid to cross borders. Our material comes from everywhere." Their first record 'From Far and Near' Teresa Doyle is a petite young woman with a mass of curly brown hair and a voice so clear and strong Jude Johnson is a Musician / Her music Songwriter from Hamilton. has a kind of gutsy enthusiasm that is also evident in her conversation. She started her music career six years ago. Writing songs because she forgot the words, " The words just happened. " cont'd to pg. 14 NORTHERN WOMAN page 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �HEALTH BRING BACK THE CAP WANTED BY ANNA For those of us who prefer not to risk the pill or IUD and are looking for an alternative harmless means of contraception it is necessary to look back to the barrier methods, used by MIXING DRUGS-AND THE PILL Certain perscriptiori drugs may cancel out your birth control pill. This is the message contained in a press release from Cheryl Anderson and Peel Memorial Hospital. When you receive a perscription for other medication you should be sure to tell your doctor and the pharmacist that you are on The Pill. And, most importantly, if you must take the following drugs (and you are on The Pill), then you should take extra contraceptive precautions. Carbamazepine Ampicillin Rifampin Primidone Phenytoin Phenobarbital or barbiturates Phenybutazone Tetracycline As well there have been reports of interactions with; Aminocaproic acid, Guanethidine, Ioglycamide,Phenazone derivatives, Coumarin derivatives, Impramine, Oral Hynoglycemics, Troleandomycin. The above list is by generic name. Your doctor or pharmacist should check the brand names. Better yet, check for yourself in a drug reference guide. our mothers and grandmothers (the diaphragm and the cervical cap). Information on the diaphragm is available from most family doctors. The cervical cap, however, is practically unknown to many of today-s young doctors as it has been little used since 1950. The cervical cap is a small rubber thimble shaped device. Unlike the diaphragm, which blocks the entire upper part of the vaginal canal, tne cervical cap blocks only the cervix. Most importantly the cap is held in place by suction whereas the diaphram is held by spring tension. There are two other forms of caps the vault and the vimule which are designed to fit women with unique cervixes. It is estimated that two thirds of women can be fitted with one or other of the caps and although the cervical cap is not the contraceptive panacea for all women it is an effective virtually risk free method of birth control. The cap, like the diaphragm must be fitted at present by a doctor - hopefully paramedics will be duly trained and able to take over this procedure in the near future. One of the major drawbacks to a come back of the cap is BEGINNING OF... cont'd from pg 6 eladder al-er-as Margot Morgan - Birthing (safer hospital births, alternatives to hospital, breast feeding encouraged), birth control education. Shelley Corvino - Birthing rights, mental health versus over-medication Nora Fulcher - Healthy life style, self-help groups. Tracy Morgan - R.R.#1 South Gillies, POT 2V0, 939-6460. Manipulating by the medical profession. IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THE NETWORK, SEND US YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER AND AREAS OF SKILL AND INTEREST. CONFERENCES Northeastern Ontario Women's Conference, Oct. 16, 17 & 18 in Sault Ste. Marie,theme: Women & Multi-National Corporations. For info - Gayle Broad, 27 Lorraine St,* Sault Ste. Marie. Dialogue, a conference on feminist literary approaches to the writing of Canadian women, both French and English Oct. 16-17,Strong College, York Univversity. For info - Barbara Godard Englsih Department, York University, 4700 Keefe St., Downsview, Ont. Political Economy of Gender in Education,Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,Oct.26-30.For info - Alison Griffith or Paul Olson, Sociology in Education,OISE,252 glmor St. W.,Toronto,M5S 1U6. Women,Power & Consciousness,University of Toronto,New College,Oct.30-Nov. 1 For info - Women's Studies Conference, New College, Univeriity of Toronto, 20 Willcocks St.,Toronto,M5S 1A1 COMING EVENT The Midwest Health Centre for Women in Duluth have accepted an invitation flap Thunder Bay's C.A.R.A.L. (Canadian ,Pa ortion Rights Action League)group. The guest speakers will be in Thunder Bay sometime in September. Please call the Northern Women's Centre for further information - Carol - 345-7802. Anna Mae -- Brave Hearted Woman "the strongest film statement ever made about the way` "this country deals with Indians." Anna Mae Aquash was a Canadian native woman who participated in AIM. She was found dead in 1976 and an official investigation has not been conducted. Funds are badly needed to complete this film. Donations may be sent to the Film Fund Inc. 308 11th St.,San Francisco CA.(Big Mama Rag) Help! Subscribers Do you still have a copy of the Northern Woman Journal, Dec.-Jan. 1978-79, Vol.4 Issue 6, We need some copies. Please send or bring to Northern Woman Journal 316 Bay St., the time doctors must take to teach a woman to use it - few doctors are prepared to spend the necessary time (time being money) needed, probably two half hour sessions. Another drawback to the cervical cap is the fact that it is a low-profit item, therefore, def---, initely not a priority with Pharmaceutical companies, one which might very well cut into the spermicide sales as it requires much less spermicide then the diaphragm. At the present time the only manufacturer of cervical caps caps is Lamberts Ltd. of London,Eng. There have been no studies in recent years but in 1972 the medical committee of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America claimed that the cervical cap is about as effective as the diaphram. USE: fill the cap about a third full of spermicidal cream - preferable to jelly - sauattine erasn the can dome down, separate the vaginal lips and push the cap up the vagina as far as it will go. Press the rim around the cervix ( the cervix is the neck of the uterus extending down into the vagina) until the dome covers the cervical opening and the cervix can be felt under the dome. To remove the cap simply break the suction. The cap may be left in place for a It has been suggested week at a time. that spermicidal cream will retain its potency for a full week because it is sealed by the suction action of the cap to the cervix. The cap must be kept in place between 8-12 hours after intercourse. Unfortunately we only know of a few places with the personnel to fit cervical caps at present - in B.C. Planned Parenthood of Vancouver, a few doctors in Victoria and Richmond B.C. and we also have the name of one doctor in Toronto. The Journal would ,Apply be very happy to have the names of any other qualified practitioners who are providing this service at present. The Journal collective will be pleased to send the names of practitioners on request to any interested readers but cannot guarantee the Please address any quality of care. requests for further information to the Northern Woman Journal c/o 316 Bay St. Thunder Bay, Ont. Enquiries will be answered in the Journal or you may include a stamped addressed envelope. NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO 0MEN AND HEALTH CONFERENCE Sue Heffernan of Ignace reported on a conference held on May 1-3 in Dryden. The 165 participants came from Kenora, Dryden, Ignace, Red Lake and many other Northwestern communities. The main conference themes were stress, alcohol and prescription drugs, childbirth and conception control and unnecessary surgery. Fifteen of the 18 speakers were from the conference region. The conference organizers, a group of approximately 20 women from the north west, had such a positive experience in working together and such an overwhelming response to the health conference, that they have offered to organize this years Northern Women's Conference. Healthsharing summer issue 1981 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �RECLAIM THE NIG Reclaim the Night Though Eve was made itom Adam's 'Lib, Nine months he Lay within het ctib; How can a man of woman botn September 18th has been chosen as the night for the national "Reclaim the Night" March. Organization is presently underway in Thunder Bay to participate in the March. The "Women Against Violence Against Women" Committee seeks the support of all women in displaying their right to walk the streets safely at any time. Women will be meeting at 9p.m. on September 18th at Hillcrest Park, prior to the March. Please bring flashlights. Let us show our strength and soli- Theteaget use hen sex with sconn? .Fort though we beat the human /Lace, To us -L given but second ptace - And some men ptace us Lower stitt By using us against out Witt. 14 we choose to watk atone, Fon us thene is no safety zone, 14 we're attacked we beat the btame, They say that we began the game. And though you 'move yowl .injury, The judge may set the napist 4tee; Theteiote the victim .L to btame, Catt it nature, but nape's the name._ darity. For further information, or if you would-ilke-Vorftttp-W/th the organizing, call Carol at the Women's Centre, 345-7802. The last seven years have seen the mushrooming of rape crisis centres, legal reforms, women's self-defenseprograms, organization of legal defence for women in rape trials, street demonstrations. The general cry of this movement is "Reclaim the Night!" so that women may be free of the fears that darkness and solitude often bring in either city street or home. It has to be understood that that rape is not just a misdemeanor but a crime that can cause permanent riCaTni the night and win the day, We want the tight that should be out own, A iteedom women have setdom known; The tight to live, the tight to watk atone, Without seat. A husband has his taw4ut tights, Can take his we whene'et he tikes; And 'counts uphold , time Wet time, That nape in mattiage is no ctime. The choice is hens, and hens atone, Submit, ot tose your kids and home. When Love becomes a tegat eltzAm, 'Watt it duty, but nape's the name. And a man should nape a chitd, It's not because his spinit's wild; Our system gives the ionize to att Who ttampte on the weak and smatt. When 4atheAs tape, they sunety know Theit kids have nowhete e.C4e to go. Ttg to iotaet, .4on't ask. us Try to 4otget, don't ask us to Fongive them, they know what they do. (Chotus) When exptoitation is the notm, Rape is found in many PADVS; Lowest wages, meane -k tasks, ii We iseAve out/. own and tike the men We 'solve emptoyens. It iottows then That body's nape is nothing new But just a senvant's iinat due. We've noised our voices in the past, And this time witt not be the tast! Out body's giit is OUAZ to give, Not payment ion the night to tive. Since we've outgnown the status quo, We claim the night to answer NO without consent he stake a claim, I Ca L. it nape! Fon nape's the name: (Chonus) - Reclaim the Night, wands g music, Peggy -Seeger copyright, Ewan McCott Ltd. damage. Jude Johnson - cont'd from page 12 She received an Ontario Arts Council Grant and became part of a program where Canadian songwriters are brought into the high schools. High school students are encouraged to write and perform their own songs. Jude got the kids to let go of their inhibitions so they could sing their, own songs. They got the feel of rhythm. instruments and melody. Each person sang a note, before long, the notes became a melody. Over half of the students overcame their shyness and wrote and sang their own songs. "Singing is a way of letting out emotions, the words in song writing are more lyrical than poetry." Jude sees herself as a 'simple spirit in a complicated world, writing songs about love and hope'. Her songs are not bitter, they are never about hate. Listeners would fin her music theraputic. Her first album 'Reflected Space' is a combination of gospel, folk, country, blues and jazz. Her music could never be labelled since she sings most styles. The pattern of her music is changing as she introduces a wider variety of instruments. She now plays piano, autoharp, guitar zither and celtic drum. She is a personal writer, she does not see her music as political. "Politics can separate people, music brings people together." " I'm a diplomatic singer, I have friends from all walks of life." Her music touches people bringing out the gentleness hidden in an aggressive world. " I'm aggressive but in a passive way." " I've just discovered the power of Womanhood, the strength to be in control. I have my whole life in front of me." There is a support system amongst women in the music business. Jude has discovered women as friends. " There is no rivalry or jealousy between women because we understand that each of us is unique. " Liberaticn is a reflection of Jude's Grand Mother who raised seven Personal liberation kids on her own. is being in tune with yourself and your strengths. " You have to know yourself, accept yourself and love yourself before you are able to give to others." Jude temporarily lost touch with her music when the business become too preval ent. " I lost my love of music and got away from it but now I've got the joy of it back." Jude wants to dispel the assumption that she is a vocalist and not an instrumentalist. " I started out as a vocalist but I developed talent with instruments. I'm still a stronger vocalist but the gap is closing more." She dislikes the expression 'chick singer' in reference to a woman She constantly improves vocalist. " Like fine scotch, I keep getting better." PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman page 14 �ifx .*: Reclaim the Night September 18th has been chosen as the night for the national "Reclaim the Night" March. Organization is presently underway in Thunder Bay to participate in the March. The "Women Against Violence Against Women" Committee seeks the support of all women in displaying their right to walk the streets safely at any time. Women will be meeting at 9p.m. on September 18th at Hillcrest Park, prior to the March. Please bring flashlights. Let us show our strength and solidarity. For further information, or if you would like to help with the organizing, call Carol at the Women's Centre, 345-7802. The last seven years have seen the mushrooming of rape crisis centres, legal reforms, women's self-defens programs, organization of legal defence for women in rape trials, street demonstrations. The general cry of this movement is "Reclaim the Night!" so that women may be free of the fears that darkness and solitude often bring in either city street or home. It has to be understood that that rape is not just a misdemeanor but a crime that can cause permanent damage. Jude Johnson - Though Eve was made Sum Adam's nib, Nine months he Bay within he crib; How can a man oi woman born TheteaStet use hen sex with sconn? For though we beat the human rate, To us is given but second peace And some men peace US eouretc stied By using us against out Witt. 1'6 we choose to watk aeane, Pot us there is no saiety zone, IS we're attacked we bean the beame, They say that we began the game. And though you prove your injuty, The judge may set the Aapist Sue; TheteSone the victim is to btame, Catt it nature, but /tape's the name. CP7.o.ftLi reaTaTir the night and win the day, We want the tight that should be out own, And i4 a man showed nape a chied, It's not because his spinit's wLtd; Out system gives the ionize to ate. Who ttampte on the weak and smat. When 4atheAs nape, they suAety know Their kids have nowhete else to go. TALI to Sonnet, 4"on't ask 40 tU Tny to Songet, don't ask us to Fongive them, they know what they do. (Chonus) When exptoitation ,ins the norm, Rape is Sound in many Critni; Lower wages , meaner tasks, Poorer schooting, second ctas4.We isetwe outs own and £L!ae the men We serve empeoyens. It 6ottows then That body's nape is nothing new But just a servant's Sinat due. A Steedom women have seldom known; The night to give, the tight to walk We've wised out voices in the past, And this time wile not be the east! atone, QUA body's gi4t is ousts to give, Not payment Sot the night to eive. Since we've outgrown the status quo, We claim the night to answer NO Withbut Seat. A husband has his eawiut tights, Can take his wiie where' en he tikes; And co UAt4 uphotd , time Wen time, That nape in manniage is no ctime. The choice is hens, and huts atone, Submit, or tose your kids and home. When Bove becomes a Begat ctaim, Catt it duty, but nape's the name. . IS without consent he stake a daim, Cat. it nape! Fon nape's the name: (Chorus ) - Rectaim the Night, words g music, Peggy Seeger copynight, Ewan McCott Ltd. coned from page 12 She received an Ontario Arts Council Grant and became part of a program where Canadian songwriters are brought into the high schools. High school students are encouraged to write and perform their own songs. Jude got the kids to let go of their inhibitions so they could sing their own songs. They got the feel of rhythm, instruments and melody. Each person sang a note, before long, the notes became a melody. Over half of the students overcame their shyness and wrote and sang their own songs. "Singing is a way of letting out emotions, the words in song writing are more lyrical than poetry." Jude sees herself as a 'simple spirit in a complicated world, writing songs about love and hope'. Her songs are not bitter, they are never about hate. Listeners would finii her music theraputic. Her first album 'Reflected Space' is a combination of gospel, folk, country, blues and jazz. Her music could never be labelled since she sings most styles. The pattern of her music is changing as she introduces a wider variety of instruments. She now plays piano, autoharp, guitar zither and celtic drum. She is a personal writer, she does not see her music as political. "Politics can separate people, music brings people together." " I'm a diplomatic singer, I have friends from all walks of life." Her music touches people bringing out the gentleness hidden in an aggressive world. " I'm aggressive but in a passive way." " I've just discovered the power of Womanhood, the strength to be in control. I have my whole life in front of me." There is a support system amongst women in the music business. Jude has discovered women as friends. " There is no rivalry or jealousy between women because we understand that each of us is unique. " Liberaticn is a reflection of Jude's Grand Mother who raised seven kids on her own. Personal liberation is being in tune with yourself and your strengths. " You have to know yourself, accept yourself and love yourself before you are able to give to others." Jude temporarily lost touch with her music when the business become too preva lent. " I lost my love of music and got away from it but now I've got the joy of it back." Jude wants to dispel the assumption that she is a vocalist and not an instrumentalist. " I started out as a vocalist but I developed talent with instruments. I'm still a stronger vocalist but the gap is closing more." She dislikes the expression 'chick singer' in reference to a woman vocalist. She constantly improves " Like fine scotch, I keep getting better." PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman page 14 1 �THE CONFEDERATION COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY THUNDER BAY DISTRICT FALL PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN Mondays 7-10 pm, Sept. 14-Oct. 19 $20.00 -students will learn the basic procedures of car maintenance and general operation. Mondays 7-10 pm Sept. 14-Nov. 23 $40.00 -learn to: speak with confidence; think clearly; increase your vocabulary; write effectively. Tues. 1;30-3:30 pm Sept. 15-Nov. 17 $25.00 -a special program designed for women. at home who are looking for a change in direction. Tues. 7:30-9:30 pm Sept. 17-Nov. 17 $25.00 -a course designed to help you to avoid the costly mistakes of haphazard spending, saving investment. Topics covered will include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance, modern banking, family budgetting and methods to reduce your income tax. Wed. 7-9:30 pm Sept. 16-Nov. 11 $30.00 -a new kind of art history--one which seeks out women's work. Thurs. 7-10 pm Sept. 17-Nov. 26 $40.00 -this two-part introductory subject will focus on women's relationship to health care; health issues pertinent to women; women's awareness of their physical, emotional and sexual selves. ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING Mon. 7-10 pm Sept. 21-Nov. 30 $30.00 (GS 206) **CREDIT" -this credit course will focus growth. It will help women to: present themselves positively; express feeling appropriately; WOMEN KNOW YOUR CAR (ZW 017) EFFECTIVE SPEAKING-PART I (ZW 019) OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE (ZW 018) WOMEN AND MONEY (ZW 037) WOMEN AND ART ' (ZW 010) WOMEN AND HEALTH-PART I (ZW 035) DAUGHTER, WIFE, AM ? wks ----1---MQZHER 0 (ZX 262) I CHANGING ROLES Wksp (ZX 263) OUTREACH FOR WOMEN Wksp on personal and professional negotiate for what they want set priorities and goals; improve communication skills. Thurs. 6-10 pm Sept. 24 $10.00 (includes buffet) -women have various roles and identities which are not necessarily in conflict with each other. (Cash 44,L.L73;_ Fri. 9am-4pm Sept. 25 $10.00 (includes lunch and coffee) -resources and discussions on social and psychological issues pertaining to current social changes. Sat. 9am-4pm Sept. 26 $10.00 (includes lunch and coffee) -a day designed for women at hone who are experiencing the need to explore untapped energy; untapped resources; unchallenged potential; and undiscovered self. (ZX 265) ABOVE 3 WORKSHOPS REQUIRE PRE-REGISTRATION BY SEPT. 16th PANEL ON WIFE BATTERING (ZX 266) AN EVENING WITH JEAN WOOD Sat.10am-4pm Oct. 24 FREE -dynamicsof wife battering. The resources and lack of; as they relate to wife battering. Thur.6 -lOpm Oct. 29 $10.00 (includes buffet dinner) -following buffet, a presentation by the President of National Action Committee on the Status of Moen. (ZX 261) ILLUSIONS & REALITIES FOR WOMEN IN ORGANIZATIONS PRE -REGISTER BY OCT. 21st. Fri. 9 am-4 pm Oct. 30 $25.00 (ZX 181) ORIENTATION TO EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN INTRODUCTION TO NONTRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS (I.N.T.0.) COMING UP IN '82 BURN-OUT (ZX 182) WOMEN & MENTAL HEALTH (ZX 269) -women often have the education, skills and opportunity to move into significant positions in organizations but lack the knowledge of "old boy" networks, behaviour codes and basic rules of the game. -a three week program, presented on a continuous basis, by Women's Programs and Canada Employment & Immigration, to assist women who have decided to seek immediate employment. More information and t^ register, call Manpower (Val y 623-2731). Dennison 344-6601 or Betty I Sept. 8, 1981 - an eight week program designed to give women an academic and experiential introduction to traditionally male occupations. More information and to register, call Manpower (Val Dennison 344-6601 or Betty Lipcwy 623-2731).. Sept. 8, 1981 May6/82 6-10pm May 7/82 9amr4pm May 8/82 9am -4pm -burn-out is the result of excessive demands on the energy, strength, and resources of individuals. This session is designed to examine the Burn-Out Syndrome and to explore ways to mitigate its crippling effects. Sept. 24/82 6-10 pm Sept. 25/82 9am - 4 pm Sept. 26/82 9am - 4 pm -this conference will address health issues relevant to awareness, prevention, respOnsibility today's woran and choice. Pre-Registration will be required for both -.hese Workshops in the Fall of '82 WOMAN page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISIONNORTHERN PDFCompressor �OA Esinombre 11*d *AWN* YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS DUE arm Arm 220 RETURN TO: The NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL is published six times a year THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 BAY ST. THUNDER BAY P, ONT. Return Postage Guaranteed COLLECTIVE MEMBERS THIS ISSUE Lynn Beak, Anna McColl, Teresa Legowski, Noreen Lavoie, Danalyn MacKinnon, Rosalyn Taylor Perrett, Donna Phoenix, Sara Williamson, Viola Nikkila ti ftP751 ITAZZ-17 rz PLEASE SUBSCRIBE 345-7802 HAVE YOU MOVED??? PLEASE LET US KNOW BY CALLING (807) We must pay return postage to keep up our mailing list. Subscribe: (Six Issues) 5.00 9.00 Business or Institutions PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 6 No 6 Description An account of the resource Vol. 6, No. 6 (Aug 1981) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Women in Music Summer Solstice Festival Thunder Bay Valium-Breast Cancer Link American Women Raped & Murdered in El Salvador Northern Women’s Centre Education Committee Woman Stoned to Death in Mexico for Witchcraft Amazon Bookstore Minneapolis Women and Unionization Dignity in the Workplace English as a Second Language for Immigrant Women Women’s Decade Council Health Network for Northern Women Art Poetry Survival Guide for Wimmin Declaring Bankruptcy as a Woman Northern Women’s Credit Union Mixing Drugs and the Pill Cervical Cap Feminist Conferencec Bulletin Reclaim the Night Confederation College Women’s Programs Authors/Contributors: Elaine Lynch Rosalyn Taylor Perritt Danalyn MacKinnon Joan Baril Teresa Legowski Marjorie Owen F.H. Eger Viola Nikkila Sara Williamson Lynn Beak Anna McColl Noreen Lavoie Danalyn MacKinnon Donna Phoenix Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1981-08 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2767/1981_Vol_7_No_1.pdf 3b4f50486fe199fd375ddd31bf3e9b21 PDF Text Text ktY N)6 itutuoic tiow4tolt jotuno PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Dear Women: Recently, the Rape Crisis Centres held their annual regional representatives conference in Winnipeg. These women experienced, first hand, that Winnipeg Women's Building is in crisis. We are facing winter with no heat, as our gas has been cut off for nonpayment. Surviving the summer wasn't bad, but with winter approaching quickly we cannot survive without donations to get the heat turned on! The Building has never received much in the way of funding from the government other than short time summer employment grants. Our only other source of income has been rentals for office space. At present, the building houses WenDo, People on Welfare, a free clothing depot, Women in Trades, a women's theatre group, a women's graphic copany, and the W.W.C.E.C.. The rents received are very minimal as all the groups are poor, and ability to pay is a building policy. The Building was purchased in Nov., 1979, and opened with much fanfare nationally and internationally. Since that time, it has been a sheer struggle just to stay afloat. As far as we know we are the only women owned and operated building in Canada, though we believe some are in the formation stages. The women running the Building are tired, but determined and stubborn, so they plug on. Many poor women from the area frequent the clothing depot, and rely on the clothes they receive for themselves and their children. Many of these women are on welfare. Each day, the Building grows a little colder. We have a small wood supply that we expect will hold us for a week or two, but we can only heat one room by this method. nec essary and herstorical, for a women owned and operated space offers encouragement and support to women of all walks of life. Recently, a lesbian drop-in has formed, and, if successful, it will enable many more women to 'come out'. Although we know all women's groups are poor, Debbie Parent of the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre suggested this letter, when she saw the women here in such need. So, as you have guessed, we are in desperate need of money. Our heat bill is $6,000.00. We've held all kinds of fund-raising events, but we can't seem to gather sufficient funds. We've also had 8 breakins in the last 2 years. We're asking for donations of what you can afford (we now have a tax deduction number). Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. P.S. If your dropping by, wear warm clothes! IN SISTERHOOD AND STRUGGLE Yvette Parr for Women's Building One alternative is to enlist the help of a Credit Counselling Service Credit counsellors can assess your financial situation; determine the amount of money you have available to pay to creditors; negotiate with creditors to accept lower payments based on the money available, and continue to deal with creditors for you. In other situations, credit counsellors can help you to develop a proposal to your creditors offering a percentage of the balance owing on your debt, so that payments can be reduced or the payment time can be reduced. Again, the credit counsellor would deal with creditors on your behalf. Either of these solutions are usually more acceptable tc creditors who stand to get little or nothing if you go bankrupt. Another choice available to people is a court consolidation. This can be arranged for any person who has had 3 judgements against them and is a protection against being garnished. Court consolidations can be arranged through the Small Claims Court for a sm all fee of about $40.00 and small monthly payments are then made to the court for disbursements to creditors. With regards to bankruptcy itself, it should be pointed out that while an application through the Winnipeg office of the Registrar of Editor Northern Woman: Bankruptcy can enable you to underThe Northwestern Ontario Intertake bankruptcy without being renational Women's Decade Council comquired to make payments, and the mends the Journal on it's excellent bankruptcy trustee will be paid from September 1981 issue. The choice of your assets; "assets" includes your articles about Northwestern Ontario income tax return. Your child tax women for Northwestern Ontario women credit may also be claimed by the works to fill a great void of infortrustee but may be exempted, dependmation. ing on what part of the year you Again, congratulations, and we file bankruptcy. Another caution is sincerely hope future editions will for people who have credit union focus on the needs and interests of loans. If you file bankruptcy and one northern women as expertly as your of your creditors is a credit union,last issue did. that credit union can file the wage On behalf of all members, assignment with your employer and Barb Matthew, collect 30% of your gross income for Co-chairperson the length of time of the bankruptcy. This process can perhaps be avoided by negotiating an arrangement with Northern Woman Journal: the credit union committee. While it I read with a great deal of intis true that credit can be obtained erest, your recent article on bankrelatively soon after discharge, the ruptcy, and feel that it is of bencredit bureau does report a bankruptc] efit to men and women in the communto potential creditors for a period o ity to have such information presented 5 years. in such a concise and factual way. In We would like to urge that prior many situations, extreme financial to considering bankruptcy, persons problems reflect on marital and experiencing financial problems inparent child relationships and cause vestigate some of the other alterhavoc within families. Sometimes, natives. A viable alternative may be bankruptcy is the most appropriate found with the help of a Credit Counstep to take and it is certainly imselling Service, at no charge portant for people to know that bankIn Thunder Bay, the Credit Counsellruptcy is available to all. ing Service can be contacted at It should be pointed out, however, 623-9596. that there are several alternatives that many people in financial diffEileen Thurier iculty are unaware of and which elCredit Counsellor iminate the stigma of bankruptcy. Hi! I really enjoyed Elaine and Rosalyn s article SINGING OUT LOUD! Our Sexual Assault Centre sponsored Heather Bishop and Lauri Conger for a concert here last April! Their energy is addicting and keeps the network of womyn strong. I would also like to add my name to the Health Network Nancy 'J' Zabirka, Box 1695, Timmins. Ont. P4N 7W8 doMain Self-Defense for women, 1. encompassing verbal and physical techniques (a 12 hour complete course) Constructive Criticism 2. Assertiveness-Sociology of women's 3. health P.S. Keep up the great "Northern Woman"! plece." .;1., THUNDERBOLT - to the (m)ucked up fathers of our Charter of "Rights". They may become famous but in HERSTORY they will always be infamous. WOMEN'S COFFEEHOUSE Unitarian Church 1802 E. 1st St. - to the many new volunteer women who are going to participate in the Thunder Bay Rape & Sexual Assault Centre. DULUTH 1st & 3rd Fridays 8:00 pm $3.50 THUNDERCLAP Northern Woman nage 2 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �by Rosalyn Taylor Perrett I trace the line with my finger it is a delivery slot a closed up pouch the corners turn up in a crazed smile neat - work precision sharp held precariously together by stubborn moving flesh closing off the world like a shy child 'Ah, that precision cut dividing me in half, filling me with negatives and positives. Guilt, joy, depression, happiness. The wonder of that little human being who completed his awesome journey. Loving him yet hating how he got here guilty because I dwelt on my disappointments when really I was happy he was unharmed and arrived here safely. Marvelling at his perfectly formed head whose shape was not changed by the trauma of vaginal birth. Wondering if I but enough women go into labour when they are carrying high so that wasn't much of an indication. I was sent to the hospital for x -rays. The results were conclusive, cervix was marginal. I had an image mage of a wineglass with a narrow stem. Labour would be extremely difficult but a vaginal delivery was still possible. I was a little anxious but reluctant to burst my bubble of joy by thinking about induced labour and the probability of a caesarean section. I wrote up a list of conditions stating what my partner and I wanted and expected as a result of the hospital stay. It was not signed since it was not a legal document but I was whistling in the wind anyway since it became redundant as soon as my labour was induced. I spent 8 hours hooked up to a fetal monitor. My labour never really began. aleted, tired, bored and irritated with some of the - I was finally going to get my chance to hold him. The nurses were ready to bottle feed him, thinking it knowledge. Some people in the medical profession may not appreciate your interest or your knowledge but it is for you, not them. The issue was really choice. Choice to be,awake or asleep for the caesarean section. Choice to have family especially my partner in the operating room to continue a supportive environment. It also helps to know which doctors will support you in your decision and make sure you have full cooperation with the anaethesist. There are so many questions e.g. what are the long term effects of major abdominal surgery? Does the baby suffer the effects of anaesthetic? What is the average rate of recovery after a caesarean joy. will#-:$PQR1440,5BleTh bond with him was so strong. -t° wanted" THE DELIVERY SLOT might have been able to have given birth if I'd been more patient. less afraid...' This excerpt was from my diary almost a year ago today, yet I look at it with a greater degree of objectivity. The fog of emotion has lifted enough to give me a clearer picture of why the scar was more than just a physical one. I began a long journey back as far as the decision to have a child and the pleasure of finding myself pregnant. There was nothing political behind my wanting a child, my partner and I both instinctively felt the time was right. So began the delicious delvings into all of the wonderful prenatal care books. I was religious about eating properly and caring for myself. At around the seventh month we signed up for Lamaze classes. The classes were sensible, preparation was the key to better control, minimizing the amount of stress because the unknown was turning into something known. We spent one class talking about caesarean sections and I thought I was listening but I really had discounted any possibility of having a caesarean section. I enjoyed robust health and the pregnancy was thankfully uneventful. Two months later and then some I was two weeks overdue and gaining, weight at an incredible rate. Any exercise was out of the question. I was breathless after just walking to the corner store. The baby had not dropped. This should have been my first clue staff treating me as though I was not cooperating. I felt like a spectator at one of the key events of my life. I switched off, wasn't participating. There were moments when I didn't care anymore. I wanted to be left alone. I didn't want to be poked, prodded or tampered with. The bag of waters had been broken five hours earlier and the doctors were getting restless. I was told I could keep on the way I was going all night and the section might still have to be done the next day. Since it was inevitable I was having one anyway, I suggested they do it while I could emotionally handle it. I didn't want time to let it sink in. I was immediately whisked away. My partner who up until this time had a major role to play was suddenly pushed aside. He didn't hear me try to negotiate to be conscious during the section. He wasn't there when all of my power was taken away Arom me. I hated having no say in what was to happen. The control I had taken for granted was no longer there for me and the choice, was nonexistent. In the recovery room - first words 'is the baby alright? What did I have?' Awake long enough to hear the answer I saw him briefly after I was taken to my room. With superhuman effort I kept my eyes open to see him but I had no strength in my arms to hold him. I didn't see him again for 10 hours. They brought him to me at 5.00 am. I experienced pain but great him near me to make sure he was real. I looked at him, cuddled him, inspected every inch of him. Those moments together consolidated our future relationship, it was this very fragile base we built upon and I'm glad that I didn't give into the pain. I wanted to share the good and the bad so you can see where the ambiguity began. If I went into the hospital blind it was because I put on the blinkers. I can't change some of the bad things that happened on the strange way I felt for so long afterwards but I can make sure that I will be better prepared next time. It is so important to be armed with section? Does it affect opportunities to breast feed? (It didn't with meI wasn't easily discouraged). Many of the answers can be supplied by other women. Experiences though personal can have similarities but the subject of caesarean section has only recently emerged to the point where its easier to discuss it. Part of our problem lies in our isolation from each other. There are few opportunities to talk and vent any frustrations that come from sweeping emotions under a rug. There is a caesarean support group who I'm sure can supply some answers and also share your concerns. If you have feelings and ideas you would like to share, drop me a line c/o the Northern Woman 316 Bay St. Thunder Bay Northern Woman pane PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �for a counselor to call together a small group of patients to review the reproductive anatomy, the abortion and after-care, birth control and other related matters. A brief film of an abortion is shown at this time. (Many of our patients at first think they don't want to see the film, and As interested members of CARAL, naturally it is not obligatory. How(Canadian Abortion Rights Action ever, these same women, after the League) we were excited when our inabortion, agree the film is a must. vitation to come to Thunder Bay was If, however, you do not wish to stay accepted by our sisters from the Midthrough this part of the group session West Health Center in Duluth, (MHCW). let our counselor know at that time.) As well as being a women's clinic When this session is done, your this youngest clinic in the US procounselor will meet you and then vides birth control, venereal diseaseproceed to a private counseling room information, pregnancy tests and refwhere you may discuss in a relaxed errals as needed for abortions over and informal manner your personal 14 weeks. feelings about the pregnancy, your To outline the five to six hours decision to seek an abortion, and appointment we've printed below the you'll learn more about contraception handout given to women who arrive and the abortion procedure. Other for abortions at: personal concerns may also be disMedical Arts Building 324 West Superior-Street Suite 610 cussed. The consent form is reviewed and explained at this time. Duluth Minnesota, 55802 telephone (218) 727-3352 C.A.R A.1. Now that you have been greeted by the MHCW receptionist and have answered her questions regarding your medical history, we would like to let you know what the rest of your day here at MHCW will be like. There may be some waiting periods because of the individualized service which we try to give to each woman who comes here. We will try to keep them as brief as possible. It is our hope that this information will be helpful to you. You'll be in contact with several of us today. We want to help make your day as informative, comfortable and relaxed as possible. Please don't hesitate to ask questions or request assistance from any one of us. The receptionist will be glad to direct your requests to the most appropriate person on our staff. If family members or friends have accompanied you, they will be asked if they wish to join a group led by a member of our counseling staff. She will discuss a variety of topics including the abortion procedure and after-care, the role and importance of counseling, contraception and other related areas. In addition, we show a brief film about a clinic abortion. This session is optional, of course, but we feel it is valuable for the patient, for the significant people in her life to know as much as possible and have an opportunity to discuss any questions they may have. An experienced laboratory technician will collect a blood sample. Tests will be done to determine if you are anemic and what your blood type is. A routine pregnancy test, as well as a urinalysis, will be performed using the urine sample which you provided earlier. A nursepractitioner will take a medical history and then examine you to determine how far your pregnancy has advanced. During the examination, as an additional precaution for you, she will take a culture for gonorrhea which is a painless test. The nurse will take your pulse and blood pressure and instruct you in self-breast M ATC - INTERNATIONAL CENTRE A non-governmental organization designed to match the resources and the needs of Canadian women with those of women in the Third ',,Jorld 401-171 NEPEAN OTTAWA, ONT. K2P 0B4 TEL: (613) 238-1312 Do you belong to a woman's group which would like to help women in the Third World? MATCH is a non-government organization MATCHing Canadian women and Third World women who are involved in community projects. For example, Canadian women are helping to fund a woman's fishing co-op in Antigua, female vocational training in Belize and a children's library in St. Kitts. The amount of money does not have to be large. In the underdeveloped world, even a few hundred dollars goes a long way. A Canadian women's group can fund a complet project or partially fund a project. MATCH will help them support a project to suit them, make the arrangements and to monitor the results. Sometime between the exam and the counselfhg period, the cashier will call your name and any financial arrangements already made can be reconfirmed. Payment is expected at the time. ($200.00) When the doctor is ready to see you, the counselor will accompany you to the procedure room and remain beside you throughout the abortion. The doctor reviews your chart and will answer any questions you may have. He or she (we have both men and women physicians) will repeat the pelvic examination so that they can know the position and size of your uterus (womb). You may be in the procedure room for 15 to 20 mins. but the actual abortion takes only a few minutes. After the abortion, you and your counselor will go to the Recovery Room, which is furnished with comfortable sofas and chairs. A nurse will check your pulse. Here you may have some refreshments, read a magazine, talk with other patients or rest quietly. You'll receive instructtions about what to expect after the abortion and how to take the medications given you. The nurse will also discuss your progress and advise you when you may leave. This usually takes half an hour in all. If you do not have someone to accompany you when you leave, you will be asked to stay longer as a precautionary measure. At present MATCH has projects in 120 countries. The Vice-President for the Northwestern Ontario-Manitoba region is Ruth Cunningham who is the Director of Women's Programs at Confederation College. Ruth is interested in getting together local women interested in promoting MATCH as well as finding local groups of women who would like to finance an overseas program. Once a local group has chosen a project, MATCH will provide educational materials to help with the fund raising and it encourages the groups to think up original fun and educational activities to drum up the money. E. P()\S THE wATER "RiE 1COD WE Pi AND Now k WE Gl\i THMil TO PICASSO exam. After this examination you will return to the reception area to wait Northern Woman page 4 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �UPDATE People are talking about Ronald Reagan's assault on the U.S. affirmative action programs which, unlike Canadian counterparts, were getting results. New rules exempt federal contracts of 250 employees or less also American feminists note how selectivily the U.S. cutbacks have focused in on programs relating to women of interest are the remarks of Mary 'Condren at a conference on Feminism and Militarism. The neutron bomb, she claims is the "ultimate patriarchal sacrement. All born of nature and women would be destroyed and all born of man and male techno- logy would be left standing" August 26, 1981, the 61st anniversary of women winning the right to vote in the U.S., saw thousands march in support of E.R.A. Among the marchers in Los Angeles were many T.V. and film personalities. In Washington D.C., twenty-one women dressed in white chained themselves to the White House fence* 0 several U.S. abortion clinics have been picketted or vandalized by anti-choice groups. In St. Paul, Minn., invaders burst in to photograph patients in the operating room. All U.S. clinics now must be concerned with security 0 picked up by various feminist publications is the article by A.T. Fugh-Berman in the June issue of "Off Our Backs" which describes how right-to-lifers show up for abortions, at her clinic either for themselves or their daugnters nut are at great pains to describe how their situation is unique and special and not like the other (promiscuous, irresponsible, low class, murderous) women sitting in the waiting room Surprisingly extreme is the U.S. surgeon general's warning to women to avoid alcohol completely if they are pregnant or considering pregnancy because of the "sizeable and significant" increase in spontaneous abortions by women who drank as little as four ounces a week. Heavy drinking by Joan Baril is linked to fetal alcoholic syndrome. Because the danger is greatest in the early weeks women who are considering pregnancy should avoid even vanilla extract and alcoholic desserts, says mailing lists and direct mail campaigns to spread the names of hitlisted candidates in the 1980 U.S. elections. The technique was spectacularly successful and caused the defeat of dozens of liberal politicians DEJA VU the U.S. Health Department From India comes news stories of the renewed glorification of widow-burning Since 1973, seven women (Sati) who have died this way have been made the centre of a religious cult. Counter-Processions have been organ. ized by Indian feminists finr ally the unsurprising news from Stats. Can is that the average male income in 1980 was $16,659; the average woman's $8,101. TAX-DEDUCTIBLE ANTI-WOMAN'S GROUP Renaissance International, which has federal tax-exempt status as a religious charity, announces they are drawing up a hit list of unacceptable candidates for the next Manitoba provincial election. The organization intends to identify and publish the names of politicians they consider morally undesirable. These are any candidates who endorse equality for women, sex education in the schools, freedom of choice on abortion, gay rights, or who support unions. Renaissance claims that "all political leaders are religious leaders", all schools are religious institutions "and the separation of church and state" is a myth. Such verbal hocuspocus allows Renaissance to collect money as tax free charitable donations and use it for political purposes. "The function of religion", a spokesman claimed, "is to act as the conscience of society". Renaissance has their own version of religion based on the teachings of Jerry Falwell. Falwell and other New Right groups used computerized In October, 1979, Ingrid Dages, secretary at York University won a victory before a provincial arbitration board. The board ruled that a secretary was a secretary and shouldn't be expected to serve coffee. In August, 1981, Doris Parker, secretary at Laurentian University won the same victory over again. A provincial labour arbitrator ruled that a secretary was not a waitress and serving coffee had "no bearing whatsoever" on the secretarial requirments of her department. One week later Karen Fast, secretary at Cominco Limited, Toronto quit her job over her refusal to make coffee for ten people in her office. It infuriated her, she said, "when men who are just sitting around expect you to run for coffee three times a day". Hasn't the time arrived for the Ministry of Labour to snap into an educational campaign aimed at employers. Or, how many grievance procedures must secretaries initiate before this practice comes to an end. RAINY RIVER CRISIS HOUSING Best wishes to the people of the Rainy River Crisis Housing Project. This group, formed last year, has been doing research and education work to convince the community that the need exists. They hope to establish a temporary shelter for battered women by the end of the year. At present, Thunder Bay has two crisis houses; Atikokan and International Falls have one each. w..commenoeb tvLaOin9 * Woman and Nature "The Roaring Inside Her" - Susan Griffin gerdaige The Hidden Malpractice - How American Medicine Mistreats Its Women- Gena Corea * The Dinner Party - Judy Chicago Women In Economics - Harriet Gilman Perkins * I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can Barbara Gordon With Child - A Diary of Motherhood - Phyllis Chesler Burning Questions - Alix Kates Shulman ) copies of RISING @ $5.00 each. Please send me ( ) Enclosed Is a cheque or money order for ( which includes postage, payable to: NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL, 316 Bay St. Ontario, P78 !SI Thunder Bay, Name -Organization Address n Three Guineas - Virginia Wolfe Northern Woman page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �A STRANGE FAMILIAR SOUND FOR STEPHEN, WHEN CUSTODY CHANGED In hospital crib My newborn turned, knowing Right from birth, my voice A strange familiar sound Came on the wind just now And made me harken like a bugle call. A fleeting vision of a far-off home; stood Green fields; and hills where I have faces I have loved; In other lands; dear And voices I have known so long ago, Like echoed strains of some great symphony Came rolling down the spheres To wake a slumbered part And puzzle me. oseMarjorie Owan I answered his cry And found his wailing stopped Upon my presence. Tonight, he smiles, points: In innocenceFOLLOWER of judges, Proud, he calls me. Behind wagging tails I'd climb Pray God the courtslost may for oblivious to attention Not destroy my love-bond with ground. curious scents upon the My stolen' child. Following, faithful in someone Susan Collins Hawkins ignorant of the course. Darting and running, busy the nose trailing marks from unknowns, years ago passed or recent. Stumbling over roots and feet curling stones. and abandon to some other. Troublesome I would become WEEKENDS When passing, would again It isitSaturday be playingAnd itsthe endless game, precious hours for thingsAre notbehind known us or seen. Domesticated wild Reach out your arms To someone else Karin Banerd At this last doorstep. Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. I turn, and... Even the air Is empty Where you were. Sepatation Susan Collins Hawkins the 'signing oi a name aZong a dotted tine, ted zeaZed documents, -tegatity pompous tegatity, ieetingz toast in the papeAw otk. catching up on news with ea.y conveAzation, the time6 apart ,o4 once -bused heattz Wted the waiting quickty. each 6/teed by a paper deztined bon dAezzek dtawet keeping watked zide by iside down to.the 4tAeet panted with a zmite oi undeAztanding. Viota Nikkita POET RY SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED Northern Woman page 6 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �DIALOGUE BETWEEN FRIENDS Why is that can parked on the sidewalk? Chase you. WhOopsi Let's just Lay here on the pass and Look at the sky. See the trees against the sky? Whyte is the sun? I want to climb one. See the hooiptints in the sand? Horses wean_ shoes. Yes, we Leave Sootptints too. What does it mean when people say that my grandpa -at-the-4aAm L in heaven? It means that you wit t never zee him again. My Daddy's giAtitiend says you're dumb. Ate you dumb? You'll have to decide that Sot youtseLS. You ate dumb. someWe don't caet people names. thing botheAs you, then you should say what it is. Don't even be aptaid to-tett me when something is wrong. But my Daddy doesn't ad to school. See the bump on the'ttee? That's where a branch was Cut 644. The ttee grows a new skin to covet the wound. See, this tree is just beginning to heat. Did you see the worms in out appee. ttee? It was awSwe. It's out of my hands. There's nothing I can do. It was not my decision. Yvon Daddy Loves you very much. He's doing his best. But why do I have to Live with Daddy? Do you know what a coutt is? A coutt cis when a tot o4 people get togethet to make a decision. And they decided that you should Live with yawn. Daddy. Was my Daddy there? Do you have money to-day? Ate you wearing my picture? Let me do that son you, Mom. I'm going to buy a motorcycle and you can Aide on it. You can Aide on the back. ALL about tuttees. Babies. And teeth. When you were smatt, Mommy took you iot a walk to the Lake. Yes, the same Lake that Daddy takes you to now. And you wanted to go in the water so badly that you jumped out o4 the sttottet and tan in with att your clothes on. I had to take you home in my coat. Where you a baby once, too, Mammy? Did Grandpa used to LLve with Grandma? I can't Sind the moon anywhere. It's but I can't up there somewhere, Sind it. No, my Love, that's just a APLeettight. I am not too big to take a bath with you. Look how tiny I can make myset4. There's Lots oS room. That's a pretty tiny. Can I have it? 16 it a wedding ring? My wedding rings ate put away. I've grown, and they don't fit me anymote. 14 someday you {find someone that you want to give them to-, you can have my tings. But you must be ate grown up. Maybe they won't Sit het either. You know that I Love you, don't you, Litt& boy? CLAIRE each time i see the ink nude you drew of me when we were seventeen memories of you splash in on me like the copper twilight dappling the willows outside the window today i am three stories up that much is the same although this place is much smaller than that apartment of yours i fire-escaped into do you remember how we hooted into the night over the ad we'd written for recruits to the orange-peel-smellingand-appreciation-society-of-america awoke til sunrise we listened to cohen's Suzanne anyway drunk on tequila the deliciousness of waking that saturday morning sunshine made the sheets a tent of orange orgasims you slept til 3 p.m. and i read miller's Big Sur we had orange marmalade and whipped cream on pancakes for ,reakfast that summer canoeing you were the only lady skidder-operator that i have ever known to wear an orange string bikini you dazzled the lake with the flash of your vemeer earring years later we danced on the tangerine carpet that you had bought for the living room with your first pay as switchwoman with the c.p.r. you were transferring out west and when i visited you in calgary five years you drew that harvest moon up out of the prairie horizon like a chariot travelling across the rosebud badlands ago it was then that i named you bella clara today the postal stamp read Prince Rupert your latest lover is taking you salmon fishing down the rivers of the ocean in a tugboat your letter_ says i would love the view from your harbour yes i am still here a mandarin in the heart of urban canada friends still insisting I'm a phobic voyeur not yet understanding my obsession with the ink nude you drew of me when we were seventeen p.s. won't you send me a picture postcard when you get to bella coola by Jan McMillin Toronto my times and memories dwelt so °Sten on the past i Lost sight oi my present, Stay wLth me. SLeep with me. I want .to Live with you. Do you know how to tack to God? Open the Locket. Need some help? That's the Lord's Ptayen inside. Like a pitchet oi milk teit to curdle and sour remembering too Late to return it to the ice box. Read it again, Mommy. Viola NikkiLa Susan Collins Hawkins Northern Woman pane 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �,5k,/e tJ4 O7 MIRROR MIRROR ON THE. CERVI X 2.J4E L'E_R<VilD( by Donna Phoenix At the Duluth Community Health Centre I was expertly fitted with my own cervical cap by Jan, a nurse practitioner. During the two hour fitting we discussed my reasons for wanting the cap -- mainly to avoid the before my fitting. As yet there are no government restrictions on cap use in Canada. As we proceeded, I placed a plastic speculum in my vagina and with a mirror positioned between my legs I could watch as the nurse did a routine pap smear and pelvic examination, (as reguired by the FDA.) extensive (also expensive) use of spermacides when using my diaphragm. The American Food & Drug Administration (F.D.A.) recommends one drop of The pap results are sent to your Non Oxynol 9 spermacide in the cap family doctor or you may contact and to leave the cap on the cervix the clinic, whichever you chooSe. effective for three days as it is for that peroid of time. In the US, To see my cervix clearly I shone since July 19, 1981 cervical caps the flashlight onto the mirror. may be dispensed only by those proThe nurse deliberately chose a cap viders who have obtained an Investone size smaller than expected to igational Device Exemption number and fit and placed it on my cervix. are conducting an FDA approved study. Feeling my cervix with my fingers, So to comply with the FDA regI could tell that the cap did not ulations I had to sign a consent form completely surround my cervix. I removed it easily by placing my finger inside the rim of the cap and pulled it out. Next I placed the size larger cap on my cervix. When the cap is on properly the suction causes the dome to collapse as it fits snugly over the cervix. To insure proper insertion there was a practice session. The cost breakdown is as follows: $ 20. R.N., $5. pap test, $4. VD culture, $3. plastic speculum, $8. cervical cap. Total cost $40.00. If you wish more information you can reach me through the Northern Woman Journal or phone or write the Duluth Community Health Centre, 2 East 5th Street, Duluth, Minn. USA, 55805. For appointments with no waiting telephone 1-218-722-1497 WATCH OUT FOR THE. TOY SOLDIER THE THUNDER BAY WOMEN AND HEALTH COMMITTEE Summary of September 21st Meeting The committee would like to stress as much as possible, a positive approach to Womens' health issues. We would like to spend time initially establishing who we are as individuals and what our attitudes to Womens° health are. Self education is a high priority for the committee in order that we may operate effectively in this complex and technical field. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE 1) WOMENS' RELATION TO THE MEDICAL 2) ESTABLISHMENT AND VICE VERSA NUTRITION 3) BIRTHING 4) BREAST FEEDING 5) FITNESS 6) UNNECESSARY SURGERY 7) FERTITITY AWARENESS 8) 9) MENOPAUSE 10) ABORTION SOME GENERAL SOLUTIONS/APPROACHES - positive approach alternative health care prevention taking responsibility HERE ARE SOME POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES OF THE WOMEN AND HEALTH COMMITTEE IN THE FUTURE: - "operate as an intermediary between women and their doctors - prepare a medical directory to be placed at Womeft's Centre - create issue oriented workshops - conduct workshop for medical personnel -prepare speakers' list/resource list HEALTH WANTED If you are interested in becoming in volved with the Women and Health committee contact Maryot Morgan 3448144 or leave a message at Warren's Centre - 345-7802. An advertising campaign by the "Right to Life" scheduled to appear around the Christmas season, features a toy soldier with a tear in his eye. The copy reads: "Some toys will have less children and below to play with this year" the picture of the soldier, the words: "Some 65,000 aborted children This ad is scheduled to apless". pear on the subway cars in Toronto and probably in transportation systems in other communities across Canada. It will probably appear in magazines as well. Watch for it, and when you see it protest its appearance vigorously. The insensitivity of the ad is its most memorable feature. It is insensitive to women who have had abortions, or miscarriages, to families who may have lost a child. It callously ignores the thousands of children in this society who have no toys to play with because their parents cannot afford to buy them. The prime motivation of all antichoice advertising is to inspire guilt in women and to devalue them as persons by elevating the rights of the embryo above the rights of the unwillingly pregnant woman. C.A.R.A.L. Newsletter Fall /81 ("WANT TO LEARN To be a camerawoman? director? editor, switcher?. You can make videotapes about Women and Health Come to a meeting for Cable 7. Jan. 11, 1982 Women's Centre 7771 pm Northern Woman rage 8 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �by Sara Williamson DECADE MARV Thanks to the presence of women from district communities - Geraldton, Kenora and Atikokan, the September 19th meeting of Decade Council renewed feelings of challenge and purpose for the organization. Kenora Women's Place Marg Hulagrocki, Charollotte Holm, June Skeed and Fran Hall came in from Kenora. They reported on the defusing of the Kenora Women's Crisis Centre. It is now incorporated under the name "Kenora Women's Place". The present program carried on by volunteers emphasizes its role as resource and information centre. While doing this, the volunteers are building support and understanding among other long-established women's groups so that there will be more backing for the necessity and right of a battered woman to have shelter and assistance. While in Thunder Bay, the four Kenora women visited Women's Place, Community Residence and Beendigin. On their way home, they planned to meet with Fort Frances, Atikokan and Ignace battered women support groups at Atikokan Crisis House. Atikokan The Atikokan delegate, Ruby Chum way, brought Bernice Cottingham who had filled in for her at Decade's annual meeting in June. Ruby told the meeting that things are looking up for Atikokan Crisis House. It now has six active volunt.. - eers. One woman stays at the House as a live-in housekeeper. It operates out of a six bedroom facility provid= ed at reasonable rent by the township and enjoys. the support of the Catholic Women's League, Women Teacher's Association, the police, the,Lion's Club and the Ministerial Association. In Thunder Bay, in August, after the Crisis House meeting involving Ignace Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Frances, Toronto, London and Sarnia, a shower was held for Atikokan Crisis House to give them more bedding, dishes, toys, etcetera. Lise Provost is acting as contact person for families pushing to establish a daycare centre._, Kathy Brown is exploring the poslibility of developing a Women's men to control women. It can be obtained for $3.00 from Women's Research Centre 301-2515 Burrard St. Three other conferences areVancouver in the B.C. V6J 3J6 nothwesterly wind. The single mother's group is planning a conference in Women and Economic Development Thunder Bay this spring. Thunder Bay This Decade sub-committee went District Mental Health Association in to the Royal Commission on the Northco-ordination with Confederation Collern Environment (RCNE) and asked for ege is hoping to hold a conference on an explanation of how they are spendWomen and Mental Health east of ing the $1.6 million that the Ontario Thunder Bay. The Association is seekgovernment gave them to see how deing contacts on the north shore to velopment could take place north of assist with the planning. And there 50rally degrees without seriously harmis the "revival" conference to ing the present environment. More old and new feminists that Decade particularly, the Women and Econintends to hold in the spring of '82. omic Development sub-committee Margot Morgan raised the question wanted to know why agreements are of how we can build continuity and being signed without public input co-ordination between conferences. from women and others. Except for Of course, the first step is to share the fact that they had done a techdesires and plans for conferences. nical study on mining and forestry, After that, we still need to consciosRCNE had little to say. Everything ly try to tie in the threads that is under review and so we must wait women are pursuing from previous for answers. local conferences. And we need to cover the geographic areas and subject areas that sister conferences are unable to touch. In a similar vein, concern was expressed by Decade executive that Personal and Political All the members of Decade exthere be co-ordination among the educ cational institutions that havepressed made a need for meatier gatherings. Some suggested skill developit their mandate to meet morthwestern ment workshops, some suggested Ontario women's educational needs. sharing ideas and experiences in At present, Confederation College, involving women in feminist groups Lakehead University, Frontier College some suggested giving more and perhaps Manitoba Universityand have hands or fingers in the pie. thought to what Northwestern Ontario women can do together (lobby etc.) Books On Battering to make progress on the status of Two large booklets on battered women. When several Decade members women and transition houses were return from the Toronto Conferences passed around by Leni Untinen. "The on women and power at the end of Feasability of Expanded Shelter and October, Support Services for Women in Niagara" they will hold a workshop is a survey of the whys and howsfor of the Decade members. setting up transition homes in OntThe women from Kenora, Atikokan ario. Buried in the words and statand several from Thunder Bay had a istics were some helpful points for chance at lunch to get to know each those in the throes of organizing. other better. It is always more fun The address for this book is: YWCA to work together when you know more of Niagara Falls, 6135 Culp St., of the personal feelings and expNiagara Falls, Ont. Many of this book's eriences of your sisters. hot tips came from John Fisher's $10.00 book "Money Isn't Everything" Joining Decade Work which is available from Management Anyone from the District who is Centre. and Fund Raising Centre, 287 Mac interested in getting involved in Hilda Holm reported that she has Pherson Ave., 3rd Floor, Toronto, Ont. Decade Council should contact the ' been trying to get a few members to M4V 1A4. secretary, Leni Untinen at R.R. #16, meet in Geraldton and come in to The other, more readable book, Thunder Bay. She can tell you who Thunder Bay to the Decade monthly "Batterd and Blamed" describes from the contact is in your community. If meetings. At present the Women her Teachown point of view, the personal you live in Thunder Bay and are iners Federation is the most active situation of battered women, their volved in a women's action group you issue-oriented women's organization efforts to change things and the may ask to send a representative. If in that community. role of transition homes. This book you want to find out more about the Conferendes on. the Drawing Board illustrates that, time after time women's groups who are members of Besides the mamoth task of develthe underlying cause of this type of Decade contact Leni at 683-5236. oping a women's centre, the Kenora abuse, is the unrelenting effort of women with Virginia Patch as contact are working with the co-ordinating committee for the spring Northwestern Ontario Women's Conference. The theme is Women and Stress. They wish to Term discuss stress from different angles Personal Deposits Loans - stress for single women, stress Available Available land aging, cabin fever, and stress in 4100 Minimum a single industry town. The women outside of Thunder Bay were very pleased by the announcement Serving the Women of Northwestern Ontario from the Decade executive that the Women and Addiction Kit funded by Suite 17 4 Court St. S. Health and Welfare will be presented Above Crooks Pharmacy. in the district communities this winter. Kenora Women's Place had already Open planned to respond to the need for Thant 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tues. and hi. 10 11.M. to 5p.m. such a workshop and welcomed the Closod for lunch 1-2 fresh resource material. Northern Women's Credit Union Ltd 345-3112 Northern Woman page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �MATERNITY MS AJNDER S TOOD QUESTIONS ON MATERNITY LEAVE For 42 days this summer, the Canada Union of Postal workers was on strike. One of their demands was paid maternity leave. There was so much misinformation in the media about paid maternity leave during the strike that a climate of confusion began to surround the issue. We hope the following interview will clarify many of our readers questions. At the time she has the baby, to Q. A. Q. Q A. A how many weeks leave is the woman employee entitled? In Ontario, a minimum of 17 weeks. How does she get paid during that time? .A. Q. A. Q. A. Her employer is NOT required to pay her unless special arrangeIf she ments have been made. is eligible she can collect unemployment insurance. At present it is more difficult to qualify for U.I.C. for maternity leave than when one is laid off. Isn't there usually a two week unpaid waiting period to collect U.I.C.? Yes and this applies to maternity leave as well. So if a woman takes 17 weeks off, she can collect 15 weeks U.I.C., if she is eligible. What percentage of total wages is paid by U.I.C.? 60% (Before the cut-backs it was 66%.) Q How do the benefits the Postal Workers get differ from this system? A. A. by Marion Bryden, MPP (Bead only been possible REPORT under governWoodbine NDP) on Women's ConferencE 1978, so ment regulations snce at Queen's Park, November 6 and 7, postal they are a new thing. The 1981, workers are the first federal Theone. conference on women's issue: government union to get which I hosted at Queen's Park lase Didn't the federal translators weekend wasmatattended by over 100 with go on strike last year, women from all parts of the provinc ernity benefits an issue? conference passed an emerge: Yes, but they only gotThe a partial resolution condemning the relegatii payment during the two week waitof women's rights to the "notwithing period. standing" section of the charter of Who else is getting these SUBS? rights. The participants felt that The Quebec government is the the women's pioneer in maternity benefits. rights clause should b( amongQuebec the fully entrenched items. For the past two years The discussed many provincial employees have conference reother current issdes of concern to ceived 20 weeks paid leave at 93% women including the effects of the of wages. The provincial governmicro-electronic revolution. It al: ment supplements the 15 weeks explored ways of increasing the of U.I.C. and pays for the two week waiting periodparticipation plus three of women in public life and political parties. extra weeks. A proposal for a strong affirmWhat about non-union women? ative program in the New Because of the stringincyaction of Democratic Party was adopted. The U.I.C. rules, a lot of non-union policy aims at parity for women on women do not qualify and end up all governing bodies of the NDP at without any benefits. However the federal, provincial and riding this policy is under review and levels. Women candidates are to be there is a lot of pressure on the sought out in all strong ridings. government to make eligibility reToo often in the past women have be quirements uniform. sought as sacrificial candidates. Many women don't qualify for Elections for the Ontario New U.I.C. because they are classified Democratic Party Women's Committee as part time workers. As well, if were held 60% in conjunction with the a woman is on minimum wage, conference. Elected as President of of that isn't very much. One also the Women's Committee was Toronto has to consider there is a two sociologist Lynn McDonald. Ms. week unpaid waiting period , McDonald was the NDP candidate in the 1981 provincial election in by JOAN BARIL Toronto-Oriole and is a past-president of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. A Postal Worker will still apply for U.I.C. Her employer will pay --------a supplement to her U.I.C. pay-------:,..\ ACTION ON NORTHEASTERN ONTARIO ment to increase the amount to t Mother 2,:iGuruZicdiewe, Women's Conference of 93% of her regular wages. This .1 have been crippled. We Women for Women and the Sudbury supplement is called a SUB or have never learned how women staged the 1981 Northwestern to feel; we don't know supplementary unemployment bento cry. Ontario Women's Conference on Oct. IF efit plan which in this case apAmy 16-18. Women for Women handled pubplies to maternity. licity arrangements and some fundDo postal workers also have a raising. Sudbury women organized tt two week waiting period? speakers, workshops and resource No. During the first two weeks, people. the employer, Canada Post, pays Speakers dealt with problems of 93% of the woman's wages and then ------------Oh my wise single industry towns: domination supplements U.I.C. for 15 weeks Sure no Guru, can you teach problem it. multi-national companies, consumer me to crP making a total of 17 weeks paid tomorrow choice and health care. "Fight Bac' start leave. you at a /Di workshops chose a problem from the Can a postal worker get MORE than dead-end ___ theme and developed strategies to Ob.. Irx 17 weeks paid leave? block a move by a mult-national ant No, but she may take up to 37 to increase public awareness on the weeks unpaid as a leave of ab- (----- wg . Q. A. (----- \ ril Q. A. sence. Q A. r How does a postal worker qualify? She must have worked for the post office for 26 continuous weeks before going on leave. Also she must work six months when she returns. It - ---i-- ... issue. i Pay YOU "men's . ages and then I'll throw in sole eurPort or a bre-school chirp, Q Do male postal workers get any- A. In the past, a man got one day off for the birth of the baby. In this year's contract, a worker Actually Guru, I saw either male or female, is en- .?myself starting out slowly, watching old titled to one day off on the day Shirley Temple flicks, maybe a few scenes s/he adopts a child. from Bomb . .. Why does a woman get 93% and not - ' ,ry thing? (----- Q. -LES FRANCO -FEMMES Hearst, Ont. hosted a conference of 350 francophone women from Northern Ontario in early October. Five wome: attended from Thunder Bay and Atikokan. Keynote speaker was Lise Payel Workshops dealt with politics, law, health, single mothers and more. As one participant said "None of us went home quite the same." We hope have a full report in our next issue I 11/* 100%. ? A. Q A. The remaining percent pays for pension and U.I.C. contributions. by Nicole Hollander Do other employers in Canada have SUBS for maternity? There are 1,220 SUBS registered. SUBS for maternity alone have PUBLICATION AVAILABLE A Selected Bibliographon on Job Sharing and Permanent Part-Time Employment lists some 170 publicatior on the subject. 14 pp. From New Wa) to Work Publications, 149 Ninth St. San Francisco CA 94103. $1.75 plus. 75 cents postage. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �SOME HERSTORY and a GOOD BYE by JOAN BARIL The feminist movement has had two stages. It started in the 1820's in the U.S. as an offshoot of the Abolitionist Movement and moved into Canada about 1880. The early Canadian women's rights advocates fought successfully for legal and educational reforms culminating in the winning of the suffrage in the 1920's. But by the 1930's the impetus was dying away for many different reasons including the hardships of the depression and the power of the organized opposition to spread the Feminine Mystique. A lot of the energy moved into "women's auxilliary organizations' and to the home effort during the Second World War. A few women moved into mainstream political or union organizing. The cold war paranoia of the fifties made any new idea which questioned the status quo seem like a threat to the social order. By 1955 the first feminist movement was a corpse dead and buried and forgotten as well. But again, it was the problems experienced by Blacks in the southern United States which errupted into the civil rights movement of the early sixties that produced the contradictions which started the second feminist movement. It started slowly, at first just a murmur of Protest from both black and white civil rights women workers over the unequal treatment they were receiving both within the movement and without. In Canada we heard no word of this internal struggle which began to spread into student organizations. The first feminist movement arrived in Thunder Bay in 1969 in the form of a few position papers prepared on the status of women by the Canadian Union of Students. They were seen by a few women at Lakehead University and one of these students, Laurie Atkinson, along with some friends, put notices on the university bulletin boards inviting women to a "Women's Liberation Meet&ng". The fifteen or so women who showed up knew they understood very little about women's place in society but they learned very quickly -- by sharing their own experiences. The history of that group, which was called "Thunder Bay Women's Liberation" resides in the memory of its members. It was a mixed group from the start. There were middle class, working class and welfare women, old and young, hippie and straight, political and non political, some university students and some not. We did not realize at the time how unique this diversity was until we learned later that most of the early feminist groups were made up of university students. It is now a decade later. We have a toe hold on the mountain of the patriarchy and we're here to stay. We didn't know that back then. We see our ideas accepted -- at least partially. We are no longer called partially. need a good lunatic man to keep us satisfied -- at least publically. The opposition is more organized and subtle now; but the movement has more theoretical depth and more practical power. Many of the "originals of 1969" have moved away from Thunder Bay and last month Laurie Atkinson too left with her family for Saskatoon. Laurie, like most of the early members, has been continually involved in women's issues since the beginning in Thunder Bay, then in Kaministiquia and as a teacher at the College. Good-by Laurie. Thank you. e- sign EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT Wymmyn's Social - Nov. 14th, 1981. for Sisterhood Those who neglected to attend the Wymmyn's Social at the Ukrainian Labour Temple, missed participating The in a local, herstorical event. first wymmyn's social of Thunder Bay featured live entertainment provided by "A" Syndrome, an all wymmyn's band, that donated their fine talents and energy making the musical end of the social a rocking and rolling success. Special thanks are extended to the band members: Nancy St. Jarre, Mary St. Jarre, Bonnie Stewart, Sheila Caputo, Anne Gauthier and Debbie Svenson, for raising "a little hell"! Prizes were also raffled during the evening. Winners included: i) Eleanor Ward; dinner for 2. at Alfies .ii) Donna Phoenix; dinner for 2 at Airlane iii) Michelle Williams; $10 gift certificate from the Co-op Book Store iv) Diane Roberts; gift certificate for the Dolores Niskanen's School of Dance v)Lorraine Charry a water colour donated by Donna Phoenix Our thanks are extended to those who donated the prizes; to the volunteers-who showed their support by working at the door, the bar, and by selling tickets. Special thanks are offered to those who came out and shared the good times. The new year may find itself a witness to the second Wymmyn's Social of Thunder Bay. Raffles The Education Committee is presently selling raffle tickets for 3 different raffles, all to be drawn on Dec. 18th, 1981. The items being raffled are: 1) a grow lamp in hand crafted tin; 2) a ceramic Christmas tree with glazed, tiny lights; FEMINIST PARTY OF CANADA MOVES The Feminist Party of Canada has now moved into an office, The Feminist Party Centre, at 175 Carlton St. Toronto M5A 2R3. Membership is $5.00 (students, single parents and disabled $1.00) and memberships should be renewed by October 1. The FPC is now offering short courses such as "Feminism and Mental Health", Women and the Media, etc. which begin the week of Sept. 21. Contact them for more information. 3) a pen and ink sketch of a womin, donated by Maureen Michel. Prizes are on display in the Tickets are availWomen's Centre. able from Committee members or from the Women's Centre. Each of these items would make beautiful Christmas gifts. Remember, all funds are raised for the purpose of establishing a scholarship for a womin in financial need returning to school. Northern Woman page 11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Women Resist Join the Fight WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN by Joan Williams "Take Back The Night is a protest against the victimization of women. The fear of being alone on the street in the darkness that has been engrained in us since we were small children is a constant debilitating aspect of our lives. It is a necessary response to the omnipresent violence against women which pervades our society. Women are vulnerable everywhere- in public and in private, in our homes and at our jobs. We must fear for ourselves, our mothers, our grandmothers, our babies. We fear in our dreams. On this night we take back the right to be safe. We who have survived, march in the memory of those who have not and for the thousands of women each year who are raped, mutilited, assaulted and battered. We march for criminal justice reform which will protect women from the convicted rapists who walk the streets. We strive to eliminate the causes of this hatred toward women. We fight for the right to live and grow in dignity and safety as strong, 1 healthy women without fear. WE WILL WIN!" The above was an introduction to the first annual 'Reclaim the Night' march on October 2nd, 1981. Thunder Bay women came out in numbers which nearly 100 women surprised us all: united to shout their anger and celebrate their power in unity. A power which was no doubt felt by more than one sneering passerby who squealed his tires or muttered insults before retreating to the more familiar stale airs of local taverns. The attitude of most men was sunned up rather succinctly by Dan Pilton of the Times News who asked at the onset of the march for a "pose of the 'girls' before the race begins". Of course Mr. Pilton's perspective did seem somewhat limited when he could only count 19 of us for his report in Saturday's paper. Perceptual handicap perhaps. Our uprsing was long overdue. Rapes and assualts against women are on a steady incline in Canada and Thunder Bay was no exception this summer. Our march was meant to bring this grievous violation of human rights to those who have accepted this victimization of women as something beyond their control. It was evident by the resonating echo in Thunder Bay's streets that Friday, that we did have control. On a personal level, the expression was exhilarating; a reaffirmation that we have a strong, active base of sisterhood on which to build. I Unite WOMEN'S LIBERATION ZAP ACTION BRIGADE Washington, D.C. (September 29) -The six members of the Women's Liberation Zap Action Brigade were convicted today and each fined $100 for "disruption of Congress" during Senator John East's hearings in April on on a bill that would make abortion murder. The maximum sentence is six months in jail and/or a $500 fine. During the April hearings, the women held signs and shouted slogans saying "What about the lives of women," "A woman's life is a human life," and "This bill would put 1.5 million in jails, in hospitals, in fear." The bill, S. 158 or the "Human Life Statute" would -put into law for the first time that human life begins at fertilization, permitting states to pass laws making abortion, IUDs, some pills and anmiocentesis crimes of murder. Nationwide reports of the Women's Liberation Zap Action Brigade's action played a role in arousing massive opposition to the bill, leading to its being temporarily shelved after passage by East's Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Separation of Powers in early July. The hearing process itself became controversial because Senator East refused to allow prochoice or pro-abortion groups such as the National Abortion Rights Action League, Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union, Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights, and Reproductive Rights National Network to testify, insisting that his hearings were only on the question of "when does life begin?" and that abortion could not be mentioned. After the six women learned that the:. were the only ones ever prosecuted for similar action in a Congressiona hearing (imagine if the women had been anti-abortion), they argued in pre-trial motions in early July that they were being selectively prosecute and that Senator East might have had a role in their arrest. During the September trial, the defense did not contest the facts but focused on the governments overreact in arresting the women, on East's undemocratic witness process and on a woman's right to control her body and speak out when that control is being threatened. However, the jury did not see it that way. As one juro said after the trial, "a crime had been committed," to which one Zap member responded that it is never a crime to say that a woman's life is a human life. The conviction is being appealed on the grounds of selective prosecution and legal technicalities. Five members of the Women's Liberati, Zap Action Brigade belong to CARASA (The Committee for Abortion Rights and Against Sterilization Abuse) and one member to off our backs, a national feminist newspaper. HELP PREVENT RAPE SISTERS GIVE RIDES TO SISTERS: Northern Woman page 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �1* Cowl" vamoont., Bulk IWO t. YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS DUE dens 2 RETURN THE NORAERN WOMAN 316 BAY ST., THUNDER B The NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL is published six times a year ONT. Return Postage Guaranteed D COLL s IN I MEMBERS THIS ISSUE Wendy MacMillian Willow Place IGNACE Ontario POT Lynn Beak, Anna McColl, Teresa Legowski, Noreen Lavoie, Danalyn MacKinnon, Rosalyn' Taylor Perrett, Donna Phoenix, Sara Williamson, Viola Nikkila 345-7802 HAVE YOU MOVED??? PLEASE LET US KNOW BY CALLING (807) We mast pay return postage'to keen up our mailing list. Subscribe: 4NDAkki.1, PLEASE SUB 'BE limaiarbc raiers irsL Afg42.645: PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 7 No 1 Description An account of the resource Vol. 7, No. 1 (1981) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Short Stories Canadian Abortion Rights Action League Abortion Access Affirmative Action Renaissance International Receives Tax-Exemption as Religious Charity Rainy River Crisis Housing Recommended Reading Poetry Cervical Caps Thunder Bay Women and Health Committee Pro-Life Advertising Women’s Decade Council Kenora Women’s Crisis Centre Northern Women Solidarity Maternity Leave Q & A Comics Feminist Activism Herstory Education Committee Report Feminist Party of Canada Rape Crisis Centre Thunder Bay Women Against Violence Against Women Women’s Liberation Brigade, Washington DC Authors/Contributors: Rosalyn Taylor Perritt Joan Baril Susan Collins Hawkins Marjorie Owan Viola Nikkila Karin Banerd Jan McMillin Donna Phoenix Sara Williamson Marion Bryden Lynn Beak Anna McColl Teresa Legowski Noreen Lavoie Danalyn MacKinnon Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1981 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2769/1982_Vol_7_No_2.pdf 5293274b6268cb665dd0c8757e5dfef6 PDF Text Text PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �your OICE Dear Ms.: Enclosed please find a check for $5.00 to cover the cost of The Northern Women Journal. I found a copy of your Journal in the Toronto Women's Bookstore, and liked it enough that I would like to become a subscriber. If you would by any chance have a list of available back issues, I would be interested in seeing it. Also if you have a list of other small magazines concerning women, I would be interested in that as well. Sincerely yours Brenda A. Ingratta Rodney, Ont. Dear Madam: Because almost every issue of the paper (local daily) has reports of assaults against the elderly and of sexual assaults, it behooves the would be victims to be able to protect themselves as effectively as possible. On the Donahue show of Sept. 10, 1981, a discussion took place in the studio on how to protect yourself against rape, chaired by an author from Los Angeles, the rape capital of the world. She offers this advice to all girls and women or any one attacked "Try to talk to the would be rapist, keeping him at arm's length if possible. And if he still persists in coming at you, give him a kick with all your might on his Kneecap." When his knee buckles backwards, he will not be thinking of his sex organs. Thus we might be able to spot these rapists with injured knees. And this might also prove to the judiciary that the woman was NOT WILLING to be raped. Let's broadcast this to all the girls and women in schools, offices and other working places, and broadcast often on T.V. I hope that this might help in protecting over half of the population against human vultures. )(outs truly Claire Cikalik, Thunder Bay Northern Woman: This article is addressed to all the women of Canada. I hope you will find some space in your newspaper to publish it. I'm working in a shelter for battered women. The love, courage, understanding and caring you feel between the staff members and the victims made me realize that if we could all work together we might solve the problem. I'm sending a copy of this article to Judy Erola, Women Status and to Susan Lee Painter, Family violence. Janine Darisse Nepean, Ont. This is a scream for help. A desperate way to try to open communication between the women of Canada. The time has come for us to unite. What's happening today is wrong when you feel the need to take a course in self defence to be,able to walk the streets without fear; when you have a waiting list at a shelter for battered women and when politicians are willing to bargain our rights in our constitution. I don't pretend to have a magic solution to solve the problems we've been carrying for centuries. The public's acknowledgement, however, that women have been and are still being abused and used mentally as well as physically, will be the first step towards a solution to our social problem. We are still being brainwashed into thinking we are a minority, a second class group. The feminist movement has been trying for years to change this myth. I think the time has come for every woman of Canada to get involved, to volunteer her time, her energy and understanding. We have to find a way to communicate. When a young girl is raped in Vancouver, all the women of this country should be bleeding with her. When a wife is battered in P.E.I. we should all scream and cry. We have to believe in ourselves enough to be ready to take drastic measures to stop this problem. If a rapist knew when violating a woman that he would not only have to deal with with our justice system but with the anger of all of us and an abusive husband or lover would realize that hitting his wife would be like punching every woman in Canada, would he think twice? Could a co-operation amongst women create sufficient fear to stop them? We have to find a system to open communication between all women's organizations. When one of us is in trouble she should know that all of us care and are ready to help her, perhaps a Dear Abby type column where we could share our troubles and happiness. Perhaps what I want to do is an impossible dream, perhaps I'm an idealist as someone already told me. We proved that we could work as a team and succeed when our basic constitutional rights were threatened. Why not continue this solidarity movement? The only way we're going to succeed is by keeping in touch. We have to believe that being a woman is beautiful. We should be proud to be a mother and or housewife and or a career woman. Perhaps it's time to go to extremes and decide that we are not going to take it anymore. Going as far as striking would show we really mean it. I can just imagine a strike involving every women of Canada for just one day. I really wonder what would be the consequences. This S.O.S. is addressed to all of you, even to the ones who don't believe in the feminist movement. I think we all have to keep in mind that the reason we have more women in politics and high places, is mainly due to a determined group of women, who a few years back were willing to get involved. I think the only way we can thank them is by working together so that we can continue what they started. Listen and answer my S.O.S. and together we can start creating reality with what were once impossible dreams. Thank you HELP PREVENT RAPE SISTERS GIVE RIDES TO SISTERS: WENDO Women's self defense taught by woven for women - - - March 20 - 21 st. 'Register Now call 344-4502 or 622-1416 Northern Woman page 2 144. ct:' GI s cJA 1"°"11 I -fro - cto-Y PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �liberate education ! "What goes tatgety unexamined.. often even unacknowtedged in our sociat otdet, iz the bitthtight pAiotity whereby mates tuft iemates. ...The fact that our society ins a pattiatchy Ls evident at once, i6 one tecattz that the mititaty, indurtty, technology, univetzcience, potiticat o64ice, inance,...and the potice wet entitety in mate hands." Kate Miftet These are the avenue's to power in our society. Education serves as a filter, grooming those people society deigns favourable for positions of power in these patriarchal structures and institutions. International Women' Year supposedly brought a sense of awareness to the powerful patriarchs of their political (and otherwise) exploitation of women. Yet the steps between awareness and action generally have been either non-existant, token, or inadequate. However, many women in the educational field were inspired to join ranks at this time, and began studying the means by which this prejudicial social order was being perpetuated in and by the schools. This article will broadly examine some of the studies conducted in education on sexual stereotyping and will assess the present situation of equal educational opportunities for women in Ontario schools, particulafily with the L akehead Board of Education. Historically, discrimination against women in education was much more blatant. During the 1850's, despite the fact that schools were open to both sexes, girls and boys followed different respective curriculum and were often segregated within the same school. Evidently, boys were readied for the working world, while girls were prepared for a life in a matromonial setting. Needless to say, this reflected the clearly defined roles that were expected of men and women, at that time. In Ontario, schools received subsidies from the provincial government according to the number of students in attendance, and young women in high schools counted as onehalf a student. The woman's contribution to society was socially viewed as minimal. Strangely enough, however, teaching was the only profession a woman was allowed to enroll in after high school graduation. In 1854, the TOr- onto Normal School was the sole institution that granted women their professional teaching certificate. By 1905, women teachers organized into a social group. Most of the female teachers were working at an elementary school level in isolated communities across Ontario, and the need for companionship resulted in the formation of a loosely knit organization. This organization gained professional status in 1918 and named itself the Federation of Women Teachers Association of Ontario, becoming the first professionally organized group of educators in the province. Another type of school open strictly to women was sponsored by the upper classes of Ontario. At these post-secondary institutions, women were taught social graces in an air of delicacy and unquestionable virtue. Then, of course, those women of a Roman Catholic persuasion could choose to become nuns. Not until 1885, were women admitted to the University of Toronto. Thus, the essence of educational inequality for women has its roots in a historical patriarchy. The fact that most elementary teachers were women, testified that women themselves perpetuated the myth of sexual inequality at an early age. However the establishment of a women teacher's federation showed a level of political awareness, and would prove beneficial some sixty years later. The educational system in Ontario has changed since the 1850's. It has become more student oriented and decentralized, emphasizing a broader spectrum of study in a socity that is becoming increasingly occupationally specialized. Yet the male- female stratification remains largely unchanged. Boys are still primed for the working world, and girls are still expected to be wives and mothers. Teaching and nursing are the principal choices of college and university educated women. For women with an educational level of grade twelve or less, employment was found primarily in sales and service sectors, or as clerical and labour employees. Table 1 indicates that women entering traditional occupations found it difficult to secure employment. Men have a wide range of occupational choices, no matter what their educational level. Many men with relatively low levels of education find employment in jobs which require unskilled labour or training for lower management positions. Women with limited educational attainment do not enjoy this freedom of access to well paying or unionized low skill occupations. Furthermore they are not considered for management trainee positions. They must compete for clerical, sales, and service jobs, typically not unionized, low paying, limited in advancement and skill requirements. Many women simply cannot conceive themselves working in nontraditional realms, and thus, do not even attempt to accede to these positions. Women who have obtained their college diploma, or have some college or university education are still employed in the sales and service ,occupations, or as bookkeepers and clerks. Such a concentration shows underemployment: highly skilled women in low skill positions. Apparently, the educational system is not streaming women into specialized and skilled labour areas of the economy, a field that is experiencing an acute shortage. Why are Ontario schools not encouraging young women to enter non-traditional occupations? Why are Ontario schools refusing to face the realities that must be confronted by their female graduates? "Young women may be educated -n the same inztitutionz, accotding to simitat cutticutum as men, but theit Long -term azpitatiom ate inguenced by the under Lying expectation that ptecedance be given to the matetnat/ patetnat tote...Combining iamay Zik with paid employment cteatez a dik6icat situation Aot many women. Incteazingty, women ate holding down two jobs (homemaking and paid emptoyment) white man have only one place o6 wo'ik." Barb Mathews Young women in school do not realize they will probably be employed outside the home for the rest of their adult lives. Young women in school do not realize that in order to fulfill their own sense of personal accomplishment and independence, it is necessary to make their own occupational and vocational accomplishments possible. Although they receive encouragement to attend educational institutions, women transfer their ambitions to their husbands. Statistically, a positive relationship exists between educational level and work activity, yet women are limited in their occupational choices. In 1973, the Ontario Secretary for Social Development, Robert Welch, identified five areas in education where sexual stereotyping occurred. The document Equal Opportunities for Women in Ontario: A Plan for Action, was basically a response to the 1969 federal study of the status of women in Canada, and it recommended the following: Cont'd on page 15 No rthe rri -WartiCiti"p0eiO' 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �NIGHTMARE IN PROSE by Elaine Lynch thein"Sweet reveals that she has a lump her Canadians". He takes on a tour of the remnants of impE breast and a partial mastectomy is perBODILY HARM, by Margaret Atwood, Mcism-a fortress used by the peopl formed. Clelland and Stewart, Hardcover, combination Rennie's fragile world ais destroy- jail-pigstye, and r vacant $16.95. ed. Unable to function as ashe once lot did,accomodating hundrec hurricane she escapes to do a "travel piece" victims exposed to the Margaret Atwood has a fine talent about the Caribbean islandmid-day of Ste.sun. Ant-He explains that the for striking the sensitive nerve that "Sweet Canadians" sent aid to as Like so She is disappointed. oine. runs deep beneath contemporary issues. re-building of lost homes, many Canadians brought up in on the travel As an artist, she manages to jar them that it she was sent directly to the poster images of places foreign, out of their glib, journalistic conShe expects rupt political to regime in power. goes as a consumer. text and re-invest them with signifiplunder all its precious treasures, did not go the people, and no one cance. A coup in the Caribbean becomes and return home, refreshedhered by the to russee that it did. more than just a hot news item for telInstead she(Atwood naively, tic simplicity. obviously has inside it almost indifferently stumbles into evision's W-5. mation on the Canada's grossly mismar midst of a minature revolution. In her latest novel Bodily Harm she foreign aid programs. Our assistE has brilliantly layered. themes of deAtwood's very wry and detached to Haiti was recently curtailed I, cay and corruption: personal, the canstyle results in some of the most in in-the press discovered t someone As tense irony she has yet created. cerous cells of a human breast and we had squandered 21 million doll the title indicates, the book is about male-female relationships;'social, on fire hydrants where there is r trendy Toronto society and the "magaunkindness and violence--violence befire department or hoses, and goc zine media; political, the bully-boy tween the sexes, violence roads perpetrated where the only vehicles bel regime governing the islands of Ste. by one sex upon another, insidious vioto Canadian assistance workers. 1 Antoine and Ste. Agathe. lence wrought by dictatorships, of the and money touched the lives of Maintaining the characteristic violence of people who areofoppressed the people who truly needed it mood of alienation that surrounds her and powerless. Whether in Canadian or The candidate begs Rennie to 1, Island society, Atwood reveals the more most effective characters, Atwood has about the situation in his countt frightening sides of human nature. The created yet another product of the about the election they are havir status of victim is relative to the odd and repressed ethos of Anglo-Saxin an attempt to displace the pec social and economic mileau. Where ecoon Southern Ontario. Rennie, the in power. But she pleads incompE main character (for she can hardly be nomics are poor, the violence is more ence--it is not her "style" of jc called a heroine), starts out as a in overt. But one wonders whether nalism. When her friend actually sort of winner. She is the kind of either society, the acts of oppression does win the election, he is gunn journalist that would write for Chatare any less appalling. down from behind--by a fellow tra On Ste. Antoine) Rennie meets the elaine or Homemakers -- telling people ler--a sham, claiming to want jus candidate for the reformist party who about the latest trend toward gold for the people, but out for reven enigmatically refers to her as one of lame. A routine visit to the doctor and personal glory. There is a beautiful moment in book when the truth of it all com home to Rennie. In a moment of 1 ity she realizes why all the intr and violence is happening. It is game that the men are playing--be they love it, because they are ha fun amidst death and destruction. On the verge of a new consciou ness, Rennie is imprisoned in the jail she once viewed from the out as a tourist. The experience is nightmare in prose, not just beca of what happens to her, but becau one realizes that this process of dehumanizing and humiliating is o that political prisoners all over world are experiencing. But unli so many others, Rennie is rescued Her release is contingent upon ne revealing the nature of experienc anyone. The government official e plains--somewhat sheepishly--that The Noxthexn Woman Joulume ada DON'T USE THE SHORT FORM THATdoes IS not want to do anything 2. haA Attated a tegat in6ox, offend MAILED TO YOU if you want to claimthe government of Ste. Ant all of this she manages to mation cotumn and wetcome4 one of your children as theAfter equivalent nom out fuladem. quOtionA to married--because it's not on the Perhaps the most disturbing the We axe pxoviding genexat short form. Pick up the regular income about Bodily Harm is that the reap inioxmatZon onl y and i6 tax form at the post office. is seduced into identifying with women At4uixe iuxthex mote main character--her numbness, her Apeeigc inioxmaton they WOMEN EMPLOYED BY THEIR SPOUSES 3. effectiveness, her lack of convic may need to conAutt eithex can claim their income earned indep...which is fine in the context o a 4eti-coun6et book, a Legal endently of the spouse. So fill in work of fiction. But everything on ,a lawyer. your own income tax return and your Bodily Harm is so disturbingly "1 spouse can deduct this income from In real life, bewilderment and in his earnings. Note: Make sure you ference just will not do. do you know get the money from your spouse. cbout ] INCOME TAX SINGLE WOMEN WITH CHILDREN can claim one of these children as the equivalent to married exemption (schedule 6) and for that child you will then get $2,780 as a deduction rather than $590. Note: choose your youngest child, one with a birthdate in 1964 or sooner to get the biggest increase. 1. COMMON LAW SPOUSES are not spouses for income tax purposes so if you are living in a common law relationship, you cannot be claimed by (or claim) your spouse. However, either of you may claim the children as dependants. 4. CHILD'S TAX CREDIT can only be claimed by a woman unless a man is raising children alone. Don't forget to claim this credit because it's now $261 per child. 5. Northern Woman. pageoptimization .4 PDF compression, OCR, web using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �WHO AM I by Rebecca Renfrew I AM A PERSON! I am me; a product of my environment and the society in which I live. A person who, for a long time, did not even feel like a person; who was dutybound and convention-restricted to the point of denying all her rights, liberties and freedoms. A person who, through childhood influence and societal pressures, stayed in a marriage which should have been dissolved years ago. A person who has finally broken through the restrictive bonds, self-imposed and otherwise, of male dominance and has finally begun to 'live' life; to be! A person! instead of a non-person! The main thread running through my entire life has been an overwhelming desire to be the 'same' as everybody else. I have valued conformity, almost to the point of.ohgession.How, I said, could people like me, or want me for a friend, if I was different'? This obsession started in childhood, when I began to display an intelligence far superior to that of my peers. It took me only a short while to realize that being 'smart' was not the best way of either conforming or of winning friends. Suppression of any unusual displays of intelligence became the order of the day. I was not happy but did not understand why. I attributed much of my unhappiness to the fact that my parents chose, at that time, to engage in divorce proceedings. I was devasted, not for the breakdown of the family unit, but mainly for the non-conformity of my parents - at that time few people were divorced. This, together with the fact that I lived with my mother in very poor conditions, made me more 'different' than ever. As a direct result of these circumstances, I formed many beliefs and values that were to strongly influence me for years to come. I firmly believed that the stability of the family unit was the main factor contributing to the well-being and happiness of all children. I valued the sanctity of 'marriage until death' and was determined, should I ever get married and have children, that I would never, ever have a divorce. The onus for the happiness of my children would rest directly on my ability to 'get along' with my husband. Getting married was a mistake. I knew that right from the beginning, but was trapped by my antiquated, but all-powerful beliefs. My husband and I had little in common. He believed a woman's righful place was in the home, doing the housework and caring for the children. I did not share his belief entirely, but in order to 'keep the peace', I further denied my rights to have my own values and opinions. After all, hadn't he told me over and over again that it was my 'duty' to stay at home, and wasn't he right, just by virtue of being my husband? I submitted, resulting in a further negation of self. 1 They hay maitAiage -(16 lt0h-e6, a bed o but watch out 6m. the pAick. Credit OFF OUR BACKS Because I did not have an abundance of childhood friends and because I alone, of my family, lived with my mother, I believed loneliness and only-children were synonymous. Thus I arrived at my decision to have more than one child. I knew that with each successive child I was bound more securely to an undesirable situation, but justified it through my belief systems - it did not matter about me, long as my children were happy. as epted the premise that it isn't necessary to have an abundance of friends sometimes two or three close friends can prove to be richer and more satisfying in the closeness of the reh ationship. I began to accept my gift of intelligence and not be ashamed of it and to consider how I might best use it. I firmly believed I should continue my interrupted formal education so that I might somehow use this precious gift. Armed with the strength of these new-found beliefs, I began the dissolution of my marriage. No easy task, this one. Everywhere I turned I encountered opposition - from the community, from my friends, from my employer, friends and family valued the appearance of a marriage and believed I should stay. My children and husband valued the security and services I gave them and they believed I should stay; but only on their terms. I believed I should go. To stay would have meant suicide of my, new-born self, for they could not accept the 'new' me. To stay would have been a defeat and total destruction of myself as a person, for my husband and children did not see a need to reassess and alter their existing beliefs. After all, they had been relatively happy when I was acting the 'old' way, so why should they change? They denied my right to be, even after I left. Am I a victor? I think not, for in war there is never a victor, only opposing sides. But war is not without benefit, for destruction results_in change and out of this change comes new growth. I have arisen from the ashes of self-defeat into a new awareness of myself. I have examined and reshaped my beliefs and values into tools which will contribute to my happiness and the happiness of others. Through pain and suffering I have become sensitive to pain and suffering in others. I have begun to take pride in my intelligence and to make plans for its full development and utilisation. I have, at long last, begun to Submission does not necessarily mean acceptance and slowly but surely, 'I began to question my values and beliefs. Certainly my children were happy and certainly my husband was happy - how could he be otherwise, when he had his own way almost all of the time - but what about me? Was I 'be'. happy? No, I wasn't! It took me a Who am I? I am me! A person! I long time to realize that I had been hold my head up and say that with almost totally denying myself as a pride and conviction and certainty! person. When the awareness finally I have taken the most difficult step came, it turned my world upside down. of all - the first one - on the road All of a sudden, I realized that I to self-fulfillment. I know the was a person; that I had rights, journey will not always be smooth or wants, and needs and every reason to easy, but nevertheless I am happy to, expect them to be met and fulfilled. at long last, have begun! I re-examined my beliefs and values and was surprised at what I found. Who was this submissive, coddling creature I encountered? I took a good look at her and banished her To the Native Women of Manitoulin Island forever. I altered and changed my and the North Shore (of Lake Huron) for values and beliefs and came up with raising awareness and support on the antia new set that was infinitely more nuclear issue. suitable to the achievement of 'my' happiness. I no longer believed it was necessary for me to stay in an unhappy marriage - my children would adapt to life without me and would be far better off in the tension-free atmosphere engendered by my leaving. I realized that excessive conformity is only a denial of self and certainly doesn't win any true friends - a true To Toronto alderman Joe Piccininni for friend is one who is still your friend his comment that women were "too lazy" when all the masks and layers of conto "get out of bed" and apply for jobs formity have been abandoned. I accat city hall. THUNDER CLAP THUNDER BOLT. Northern PDFCompressor Woman page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION �not an or by JOAN BARIL In Winnepeg recently, I decided to go to a movie and that was how I saw, in the Winnepeg Free Press, on the movie advertisement page the ad for "Not a Love Story." "Not a Love Story" is the documentary produced by Dorothy Henaut and directed by Bonnie Klein from Studio D, the women's unit of the National Film Board. It's a movie that takes an in-depth look at the five billion a year porno business, the de-humanization of everybody connected with the marketing of flesh and ultimately the de-humanization of us all. "Not a Love Story" is also the first N.F.B. movie ever to be banned by the Ontario Board of Censors-banned it should be noted, not because of the scenes of women hung up on meat hooks or female breasts bound in barbed wire but because of the one scene of genital penetration. It is not banned in Manitoba. There it is just an ordinary movie. The ad in the Winnipeg Free Press was rectanglar, about 3x5 inches in size. Most of the space was taken up with a shot of Linda Lee Tracy, in a scanty Penthouse type constume. Beside the picture, in big letters, the words "Held Over 5th Big Week': Under the photo is written "A Film about PORNOGRAPHY" and in much smaller letters "This is a frank documentary on the subject. Why does pornography exist? What is the extent of its influence?" To the casual reader in Winnipeg, it's just another ad for a dirty movie. As interesting as the movie itself, has been its fate on distribution. 13anned-in Ontario, it has attracted full-houses to "private" N.F.B. screenings across the province. It has received harsh and strangly irrelevant reviews from some critics (mostly male) and thoughtful sympathetic reviews from others (mosty female). The word which above all characterizes the film is "thoughtful". The movie raises issues and asks questions. It is not about nor does it advocate censorship. Klein said, in a Globe and Mail interview, "We're not crazy about the freedom of pornographers to do what they're doing to women. But our basic position is that there is liberation in knowing what's going on. Ideally, we'd like to see pornography die from lack of interest". Nevertheless most male reviewers assumed the movie was a treatise for censorship and only considered that point. There were other curious instances of mirror thinking from the male critics. (Mirror thinking is when someone tries to figure out someone else's beliefs but can't get past his/her fears). A good example was the review by Alan Stewart in the Globe and Mail. He describes a scene in the movie showing a woman working as a peep show performer attempting to.arouse the male viewer so that he will continue to feed coins into the machine. Then Stewart says, "I think I see it exactly as the filmmakers do ...to them...the woman is for sure the prisoner. To them she is...being coerced, blatantly or otherwise, into participating." inary movie This is exactly what the movie did do. It compression, did not say that OCR, all women, PDF web ticipants were coerced into the One of the most powerful scenes shows Robin Morgan, with tears rolling down her face, describing her optimization using watermarked feeling of rage. Manya women found thi scene moving; the Globe and Mail movi evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �UPDATE BY .JOAN BARIL People are talking about Thunder Bay resident Gert Beadle's short story titled "The Survivors" which was recently published in Issue 9 of the feminist literary magazine "Fireweed". The story is about a farm woman, Frances Ryan, who, after the death of her husband of fifty years, reflects on his character, its effects on her children and her long-ago decision to commit herself to an imperfect marriage--"to bail rather than leave a leaky boat." a 0 o Issue 10 of "Fireweed" contains a remarkable futuristic story called "Simmering" by Margaret Atwood o co o o noteworthy are the remarks by M. P. Margaret Mitchell (Vancouver East) crediting the work of the ad hoc committee sprang into existenaL3 in January 1981 when Canadian women learned that L.Axworthy had cancelled the promised conference on the constitution. On short notice and a shoe string budget their own conference was held on February 14 and the Both Mitchell lobbying began) ow and Pauline Jewitt cautioned women that the implementation (or lack of it) and the interpretation by the ... courts are what counts. After the meeting at which the Feds and Premiers kicked women out of the constitution, no one could remember how it happened or even if it happened. Asked in the house, the P.M. said he had "an impression that the clause could continue...There were some deletions, and aboriginal rights was one of them. Maybe the other clause (women)was another. I am not sure". The premiers were not even sure if Section 28 was discussed or not and officials later said the whole thing was a "drafting error". nice to hear the B.C. Indeed!. carpenters union at their provincial convention pledge continuing access to carpentry training for women and recommended steps to deal with sexual harassment both on the job and at trade schools coming up June 7 - 11, the Women's Inter-Church Council has called a national gathering at Lakehead University to "explore the concept of sisterhood", "to educate ourselves in women's experience generally--non-Canadian, immigrant Canadian, native Canadian and multi-generational Canadian. The event is open to all women." At the opening of the above conference there will be a premiere of an original choral work called "The Journey" by Nancy Telfer with mezzosoprano Catherine Robbin as guest soloist, conducted by Dwight Bennett and the Lakehead Symphony. Much of the text of the choral work comes from the poetic work of Thunder Bay's Gert Beadle from Kenora comes a brash and lively magazine called "Voices". Billed as "a survival manual for wimmin". Voices is produced by lesbian women. Emphasis is on women's spirituality, alternatives to established medicine, group networking. Depression is the disease of women. Everyone blames it on hormones, the "dreaded" menopause. Not so. The age group most affected was the under 25s. A full 45% of these young women suffered depression in the past year in a survey of 400 Calgary women and 34% of the group between 26 and 35 years experienced depression. Women become depressed, says University of Calgary researcher Charles Costello, "when they find their male companions (husband or boyfriend) not psychologically intimate with them. Women blame themselves over such situations" says Costello who then goes on to say that these women "depend so much on their male companions for a sense of self worth that it's a devestating blow to their self-esteem when husband or boyfriend is uncaring," a comment which in effect, blames the victim for being weak of character. Most women know how to be caring and emotionally supportive to those they love (friends, children, husbands) and place these human relationships at the centre of their lives (and rightly so). Thus it is a sad shock if a young woman realizes that her giving is neither seen, nor valued, nor returned. A further shock may come when she learns her lover considers her his inferior, her love offerings as his just due and her thought and inner life of no interest at all. have you no- ticed the hard sell ads by the manufacturers of sanitary napkins to convince women to wear the damn things every day, all year round? One ad reads, "Many women wear Carefree Panty Shields (sic) every day--for extra freshness. It's like having fresh panties all the time." The emphasis on "freshness--the wnrd was used seven times in one ad--carries the familiar "hate - your - body" message which sells billions of dollars of deodorants, douches and vag sprays to North Americans and, aimed at women, attempts to convince them their natural secretions are unclean. The ad says it all, "Carefree Panty Shields (sic) are for all those times when putting on fresh panties in the morning isn't enough to give you a fresh clean feeling all day, every day". Now doesn't that make you feel good about yourself? sick of sitting around watching stupid ads on T.V. (or seeing them in print). You can effect change. Write Mediawatch Box 46699, Station G., Vancouver, V6R 4K8 for their excellent complaint forms and a list of places to send Conferences and Workshops them. February is MATCH month. An info session on MATCH will be held at the College, Rm 213 (b), March 16, 7pm ItIR " * " 0,e4r A A Day for Us. A conference for Single Parents to meet and talk. Confederation College. May 14 and 15th Fighting Poverty at 65 Women and Pensions Conference at the Prince Arthur Hotel, Fri.,evening May 28, Sat., May 29, 510 including lunch and day care. Call or write Northern Women's Centre 316 Bay St. Key speaker is Canada's foremost pension expert Monica Townson. top of the read- ing list is Man Made Language by_Dale Spender. An exciting boOk which shows specifiCally how the silence of wom- en is created. More Than a Labour of Love: Three Generations.of Women's Work in the Home. In the best book of sociology of 1980, now in soft cover, Meg Luxton lets housewives define their own existance Womancare. A Gynecological Guide to Your Body by Linda Madaras and Dr. Jane Patterson. An up-to-date ref- erence work. In the U.S. the anti-choice abortion people have abandoned the human life amendment because it has lost credibility with the American public and switched support to the Hatch amendment, a provision, which, if passed, will make abortion extremely restrictive if not impossible to obtain. Named after Senator Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, a tireless anti-choicer, the new provision would allow the individual states to pass their own abortion laws, but (and this is the catch) these laws must be more restrictive than any passed by the Congress by a simple majority. The Hatch amendment has the support of the major anti-abortion groups, the Roman Catholic Church, and those who support states rights many anti-choice groups are divided about the switch to support the Hatch amendment. Some people preferred the "human life amendment" which would grant personhood at the moment of conception. If this had passed, abortion in the earliest stages even to save the mother's life would be illegal as well as certain common surgical procedures such as the D & C. However the switch to the Hatch amendment was made for strategic reasons because this amendment has a better chance of succeeding. opposing restrictive abortion legislation are the majority of the American populace who are, unfortunatley, not politically organized around this issue. The chief pro-choice organization is NARAL (The National Abortion Rights League), the equivalent to the Canadian CARAL. NARAL aims to go beyond its local core groups and build a mass grass roots organization. According to the NARAL analyses, this was not done until too late in the ERA campaign and accounts for the perilous position of the ERA proposal. NARAL intends to learn from ERA's experience. ihILIDT FETISH RETURNale# Turning to the commercial world, have you noticed that pointy-toed shoes seem to be sneaking back into fashion? The shape of the '82 evening shoes are reminiscent of the beginning of the needle-toed '50's a period which, throughout the long history of P.T.A. (pain, torture, and agony) fashion fads which women have endured, must rank as one of the most bizarre. In shape, the '50's shoe resembled a spear point. It certainly did not resemble a human foot. From the instep which was extremely narrow, the shoe shot to a point three or more inches beyond the toes. At the same time the four inch spike heel threw the weight of the body foreward on to the toes which compressed themselves in to a wedge. Usually the two smaller toes were forced under the others. Continued on next page Northern, ',Oman Page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �UPDATE continued It was the era of tortured tootsies and there was no escape. By the early '60's no other style was available in the stores and yes - even baby boots came in one shape. The fad died out after a run of several years and it is amusing to note that only the macho cowboy boot retained the deforming point. The fact that most of the shoes at that time were made of real leather probably saved many women from permanent deformities. If the same style pointies were to return today made of our contemporary inflexible "genuine artificial leather" (as one local store describes this plastic substance) the effects on health and posture would be more extreme. SURCHARGE ON MARRIAGE LICENSES? How's this for an idea? Add a surcharge to all Ontario marriage licenses and use the money to fund transition houses for victims of family violence. This is the gist of Bill 152, a private member's bill before the Ontario Legislature. The Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses were urged to endorse the proposal but they answered, in effect, "Interesting idea but no. This is not the way to do it." The amount of money each community house would receive under this funding arrangement would be very small, much smaller than expenses and, once the scheme was in operation, the province could claim it had completely discharged its duty to support crisis housing and could do no more: The crisis house organization prefers that the government first study the whole question of family violence. To this end, they recommend an inter-party committee of the Legislature to study family violence including wife abuse and the means of funding crisis homes. PORN LINKED WITH CALLOUSNESS Does sadistic pornography cause violence against women, or is it a harmless outlet for male repression and aggression? A series of experiments by psychologist Neil Malamuthl at the University of Manitoba add facts to the debate. According to a recent news story in "Images" a B.C. feminist newspaper, male student participants were shown the "art" film, Swept Away, a Lena Wertmuller sadistic special. The plot concerns a young couple marooned on an island. The man beats, humiliates and rapes the woman who, in movieland fashion, grows to love it and grovels at his feet. In general the male viewers were excited by the movie and incy.fferent, to the point of callousness, to the suffering of the female character. In another study in the series, researcher iMalamuth found that after reading one & M rienthouse story, more than half the young male subjects indicated they would commit rape if they were sure they wouldlnot be caught. In rating obscene material, normal young men Oreferred pain-female painwith their porn. The female students were also influenced. Although repelled at the thought of being raped themselves, many believed that there must be OTHER pomen who enjoyed it. f DON'T WORRY IT'S JUST YOUR NERVES When a woman tries to make sense of things, she hears those words, either with her inner or outer ear. Don't worry. It's just your nerves. We live in a society where many women feel that the only way they can carry on is through "mild" tranquillizers. Some women add alcohol to the mix- Part of the problem is that women's concerns are often trivialized, daily stresses go unnoted and alcohol and drug over-use is hidden in the family. The result is silence, a silence which is wrapped around a core of despair. In order to break the silence and get women concerned about minor tranquillizer and alcohol abuse, Health and Welfare has developed a presentation kit which will be delivered across Northwestern Ontario to local women in twelve communities and, in separate sessions, to health care workers, educators and employers. The workshops are being led by Cathy Davies and the project in this part of the north is sponsored by the Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council. Response has been very good. In Nipigon - Red Rock, Davies has been asked to do a workshop in the highschool - the place where young women should be getting the information and joining the discussion. She will also be present at the Single Parents' Conference in the Spring. BILL C-53, WHERE ARE YOU ? can be the result. The new bill would put sensible curbs on the admission of this type of material into the case. The issue of consent is the most crucial. Again recent court interpretations have been another step backward for Canadian women. In June 4, 1980 the Supreme Court ruled that the defendant can plead that he honestly believed the woman consented. Read carefully what Mr. Justice Dickson declared: "The facts of life not infrequently impede the drawing of a clear line between consentual and non-consentual intercourse.. it is easy for a man intent on his own desires to mistake the intentions of a woman or girl who may herself be in two minds about what to do." The presence or absence of consent is always clear in the mind of the rape victim. Surely the use of coercion or force must be the deciding factor; not an emphasis on how easy it is for a man to make a mistake when "he is intent upon his own desires." It is interesting to note how the supreme court decision reinforces a number of the sleazier myths current in certain sections of (male) society. There is the belief that women can't make up their minds. There is also the fact that a recent study shows a majority of men believe some measure of force is justifyable to get sex from their wives or girlfriends and a woman who submits to threats or force still consents. Finally there is the belief that the male, once his libido is aroused, once he becomes "intent upon his own desires" is like a raging elemental force which cannot easily stop itself to find out about such things as consent. The "raging beast" theory of male sexual arousal is nonsense of course, has always been useful to the rapist mentality. Under Bill C-53, the submission of a woman to threats or force would not amount to consent. There are problems with Bill C-53. The section concerning children needs tidying up. Not all women are happy with the idea of throwing the charge of rape out of the Criminal Code, but most women's organizations endorse it. On the other hand, certain Christian fundamentalist groups argue that to deny the right of a husband to rape his wife limits a husband's right of sexual access which is necessary for the survival of the family. Many M.Ps agree, it is believed, and it is this provision which may sink Bill The report on Sexual Assault in Canada produced by the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Woman is an excellent reference which meshes together all the latest findings on the topic and, among other things, it brings us up-to-date on Bill C - 53. Bill C - 53, of you recall, is the long over-due attempt by Parliament to reform our Victorian rape laws. It was introduced into parliament over a year ago, in January 1981. The question is, where is it now? The bill, which clears away a lot of the inequality of the present laws, would replace the crime of (rape with two new offenses; sexual !assault and aggravated sexual assault which would both carry more severe maximum sentences than regular C-53. crimes of assault. But where is Bill C-53 now? This means several things. First, Somewhere in Parliament-not sunk all sexual aggressive crimes, not but slowly sinking from neglect. If only vaginal penetration, would fall Bill C-53 disappears it will be a into these categories. Secondly, the long time before the legislators new provisions would apply to male take another shot at reform. Women's and female victims and thirdly the groups and individuals who want to new law would make the rape of a wife study the question further can by her husband illegal. Lastly, many check out the report at the Northern feminists hope the new laws will Women's Centre. Write your M.P. help increase the number of convictions of guilty persons. 4111.############################# Canadian women need all the help we can get to fight rape. Recent court interpretations of our already *ANNUAL MEETING* antiquated laws have made reform urgent. In 1980, Chief Justice Laskin The annual meeting of the has stated that questions can be Northern Ontario Women's Centre asked in court about a victim's past will be held Thursday, April 8, 1982 sexual history and witnesses can be at to thedisprove Women's the Centre, 316 Bay Street brought in claimant's at 7:00 p.m. credibility in this respect. This is a step backwards. It amounts to putWELCOME::: ing the victimEVERYONE on trial. If a victim admits to some form of sexual contact somewhere in her past, she can be painted as a person of bad moral character.########################### Very lenient sentences PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �WJay ('Marie Anne Auger) 1387-1982 i sawyou three days before you died glimpsed the glass-eyed terror nothing was said no comfort For the inevitable. ivory rosary entwined ancient fingers, bone-thin white captured held hostage a skeletal prison. AAJAAt the woman oA a woman teaving behind AinT women -6n youA stead, independent pAoud oA being the daughteA oA a daughtek oA Natww.16 copueation. DRYDEN ODYSSEY cJo Xe" teachings left matriarchal legacy -life, family e to self strength to survive the struggling. Tonight atom the train window there iz a 4-paAt woman of courage expeAience etching yowl, tik moon: day-gtow mange it zits tike a coin poi4ed in the Atot o4 a vending machine- No coot-white pet6ect Aoundnezz/ tonight, on the. heaAtis mind's clA those. whose. tiAe you gave and tho6e. whoe. you bAwshed against. it i.4 not viola m. n Diana'z icey tightneZz, not pone-intettectuat beauty, bwt an atcade moon... a btood-shot 4meat, a watery, buAning eye through zithouette tree topz that whip it JESSICA there iz not much that i wowed have you know when i am gone ass the train tottz AO that its edges become pained and indiztinct that dowo invite the white expanze o4 atithiz .6 raw Tonight the moon wounding me doe's not Aize,. bwt meths into the hoAizon/ zinkz into the open-iietd gAave oi autumn zeatching ion itz mizzing paAtz,, Song o4 a Growing Child nightz when ctoudz cute high in the btue behind the moon Not quite ofd enough today child Agtection4 4pinning hiding zebtaz that one tutees in wintet teatty wand4 by water az hen_ body gets otdeA not appaunt, bwt imptied. music that 4aiAie4 witt dance to on this Midge a4teA i am gone The moon iz iacetezz, wowed have you know only the teztimoniat c)otpAintz watking to cedat wind and woman won and weary/ ztationed tike zentinet outzide tAain and midnight beditoom window4, agete44... conztant... nevet tAiviat. Not tune what 44 he wantz she .says 'go' 'but pteaze ztay' come etas en but go away' the doot a open but Aeatty it'z ctozed 'don't hazzte me' but .she wants you to kJ/poi Jan mcmittin tmonto Not ass zticong toddy the zcaA won't heat and the open wound iz zoite abAazive i4 gala voice hauh you iz at all 'give me time' she azkz and you give.heA what you have waking /she'd change yet maybe 4tay the same. oft Elaine Lynch POET RY SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED Rosalyn Taytm Pekkett 41111111111 Northern copy Woman 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation of page CVISION PDFCompressor �CIRCLE OF LIFE A brief by the Native Women's Association of Canada distilled the thoughts, problems and hopes of native women's groups on the issue of economic development. It was presented at the Kanata Institute's Economic Development Conference in Winnipeg at the end of May, 1981, where an exchange occurred between Indian, Inuit, Metis, and the private and public economic sectors. To begin with, native women described the historical and philosophical background of their present situation and outlook, stressing the pressures of a European capitalist system with its wage economy, and its effect on the native communal life style based on bartering and self-sufficiency. Needless to say, these pressures have led to the disintegration of traditional native society, and have completly altered the roles of native women. The Native Women's Association emphasized that "in traditional Indian and Inuit societies the roles played by men and women in political, cultural, social and economic spheres were separate, but of equal worth and value." The combined efforts of women and men formed a holistic, self-sufficient community. Glenda Jones The brief continued with a strategy for improving the economic future of native women. On reading the report, members of the Northern Woman Journal collective found the authors had struck many common chords with non-native women, who have also begun to articulate what women want and do not want in economic development. Women are direct participants in the economy and not, as the popular patriarchal myth maintains, just a support system for male workers. Women want more positive effects from economic development in their communities, more than simply the establishment of profit making industries even if they pay high wages. What might be called the "woman's world" of family, community, health and social services Northern.:Wor1ati page 10 must be an integral part of all economic planning, "growth does not exist for growth's sake but rather to bring about a better quality of life", Women's life differs from men's in many ways. Women possess different skills, have greater daily responsibilities to family and have different demands for the quality of the work environment. So, women need different structures to enter the labour market. Much, much more must be done to bridge the gap between the present dictates of the patriarchal, capitalist system and the woman's situation. It is becoming clear that woman's long range goal is to remold the economic system. The Native Women's Association has a vision of a society in which everyone shares the wealth, and there is effective education, adequate health care and decent living conditions for all. These women see a society that can provide such things, while actively respecting the environment and their culture, traditions and spirituality. They say that change in social and economic structures must harmonize. In terms of daily realities for Native families, this vision means building roads and hospitals, and bringing water and sewage facilities to homes. It includes constructing houses that are designed to suit the life of the family. It means providing community controlled education system, childcare facilities and other community services. As a means to these ends, it also involves making provisions for easing women's daily tasks, so they have time to_develop the skills and political savvy to plan a safe future. In terms of working conditions it means being in a business that is community controlled--a co-operative or a home business. (This calls for new criteria for evaluation of applications for venture capital and credit by financial institutions.) It means doing work of equal status no matter what the job is; doing work that is supportive of the native culture- work that has meaning and challenge. Good wages, fringe benefits, time off to care for children, career mobility and affirmative-action hiring are all essential components of the work milieu. New designs by native peopl for the organization of the work would allow optional work patterns. Some of these options are flexible hours, weeks and months; a choice c working at home or at the employer' location; and work sharing. The path to these dreams is long for Native women. They have always made the daily care of their famili a first priority. Consequently, the have not developed many money-makin skills, and have become trapped in poverty. The first stepping stone is the formation of self-help groups to pr vide encouragement and emotional support in the fight for a change i circumstances. The promotion of non traditional work for women in the main-stream of society has been eff ective, and so similar promotion should be undertaken to establish Native women as full participants i the work force. This can lead direc into training programs. These train programs must be tailoured to the needs of Native women, who require, in addition to labour skills, manag erial, marketing and other industri and commercial skills. They want training for available jobs, as,wel as training that will enable them t replace each other on the job if re quired. To be truly accessible to Native women, training programs mus have limited course loads and flexi hours. They must be available on a part-time basis, and be held in the neighborhood. It is essential that students receive an ADEQUATE living allowance. Also, the family will nee support in adjusting to the reorganization of family care, family final and status within the family, so the the husband and children won't resent the wife-mother working for others. Like working women everywhere, Native women have joined in the cry for child-care facilities that have extended hours, that are I accessible locations, and that are controlled by the people themselves. Given adequate training, Native women can better plan the economic future for their rural and urban communities. The Native Women's Association can provide a voice at the local, provincial and national level As the report says, Native women mus be equal participants in economic development "so that the circle that our Creator gave us to guide our lives is complete and in harmony". (Full text available through the Ontario Native Women's Association: 278 Bay Street, Thunder Bay, Ont. P7B 1R8 or Kanata Institute, 801151 Sparks St., Ottawa. It is also available in the library at the Northern Women's Centre, 316 Bay St Thunder Bay.) graphics from Aknesasne Notes PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �THE LABOUR by Susan Hawkins He drove into the parking lot. The sky was just beginning to turn light. She wore her housecoat, a piece of her sewing, unfinished and unhemmed. He was driving. He parked and got out. His movements were quick. He closed the door quickly. He walked quickly. She leaned on her door before closing it. She pulled her housecoat tighter around herself. It was October. She was cold. She walked up the emergency ramp, pausing several times. Her husband ran ahead. He ran as if he were late for a movie. He yelled to her to hurry up. She had to ask him to hold the door. She opened the second door herself. It was thick glass and metal. She put one arm to the door. It did not open. She put both arms to the door. It did not move. She put her shoulder to the door. It opened. She fell into the hospital. There was a wheelchair near the door. She fell into the wheelchair. She was examined; they wanted her history. Each word was an effort. She vomited. Her stomach ached, hard and constant. Her mouth tasted acrid and ugly. She asked for water, to rinse her mouth, to ease the ache in her belly. She was denied water. She vomited. It was clear and yellow. It filled the silver bowls the nurses brought. It shone above the metal like liquid gold. The image was fitting and funny; this was her offering, her gift, this liquid go,ld. The nurses muttered about "toxemia" and "retaining fluids". (How could she be retaining fluids when she was vomiting, she wondered?) "No stretch marks," said a nurse. "They should all look like this. Do you exercise?" She vomited into the belly. The belt shifted when she moved and she could on her side as she wished. She slept poorly, but she slept, awaking at the start of each contraction. She watched the graph on the machine, the chart and the notation. She watched her blood pressure rising, numbers which meant little to a girl of seventeen. A nurse brought papers for her to sign. She could not read them. Her vision was blurred and she could not concentrate. It was 9:00 a.m. She had been in this hospital for 26 hours "A few more hours," said the nurse, attempting reassurance. "Hours," she thought. Hours! Dear God! She lay back on her bed and closed her eyes. The contractions seemed tertibly close now--there was barely time and she thought, I am in hell. She floated in blackness. Then she emerged, to a great white light; she floated in light. She was a boat in Open water; she floated, weightless, free. She was in Limbo, where souls go when their bodies die, waiting for new birth. She knew Oblivion. Her soul rejoiced at its freedom. She lay suspended in darkness somewhere beneath the delivery table. There was sensation but no pain, only the coldness and hardness of the forcepts, removing her child. "No...wait...please stop." She was being raped. There was red and orange and then her belly was flat. The plant was torn from the earth; the baby was gone. He had been born, without her. She became aware, slightly, of the bowl. The nurses left the room taking the bowl. She vomited into her hand. She was cold. She lay curled in a ball, curled like the fetus inside her, warming herself with herself. The nurses brought heated blankets and she slept the minutes until they cooled. Then new blankets were brought. She was given drugs. She warmed: she became hungry, and thirsty. She was wheeled to another' room where she slept for hours with no pillow and no company, still curled in a ball. She awoke to a half-light and the sound of her own moaning. It was 2:00 a.m. The contractions were definite now; not the terrible hurt that she had known at first, not the milder, steady ache that had come with the drugs. There was a regular tightening which she would not have described as a pain; but it took all of her strength, leaving her unable to think. She timed the contractions for an hour, which seemed like less; she had no time or strength to be bored. They came every five or six minutes; the watch was not a good one; she could not be sure. She called a nurse. She was weighed (which she hated, because she had to stand on the scales and she could not) and taken to a labour room, where she was at first relieved to be left alone. There was a square metal bulk by a bed and a tray. The metal thing was a machine which recorded the contractions, which it 'felt' through a belt around her to open her eyes between them. She could not breathe. She was drowning, drowning in blackness, drowning in pain.. She could not breathe. She was being crushed, crushed like a "Salem witch" before confession: she felt the weight of each additional stone. She could not breathe. She could not feel the bed beneath her back, as though she were floating, weightless, slightly above it. With each contraction she rose up to the ceiling, afraid of falling. She fell. She plummeted downward, crashed through the bed to the floor, and screamed, afraid. She lay still, in darkness, then started to rise again. She grabbed 'at the bedsheets, but this would not stop her ascent. She floated in a mist of red and orange, examining the pain as she went. It consumed like a fire. But it was not inside of her; it was around her. It went round and round, it rolled like a hamster's exercise wheel. She was a hamster. She laughed. It hurt. Then she hit the ceiling, hard. She fell again. She went down, down into blackness.. black and red and orange...She remembered a joke about hell and hospitals, labour room; of voices, speaking as though she were not there, of blurred and blended greys and sharp white coats. Were the lights out in the room, or only for her?...And then her own voice speaking, as if controlled by someone else. "The baby..." She was wheeled back. to her room, where she was finally allowed to eat, quickly, hungrily, a tray of sandwiches, a second tray..She ate everything. And she was left to rest. It was not over for her now: being alone, being without. She had not even her baby. Though he slept safe in the hospital nursery, she had lost him; he belonged to the world, and now the world had him and'she had not. She slept. She slept a light, warm sleep, and she dreamed. She dreamed of a baby, soft and gentle, blissfully sucking his thumb when he slept; of a baby, curling, kicking, still sheltered in her womb. Northern Woman page 11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �health HOUSEWORK: HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH A 15-year study of Oregon women shows that those who listed their occupation as "housewife" died of cancer at a rate 54 percent higher than those women who worked outside the home. According to this study, many ingredients in household products may be considered toxic: benzene, napthas, petroleum distillates, chromic acid, aromatic nitrates and halides, chlorinated hydrocarbons and ammiom compounds. In addition to exposure to toxic cheMicals, other household factors may have a bearing on housewives' elevated cancer rate, including exposure to low-level radiation from televisions and microwave ovens and psychological depression, which may lead to cigarette smoking, overeating, excessive indulgence in alcohol and lack of exercise, all of which tend to lower resistance to illness. In the interest of clean houses, better health, and saving money, we have included below some cleaners which may prove to be good alternatives to the "Mr. Mighty" and "Whammo" products you may find at the store... Multipurpose cleaner: Mix together SUGGESTIONS FROM BIRTHING CONFERENCE AT NWO WOMEN'S HEALTH CONFERENCE May 1st., 2nd, 1981 LOVED HONOURED s BRUISED This superb film, directed by Gail Singer, shows the complexity of domestic assault in moving and powerful interviews with Jeannie and her husband. Jeannie was married sixteen years to a man who abused her physically and mentally. She talks about her her life and the great difficulty she had to decide to leave her husband. The film is 251/2 min. long and can be borrowed free of charge from National Film Board offices and many libraries (order number 106C 0180 030). SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BIRTH CONTROL DOES EXIST! The Vancouver Women's Health Collective has published a newsprint hand out about birth control. It explains their position against the Pill and the IUD, outlines a brief history of birth control and examines alternative birth control methods. Initially, the supplement was in the September, 1981 issue of Kinesis. It is free from the Vancouver Women's Health Collective, 1501 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W6. - that women begin to take more responsibility for themselves by researching literature on pregnancy and childbirth, thereby becoming as well, better informed, more aware consumers of the health care system. - that birthing women bring to the hospital two sets of instructions discussed with and signed by the physician before hand, on which are written their explicit desires for treatment or non-treatment during the birth, i.e.; no episiotomy; no shaving 'prep'; no epidural; holding the baby immediately after birth and having the baby for the first twelve hours; etc. - that birthing women bring and use a coach (husband, friend) to fight for their desires, if this is necessary, because a birthing woman needs all of her energy to concentrate on herself. - that communities lobby for family centrered birthing centres within, each community, with trained midwives on staff and flying squad back-up for emergencies, so that women wouldn't have to leave their family and home. As well, this would overcome the problem of doctor shortages. It was pointed out that midwives are utilized in other isolated areas such as Northern Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. The centres would also be responsible for thorough pre-natal and post-natal care. .1/2 cup amnonia, 1/3 cup washing soda and one gallon warm water. Deodorizer: Baking soda. Drain cleaner: 1-i cup washing soda followed by two cups boiling water. Upholstery and rug shampoo: mix together 1/4 cup liquid dish detergent, one cup warm water and two tablespoons vinegar. Beat with egg beater or mixer into a stiff foam, and apply by scrubbing. Let dry and vacuum. - that pregnant women form "Big Belly Clubs" using each other to share information from personal experience, from literature, on Doctors, etc. C2) - that Barbara Kemeny and Margot Morgan are willing to conduct more awareness workshops. ITS ALL IN YOUR HEAD... THIS TRANQUILIZER WILL CALM YOU DOWN. from Duluth Community Health Center Newsletter TWO WOMEN'S CENTRES rBOOKS SUGGESia) READING When Birth Control Fails - Susan Gage Speculum Press/Self Health Circle Inc. P.O. Box 1063, Hollywood, Calif. How To Stay Out of the Gynecologist's Office Federation of. Women's Health Centres, Hands Series, Women to Women Publications, Los Angles 1981 * Women And The Crisis In Sex Hormones Barbara Seaman & Gideon Seaman * Fat Is A Feminist Issue Susie Orbach * The Hite Report Shere Hite * Abortion and Sterilization: Medical And Social Aspects edited by June E. Hodgson * Available to borrow from the Northern Women's Centre -6At.A1 IN NORTHERN ONTARIO 79 LN S BRIGIT'S BOOKS Wanan- authored new and used books, Periodicals, cards, jewellery, buttons, crafts, calendars, T shirts, records. Located in:. THE WOMEN'S BUILDING 730 Alexander Ave. Winnipeg, Man. R3E 1H9 (204) 783-7889 Women for Women in Sault Ste Marie has been working hard over the past year to develop a Women's Resource Centre at 221 Albert St. E. as an integral part of the lives of the women in the community. They have a homey sitting roomya play area for kids, a lending library, a canteen and a newsletter. The drop-in hours are expanding as the number of volunteers grows. Good work sisters. Women's Place Kenora is doggedly pushing on with their plans for their spacious second floor rooms above a drug store. They are showing National Film Board films on women's issues Tuesday and Friday afternoons and are encouraging women to drop in one afternoon a week to visit. The rooms are being used frequently by M.O.P.S. (Mothers of PreSchoolers) as a babysitting co-op and for a few hours a week by an exercise group. The reading table is covered with literature on violence and on drug dependency. In two of the rooms are bunk beds still waiting for the time when the community will demand that the red tape be cleared so Women's Place can be available to shelter battered women. Northern Woman page 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �women controversy & change Do you want to know more about yourself? Have you ever wondered why you're afflicated with certain problems the man next door never has to face? Are you curious about the role others envision you in and why you might feel you don't fit? Are you unemployed and curious about new careers and labour market projections? Do you need information on community resources? Stay tuned.... As women we face many problems, both in the home and at the workplace whose solutions often allude us. Starting lft March, Women's Productions of Thunder Bay will begin airing a cable series entitled Women, Controversy and Change. The series will focus on specific concerns facing the woman of today--single parenting, sexrole stereotyping, re-entry into the labour force, sex discrimination in employment, sexual harassment on -thejob, day care and domestic violence. Native and immigrant women and the special barriers for them to full and active participation in Canada's mainstream will also be examined. As well as learning how to understand and cope with these concerns, community resources will be reviewed and realistic careers of the future examined. One segment will be devoted to non-traditional jobs and training programs available. Labour legislation of interest to working women, including pregnancy leave guidelines will be discussed in detail. Women's Productions of Thunder Bay and emerging leadership. Production and content volunteers have been guided by an energetic woman with experience in television production and set design. is a volunteer association. This dynamic group is comprised of women affiliated with resource agencies and government bodies, and many individuals who have experienced these concerns first hand. This extensive involvement includes: Northwestern Ontario International Women's Decade Co-ordinating Council Thurider Bav Rape & Sexual Assault Centre Immigrant Information Centre Confederation College - Women's Programs The Introduction to Non-Traditional Occupations Program Women's Employment Unit, Canada Employment Centre Thunder Bay Interministerial Affirmative Action Committee Soroptomist Internation of Thunder Bay Women's Bureau - Northern Office, Ministry of Labour Northern Women's Business Training Project Crisis Homes, Inc. and the Single Parent Association. Individual women from all walks of life are the backbone of the group strengthening creativity, parochial perspectives providing co-ordination Maclean Hunter has devoted much time to the project as well to assist with technical training and production guidance. Women, Controversy and Change will be permanently retained in cassette form and be available for use by community groups and schools both in Thunder Bay and in outlying communities. For further information please Marian Dolph, Co-ordinator Women, Controversy and Change, c/o Maclean Hunter Cable T.V., 215 Van Norman St., Thunder Bay Ont. contact: , Mondays 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. tel. 345-5522, Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 345-5522 or home 1-933-4845 Alternate Contact: Joy Fedorick, Community Liaison Officer, Women's Bureau - Northern Office, Ministry of Labour, 435 James St. S., Thunder Bay tel. 475-1691 Within the 807 area code, toll-free information can be obtained by dialing - 1-800-465-6937 days and asking for Joy, Roseann or Stephanie. The Thunder Bay Guide will also be listing the program and topic of the week. HAPPY VIEWING Joy Fedmick false consciousness by Jennifer Gardner That people are unaware of the oppression of women is a serious problem, but one that will be resolved as our movement grows and makes its presence felt. The problem of false consciousness, however, is harder to solve, and ultimately more dangerous, since our consciousness will determine our goals and our strategy. Of all the wrong theories about who oppresses women, the most confusing and insidious is the theory that women oppress themselves. This false consciousness takes two forms. First, women are put down for submitting to unequal, unrespectful treatment without fighting'back. Second, they are accused of courting their own oppression. That is, they are accused of behaving in such a weak, passive, dependent way with men that men cannot possibly treat them as equals. The first attitude is most common among women who feel that they have tried to be strong and independent, who look around them and notice that other women appear perfectly satisfied being weak and dependent. These other women seem to have made a conscious- and ignoble bargain with life, sacrificing their dignity in return for protection and keep. Let us examine this bargain, and try to understand what the elements of choice really are. Any woman, in any social class, who tries to insist on equality in relationships with men must be prepared to face the consequences of being a single woman in our society. She must face the difficulties of traveling alone, of being an obligation to her married friends, of knowing she can depend on no one for help and compan- ionship when she wants them These problems are real, not psychological, not in her mind. It is not a question of women being taught to believe that being single is undesirable. It is truly difficult for most unattached women to operate comfortably and effectively in a male chauvinist culture. For many women, marriage means even more than the opportunity to avoid being single. It is also the only way out of a boring and alienating job - a job which moreover, is likely to require that she concede her dignity to men anyway.. If, for example, she is a secretary or waitress, and fails to placate the men who are her superiors or customers, chances are she will find herself job-hunting again. Suzanne Camu For most women, the consequences of losing - even of attempting - an individual struggle with a man are severe; poverty, isolation, even death, depending on the man's temperament and the woman's own class situation. Sure, every time we don't struggle we make it harder for a woman who does. But only when we have a movement, only when women can offer each other real support, can we begin to make such demands on each other. To blame women for not struggling is to forget what the risks of struggle are for us all. The second form of this false consciousness - the theory that women are oppressed because they go around asking for it - is most dangerous to our movement. It implies that a man oppresses a woman simply as a reaction to the woman's own expectations, and that he will stop as soon as she shows him she has some self-respect. The theory denies a basic reality that men benefit in real ways socially, economically, sexually and psychologically - from male supremacy. Our oppression is not in our heads. We will not become un-oppressed by "acting un-oppressed " Try it - if you have the economic independence to survive the consequences. The result will not be respect and support. Men will either not like you - you are a bitch, a castrator, a nag, a hag, a witch; or they will accuse you of not liking them - you don't care about me; you don't love me; you are selfish and hostile. Her only chance for respect - partial and phony though it is - is to have a family. Society has closed other roads to all but a few. Discrimination against women in jobs is True, women suffer (because they a fact. Women's work is low-paid work. And for a woman with apparent opportuni- are oppressed) from feelings of inferiority and self-hatred. True, too, ties for better-paying, less boring that believing themselves to be inadework, sexual discrimination in the quate and to deserve their place in professions and in graduate schools becomes important. Cont'd on pg. 15 No PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Woryin pn.ge 13 �OH BROTHER Dear Viola: In response to your request for written support regarding a name change for the Lakehead University's "Man In Society" course please allow me to explain that the term "man in the phrase "Man and Society" is in this instance, the generic term meaning "all people". Similarily, the pronoun "his" can also be used generically as in the common phrase "Man and His World". We must never forget that the word "man", when used generically, includes the female. I have not seen the course outline for "Man and Society" but I imagine it covers all the aspects of a man's life. No doubt it deals with basic anatomy. For example, under the heading "Man's Body" (which of course refers to male and female) one could study man and his heart, man and his ovaries, man and his fallopian tubes, the breasts of man. The life stages of man would be included. Topics would be: man at puberty, man's menstruation, man as father, man as mother, man as husband, man as wife, the end of the childbearing years-the menopause of man. As one man to another, Viola, I am interested in all education which promotes the brotherhood of man. I have discussed this with other men of good will including my sister. I am a man of two minds about this question but I am also a daughter. I will abide by my mother's opinion for I believe that, when tinkering with the language, all generations should be consulted. Besides, isn't it true that we are not the men our mothers were? If I could consult her man to man, I know that she would firmly state that the use of the word generically to mean all people somehow--illogically perhaps--leaves out half of all mankind. Yours sincerely, Joan Baril Am I Daughter, When women break the spell Mother, Wife or Me ? (to be sung militantly but joyfully on March 8th-to the tune of Farmer in the by Nancy Doetzel Dell) by Alma Norman When women break the spell, When women break the spell Look out for lots of changes, oh When women break the spell. Cos, when we state our case, Oh when we state our case All we get is_"Ho" and "Hum" When women state our case. But we're marching once again, We're marching once again Making all the same complaints We're on the march again. But the marching's got to end, The marching's got to end We've got to get some action And this marching's got to end. We'll soon be raising hell, We'll soon be raising hell We've had enough of WALK and TALK WE'RE OUT TO BREAK THE SPELL. (14/01(11,(1/1/0"Lci-i,'1atrIc13. Physically Challenged Women: In order to instill a deeper positive approach to their living situations many women who are in wheel chairs, or are deaf or not sighted etc. now refer to themselves as a physically challenged group of women rather than physically handicapped. Gender: This is now the accepted term for cultural and social behaviors related to being male or female. It replaces terms such as "sex roles" and "sex stereotyping". "Sex" now is used to precisely refer to biological and psychological factors. So next time you go to the big conferences in Toronto you'll hear speakers using phrases like "the political economy of gender in education" or a "review on gender and mathematics". The familiar adage "In every acorn is the potential for a beautiful tree* was mentioned by Molly Ferguson at a Confederation' College seminar, Sept. 24, 1981 when she was referring to women reaching their full potential. At the seminar, Am I Daughter, Wife, Mother or Me--guest speaker Molly Ferguson spoke about women's guilt, tapping one's own potential, stress, self esteem and flexibility... to a groAp of 80 women. The focus of the event was to encourage women to look at the many roles they're involved'in that they create for themselves and to find the core of the self or the authentic self. Guilt and anxiety are deterrents to women breaking beyond their roles and becoming fully human, Molly said. "Women tend to analyse a home situation and feel it is their total responsibility to make the husband and children happy. If something goes wrong at home, the wife and mother blames herself and feels guilty as if she had committed some kind of crime." Women need to change their perception of guilt, Molly highly recommended. "Feeling guilty is actually being anxious in anticipation of of something that might go wrong." However, Molly did say that stress can challenge a person to grow and cope with a situation. But women do need retraining, and education in order to promote their growth and help them overcome obstacles to reaching their potential, she warned. There are countless ways a woman can feel fully human while in a specific role. If they love being a mother and feel good staying home then that may be the person's authentic self, Molly agreed. "On the other hand, if they feel stress, tension, or conflict while in a specific role, women should be honest with themselves and question their role." A person can be genuinely happy at home or out in the work force, Molly assured the participants of the seminar. 0 6 Molly Ferguson, a Toronto resident is a program consultant with TV ontario. An ambitious woman, she has put together a study package of changing roles of women and men along with a teaching manual called Women's Studies With a Multi Media Approach To Teach ing. §traktikk Northern Women's Credit Union Ltd. ) copies of RISING f $5.00 each Please send me ( Enclosedls a cheque or money order for ( ), which includes postage, payable to: NORTHER* WOMAN JOURNAL, 316 Bay St., Thunder Bay. Ontario, P78 1S1 Term Deposits Available $100 Minimum Personal Loans Available Serving the Women of Northwestern Ontario Suite 17 Name Court St. S. Above Crooks Pharmacy. -Organization Optpn Address_ 345-3112 Tus. and Fri 10 a.m.to 5p.m. Thus I p.m. *7 p.m. Closed for lunch 12 M1" 01.1.31k 41, ... NCir theit Yoridn page` PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor .1 ^ �False...fram pg. 13 Liberate..cont'd from pg 3 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE for WOMEN in TABLE 1 NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO (1978) by EDUCATION Level of Education Total Women Percentage Unemployed Working (70) Grade 12 or less 44.4 Some college or university 70.5 6.8 College diploma 70.9 8.3 University degree 78.1 14.6 Vocational training 58.3 8.1 1) an evaluation of textbooks to identify stereotyping; 2) major research for sex stereotyping in all educational media; 3) "suggestions" for provisions for meaningful guidance programs for young women in elementary and secondary schools by career counselling, admissions of qualified guidance councellors, and by scrutinizing vocational materials: 4) co-educational family studies programs; 5) an expansion of sports opportunities available for women. The Federation of Women Teacher's Association of Ontario (F.W.T.A.0.) researched the first recommendation proposed by the Secretary for Social Development. In its report And Then There Were None, the Federation systematically classified all the language arts textbooks approved by the Ontario Ministry of Education in Circular 14. Thd "results were astonishing. "Not one of the seven reader series was able to meet the overriding creteria of balance. In no reader series were the number of females and males approximately equal in all seven catagories analyzed; the self-actualization and moral levels of women and men, girls and boys, similar; the breadth of activities and occupations similar for males and females." The Federation recommended, "with reservation," the Nelson Series of the Language Development Reading Program. Nevertheless, these books were "... deficient. They present women less capable than men in life mastery and moral reasoning in adult life." Furthermore, girls in this series were denied a significant childhood. They were "reluctant heroines," taking no credit for their actions, nor expecting it. "The message beamed at girls is one of rejection. There is no affirmation for girls...to 'Be a Woman!" Storybook women exist relative to someone else (husband, children, father), they are unwelcome, and are constantly effacing themselves. Boys on the other hand, receive a very strong message to "Be A Man", and are continually reinforced in this assertion. If such a situation exists in langguage texts, one can imagine the overwhelming occurance of sexual discrimination in other school texts, as well as other educational media and the every day routine in the classroom. Implementing Mr. Welch's weakly worked "suggestions" would apparently have little effect under such conditions. A year later, the Canadian Teacher' s Federation (C.T.F.), conducted a workshop on the status of women in educaThe C.T.F. recognized the tion. extent of sexual discrimination experienced in schools. 14.2 ' Within the school it pinpointed teachers themselves, curriculum, language use, and the child's experiences as sources of inequality. Within the administration, the school boards were responsible for policy, and this highlights another source of inequality, since women held no positions of supervision. Lastly, the C.T.F. identified the provincial government as ultimately responsible for continuing patriarchal dominance in education. Unfortunately, the C.T.F. has no clout. When the Ontario Ministry of Education pulbished The Formative Years, a curricular guide for policies concerning primary and junion education, it included the following statement: a different and lower class from men, women have often thought themselves unjustified in demanding their freedom. In other words, the fact that women sometimes blame themselves for their situation may prevent them from becoming strong fighters on their own behalf. Surely one important task of our movement is to make it come clear to ourselves and to all women that our low social, economic and sexual status results not from any natural inferiority but from actual, recognizable, analyzable oppression, however subtle in form. But we cannot stop there; the elimination of selfblame, the birth of self-respect, is not the elimination of oppression. Feeling convinced of the justice of our demands is not, alas, the same as having those demands met. The job of our movement, then is not to blame ourselves or any other women for passivity, weakness, dependence, or any other qualities that women seem to display. Nor is 1* simply to strengthen ourselves for personal confrontations. Our job is to provide the vision of liberation and the hope, through our collective strength, of finally overthrowing male supremacy - everywhere. from Notes From The Second Year: WOMEN'S LIBERATION "It 4.4...the policy oS the GoveAnment oi Ontaitio that education in the Primary and Juniot divizionz be conducted 40 that each child may have the oppottunity to deveeop abititiez and aoitationz without the timitation4 impoLed by sex -none zteAcotypez." Education of Ont, THE FORMATIVE YEARS Miniztty o. Policy is one matter, Actuality indicates that the execution of this policy is impotent. Another Ministry of Education publication, Sex-Role Stereotyping and Women's Studies, rhetorically echoes what feminists have known since the 1830s: THE FEMALE CONNECTION "Sextote zteneotyping naAtowey deSina /tam Sot matey and iemaZe4 in out zociety. The /wee Women's Inter-Church Council of Canada invites you to participate in THE FEMALE CONNECTION conisttaint4 deny the wide nange o6 human potentiat, and LimuetaneowsZy zetz up di64enent behavion expectatiomz bazed upon, and having undue imphaziz on, biotogicae sex. Although the interdependence of nature and The conference begins in the afternoon of Monday, June 7, 1982 and ends with breakfast on Friday, June 11, 1982. It takes place at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay. nuttuu (heredity and enviAonment) temain undisputed, thene us evidence indicating that sex tam ate Zangety a uzuet oS Lociae conditioning." Mini6tAy oS Education oS Ont. SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPING AND WOMEN'S STUDIES It seems that the Ministry still has its doubts. TERESA LEGOWSKI cautauED NEXT ISSUE * *: * *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR ir LABEL ? PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION * * If * 1"; z * *********************************** LEARNING WORKSHOPS: HEALTH, POVERTY, ENABLING WORKSHOPS: VIOLENCE, WORK. WORKING THROUGH CHURCH STRUCTURES, WORKING THROUGH HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS', FUND RAISING, UNDERSTANDING POWER, STRAIGHT TALK: COMMUNICATION SKILLS, ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING. This event is open to all women. The primary purpose ofthe conference is to educate ourselves in women's experience generally and explore the concept of sisterhood. Hopefully this will make us mutually supportive and achieve a stronger collective voice in world affairs. FOR MORE information write: Shirley Davy, W.I.C.C. - National Gathering, 77 Charles St. West, Toronto, Ont. M5S 1K5 or phone (416) 922-6177 NorthernPDFCompressor Wornn pcige 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION �THE CONFEDERATION COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY THUNDER BAY DISTRICT Spring Programs For Women Women's Programs Women's Programs continues to initiate, develop and facilitate a variety of learning experiences which are designed to meet the changing needs of women in today's society; as well, we provide an excellent resource for students and interested community persons who wish to seek out information \on various women's issues. If you are committed to equality for women in education and employment and would like to work with us as a part-time volunteer, please call 475-6273. Coming Up! WORKSHOP ABOUT "INCEST" (ZX 303) This workshop will address the history of the Incest taboo, the myths surrounding it; therapeutic models: different systems involved in treating the family with problems of incest. April 22nd, 1982 (6 p.m. - 10 p.m.) Room 353 - Buffet April 23rd. 1982 (9 am. - 4 p.m.) Seminar - Room 153 Register by April 16th in the Registrar's Office, Shuniah Building For further information, call Women's Programs at 475-6232. INTRODUCTION TO NON-TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS An eight-week program designed to give WOMEN & MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE (ZX 269) September 24th to 26th, 1982 women an academic and experimental to introduction traditionally male HAS BEEN CANCELLED occupations. The students will choose. with the help of the instructor, where the training will take place T-e next program will be run April 5th to May 28th, 1982. further information, contact your Canada Employment & Immigration CounFor sellor at 344-6601 or 623-2731 JOB SEARCH SKILLS FOR WOMEN A three-week program sponsored by Canada Employment 8 Immigration to assist women who want mimed:we employment. For further information, contact the Women's Employment Centre at 6232731. 99 ZW 010 WOMEN & ART A new kind of art history -- one which seeks out women's work. TIME AND DAY. Thursdays 7:00 - machinery from a variety of trades families (i.e., construction, electrical, mechanical, machining, woodworking, metal working, etc.): and they actively apply these skills to learning-projects in trades shops and industrial projects in the workforce. It's a time for "catching up" for a woman: of developing her mechanical reasoning: her math and science skills; ner con- fidence with hand and power tools; and, her familiarity with trades machinery and vocabulary. It's also a time for moving ahead: of exploring trades choices and then charting her own career course towards a specific trade -- or further skills training, and entry-level job, or an apprenticeship. Burnout demands on the energy, strength and STARTING DATE: April 8, 1982 COMPLETION DATE: June 3. 1982 INSTRUCTOR: Donna Phoenix ROOM. 380 FEE: S30.00 resources of individuals who work in the professions such as health, education, welfare and social services. The seminar will enable participants to recognize the burn-out syndrome, identify contributing factors and determine counteracting stragies. May 7-9 4:30 p.m. Fee: $45.00 includes lunch RESOURCE PERSON: Carol Alexander, Vice-President - Educational Design, Aurora, Colorado. LOCATION: Sibley Hall. Seminar Centre. 99 ZW 017 Introduction To The "WOMEN INTO TRADES & TECHNOLOGY" Training Program In Conjunction With Technology This training program is designed to reintroduce, re-educate. and re-direct women to future employment and training in the skilled trades and techno;ogy. Women trainees learn from hands-on experience with core generic tool skills and A WORKSHOP ON BURN OUT is the result of excessive 9 30 p.m. WOMEN KNOW YOUR CAR Students will learn the basic procedures general and maintenance car of operation. TIME AND DAY: Mondays 7 00 - 10 00 p.m. STARTING DATE: April 5. 1982 COMPLETION DATE. May 3. 1962 INSTRUCTOR: Don Young FEE: 520.00 ROOM: Automotive Shop. Dorion Building aegister at Seminar Centre. 99 ZW 041 WOMAN'S GUIDE TO MONEY MANAGEMENT Do you think that more money is the answer to your financial problems' That's not necessarily so' Learn how you can manage more efficiently with what got. This course is designed to meet the cn el ueddess of uwdocl me teonn gi n /r/zoat I kast, of - Employment 8 CONFERENCE May 28, 1982, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. Registration 7:00 p.m. May 29, 1982, 9:00 - 4:00 p.m. Registration 8:30 a.m. TIME AND DAY Tuesdays 1..3e., - 3 .30 pm STARTING DATE April 6. 1981 COMPLETION DATE _Jun., 8 19e:INSTRUCTOR: Marlene Racotto FEE: 525 00 ROOM This program MAY BE sponsored by Canada WOMEN AND PENSIONS Immigration. Suggested length of the program is 16 weeks. For further information. contact Arthur Hotel, 17 Cumberland Street, Thunder Bay Keynote Speaker: Monica Townsend. Women in Canada are served very poorly by the existing retirement income system. Canada's to changes Substantive retirement income system are required to: - Alleviate the poverty of the current elderly - Ensure that succeeding generations of women will enjoy a standard of living that reflects their contribur.on to this Women's Programs at 475-6278 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CALL WOMEN'S PROGRAMS Prince country. 475-6232 This conference will provide information on Pensions in Canada with special consideration given to the economic problems faced by women in the north. FEE: $10.00 (includes lunch and refreshment breaks). Childcare provided to children 2 years and older IF ADVANCE NOTICE GIVEN. Contact the Seminar Centre at 475-6380 for further information REGISTRATION FOR PROGRAMS BEGINS MARCH 16TH IN THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE, SHUNIAH BUILDING, CONFEDERATION COLLEGE 8:30 A.M. TO 4:30 P.M. Northern Woman page 16 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �I Comb IWO , Comb MINNIPORO t11:271 Ws doses 220 RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 BAY ST. THUNDER BAY P, ONT. YOUR SUBSCRIPTION IS DUE The NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL is published six times a year Return Postage Guaranteed ..:OLLECTIVE MEMBERS Lynn Beak, Anna McColl, Teresa Legowski, Noreen Lavoie, Danalyn MacKinnon, Rosalyn Taylor Perrett, Donna Phoenix, Sara Williamson, Viola Nikkila, Margaret Phillips HAVE YOU MOVED??? PLEASE LET US KNOW We must pay return postage to keep up our mailing list. Subscribe: I. ,m4fl talvAireo; it.ricern itausgr (Six Issues) 5.00 9.00 Business or institutions tt0 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 7 No 2 Description An account of the resource Vol. 7, No. 2 (1982) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Wendo Liberate Education International Women’ Year Education & Patriarchy Margaret Atwood Income Tax & Women Personal Stories/Lived Experience of a Northern Woman Not a Love Story Film Critique Depression & Women Access to Carpentry Training for Women, B.C. Kenora Magazine Voices Victim Blaming Women and Pensions Abortion Access in the U.S. National Abortion Rights League Pornography Study B.C. Gaslighting Women Bill C-53 Rape Law Reform Poetry Native Women’s Association of Canada Indigenous Self-Help Groups Economic Strategy & Success for Native Women Short Stories Housework & Health Housework & Cancer Cleaning Compounds & Cancer Suggested Reading “Women Controversy & Change” Thunder Bay Cable Show False Consciousness “Physically Challenged” to Replace “Physically Handicapped” Guilt & Anxiety as Felt by Women The Female Connection - Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada Sex-Role Stereotyping Confederation College Programs for Women Authors/Contributors: Elaine Lynch Rebecca Renfrew Joan Baril Viola Nikkila Jan McMillin Rosalyn Taylor Perrett Susan Hawkins Jennifer Gardner Nancy Doetzel Aima Norman Teresa Legowski Lynn Beak Anna McColl Noreen Lavoie Danalyn MacKinnon Donna Phoenix Sara Williamson Margaret Phillips Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1982 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2770/1982_Vol_7_No_3.pdf 6a571eed20ca79da1ad5a62b247e8a38 PDF Text Text 9(k oriAer Thunders Bay, Ont. 7.3 oman Journar sojourner truth "I want to keep thinv .t:.Aiting now that the ice L c'uzafzed." PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �rEDITORIAL The legal right to abortion is currently under its most serious attack since the inception of the current law in 1969. In a 7 to 2 decision, the Supreme Court c Canada has granted Joseph Borowski, an avowed opponent of a woman's right to choose abortion, legal standing to contest the law. This means that he has been given the right to argue his point of view on abortion in the courts. Judy Chicago's Cover design: Sojourner Truth plate from the Dinner Party. Sojourner Truth 1797 - 1883 dedicated feminist who fought for the abolition of slavery and women's rights. Borowski contends Section 251 of the Criminal Code, be performed under certain circumstances, should be contravenes the Diefenbaker Bill of Rights. In his tains that fetuses are entitled to the legal status protected by the Bill of Rights. Apology: The beautiful cover on the last issue of the Journal was the work of Anna Firs. Her name disappeared somewhere between layout and printing. The court also granted Borowski his legal costs, some $70,000 to date, which were awarded against the federal government. The irony of this is that Canadian taxpayers (you and I) are paying to allow this man to challenge in the courts what is already a limited right to abortion. Address Change: Please let us know when you move. We have to pay return postage in order to keep our mailing list up to date and with the increase in postage this adds to our expenses. Asterisk on your Label: This means this is the last issue for which you have subscribed. The numbers on the label also indicate (e.g. 7-3, vol.7, issue 3) the issue at which your sub expires. Collectivejlegbers: Lynn Beak, Anna McColl, Teresa Legowski Noreen Lavoie, Danalyn MacKinnon, Rosalyn Taylor Perrett, Donna Phoenix, Sara Williamson, Viola Nikkila which allows abortions to declared invalid because it arguments, Borowski mainof persons and are thus This granting of standing represents a marked departure from previous decisions in the area. If Borowski wins his battle, abortion will become illegal again in Canada. While it is unthinkable that one man could undermine legal access to safe abortion (however limited under the present law), the possibility that he might win is a very frightening one. His recognition by the Supreme court as a person with a right to be heard on this issue was a major victory in his fight to make abortion illegal once again. The Board of Directors of CARAL has decided to take legal action to counter Borowski's case. At this writing there are several options open to us and we are in the process of deciding, in conjunction with legal counsel, which course will be the most viable. Borowski is obviously determined to win. We are equally determined to stop him. This legal action could be long and will definitely be costly. But the cost in the lives and health of Canadian women will be even greater if he wins. We cannot afford to sit idly by and merely await the outcome of this blatant attack on our rights. If this battle is lost, even the small gains we made with the 1969 amendments will be gone. Karen Hammond Reprinted from the CARAL newsletter WINTER 1982 (see page 8) your OICE I hope it is possible to have it offered at some other time as I feel that women need more guidance and information on this problem. Thanks again for the many blessings your work has offered us all. Love, Valerie Boileau, Atikokan Dear Sisters: We are writing this letter to solicit your support for the cause of a group of striking insurance workers in Ottawa. The workers have been on strike for a first contract since October 1981. Dear Women: Congratulations on keeping the Northern Woman afloat in these tough Twenty of the twenty-four workers are women. All the workers are underpaid; one woman who has worked for the comptimes! any for 16 y ears earns less than I like the format, sketches, the $9,000 a year. No serious attempt has odd joke, Thunderclaps, literary been made on the part of management articles and poems. The Thunderto negotiate with them; scabs have been bolts are often rib-tickling, alhired to replace them, sometimes at though in reality not so funny. Sughigher wages. Unless the workers win gest articles on real-life discrimthe bargaining-in-bad-faith complaint ination in the work force. Of course now before the Ontario Labour Board, these would likely have to be based the union faces a possible decertificon true experiences and anonymous to ation. It will be the second time in protect the people involved. the insurance company's history that Keep up the good work! the union has been busted. We believe that feminists can Elinor (Thunder Bay) help these workers win their battle. The strike is indicative of the link of labour struggles women encounter. Typically, this insurance company Dear Sisters, pays low wages and adopts a patronizPlease renew my sub. I .continue to ing attitude toward the workers. As be inspired and strengthened by this women their demands are not taken serwonderful expression of the courage iously. They lack the strength in of women. numbers which larger bargaining units I was sorry to note the cancelldepend on for a successful strike. ation of the proposed conference on In addition, they are the victims of "Women & Mental Health" in Sept. and the Ontario law which allows employers to replace striking workers with scabs. Ontario has no binding arbitration legislation for first contracts as exists in B.C. and Quebec. All these factors have made this strike a long, hard battle. In spite of the management's attempts to break the strike and the long cold winter en $30 a week, the women have persisted. Much local support has been rallied but we believe that this is a feminist cause worthy of national support. You can help. Here's how: -Write letters of support to the strikers, Local 225, OPEIU, c/o Michelle Plouffe, 150 blvd Grebe, Apt. 202E, Point Gatineau, P.Q. J8T 3R4 -write letters of protest to the company president, Gerard Desjardins, 325 Dalhosie Street, Ottawa. Please send copies to the strikers. -Write letters protesting Ontario's antiquated labour laws to Hon. Russell H. Ramsay, Minist er of Labour, 400 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario M7A 1T7.Urge him to intervene in the strike. -send money to the strikers to the address above. Make cheques payable to OPEIU, Local 225. Help these workers keep up the fight - its a fight for all women and underpaid workers everywhere. Yours in sisterhood, Feminist Action Collective P.O. Box 4454, Sta. E Ottawa, Ontario KIS 5B4 cont'd on page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Natthettlianan ixige 2 :, ", �TAKE YOUR PLACE AT THE TIME ofrir v.= 3,,- -,04' ii- ,,Y e`a (..)C kiej (it ei OR V\pit 0 me f 1°' 1 0. if ,vtf. ,eivit,\\.t6.,/ I egg r° ink v'oc;), Nr v i tr et r 1( vi 0, ,ate& / , 1. t /,'' Or V ititt A)A,A r v"- o A n v\ v\_ u_-k- S o_ Ccvro LA) e_. Mary }-A- c;, 0 u.v.r,e_v-- 5(L &Y. EA; .er' 0 Se o Ypck_ -14 goa_et e_ 0 0 1..4.-+L . 0 '0 0 ICY 01 01 0 MIS h INIIMIA116.11011101/ 00 c_r-o_c s4- k p O 'moo e_ o- s u-,,e, 0, 101 & O 0 p, r\441\ e y\ to_c.-ku) e__ - Erv.\\..\ So-ppl-xo H6L-ts 0v Se pk,-, 0 SVC<e. Ged-ae-ss S Cl-v\_t3 Ke. e 06, o L.4.)0.0tc- Gc- Ist,tay- Fertile CI octoless Primorctleil Goctctesc of \4e Chicago says" it is possible to trace the changeover from matriarchy to patriarchy in myth, legends, and image of the Goddess. The destruction of women's politics, social and religious authority -- " Chicago chose the equal lateral trianale for the dinner table as it was an early symbol in matriarchal societies. The Dinner Party combines images of traditional women symbolized by china painters ) with radical women ( represented by women who were politically active. ( by joan baril PDF Eighty thousand people came to the Musee d'art contemporain this April to see Judy Chicago's magnificent tribute to the women of Western history, the multi-dimentional art work called The Dinner Party. This is a There are thirty-nine settings record breaking crowd for place a museum each depicting a historical woman which usually draws fifty thousand and her specific visitors annually.historical period. Placed the first arm the 17 I sawalong the Dinner Party onof April after enduring a two hour line up in triangle are the women of pre-history the upstairs corridor of the museum. and the ancient world; on the second The long wait was brightened by talkside the women of the Christian era up ing to the other women nearby--part of a tour from the Toronto YW--and by looking at a large wall covered with imaginative triangular quilt patches made for the exhibit by women's groups around the world. At last the guard beckoned us foreward into a dimly lit room. A chain of women viewers were slowly circling an enormous triangular table. Each arm of the equilateral triangle is fortyfive feet long. Like most of the visitors I had rented a portable cassette and earplug and so, as I slowly moved around, I heard Chicago's very clear explanations She talked about the meaning of the exhibit and the symbols and techniques she used. She also told us about the historical significance of the women whose places were set at the Study table. by Judy Chicago - Mary Wb11stonecraft's death in childbirth as embroidered on the hidden (self ) compression, optimization inner sideOCR, of her web runner. to the Reformation and lastly are the women from the 16th century to the present. The final place setting is dedicated, rightly enough, to woman as artist; the last guest at the feast is the American painter and potter Georgia O'Keefe, the only living woman honoured by the exhibit. At each place there is a large sculptured and painted plate set upon a cloth runner executed in the needlcraft of the period. Every form of needlework seems to be present including some old and almost forgotten techniques. There is weaving, tapestry quilting, white work, bizarre work, Victorian ribbon work, stump work, many forms of embroidery and many others. The critics focused on the vaginality. Ignoring the fact that penises are dangling in every art gallery in North America along side realistic representations of both male and female anatomy, the critics trivialized the Dinner Party as women's genitalia, Museums which had previously booked the piece began to cancel out. Nevertheless through the agitation of women's groups, the show has been using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Cont. page 5 �LIBERATE EDUCATION M LAST ISSUE I by Teresa Legowski to accept more responsibilit he public elementary level in ehead Board, there are approx 440 women teachers and appro 250 male teachers employed Out of the 77 principals' ns in the city, 2 are held by Sue Thornham and Susan Kenned presents 0.3% of the total eachers employed. On the othe 3% of the men-teachers are als. At the Secondary level, re no women employed as prinand only one woman, Dorothy employed as a vice-principal igures speak for themselves. ssing equal educational oppies for women at a policy level leads to a severe mision of the reality found in schools, especially when one rs that this policy has no le e backing. The social forces the school environment cause oluntary recommendations to mal in their impact. In many es, the provincial government ool boards are still question existence of sexual stereoin education, even though e demonstrates that discrimcontinues to thrive. question that the government ol boards should be address "What is the purpose of the onal system?" Does it simply social values (which it is n the case of women) or does igate change for the bettersociety (which is the desire )? education caters to the este patriarchal institutions, i ical suicide to allow women through the established tion has instigated change ii in the past. If it had not, th century humankind would believe the world was flat. e is not static, but infinowing, and education is resfor this growth. No matter atening, change is necessary wth in society. Humankind pe and aspirations to avoid on. ers whether it's a girl worm or a boy we intelligent, hard worker on my hook!!!" ew Woman-May/June 1978 4 LI ts; PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �EDUCATION cont. from page 4 CRISIS HOMES INC. Does the equality of women fall into, the same category as the revolutionary concept of a round world? I think not. Yet examining it more closely, the concept of equality for women involves changing a person's internal structures, as well as the external political foundations of a patriarchal society. Is it so difficult to present women and girls as intelligent and independant beings? Are not women strong steadfast, and single-minded? Do not women work outside the home for financial survival? Are career and motherhood truly mutually exclusive? Do not men and boys need friendship, help and advice? Do men ever cry?.Do men and boys not share in household duties? Is it impossible for women and men to live co-operatively, joyously, and respectfully in equal and loving ANNUAL MEETING June 1, 1982 7.30p.m. Crisis Homes Inc. will be holding their election of officers June 1, 1982 7.30 p.m. at the Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre, 316 Bay St. If you are interested in support services for battered women, please come out and participate. For further information call 622-3855. . I Subscribe: ************************************ * relationships? Despite the odds, the educational system must eliminate sexual discrimination and serve as an example for Women shall continue in society. their vigilant battle to gain equality for themselves and their daughters. *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL ? PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION * * * *********************************** SUE THE BASTARDS by Joan Baril Sue the Bastards. This is just what Veina Smith of Sydney, N.S., a sexual assault victim, did. She sued Dr P.K. Chaturvedi in civil court and won a $5000 judgement plus costs. In July of last year Ms. Smith accepted a ride home from the doctor- It waE raining and "you assume a doctor woh't do anything wrong to jeopardize his reputation." Instead of taking her home he drove out of town to Glace Bay, 19 km away. She claimed he grabbed her so that she couldn't get out of the car, dragged her into his apartment, slapped her and indecently assaulted t her. She managed to break free, run out on the porch and scream that she -was being raped. Fortunately she was heard by a passing policeman. However, in spite of the fact that the police rescued her, they refused to lay charges on the ground that there were no scratches and bruises on her body and her clothes were not torn. Ms. Smith had now landed in the limbo of the "unfounded" case. In Canada, it is the police who judge which sexual assault cases will proceed to criminal court and which will not. The decision is made without the benefit of clear, national guidelines and in many towns masculine 'bias takes over. The local police decided that Veina Smith's complaint was "unfounded". But the 19 year old refused to accept that. Claiming the police investigation was "obviously unfair" she took the doctor to court and won. A civil suit is a weapon available to Canadian rape victims and should be used more often. There are several ad- ` I X % 4 t.17,1 vantages to the woman. She initiates the proceedure and with the guidance of legal counsel, she can present her side of the story. The onus of proof in a civil case is different from a criminal trial. It is necessary to prove that it is reasonably probable that the defendant raped or assaulted rather than prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. A plaintiff might claim for specific expenses (such as clothes, psychiatric care), general damages (such as compensation for suffering and humiliation) or even punitive damages. So, a victim can fight back, and win. For more information, contact the Rape Crisis Centre. ""'"',011111111".61111"---- Northern Women's Credit Union Ltd. Personal Loans Available Term Deposits Available $100 Minimum Serving the Women of Northwestern Ontario Suite 17 4 Court St. S. Above Crooks Pharmacy Open 345-3112 Tues. and Fri. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs. 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Closed for lunch 1-2 'WOMEN AND TECHNOLOGY. June 1982, Ottawa Canada. Joint conference of CRIAW, NAC, and CCLOW (Canadian Committee for Learning Opportunities for Women). Contact: Aisla Thomson. CRIAW, Box 236, Sta. B. Ottawa (613) 563-3576. seen in includi racted work ev In T Art Gal a deleg to host booked, 1985, w smashin Gallery Dinner run to hike, c get to place a The dias cov triangu women i engrave The women c The gre china, tiled d ness. I two hou from th to the It t hundred six yea the run And it The Fransis March 1 large c critics crafts boggled The ing to butterf an anci newal. shape o forms the do and th seed p flower the sa create ovals. bolize each p the hi PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �UPDATE BY .JOAN BARIL tims (rather than on rapists) is obscure It sounds as if an attempt is being made to build a statistical portrait of a "typical rape victim" in order to establish once and for all that it is a particular kind of woman, or a particular way of behaving that causes women to be raped", according to Joni Miller Federal M.Ps are still wrestling with what law enforcement officers consider the major legal problem--how to write into the Criminal Code help for men who are verbally accosted by women on the streets. It seems, shocked legislators claim, that on certain streets in certain cities (Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver) men are being solicited by women for the purpose of sex and the women cannot be convicted oemie What about women who are harassed by men for sex? you may ask, thinking of the verbal harassment which occurs in all cities, on all streets, at all times, to all women of all ages. A double standard of Vancouver. exists. Many lesislators and chiefs of police don't see a probelem. Convictions are few and in B.C. a man and accused of (take one) a liking it b) asking for it. Better to be em- cannot be charged at all reported to the Thunder Bay Rape and Sexual Assualt Centre increased 100% last year according to Doreen Boucher, Volunteer Training Coordinator. ern How do local rapists plan an assault? The most common method in Thunder Bay is to offer a ride home to a woman from a boogie, party, wedding, bar (etc.) Once she is in the car, the rapist drives out to the country and rapes her. In some cases, he has removed the inside door handles on the passenger side so that she cannot get verbal (and physical) harassment on the streets is also common in Europe. In England, feminists have dumped paint over the cars of "curbcrawlers",men who slowly cruise along the streets calling obscene remarks and suggestions to women walkers 'moo women passengers in London, England taxi cabs have often complained about sexual harassment by drivers. In response, an allwomen taxi company called Labyris has been formed. Only women riders or escorted men are accepted. The harassment of women on the London tube is such that WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against Women) have called for segregated cars more and more European tourists are refusing to accept sexual harassment. A common ploy is for museum or tour guides to suggest to a woman that she stand in a certain spot to see a picture or a view at a better angle. He then presses his body against hers. When this happened to a young Californian woman last year in the Prado in Madrid, she screamed "Don't touch me. Don't touch me!" He quickly disappeared. This same woman slugged a man on the streets of Rome who started to touch her. um" Maybe women should boycott the "harassing countries" (Italy, Greece and Spain). However a quick local survey mentioned Hyde Park in London, Boulevard Michel and the Paris left bank, Dam Square in barassed than humiliated rapist-murder Clifford Olsen Rapes out if he stops for a red light A second method is to cruise a street or parking lot, grab a lone woman and force her into his car or van. The the element of surrapist prise to succeed. 'mom The third method used in Thunder Bay is to break into a house. "Rapes are always planned," says Doreen The local Rape and Sexual Assault Centre received a $40,000 grant from the city of Thunder Bay. Bravo to all the council members (and the mayor) who voted in favour me The local Kiwanis club also gave the centre a zerox machine. The rape centre will be starting its outreach program into the region in May and June. Workshops will be held in Nipigon, Geraldton, Terrace Bay and Marathon. Amsterdam and downtown Lisbon. Perhaps Canadian women tourists should carry cards with "TAKE OFF, EH" in the appropriate languages. Loc- ally the same quick survey reveals that wometi, are often bothered in bars. There were two complaints of touching by male hairdressers, who want free feels along with high fees. One woman told me that after several pats and strokes, the hand lingering a mili-second too long, the hairdresser came so close to do the front part of her hair that he straddled her knees and almost sat in her lap. (almost but not quite) the maddening part is the no-win nature of these situations. If you make a scene it's embarassing and you will be accused of (chose one) a) not being a good sport b) not being feminine c) not being like other women who, according to men, love this sort of thing d) if overseas, not being a good ambassador or e) insulting foreign culture f) being mistaken and imagining the whole thing g) being petty. On the other hand, if you don't make a scene, you will be humiliated the B.C. government has countered by offering funding to other groups who would allow government access to their files plus limit their activities to counselling of victims. That means no political lobbying, police workshops, public education ie the government gag. The total amount of money which has been withdrawn is $150,000, about a half more than the $100,000 the Attorney General gave to Nasty news from B.C. The provincial government pulled the funding rug from under rape crisis centres because they refused to toe the government's line. At issue is the protection of a client's right to be completely anonymous. The government wants a detailed questionnaire filled out on clients, so detailed that a local person with access to the information could guess a-client's identity. The purpose of the multi-paged questionnaire on rape vic- You can talk to the rape victim but not to the public. Margaret Phillips, formerly of the Lakehead Social Planning Council has been hired as coordinator for the conference "Women and Pensions. Margaret spent most of a year's leave of absenc in a program for women writers in Cazenovia, New York. The OAWE conference "Women and the Future" has been postponed until the Fall 'Auto The Northern Woman's Centre, 316 Bay St. received a $20,000 grant from the city of Thunder Bay. The new Board of Directors elected at the annual meeting in April are Lynn Beak, Teresa Legowski, Danalyn MacKinnon, Margo Morgan, Chris Torrie, Doreen Boucher, Elaine Lynch,'Marg Kowalski, Betty Abortic Kennedy and Viola Nikkila --the fight goes on. A recent survey of 1400 Canadian adults finds, as havE all surveys, that the majority of Canadians support legalized abortion moo. The Ontario Federation of Labour' annual convention passed a resolution by a large majority in favour of lega] ized abortion. They also want the Ontario government to permit abortion in special clinics as in Quebec Our local M.P. Paul McRae (Liberal) does not support legalized abortion. He voted in favour of the ammendment whi( would enshrine fetal rights in the consitiution. The ammendment was intro duced by Conservative David Crombie. It was defeated 129 to 60. am A cas( before the Supreme Court could end the limited form of legal abortion as it is new allowed in Canada. Joseph Cont. page 8 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN -WOMAN Page. 6 �DEPOP-PROVERA: The 20-Year OLD HYPE! by Arja Lane A shot in the arm, and poof, you are sterile for at least three months, maybe six. Don't have to worry about getting pregnant--worry-free sex sounds wonderful--but getting pregnant isn't the only worry behind this injectable contraceptive drug. I'd like to share some facts with you about Depo-Provera. The drug itself has been around since its creation by the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo an American pharmaceutical company, in the early 1960's. Depo-Provera was originally used, and still is, as a painkiller for uterine cancer patients; but, in more recent years, the drug has been used as a contraceptive by women. During the drug's 20 year history, the studies on its long and short-term safety have, and still are producing frightening results on laboratory animals; but, the hype continues to affect millions of women, mostly in Western Europe and Third World'countries. Opposition to using Depo-Provera as a contraceptive has been voiced by various institutions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned its use as a contraceptive in the States because autopsies on monkeys injected with doses of DepoProvera showed that the animals had developed cancer of the uterine lining. As well, the Canadian and Ontario Associations for the Mentally Retarded demanded a ban on this controversial drug here in Canada because of the results of a study done by Dr. Donald Zarfas of the University of Western Ontario which documents the connection of the use of DepoProvera on mentally retarded women who died of breast cancer while taking the drug. According to Dr. Zarfas's study, "The drug has been given to 490 women, usually to halt menstruation for hygienic reasons, though in 24 cases it was prescribed as a contraceptive". The unhealthy potentials of DepoProvera don't stop at cancer of the breast and uterus, although for any sensible human those potentials would be enough for stopping its use. The drug's wotential to effect congenital heart defects, and other abnormal development in children born after its use by the mother work to make unhealthy news for the future as well. Despite the fact that the FDA fol.bids U.S. pharmaceutical companies from exporting products that are banned for domestic use, Depo-Provera is being delivered to family planning clinics in over 80 countries around the world, for use as a contraceptive. Millions of women in Western Europe and Third World countries are being injected regularily with Depo-Provera through the efforts of U.S. populationcontrol organizations, contraceptive manufacturers like the Upjohn Co. of Kalamazoo, and the Canadian government. Yes, you see, the Upjohn Co. of Kalamazoo manufactures Depo-Provera in Canada, as well as in Belgium, to avoid U.S. export hassles. The company's Canadian head office is located in Don Mills, Ontario; and, distribution centres are located across Canada in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal, and Quebec City. Up until now, Canadian and American women have been relatively well protected from Depo-Provera, unless you are a mentally retarded woman. This protection may end soon though, if Canadian politicians and doctors choose to ignore the obviously hazardous side effects of this drug. Presently, in Canada, a committee of eight doctors has been appointed by the Federal government to research the safety of Depo-Provera. A draft report of their research has already been presented to Monique Begin, our Minister for Health and Welfare in Canada., This report claims to justify the use of Depo-Provera as a contraceptive. Ian Henderson, who is the director of the bureau of human prescription drugs for the Federal Department of Health and Welfare says, "Although studies have connected the drug with breast cancer in beagles, and uterine cancer in monkeys, there is no evidence that the drug is dangerous in humans." Echoing this example of total disregard for human sense, but in a more sexist manner is Malcolm Potts, who is the executive director of the International Fertility Research Program in the United States. He justifies using women as guinea pigs to find out the drug's real long-term effects; "We are not going to know whether Depo-Provera is safe until a large number of women use it for a long time." Dr. Potts is one of the people leading the crusade to save Depo-Provera. I bet he plays golf with the owners of the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo. And so, the U.S. pharmaceutical company, Upjohn, continues to profit, while our Canadian medical profession and political businessmen stand by, pulling strings that allow for the continued endangering of women's and children's lives. This whole controversay around Depo-Provera becomes increasingly angering the more you find out about it, doesn't it? For (another) example, the drug is just as effective as a contraceptive when used by men, but isn't because it results in a loss of sexual drive in men. And, because it, results in a loss of sexual drive, another controversial use has been found for this 'wonder?' drug. DepoProvera is used in treatment of male sex offenders in many North American Often, these men treatment centres. have to agree to Depo-Provera treatment as a condition of parole. Humourlessly ironical, but still a profitable use, at least for the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo. The continued production of DepoProvera is just such a glaring example of money-hungry madness--what convenient cancerous use will be found for it in the future? In 10-20 years, when an epidemic in uterine cancer erupts, and we have all these deformed kids around, the ironies and contradictions of Depo-Provera will be even more humourless; but, by then, it will be too late for millions of women and children. Unless, we do something about it now... NaNnjo,Excastck (Mexico) letters continued Dear NWJ Collective, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss a matter of educational concern - career counselling in the school system. . At this time of high unemployment and overabundance of skilled professional workers, it is necessary to broaden the spectrum of career opportunities and options. This statement reflects particularly the attitude which must be adopted to improve the future job placement of women in the work force. It is no longer feasible to channel the aspirations of every young female student towards goals in the field of applied arts, or secretarial arts. These job markets are saturated with college and university graduates who are underemployed or unemployed because of the narrow scope of traditional career opportunities. I do not support discouraging students who are truly interested in the field. of social work, teaching, or sociology, but I do encourage that factual statitstics be utilized to demonstrate the actual placement in these positions,. My main contention is the abolition of culturally-bound, stereotypic beliefs as to what constitutes "a man's job" and what is "woman's work". With the increase of women seeking career employment, either to supplement a wage, or aE the only means of support, and the predicted skill shortages in technical and technological fields, it is time to encourage the involvement of women in the fields of technology. I am not advocating that all, or most, women be trained for technical fields. I am in favour of supporting women students who are inclined mechanically and desire to focus their skills and ability in the area of high technology. My main theme, simply stated, is to open the options of career choice to both men and women. In our present economic state, it is necessary to recruit the natural resources which transpire from both our male and female students. In sisterhood Viola Nikkila PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor gage1.27 NORTHERN 4/0/4AN �products. Family planning organizations predict an increase in the epidemic of teen-age pregnancies but groups such as the United Families of America and the American Life Lobby believe the planned measure is not restrictive UPDATE.....continued Borowski has been granted the right to argue before the court that Section 251 of the Criminal Code contravenes Diefenbaker's Bill of Rights. Borowski's legal costs are to be paid by the taxpayers. Borowski was a minister in Ed Shreyer's Manitoba government but he quit politics to devote his full time to fighting legal abortion. The Canadian Abortion Rights Action League (CABAL) intends to take counter legal action. This is a costly step enough What about racial humour? According to Irene Mitchell, local Human Rights Officer, sexist and racist jokes have been considered as one form of harassment in employment and housing situations. Bill 7, the new Ontario Human Rights code specifically prohibits sexual harassment on the job, from landlords or other tenants and from persons in a position "to confer a benefit". An example of this would be a teacher or a government official in charge of rental housing, who might ask a woman for sexual favours in order to get on the list or threaten to take her name off the list if his sexual solicitations were rejected. CARAL needs support; please join em A major victory and step toward legalized abortions occured in Spain when the "Bilbao Eleven" were acquitted on the charge of having illegal abortions. The case galvanized hundreds of Spanish women, including actresses, singers, and journalists, to declare publically that they had had abortions. It is estimated that 300,000 Spanish women go through illegal abortions The Ontario legislators did not each year me Legislators in Venezudla and Nigeria turned lown legalizing bills in spite of the heavy death rate from illegal abortions Filmmakers from Studio D (the women's unit of the National Film Board) who have been researching world wide abortion were horrified to be told by a South American doctor to bring their cameras to the hospital any weekend if the want film of dying women. Any week- end would do Kuwait and Turkey will now allow abortion under very limited circumstances cm in all third world countries the death rate from back-street complications is high estimated, for example, to be 10,000 deaths a year in Turkey, according to the New York Times. Feminists point out that although legalization of abortion is a major health issue, third world women and their families often lack decent health care of all kinds In the U.S. the battle for abortion right is also occurring at the state level. Many states are considering bills which would require that the husband be notified if the wife wishes a legal abortion and also that both the parents of eighteen year olds or younger sign their consent. Minnesota has such a law now. Is a dirty joke illegal? A If we let women control their own bodies, then they'll become the puppets of r do their personal best when they drafted Bill 7. There is no protection from harassment for gays. Sadly, although a majority of Canadians support legal protection for minorities and women, only 30% favour rights for gay people, according to the Human Rights Commission. me Children's Rights however took a baby step forward. Circuit Judge William L. Reinecke of Wisconsin has apologized for remarks The intent is to reduce abortions by taking the decision away from the woman made about a five year old child who concerned. The result is also traumatic had been sexually assaulted. In passing sentence on 24 year old farm labourer, for the woman if the husband or one of Ralph Snodgrass, the judge threw the the parents cannot be found or if they blame on the five year old. "I am satrefuse to sign. In South Dakota isfied that we have an unusually sexually all the women legislators--both Repubpromiscuous young lady and that this lican and Democrat--joined forces to man did not know enough to knock off defeat such a measure. In Kentucky the her advances and allowed the contact bill will probably pass. The legislation to take place." Reinecke was pressured in Alabama defines the I.U.D. and the into the apology by the public outcry pill as forms of abortion. It will and a callfor his resignation by et most likely be defeated but it is group "Citizens for Children" that is interesting to see the growing public also working for the judges's recall. emergence of the anti-contraceptive um, A bizarre sidelight on the above side of the "Right-to-Life" movement case. Singer Connie Francis, who was me along the same lines, U.S. federal scheduled to appear on behalf of Citgovernment is owrking on measures to izen's for Children, had to cancel her restrict the sale of contraceptives appearance because she received threats to under 19 year olds. Some form of on her life if she made the trip to parental notice will have to be given Wisconsin. Francis' career was sidebefore the teens can get birth control lined when she was raped in 1974. Letter Trull flargqret Laurence Dear Friend: I am writing to you on a matter of great urgency. You will undoubtedly be as concerned as I am with a real and pressing threat to the civil liberties of many Canadians -- women and men, medical professionals and their patients. A legal action brought in Sask. by an opponent of abortion could ultimately deny safe, medical, legal abortion to Canadian women. It could, if successful, make it impossible for health care professionals to counsel their patients about abortion and to provide them with access to abortion. On December 1, 1981, in a decision which surprised many legal observers, the Supreme Court of Canada granted Joe Borowski of Winnipeg standing to challenge our abortion law. Borowski claims that a fertilized egg is a person, deserving of and entitled to protection of the Diefenbaker Canadian Bill of Rights. Borowski would allow no abortions under any circumstances -- not even in cases of rape or incest. There are, as you know, many flaws in Section 251 -- our present abortion law -- but should the courts decide that a fertilized egg is a person, even the limited access we now have will disappear. Women, though, will continue to have unplanned, unwanted and unsupportable pregnancies3 and, in their desperation, seek ways to terminate them. Canadian women will again be driven into back street abortions,,and possible be maimed or die as a result. The Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, of which I am an honorary director, plans to take legal action to counter Joe Borowski's threats to turn back the clock. CABAL, unlike Borowski, is not supported by large powerful institutions with virtually unlimited funds. We are dependent upon you, and other individuals like you, to fight the battle which our legal advisors tell us could run to six figures. Your interest, participation and financial support can make the difference. You can stop Joe Borowski from turning back the clock. Will you? Yours sincerely, Margaret Laurence Margaret Laurence PAGE 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION SEE PDFCompressor Mrt r +hr. *art tat �Christopher Do The Dishes I watched how my mother lied in her sleep And said no fucking way mister. Blond smiles dazzling eyes catch the world as you open your hand close your fingers around your dreams so full of trust holding on for balance if you fall you'll get back up again wobbling and grasping all the time smiling growing. Love Mom I made pots after washing them bowls big as your head Mugs - Kam River lugs And I kept washing them. Rosalyn Taylor Perrett constant constancy may be worth something. i've been here a Long time on you. tettous on 12 yeats. a iew hugs when we coutd have them. They have to shine and the silverware comes After the glasses And then the mud - the incredible mud Soaping into cones Ice-cream droppings. Mud Conferences The terrible message "That's a lot of work" Some penance of mine. goweu buitding onto trust. you sent me away Last yeah. The alternativesDo I like doing dishes orwomen do dishes! Anyone can do dishes! I'm still doing dishes! Aan away 6/tom me. my arms empty .06 yowl. Love holding onto ait. holding oii a host to wonid Women are dishes!, atone. I'm drawing them Talking them Touching them Emulating them Remembering them. so much atone. one day soon you'tt. come back. the chance, my twin, that we may touch. that eyes may meet and recognize again. it's in our catds. Eaten alive Food on plates Dipped in suds Slaughtered in their sleeping wake Mountainous waves of warm. but wLU you Let me be there. on tun ban nom me I did the dishes! What did you do? ainaid. Diane Stein PittSbutgh, Pa. Geraldine Van Cram SUNRISE On cektain mornings, Long awaited, as the sun stowgitds the tteetops 'CA044 the bay, An unheAaeded petioAmance oi a dawn ballet commences, Pon the batteAina sunbeams whit out stage centte, 4tont, To atabesque and pirouette and even pause awhite; Rejoice in thein teitection oi the sea. Time catts the tune though, White a westwind points the way As each peA4onmen exits swigey in the dawn Save On one, who in de4iance, Leaping high in sitent rapture, Lang putsues het gotd enchantment; then is gone. In the sudden hush that Ottows... A tingening pause oi unpaced heattbeats... Across the empty sea there balls The saettace cuttain o6 another day. POET RY SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED Blanket Cry The night lies, tightly wrapped Cocoon-like clouds rise like spires Spreading their stain over the sunrise Gray high -- lift and mire a blanket cry... A smell like something rotting A thing once so fresh and fine, protesting Its own transformation. Joyce Michalchuk Violet Wineganden PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �WOMEN'S PENSIONS NEEDS IGNORED By 1'Orret Phi 11 ips ensions ... a women's issue. An ssue not only for older women but young, middle aged or every woman alderly; married, single, divorced separated; working only inside the ome or also-working in the paid labour orce. an you expect to live in dignity, n economic security when you are 65? ew women reading this Journal will be ble to answer that question affirmtively. overty in Canada is overwhelmingly a emale phenomenon. Most elderly women Our pension system does not re poor. The erve the needs of Canadian women. ension system fails most Canadians, ut within this sorry picture women are he most disadvantaged. n her study 'Pension Reform With omen In Mind' Louise Dulude states Generally, our pension system is a isaster for women because it reproduces 11 the economic injustices they suffered hroughout their lives. If they lived life of poverty because they were aught to rely on a man who subsequently ailed them, their pensions will almost ertainly also be under the poverty If they worked full-time outine. ide the home all their lives at dirty nd exhausting jobs that paid little ecause they were done by women, they ill get very low pensions as a result. ..The danger of reforming pensions ithout substantially improving women's reatment in them is to create two eparate but unequal pension systems: sophisticated and adequate one for men; nd an inferior, charity-oriented one or women': or many women the daily struggle for conomic survival leaves little time energy to consider one's retirement Yet planning for retirement eeds. hould begin as soon as you leave school. t is particularly important that women onsider the pensions issue now. Both he federal and provincial governments re presently undertaking pension reform nd the legislative changes that will e made in the next months or few years ould significantly affect our retirement rovisions for many years to come. As ulude comments "Pension reform comes From the shape of Canada's n waves. ension system today, it is obvious hat in every wave of the past women ere unrepresented and forgotten". f the inadequate, stereotyped and requently sexist treatment of women s to be changed, a determined and nergetic involvement of women in the urrent pension debate is necessary. n examination of the present system llustrates that women's pensions needs re ignored in a number of ways. As a tarting point let's look at what access D income security women over 65 years The most basic f age presently have. Durce of income of elderly Canadians s the old age pension (OAS) which is vailable, upon application, to everyone ged 65 and over, except people who nigrated to Canada since July 1977. The problems of immigrant women will e discussed later.) The old age acurity pension increases every three )nths to reflect changes in the cost E living index. In April 1982 the kS pension is $232.97 per month. Pensioners who have little or no personal income may also apply for the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), which is also indexed to the cost of living. GIS applicants are income The maximum GIS benefit availtested. able in April 1982 is $233.89 for an individual alone, or $180.32 for each In Ontario member of a married couple. the GIS may be supplemented by GAINS which in April 1982 provides $48.88; for an individual alone and $74.95 for a married pensioner. It is important to note that the need for the Guaranteed Income Supplement is extensive. In 1980, 460,000 elderly men and 706,000 elderly women were receiving these supplements. The other federal benefit for low income senior citizens is the Spouse's Allowance, which is given to married people aged 60 to 64 whose spouses are already receiving OAS and GIS. While this is a needed and beneficial program it must be pointed out that it discriminates against unmarried poor people aged 60 to 64...most of whom are women. The basic programs offered by the government provide a married couple with an income approximately at the poverty line, but let us remember that the poverty level is established at only 50% of the average Canadian family The income of elderly women income. living alone still falls well below the 59.5% of spouseless poverty line. Canadian women aged 65 and over were living in poverty in 1979 (the last year for which atatistics are available). The Canada/Quebec Pension Plan (C/QPP) is a government sponsored retirement income system to which all employees and employers must contribute. The Plan (which I will subsequently refer to as CPP) provides retirement pensions, disability pensions, death benefits and benefits for surviving spouses and children of a contributor. Retired employees receive pensions of 25% of average lifetime inflation-adjusted earnings up to a maximum (in 1982 .. While the CPP has had $308 per month). an important impact on the income of retired men, women as a group have not been so fortunate. The pension is provided only to retirees from the paid labour force, thus the approximately 5,000,000 Canadian women who work only inside the home are excluded from the It is ironic to note that a paid plan. housekeeper is obliged to participate i However, if she marries her the CPP. employer and continues to do the same work she is no longer allowed to participate in the plan. The CPP provides benefits to the If surviving spouse of a contributor. the contributor dies, the surviving spouse who is not a plan member (usuall the female) will receive 60% of the But contributor's retirement pension. if the spouse who is not a plan member dies first, the plan member (usually the male) continues to receive the full retirement pension. As previously mentioned the CPP is lifetime earnings related. Thus, because of their disadvantaged employment position many women wage earners are not well served. Most women employees are poorly paid. Many women by necessity are in the part time labour force. Consequently, pension benefits are correspondingly c low. Except in Quebec, women who leave the paid labour force to care for their children will find their pensions significantly reduced. A."child care drop-out" provision to protect the pension entitlements of parents who leave the labour market to raise children has long been advocated. The province of Quebec has enacted a dropout provision for mothers of children under the age of 7. Because of Ontari veto such provision cannot be enacted elsewhere in Canada. What about private pension schemes? Aren't workers provided generous pension plan opportunities at their place of work? More than 55% of Canad paid labour force is not covered by Only 34% any private pension plan. of female earners are covered by emFurthermore, ployer sponsored plans. access to an employer sponsored plan does not guarantee an employee a pension when they reach retirement age. Because of women's generally disadvantaged employment situation women chang jobs more frequently than men, which has serious implications for their future pension benefits. Firstly, the lack of pension "portability" means that pension rights seldom can be transferred from one job to another. Secondly, unless the plan is "vested" an employee will lose the pension contributions their employer made on their behalf, and will only get back their own contributions, with a very low rate of interest. At present most provincial pension laws require "vesting" after a participant has attained age 45 and completed ten yea/ Thi of service for the same employer. Continued on page 14 L PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WO!AN Page. �OFTEN PENSION PLANS DO NOT MOST HOMEMAKERS ARE NOT COVERED INCLUDE SURVIVOR BENEFITS BY PENSION PLANS ONLY ONE THIRD OF WOMEN WORKERS ARE COVERED BY EMPLOYER SPONSORED PENSION PLANS NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO i T WomenoPensions Conference REGISTRATION FEE..$10 per DELEGATE(INCLUDES LUNCH SAT) 8,1981. ?30-10 PM PRINCE ARTHUR MOTOR HOTEL SAT,MAY ;0,198aL San- 4.30 THUNDER BAY. FRI MAY 2 111111111=0 All Northwestern Ontario women are invited to participate in the WOMEN and PENSIONS Conference to be held at the Prince Arthur Hotel, Thunder Bay, May 28,29, 1982. Sponsored by the Northern Women's Centre and supported by grants from the federal departments of Health and Welfare and Secretary of State, the Conference will provide women with information on pensions in Canada, and will give an opportunity to discuss methods of improving the delivery of pensions to women. Monica Townson, author of the bestseller 'Canadian Woman's Guide to Money' has a long standing involvement with the women's movement in Canada, and is a frequent speaker on 'women and work' and 'women and money'. Ms. Townson graduated from the London School of Economics. She is a former economic editor of Financial Times, and former vice-president and Director of Research for the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Ms. Townson currently works as an Economic Consultant in Louise Dulude is a lawyer and researcher specializing in the economic rights of women. Louise Dulude obtained her BA through evening courses while working as a secretary. She received a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Montreal in 1970 and was admitted to the Bar of the Province of Quebec in 1971. Ms. Dulude practiced law as Accommodation and travel subsidies Ottawa. Director of a legal aid clinic in Montare available to delegates from real, and then worked in the field of NWO district communities. Day Care women's rights in Ottawa, first as is available for children 2 yrs. The Conference begins at 7:30 p.m. liaison officer with women's groups for and older provided that advance Friday, May 28th and will conclude the Department of Secretary of State, notice is given. Conference workSaturday, May 29th at 4:30 p.m. and subsequently as a researcher. shops will be held in English and In Registration fee is $10 per delegate, in French. that capacity, she prepared seven reports which includes Saturday lunch. on women, including 'Women and the Highlighting the Conference will be Personal Income Tax System' (for the For further information please guest addresses by Ruth Cunningham, Canadian Advisory Council on the Status contact Margaret Phillips, Louise Dulude and Monica Townson. of Women, in 1976), 'Women and Aging' Conference Co-ordinator, 316 Bay St. As Director of Womens Programs for (also for the CACSW, 1978), 'Women and Thunder Bay, phone 345-7802 or the Confederation College since 1974, Poverty' (for the National Council of Seminar Centre, Confederation College, phone 475-6380. Rut.i Cunningham has initiated, deve- Welfare, 1979) and 'Pension Reform loped and facilitated women's programs With Women In Mind' (CACSW, 1981). Ms. Dulude was recently appointed to the in response to-changing needs of womer Canada Pension Plan Advisory Committee, in education and employment. Ruth and in March 1982 was elected to the Cunningham is a past member of the executive of the National Action Committee Ministry of Colleges and Universities COME TO THE on the Status of Women. Provincial Executive of Womens' Advisors; past vice-president of the Ontario CONFERENCE Status of Women Council; and presently is a vice-president of MATCH International. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �We have become used to thinking of ourselves as victim and oppressor, but a new perception emerges with the words DOMINANTS and SUBORDINATES. It fits our reality so precisely that no one wonders how any other term could do more than confuse us. DOMINANT...one who has a commanding position or controlling power, a supremacy or pre-eminence over question of his right to do so. To struggle with a subordinate, and take a chance on losing, causes a direct assault on his ego (formed by his interpretation of what a "man" is ). He has progressed in every area but the growth of psychological change, which can only be accomplist ed by introspection. Since the subordinate is a master of introspectic it follows that all change comes frc the subordinate class, and all dive/ sion, from the dominant. The value of conflict permeates this book; inner conflicts lay the base for the open conflicts that mus take place before real change can happen. However, it is not woman's responsibility to move into the dominant's culture and cleanse it of the problems that men have created for themselves. That is a diversion which simply reaffirms us as subordinate, "cleaners-up" of messes made by the dominants. It is within the subordinate clas that the spirit of co-operation is necessary to strengthen the pull to affiliation.. The "care and share" another. philosophy e'r.e. deeply engrained as a TOWARD A NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN by Jean Baker MilIer,M.D NETWORKING by Gert Beadle Beendigen 622-5101 C,A.R.A.L.(julte) 767-5853 Crisis Homes Inc. (leni) 345-7802 Crisis Housing (city)623-2711 Family & Credit ity. Counselling 623-9596 Free Clothing Depot 345-9222 Immigrant Women 345-0551 Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic 344-2478 Lamaze (bey) 622-5464 LaLeche League 577-9188 Midwest Health Centre Duluth 218-727-3352 Northern Women's Centre 345-7802 Northern Women's Credit Union 345-3112 Rape & Sexual Centre 344-4502 Women & Health 344-8144 Single Parent Women 767-6396 Women's Bureau, Min. of Labour 475-1691 Women's Programs (Con College) 475-6278 WHAT DO YOu WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? GIRLS CAN BE ANYTHING THEY WANT TO BE THESE DAYS . I would like to share some thoughts and feelings that occurred to me while studying this book, "Toward a New Psychology of Women", by Jean Baker Miller, M. D. To those who have reflected on what it means to be a woman of the past,future and present, I found myself on very familiar territory from the first page. But that territory had widened for me in the use of a new descriptive naming for our real- SUBORDINATE...one of lower class or rank inferior. Submissive to authority. Dependant. To recognize that what is seen as "normal" is the dominant's perception of what is "normal" makes every thought outside the perimeters of that thought "abnormal", so that a great questioning of the self has taken place in the minds of the subordinates. This questioning has produced an inner conflict, not resolved in many womenobecause it remains unspoken to a growing number of subordinates who are prepared to risk, by open conflict, in defence of their own values. It is in the nature of dominants, both politically and personally, to shy away from introspection, to deny the flaws that are inherent in their own thinking and to protect their dominance from question. The role of the subordinate has been to enforce the dominant's own ,conception of himself as capable of the task he has set. The legitimacy of struggle in the dominant's eyes takes place only with peers; in this arena, he competes for advantage without any ...BRAIN SURGEON ...COLLEGE PRoFESsoR ...FIREsiVENT...k4OU SMOLA.%) DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM survival technique. As the dominant structure pulls farther and farther away from community spirit, there can be no community between dominati and servility. There must be confli Whatever form it takes, it must begi by refusing to prop up illusions whi Th propagated the two-class system. author posits, "There is no prop so missed as the one you always denied existed." While the dominants must be force into introspection, the subordinate must see this conflict of wills as legitimate and without malice--a nec essary identification for promoting the changes of which she is carrier. All subordinates are on the move against dominance--children, peasant working classes, to name a few, and each craves the power to change some structure in this culture of the dom inant. However, women take a second look at power to control as a negati offshoot of the dominant culture, an spurn it. The powers women are seeking are the power to authenticate ourselves and create an alternate culture that allows the experience of our subjugation to seep into the mix as positiv4 change in social and institutional structures; the power to risk displez sure at choosing whether or not to have children and how many for our ox, reasons and the power to be self-sustaining and self-directed. One does not necessarily have to destroy relationships to actualize oneself. There is always the possibi lity that the proper use of conflict will change that relationship--the dc inants for subordinates at whatever level. VativE 60TTA SE REAusTIC... There does remain, however, the possibility of establishing a selfrespect that may also encourage a new response from the dominants and for their own sake. Because the community of women make it possible not to have this conflict in splendid isolation, this is the real change the strong woman may find she misses: not establishing an affiliation where strength and weakness can be celebrated and supported. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northeth t Omar odgi12 �ABOUT THE CANADIAN PENSION SYSTEM Credit National Action on the Statu3 of Women 1. What are the three sources of pension income for Canadians? 2. What are the three plans provided by the federal government? 3. What percentage of people over the age of 65 with incomes below the poverty line are women? a) 20% b) 50% c) 66% 4. What is the most common definition of the word "pension"? a) senior's supplement b) deferred wages c) pensioner payoff 5. you are a female worker in the labour force and you leave temporarily to have and raise a child, what happens to your contributions to the Canada Pension Plan? a) they continue automatically b) they stop c) you can contribute voluntarily 6. The income available from the OAS and GIS plans for the single pensioner in Canada in 1981 was $5040. What was the poverty line? a) $3300 b) $4600 c) $5800 Who is eligible for the spousal allowance benefit provided by the federal government? . a) a widow or widower who has no independent income b) any married woman over 65 c) a spouse (between 60 and 64) of an old age pensioner 8. What does GIS stand for? a) Golden Age Information Serice b) Guaranteed Income Supplement c) Gaining Inflationary Spiral 9. What is the "drop-out" provision? a) a plan for people who are not Canadian citizens b) a plan to allow workers to take time out of the workforce to raise children without harming their pension accumulation c) a plan for senior citizens who wish to go back to school 10.. What is "portability"? a) pension coverage for dock workers b) transferring accumulated pension credits from one employee plan to another c) being able to collect a pension when you move from one province to another 11. What is "indexing"? a) statistical analysis b) regular adjustment to pensions related to the cost of living c) a special file at Statistics Canada 12. What is "vesting"? a) early retirement b) ensuring employer's contribution to your pension plan is yours c) receiving gold watch and chain on retirement a) benefits for unemployed 13. What is the "survivor option"? women b) benefits for widows/widowers of employees enrolled in a pension plan c) benefits for any spouse who has survived 35 years of marriage 14. What percentage of employer provided pension plans give no survivor benefits to a widow? a) 10% b) 75% c) 47% 15. What percentage of female workers in the paid labour force are covered by a pension plan at work? a) 25% b) 34% c) 65% 16. What percentage of male workers are covered by a pension plan at work? a)50% b) 90% c) 66% 17. If the average man receives a pension of about 60% of salary, what percentage does the average woman worker receive? a) 60% b) 40% c) 20% 18. What percentage of public service employees have pension plan coverage? a) 98% b) 50% c) 10% 19. On divorce, are you legally entitled to share in your spouse's accumulated pension credits from the Canada Pension Plan? 20. What about pension credit accumulated from an employee plan? ANS.IERS ON BACK PAGE =w-=--- the math mystique by Joan Baril The strange thing about Math Anxiety is that, if you have it, you know exactly what it is; and if you don't have it you can't understand what the fuss is about. The Fear of Math is neurosis or an irrational fear. A 'math avoider" is a person, usually a woman who, according to Sheila Tobias, (Washington School of Psychiatry) determinedly avoids math and all math related programs. She is convinced she cannot "do (-IOU KNOW WHAT I THINK LOU HAVE,5IR? 'IOU HAVE Women who suffer math alienation math". 1 1 ; 1 i often dropped math as soon as they vt ATH ANXIEW" could in high school. Many women find their career paths blocked because they won't enter programs which require Math, even Math at a basic level. What creates a math-a-phobe? The first cause is the societal forces that shape us as children--that old devil, conditioning. When I was at school in Thunder Bay in the fifties everyoneIF I ASKED KOIJ HOW NINE assumed that boys were better than MAN'? WAI6 girls in math. The female studentsBOOKS and COULD BE ARRANGED A SHELF, UJHAT WOULD (the few) women math teachers were ON conBE LOUR FIRST REACTION? sidered lucky exceptions - sort of born 40.1 geniuses because we all believed that you were granted math ability at birth-like a gift from the good fairy as in the old tales. Boys got it; girls didn't Of course, we all had heard about women students in Russia who excelled in Math and went on to be scientists and engineers and so on. We also "knew" that these studious women were muscular types and dowdy dressers as well which proved the limitations of the Communist system. We dressed as close to the "Seventeen" style as we could afford and eschewed Math whenever possible thereby being feminine and patriotic at the same time. Math ability, of course, is not a gift from heaven. It is a learned skill. Successful Math students play around with Math problems, trying various ideas to get the right solution. They know how to flounder constructively. Math-haters believe the myth that the answer should come at once. They lack the confidence to use the trial and error method. Self-Confidence is crucial in learning math. According to Elizabeth Fennema (U. Wisconsin), confidence is almost as strongly related as cognitive (verbal and spatial) ability to math achievement. In her researches she found that boy children were significantly, more confident than girls and the most able boys were the most confident. The boys believed their math ability was the result of skill, but the children believed that when a girl got the right answer, it was luck. No wonder the most able girls were the least confident of all. There is another reason why girls are less confident in Math. Fennema discovered that math teachers interacted more with boys than with girls: She noted in her classroom observations that teachers gave more.,- praise and blame to the confident boys. On many days, the girls did not interact at all with their math teachers. And the high confidence girls got the least attention from their math teachers. Conditioning is not a one-shot thing that operates on us in early childhood-and then--zap--we are conditioned. It is a life-long system of subtle rewards and punishments which infPDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor luence our actions and beliefs. Being �PENSIONS from page 10 system obviously was developed with the middle/upper class male in mind ... .. it certainly doesn't apply to most divorcing women are under age 35 and have an immediate and urgent need for cash, they will accept a small cash settlement and forego the long-term pension benefit. women. Women who have been in the labour force for some years have been victims of sex discrimination in employer sponsored pension plans, which frequently had later entrance ages and earlier retirement for women. By 1982 this discrimination has largely been removed but that may be of small comfort to older women earners. (In one previous job situation I was prohibited from joining the pension plan until I had completed three full years of employment ..the criteria for male workers of this corporation was one year.. thus I lost two years of pension benefits because I am a woman.) Another shortcoming of employer sponsored plans is the absence (in most plans) of survivor benefits. For once and for all let's dispel the myth that wives are adequately provided for by their husbands' pensions. Our pension system implies a societal expectation that Canadians will plan for their retirement by personal savings and investments. Such expectation of course ignores the fact that the wages of most female earners preclude the possibility of significant savings, and conveniently forgets that homemakers have no personal income from which to save or invest. A particularly serious situation exists in respect to pension provision for immigrant women. Until July 1977, people who emigrated to Canada at least ten years before reaching age 65 were entitled to a full OAS pension. Since 1977 the rule is that people who have been here more than ten years but less than 40 get only 1/40th of the pension for every year spent in Canada. As a result only those who have been here for 40 years or more will receive full benefits. This provision was made with the objective of helping people who were deprived of social security benefits earned in other countries because of the absence of reciprocal agreements with those countries. What was ignored is that few, if any, immigrant women qualify for pensions from their countries of origin. As Louise Dulude states "If we insist on retaining the present eligibility rules for OAS, therefore, within a decade or two we will have created a new, mainly female, mainly Third World sub-class of senior citizens in Canada." MTH cnnt'd a girls math ability but boys are couraged math-ward. Math textbook materials are often the most male oriented of all school material. For example the American SAT-M college entrance tests, spots mal a forty point advantage due to se bias, according to Lynn Fox in a report for the Ford Foundation. Some further notes on math anxiety: There is no evidence to support belief that boys do better in math than girls either at public or hig school level. (Fox, Ford Foundatio March 1980). The research is still inconclusive here. It has also been suggested that there is a biological or genetic d ference(or differences in the male and female brain) which could accol for differences between the sexes Math. Until recently it was stated that males were .favoured in spatia: abilities and some researchers bel: that this meant males were better Math but recent studies shed doubt all these theories. : Taking Math and Loving it Courses for math avoiders are springing up and Confederation Col] is considering one for this Fall. ] these courses the women discuss the math histories. The Math work is dc in a non-competitive atmosphere, Id non-sexist materials and plenty of encouragement to discuss difficulty without feeling stupid. The student learn how to "read" Mathematics plt learning about different kinds of thinking. And of course, no timed t or surprise quizzes -- just an expl ation of a new (mathematical) world Pension reform in Canada is under review. If women's situation in the pension system is to improve, women must forcefully make their needs known. An opportunity to engage in the pensions debate will be provided by the Women and Pensions Conference to be held in Thunder Bay, May 28, 29, 1982. (See Conference details elsewhere in this Journal) A number of studies recently undertaken make concrete recommendations concerning the necessary changes The pension system also seems oblivious to the reality that one in three Canadian marriages will end in divorce. Except in British Columbia, employer sponsored pension plans and R.R.S.P.'s are not usually recognized as family assets to be divided between spouses upon divorce. While the CPP pension credits can be equally split between divorcing spouses, such splitting is not automatic but must be applied for within three years of the divorce. To date a very low percentage of divorcing women have benefitted from this provision. The possible reasons for this may be lack of information about this right, or the difficulty the divorcing wife has in providing necessary documentation (e.g. her husband's birth certificate and social insurance numbers). 'However, it is suggested that as most that must be made in the pensions system. Subsequent issues of the Journal will review these recommendations, as well as report the results of the Women and Pensions Conference. Resource material used in the preparation of this article includes: the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women's reports Pension Reform for Women..A Discussion Paper, Women and Pensions Fact Sheet, Pension Reform With Women In Mind (by Louise Dulude), all of which are available from the CACSW Box 1541, Station B, Ottawa, K1P 5R5; and the NAC Women and Pensions kit, available ($6.00) from the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, Suite 306, 40 St. Clair Ave. E., Toronto, M4T 1M9. , THUNDER BAY RAPE & SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTRE Women from the Centre will be in LONGLAC: May 20th, 9:30 am at the Library for a Community Informatioi Workshop. MARATHON: June 7, at 8:00, place be announced. NIPIGON: June 8, time to be announi ' Don't forget to renew yc subscription! Here's my sub: Name Address (postal code) individual $ 5 institutiona PDF compression, OCR, NORTHERN WOMAN Pageweb 14 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Health Wanted THE F)LLOWING MATERIAL CAN BE OBTAINED THE THUNDER BAY WOMEN AND HEALTH COMMITTEE concerned with women's health care in Northwestern Ontario ask you to share your experiences with them. All information will be kept in confidence. Their goals are as follows: Many women, particularly those working women who are also filling the role of mother and housewife, spend most of the day (and night in the case of shift workers) under artificial lighting, often florescent, with little exposure to direct sun- Short term goals: TO ESTABLISH A RELIABLE KNOWLEDGE BASE WITH THE GROUP WHICH COULD BE DRAWN UPON AS A RESOURCE IN FUTURE. TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH OTHER HEALTH RELATED GROUPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. light. Long term goals: TO OPERATE AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE, TO BE DRAWN UPON FOR INFORMATION AND REFERRALS. TO PROMOTE A HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK THROUGHOUT THE NORTHWEST REGION. CONDENSED From: "The Politics of Artificial Light" by Roberta Rivers Healthsharing, Spring '82 Our environment has an impact on our bodies and their biological rhythms. Artificial lighting can be one of the environmental factors affecting health. FROM MATCH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE 401 - 171 Nepean Street OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada K2P OB4, (613) 238-1312 Available studies show a relationship between artificial light and symptoms of,among others, headaches, eyestrain, skin that is pale and sensitive to sun or showing signs of early aging and menstrual disorders such as irregular menses or painful MATCH brochures and membership forms Newsletters Description of projects periods. RESOURCE KITS (Also Available in French) WHOLE BIRTH CATALOGUE The Whole catalogue women and mation on supplies, $3.00 --- Women and Agriculture --- Appropriate Technology $3.00 for Women --- Cooperatives and Access $3.00 to credit for Women --- Genital Mutilations: Opinions from Third World $3.00 Women $3.00 --- Bottle Babies --- Women and Contraception: $3.00 Who's in control? --- MATCH Community Animat$1.50 ion Kit Birth Catalogue is a resource for anyone interested in birth. It includes inforbooks, birth and educational herbs and other maternal aids. The Catalogue costs $1.50 (plus 50 cents for postage). It is available from: THE WHOLE BIRTH CATALOGUE 20 London Rd. W. Guelph, Ont. N1H 2B5 THUNDER BOLT NOT THE DOCTOR To: Brady Reaume the general manager of Lakehead Living, Thunder Bay's weekly tabloid. Brady resurrected the caption "Wednesday Girl" (put to rest by earlier complaints) which appears under the photo of a female whether7 she is nine or ninety. NOT THE CHURCH NOT THE STATE WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONTROL THEIR FATE THUNDER CLAP The women producing the television series WOMEN, CONTROVERSY and CHANGE for their laudible and enthusiastic efforts at production, editing, acting, writing and directing. To: HELP HELP HELP C. A. Atikokan Crisis House is in need of a crib, Anyone havinn one they wish to donate nlease call Leni at 683-5236, in Thunder Bay, R, A. L. meeting 316 Bay St, Women's Centre June 3, 1982 PREEDOM OP CHOICE CANADIAN ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE (CABAL) ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE POW' LE DROIT A L'AVORTEMENT tAiJoA) a cd a The Purpose of CARAL is to ensure that no woman in Canada is denied access to safe, legal abortion. Our aim is the repeal of all sections of the Criminal Codce dealing with abortion and the establishment of comprehensive contraceptive and abortion services, including appropriate counselling across the country. "We regard the right to safe, legal abortion as a fundamental human right." I support the statement of purpose of CARAL and wish to become a member. Name. Address: Phone. LESBIAN COUNSELORS NJWORK If you counsel lesbians and are a radical lesbian feminist or separatist, you are invited to join a network of radical lesbian counselors. We will be sharing theory, techniques, case consultation, workshop ideas, and personal survival ideas as they relate to counseling lesbians. Postal Code: For more information contact: RUTH BAETZ, Box 242, Rte. 2, BURTON, Wa. 98013, U.S.A. RETURN TO: CARAL, Box 935, Sin. Occupation. Name of Federal Riding. Individual Member Limited Income Family Sustaining Donation $10.00 '$3.00 $15.00 $25.00 O. Toronto, M4T 2P1 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION Sorth.ein PDFCompressor 41i6itian p4i6(4''S �VIOLENCE AGAINST WOME an historical perspective There are two main reasons why our society accepts, if not condones, violence against women--wife battering, for example, or the humiliations of rape trials, or the treatment of child abuse. First, even though our twentieth century legal system has made great advances towards equality for men and women, our society still sanctions Tole power and female powerlessness through its economic structures and through other agencies of social control. by Deborah Gorham married, at which time they came under the control of their husbands. Although the position of women did improve to some degree over two thousand years, up until the reforms to English law of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries it was still true that by what was known as the "doctrine of couverture" a wife's person was subsumed under that of her husband. Thus, in becoming married, a woman submitted to remaining a perpetual minor. In theoryt she could not make contracts, own property, or sue or be sued in court. (In practice, exceptions were sometimes made). Her children, if they were "legitimate", were in law the children of her husband--she had no legal authority over The second factor is more difficult to identify clearly, because it operates at a non-rational level, but it is probably of even greater importance than the first: in much of the sexual imagery of our culture, female them. sexuality is portrayed as dangerous And what of the husband's right to and destructive. physical control of his wife? In In contemporary society, those imEnglish law, the wife's promise in the provements in the legal structure that marriage ceremony to obey the husband were won for us by feminists in the was reflected in his common-law right late nineteenth and early twentieth to restrain her, and beat her. However centuries tend .to obscure the fact I should point out that there were that the attitudes of an older, frankly limits, both in law and in custom, to patriarchal tradition still persist. the husband's physical power over his Our western European heritage has bewife. By the eighteenth and nineteenth queathed to us a tradition in which centuries, legal commentators did say patriarchal control was the cornerthat a man's right to beat his wife stone of the dominant group's conceptdid not allow him to bes"violent or ion of both the family and the state, cruel" to her; nevertheless, his right and uncluttered by the rise of democrto "restrain" his wife, that is, force atic individualism in the nineteenth her to return to live with him if she century. ran away, continued to be upheld by The ideology of patriarchy reached English and Canadian courts until the its fullest development in the sevenlate nineteenth century. teenth century, and in this period the The patriarchal. tradition still relationship of power and subordinis relevant to us today. Although ation deemed necessary in the family many policemen, judges, and lawyers came to be seen as symbolic of the give lip-service to the idea of legal power relationships that ought to exequality between men and women, in ist at all levels of society. As one fact this tradition is relatively so historian of seventeenth-century purinew that the older tradition. in which tanism has put it, "the essence of the social order lay in the superiority of husband over wife, parents over children, and master over servants in the family, ministers and elders over congregations in the church, rulers over subjects in the state". It should be pointed out that women were not alone in being excluded from power; in theory, all children, all young men, and all poor men shared-. this powerlessness. But woman's position was unique, in that it was only women who were in theory perpetually subordinate and controlled. Not only did most women have less autonomy than men of equivalent social status, but also being female became symbolically connected with being subordinate. In the ideology of patriarchy, th subordination of the wife to the husband was perceived as analogous to the subordination of man to God--part of the natural order of things° Today, feminists are working to eradicate such patriarchal features of the law as the husband's right to the wife was seen as a child in need consortium and his right to select of control, is still with us, even the family's domicile, but it should though those who subscribe to it are be remembered that these inequities no longer likely to admit to the fact are vestiges of a much more pervasive openly. system of male domination that goes Now I want to turn to the second back to Roman times. The Roman "patria factor that I mentioned at the outpotestas" gave the father-patriarch set: our society still associates life-and-death power over his wife female sexuality with danger and evil. and minor children. His control over I think that this deep-felt tradition his daughters continued until they is of great importance in explaining I . not only why violent crimes agains women occur, but also why it is th, men, including police officers, ph: sicians, and judges often feel tha a woman has violence "coming to he that she "deserved" to be raped, bl ten, or molested. In this century, women have bee] perceived as less, rather than mor( sexual than men, and although this view has been challenged in recent years, it is still, I would suggesi the way many people think a "norma: woman should be. But this view dat( only from the Victorian period, an( supercedes a much older ideology, a much longer history. According to this view, women we seen as sexual devourers. As an example, here is a quotation from a learned fifteenth-century text, in which two Dominican fathers explair why women, rather than men, are liF to become witches: "All witchcraft comes from carnal lust, which is it women insatiable. See Proverbs XXX. 1, There ate thtee thing that c never zatiz4ied, yea a 6outth thing which 'say not, It i4 enc that iz, the mouth the womt Wheteote ,6ot the 4ake o 4aWting -the- tL tu4t4 they con4c even with devite Malleus Male- ficarum (1484) In this imagery, women are quinte tially sexual, forever a temptationmen who are forever in danger. Throw the process so well described by Sin de Beauvoir in The Second Sex, women represent physicality in the male id logy, both benevolent, symbolizing.b and fertility, and malevolent, symbo izing death and decay. These images women exist in other cultures, but t are especially strong in the Europea tradition, where they were maintains and enforced by the imagery of the J Christian religion. Beginning with F the Temptress in the Genesis myth, sexual women are portrayed as gatewa to Hell. In the ideology of the medieval Church, the only good woman we an asexual woman, represented by the Virgin Mary. The best place for real 'women, said the Church fathers, was 'a nunnery. There, by practicing pov' erty, chastity, and obedience, a won might possibly overcome the misfortt of her pervasive sexuality. In an earlier period, the belief that women were more sexual than mer was used to justify male control ovE women because sexual frailty was pr sumed to make women less capable of moral judgement than males. Althoui this belief is not openly advocated anymore, it is there when we are to] that a rape victim must have tempter her rapist; it is there when we are told that a woman must have 'provokE her husband to violence; it is there when psychiatrists imply that the daughter, in a father-daughter incest case, must either have fanti: the abuse, or else have provoked it in some way by her own expressions sexuality. Until we eradicate both patriarcl and the male dominance of our ideol( about female sexuality, I believe tl the implicit condoning of male violence against women will continue tc be an integral part of our social structure. ( Credit UPSTREAM PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN Pane '16 �MAIL TO: III* Per ft....ft.*. Swab 64.1 SSO=.1 gimp dere 220 RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 BAY ST. THUNDER BAY P, ONT. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Return Postage Guaranteed ANSWERS TO THE PENSION QUIZ pensions from the government- public plans, pensions from the employer--private plans, personal savings Government plans account for about 40% of earnings replacement. Old Age Security (OAS), Guaran2. teed Income Supplement (GIS), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Quebec Plan (QPP) c, 4. b, 5. b, 6. c, 7. c, only 3. if need can be proven, 8. b, b only the Quebec Pension Plan 9. has this provision, 10. b, 11. b only public pension plans are adjusted quarterly, 12. 13, 13. b, 14. c, 15. b, 16. a, 17. c, 18. a, 19. yes--you mustAfile for the credit split within three years of the divorce, 20. no -pension income is not considered a family asset in may cases 1. THE DINNER PARTY Pg 3 WOMEN & EDUCATION Pg 4 DOCTOR SUED Pg 5 JOAN'S UPDATE Pg 6 DEPO-PROVERA Pg 7 PENSION NEEDS IGNORED Pg 10 PENSION CONFERENCE Pg 11i MATH (NOT FOR WOMEN?) Pg 13 VIOLENCE TO WOMEN Pg 16 ikorgetsti Voincin _316 g ca.1.41/sed, triusrve (Six Issues) 5.00 9.00 Business or Institutions 411111111.111111 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 7 No 3 Description An account of the resource Vol. 7, No. 3 (1982) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Sojourner Truth Legal Right to Abortion Judy Chicago (artist) Education Liberation Verbal Street Harassment Defunding Rape Crisis Centres British Columbia Depo-Provera Access to Safe Abortion Poetry Women’s Pensions Northern Women Networking & Resources Comic Math Alienation of Women Thunder Bay Women & Health Committee Lesbian Counselors Network Violence Against Women Throughout History Authors/Contributors: Lynn Beak Anna McColl Teresa Legowski Noreen Lavoie Danalyn MacKinnon Rosalyn Taylor Perrett Donna Phoenix Sara Williamson Viola Nikkila Joan Baril Arja Lane Geraldine Van Cram Diane Stein Violet Winegarden Joyce Michalchuk Margaret Phillips Gert Beadle Deborah Gorham Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1982 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2771/1982_Vol_7_No_4.pdf 0c741ad5fee95f7643c764e04a4a9120 PDF Text Text oriftern Thundeft Bay, Ont. 90c -man dour-netr PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �SHADES OF REGRESSION EDITORIAL-- by Teresa Legowski Are we still back in 1975? From the sounds of the recent swing to liberalism in the women's movement, with the publishing of Betty Friedan's The Second Stage, and the unsuccessful attempts in the U.S. at E.R.A., one would think that feminism has been stagnant for the last eight years The liberal feminists in Canada, on the other hand, have made their To them, women's oppresence felt. pression is a twofold manifestation: legal and societal. On the legal battlefront, women are now officially equal in the eyes of constitutional Socially, men are beginning to law. participate more and more in the raising of their families. The conventional female domain of home and family is slowly becoming a shared responsiblility of both the 'mother" and the 'father'. For this, all women need heartily express our gratitude to the liberal feminists. However, we have a suspicious feeling that these "libbers" think that the battles are finally won. What they do not perceive are the realities of power. Men as a class are taking over women 's traditional strongholds, but they are not sharing their realms of traditionPolitics, economics, edual power. cation and the military continue to be heavily dominated by men. Women still earn 40% less than men. Women are still herded into pink job ghettos. Women still hold no decisive political positions. Women still are not influential in educational institutions. Women still hold only token positions in the military. Legally, equality under the constitution is essentially a paper tiger. Provinces play the major role in enforcement of human rights. Socially, women are losing their traditional power sources, but are NOT GAINING IN TRADITIONAL MALE POWER STRUCTURES. These economic hard times are making the feminist take a back seat. Welfare mothers are being forced to find work in jobless economic markets with no availability of child care. Men as a class are coming down hard on women as a class--especially poor women--because we still are basically powerless. Of course, there are a few of us lucky women who "know some reallynice men". Then again, there are those of us who think that all men continue to be the epitome 'of machismo. What is needed is a balanced perspective. This perspective maintains that men, no matter how "nice", continue as a class to perpetuate their power over women as a class. As feminist women, changing our own personal situation is not enough. The "nice" men we live and love with may lead us to a selective perspective, one that shuts out the madness of reality. This gruesome reality maintains that control over women by men ranges in degrees. Some men may not necessarily approve of violence as a means of control, but do look for some kind of control over women. This can be deprivation of economic independence. It can be isolation by limiting time spent with friends, the kinds of friends, or by not "allowing" the women Birth to get a driver's license. control practices is an area where many men are uncompromising. Medic practices continue to abuse the worm And then there is physical beating, even during pregnancy, when a woman is considered to be the most powerless. This is reality. These things hai pen to us, our mothers, our sisters. These abhorrent conditions still exist. The liberal feminists do not share the feminist viewpoint of male power structures. So how do we, as femininists, get this reality across to other women? First, we must stop compromising. We must be vocal. We must make our stance unequivocal. Secondly, we must draw attention t the injustices that continue to exis despite our token legal and social gains. Perhaps the loss of the E.R. in the United States will shake the liberal Betty Friedanites. Perhaps they will realize that there is more to feminism .than role stereotvpinF, and equality in the law. Thirdly, we must offer support to our sisters on an individual basis. Alienation is not advisable at this point in time. Fourthly, we must show the wide extent of support that feminism receives from women who may not perceive themselves as feminists. Ultimately, together we progress; divided, we regress. If we don't talk about the problem we'll never start to solve#it. " GUEST EDITORIAL--WIFE BEATING When we heard that Saskatchewan ex-Premier Allan Blakeney wanted to trade two women's rights for a Native right in the constitutional debate, the fact that we are governed by male caprice hit home to millions of Canadian women. The rights of women could be bandied about like a squash ball, or so our fearless leaders You may have noticed that thought. Allan Blakeney is no longer counted among our fearless leaders. We hope his quotable quote still haunts him. During the constitutional debate, many women came of age politically and consciousness was raised in unBut the subject then usual quarters. was civil rights, an abstract principal that exercised theoretical ideas N reprinted from BROADSIDE But the word "fearless" was wasted until our fearless leaders started laughing about wife battery. Now the issue of our physical safety is at stake. By now, all of us are undoubtedly aware of what happened in the House of Commons last May 12. Margaret Mitchell (NDP Vancouver) asked why the shelter situation for battered women was so dreadful, and what the Canadian government was going to do about it. A hearty guffaw rose from the only. house. We'll never know exactly who caused the uproar. Parliament has its. Even own ways of covering itself. Margaret Mitchell herself refused to identify the culprits, feeling that since the reaction in the House was so wide-spread (yes, a few NDP members harrumphed with glee), singling out individuals without naming every name would be unfair. She sought instead, on May 13th, t secure from the House of Commons an apology to all the women of Canada. And the sorry saga continued. Apologies pass in the House only i they receive unanimous approval. No go Speaker Jeanne Sauve heard son "no's" from the Liberal side of the The dissenting Liberals house. continued on page 4 LAUGHING MATTER Northern Woman-- page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �FIND THE JOKE then... FIND THE THREAT by Joan Baril What actually happened on May 12, 1982 during question period in the House of Commons when Margaret Mitchell mentioned the fact that one in ten husbands beat their wives regularly. We know our Members of Parliament laughed and hooted - we saw it on T.V. However, our local M.P. Jack Masters has his own version. Here is what Hansard states. Keep in mind Hansard traditionally writes "Oh, oh!" for laughter and noise. It also does not pick up all hecklers. A# you read, see if you can find a hilarious pun hidden in the words. The question preceding Mitchell concerned oil and gas exploration in the Beaufort Sea. Hon. John Munroe: May I say Madam Speaker, that I would see this package of $600 million as a very great stimulus indeed to the entire economy Some hon. Members: Hear, hear! Mr. Munro (Hamilton East): Certainly it is a stimulus to the industrial sector which is so important. May I conclude by saying that for all the doom and gloom that the official opposition has been talking about, why don't they start talking in an upbeat fashion about Esso Resources agreeing to $600 million in development in Canada. Mr. Nielsen: It is a dead beat government. Speaker: The Honourable Member of Vancouver East Mrs. Margaret Mitchell (Vancouver East): Madam Speaker, I have an an upbeat question for the minister responsible for the Status of Women. The minister knows that the parliament report on battered wives was tabled in the House yesterday. It states that one in ten husbands beat their wives regularly. Some hon. Members: Oh, oh! Mrs. Mitchell: These women- Some hon. Members: Oh, oh! Mrs. Mitchell: I do not think it is very much of a laughing matter Madam Speaker. An hon. Member: I don't beat my wife. Mrs. Mitchell: Madam Speaker, I do not think it is a laughing matter. I would like to say that the battered wives in these cases rarely have any refuge. They have no safe place to gowith their children. Police who are called on an emergency basis rarely respond to domestic calls. Charges are not laid in the courts, and there are very few instances of prosecutions in our judicial system. I want to ask the minister responsible for the status of women what she intends to do immediately in a major way--we do not want just reports, research and conferences--at the federal level to protect battered women. Some hon. Members: Hear, hear! Hon. Judy Erola (Minister of State (Mines): Madam Speaker I too am not amused by the derision which greeted the statement that one in ten women is beaten. I do not find that amusing and neither do the women of Canada. Some hon. Members: Hear, hear! Mrs. Erola: The hon. member is quite right in asking what can be done at the federal level. I intend to pursue with my colleague, the Minister of National -Health and Welfare, procedures which we think the federal government can take to offer the kind of leadership which will lead to an increase in the number of transition homes. Currently this matter comes under the Canada Assistance Plan, and we will review that program to see how we can open it up to provide Five days later, on May 17, Judy Erola, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, spoke at a dinner given at the Airlaine Motel by the local chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women. Erola spoke of her dismay at the outburst in the Commons. During the discussion period at the end of her talk the following letter was read and presented by a representative of the Northern Women's Centre. NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO WOMEN'S CENTRE 316 A Bay St. Thunder Bay, Ont. 4 May 14, 1982 Dear Prime Minister Trudeau: We are disgusted, but not surprised, at the recent reaction to the report presented to parliament on the incidence of wife battering in Canada (May 12, 1982). The hoots and guffaws of the members reflect the insensitive and ignorant attitude that is responsible for this country's current lack of policies regarding the plight of the battered woman. It is clear that our parliamentarians do not in the least represent the interests of more than half of their constituents. If the reactions are any indication of your concern, we are in a lot of trouble. We demand that you approach this --loweifialSIONSISIMMINORPOWINMI which this issue merits. Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre The Centre sent copies to the local M.Ps, Masters and McRae, Erola and Margaret Mitchell. The local Rape Crisis Organization sent a similar letter. A week after the incident in the house, Jack Masters produced his version. some sort of leadership. There certainly are not enough homes in this country. I have taken that up with the people who attended the conference with me during the past day and a half. It is one of the recommendations I intend to pursue. Mrs. Mitchell: Madam Speaker, I note that the minister is again passing the buck to the provinces and not getting at the federal responsibility. During the week following the outburst in the house, women's organizations and individual women deluged the House with letters of complaint. The women of Canada were angry. The Parliamentarians woke up to find themselves in an unenviable posture. They had an embarrasing political hot potato in their hands and egg on their faces. It is probable that many were on their knees in gratitude to the CBC whose policy is to fix the T.V. cameras on the M.P. who has the floor and not to pan the House for facial reactions or hecklers. If the camera had swung around the Commons during the commotion, it Would have revealed that the hoots came from all political: parties. According to him, the Members of Parliament had laughed because of the way Mitchell had presented the question, not because of the subject matter. It was a pun, he said, on the word "beat". This version of the incident was hotly denied by Margaret Mitchell who claimed the members continued laughing and the heckling --"I don't beat may wife, do you" and similar comments --caused more laughter. It is difficult to believe that this outburst of derision --for that is the word Judy Erola used on the occasion --was caused by such a puny pun. If so, it must stand in record as the weakest ever pun to produce the largest guffaw. However, that is their story and they are s cking to it. What follows is a let r to the Women's Centre from J Masters. As you read, do you perceive a threat in the letter: May 19, 1982 Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre 316 Bay Street Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 1S1 Dear Members of the Centre: I am sorry that your form letter of May 14th, which t I received continued on Page 4 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Kazthe'rn Wnman oage 3 �FIND THE THREAT- cont'd from page 3 Goo mast I IA.) A broanal4 layout..? tam. MOAT W mar *Walt WM. Nal WI "Dear Member of Parliament" was not Lost in the crossfire is the report signed. itself, and that is too bad because May I state that the ongoing Titled "WIFE it is excellent. funding by the Federal Government of BATTERING: A Report on Violence In some of the activities of the North It is short (27 pages) the Family ". vester. Ontario Women's Centre is an clear and decisive. indication that we do have some concerns It states a first principle. A for the well-being of women. This Centre battered woman must first and foremost has been in operation fot some time be given protection. This means that and I think it has done excellent work. "assault legislation and legislative While there was some laughter in provisions directed at keeping the the House at the time that the question peace must be fully and consistently by Ms. Mitchell was brought up, I enforced". As well she should have a would like to say first of all that safe place to stay and the report I was not one of those Members that endorses shelters but emphasizes that. laughed and secondly, I would like to if possible the woman (and children) underline the fact that I do not believe should stay in her own home and the that any Member on any side of the batterer should leave, the opposite House treated the report with levity happens now. of what or gave it any less than their serious The second pri nciple is to treat concern. wife batteri ng as a criminal offense. I believe that if one checks HanThis recommendation is supported by sard, one would discover that the Judy Erola. The authors of the report laughter was caused by the inapproprealize that imprisonment or a fine riate way in which the subject was does not ensure rehabilitation and brought up during Question Period. The may take away a source of income Minister in giving a response just from the victim. However this is a prior to Ms. Mitchell's remarks, had possible consequence of punishment been suggesting to Members opposite for all kinds of criminal offenses. that they might want to look at the Assaulting another human being is more positive side of Canada and have a crime - in my personal view a greater more of an upbeat approach. As I recall crime than a crime against property. the incident, Ms. Mitchell, in asking If assault goes unpunished the effect the question, gave a preamble that is to give the batterer permission to went something like - I have an upbeat abuse. This is, to a great degree, the question for the Minister Responsible situation we have now. A batterer for the Status of Women - and then knows he can get away with it. went on the explain that the report I am not proposing long jail senhad come through on battered women. tences measured in months or years, I It was not the subject matter that am suggesting fines or days in jail people laughed at, but the unusual with longer times reserved for severe and unfortunate way in which the suboffenses and repeaters. The report is ject was brought to the attention of in favour of sentences which refer the House. the batterer to a treatment program, Finally, may I say that we, all of an ideal solution if one is available. us consider this a very serious At the same time we cannot rely on social problem and would like to treatment programs alone to solve the assure the Canadian public that the problem first because of the expense. Members of Parliament on all sides It is unlikely the government will will be doing everything possible to spend the money to blanket Canada address this very tragic social with treatment programs. These procondition in our society. grams may be helpful for some men but we cannot fall into the trap of seeYours sincerely ing the batterer as a person with a psychological problem which requires Jack Masters Batterers are not mentally therapy. JGM/jc unbalanced or disturbed. A batterer cc Rt. Hon. Pierre Trudeau is "the guy next door". Battering is Hon. Judy Erola a 'learned behaviour' as the report Ms. M. Mitchell, M.P. says. Up until recently battering was Mr. Paul McRae, M.P. frowned upon but tacitly permitted. Chronicle Journal-Times News _ "Isn't GUEST EDITORIAL - WIFE BEATING continued from Page 2 claimed that they always say no to motions for apologies that come from Party politics will the opposition. always have the priority over the female constituency. Marcel Roy (Liberal Laval) gave it a try. "No's" were heard again, this time because Anglophone MP's had not put on their translation headphones One can imagine the fast enough. English-speaking Members languishing in their chairs while Roy went on in The respect that foreign language. accorded to Francophone MP's is probably only several cuts above the respect MP's can muster for the women of this country. - A II 0 /A3 One might well ask what the MP's were laughing about in the first place. Did Nervous laughter they called it. we hear the House snigger away at the deaths of seamen off the coast of Newfoundland? Did they howl at the hilarity of mercury poisoning of fishing waters natives rely on for their survival? Would they have got away with it if they had? 0 Nita LO ATTAC K Emily Carr. WESTERN WOMEN'S WEEKLY. Feb 7, 1918. (Canada) Although in theory, wife beating was thought to be a crime, battering has always been considered within the range of normal male behaviour - unpleasant and brutal perhaps but within the normal. Many men believe a man must be in control, keep his wife "in line" and that some men do this effectively, while others - less effecient, more crude - use their fists. These men are not mentally unbalanced; they just have poor techniques in wife control. There is a second trap which we must be wary of when we consider emphasizing the fact that battering is a crime. This is believing that the victims, the wife (and children) are absolutely helpless if the husband is punished for the crime. Sometimes we hear the view expressed that if the husband were fined or sent to jail, the family would face extreme hardship. This is often given as an excuse nothing to the batterer - in of she is better off beaten than economically deprived. There is a certain nineteenth century aura to this picture of the helpless wife. First the majority of wives work today. Some have families who may help. The modern welfare system, with all its imperfections, prevents real destitution. In short wives and children will not starve if the battering husband is punished for his crime. And if the recommendations of the report are followed they may sleep more securely. (The report on Wife Battering is available for loan from the Women's Centre.) Riot Tha Finally, Ursula Appolloni (York South Weston)wrenched out an apology to the women of Canada from the House on May It took two days chock-filled 14th. with furious telegrams and vituperative press for Members of Parliament to get the message. \\N 401 ?" Then again, let's just deal with the As one angry reporter put it, if one out of ten Canadian women livir with her spouse is a battered woman, then that means that one out of every ten men living with his spouse is a Let's see. That means then batterer. would be about 25 Members of Parliamen who beat their wives. facts. Isn't that a riot? (Broadside, June 1982) PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman page 4 �LESBIAN MOTHERS IN MOTION by Arja Lane Have any of you ever been threatened with the reality of losing custody of your children? With the rising rate of divorce in Canada, many parents have horrendous custody-battles when the marriage dissolves and there are children involved in the separa- So, it's exciting and energizing to find out more about a positive support system being developed by lesbian mothers here in Canada by way of the "Lesbian Mothers Defence Fund" (LMDF). A Toronto office of the LMDF has been helping women and children for tion. three years now, while the LMDF openIn the past, women have usually ed offices in Calgary and Vancouver been awarded custody of children of just this year. "broken marriages". Now, with changes Two lesbians are cycling from in the Family Reform Act, fathers have Calgary to Newfoundland on a cycle tour a better chance of gaining custody of to prOmote the development of the children. It seems that more and more LMDF office in Calgary. Carol Spletts consideration is being given to the and Cheryl Kehoe, both from Calgary, whole question of responsible parentpeddled through Thunder Bay in May ing when couples split up. and spoke to the gay community here But the situation for lesbian moabout the need for a resource centre thers still remains archaic and ridwith gay information available to those dled with patriarchal, capitalist wanting it. They also spoke of the attitudes and contradictory values need for lesbian mothers to have a which work to make the whole issue of support system set up to help them child custody painful and expensive through draining custody battles and for women who are choosing to leave a pel'sonal prosecution, and of the need marriage and pursue a lesbian life- to provide financial assistance to those women faced with huge court costs as a result of those battles. The Lesbian Mothers Defense Fund strives to provide these services to a very vulnerable group of women. Isn't it incredible how human rights can be so easily taken away from those who don't fit into the right molds, by those who profit from our conformity? It amazes me how the practice of women loving women has been twisted into something threatening to our children. No one has yet explained the connection to me in a way that made human sense. If you want to help the efforts of the Lesbian Mothers Defence Fund, you can write to 57-100 Bain Ave., Toronto, Ont. M4K 1E8 or 451 Marsh Rd.,N.E., Calgary, Alta. And remember: we should not forget'lesbian mothers as we work to make the revolution happen. style. More and more women are choosing to be in relationships with women. We have more in common with each other, and therefore relating to each other is often easier, more creative and genuinely supportive. Lesbianism as a lifestyle is growing into something beautiful for women and children. Still, lesbian mothers have a hell of a hard time gaining custody rights of their own children. Just because our sexual orientation switches to something other than male-defined, uncreative; and physical violence masquerading as lust doesn't mean that we turn into irresponsible deviants. We are still the same human souls we were before making that decision to leave a lifestyle. A woman doesn't ever forget her mothering skills once she's learned them through practice. And a woman doesn't want to lose her children. A DREAM REALIZED --tem/tit-ten by Joyce Michatchuk The dream of having an art gallery amid the Northern. Ontario landscape was finally realized by an area woman, Suzette Hebert Downey, when Suzette'4 Gateem, located in the Longlac area, had its grand opening June 26 and 27. 340 people from as far away as Sri Lanka and Switzerland viewed the 240 paintings which were hung for the opening. From the very positive remarks made by the visitors, the effort, which was the culmination of Mrs. Downey's and her late husband Wayne's dream, was regarded as a resounding success by all, including the friends and family in the area who were credited with providing much support, encouragement and help in the project. The two-room gallery on Lydia Lake, 21 miles east of Longlac on Hwy. 11, boasted a reflection of the Northwestern Ontario environment in watercolour and acrylic. Wildflowers were displayed among the many lakes and birch trees, highlighted by depictions of the spectacular Northern Lights. Praise was abundant from officials Lionel Veilleux, Reeve of Longlac, and MPP Jack Stokes who spoke at the opening, and the obvious pride evident in the area residents who baked bannock as an offering with the traditional wine and cheese: The NoAthem Woman JouAnat extends its heartiest congratulations to Mrs. Downey. Continued success to Suzette'4 &diem: It contains information..much information.. that women in North America vitally need to have in these days of eroding women's rights and tense economy. I had not known, and am sorry that its so, that Canadian women (like US women) are fighting for their/our lives on the issues of abortion and pensions.. I had thought Canada was far ahead in humanity of the 'amerikan way'. We all have great fights ahead of -us. Women live..but not easily..everywhere. Dear Northern Woman Collective: Thank you for publishing my poem "constant" in your newest issue and for sending me a contributor's copy. I had not seen the newspaper before, but I am delighted with it. With thanks in sisterhood diane stein pittsburgh =!. , ,,,,, PDF compression, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 'lorthern Woman page.OCR, 5 �Shirley Bear® speaks out against Indian Act "We peed 0 have our mothers, our sisters ana our aaughters pack as indian women," Shirley Beartfeminist, artist and political activist from New Brunswick spoke to the Northern Woman Journal about her concern over Sec. 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act, which states that ANY NATIVE WOMAN WHO MARRIES ANY NON INDIAN, OR ANY INDIAN OUTSIDE OF HER BAND, OR AN INDIAN OUTSIDE OF CANADA IS STRIPPED OF RIGHT NORMALLY ENJOYED BY ANY OTHER REGISTERED INDIAN. HER CHILDREN ARE ALSO AFFECTED THE SAME Interview by Ann McColl WAY. INDIAN MEN ARE NOT AFFECTED: THEY CAN MARRY ANYONE THEY CHOOSE WITHOUT PENALTY. IN FACT, WHEN AN INDIAN MAN MARRIES A NON-INDIAN WOMAN, *HE AUTOMATICALLY CONFERS UPON THIS POSTAGE PAID NON-INDIAN WOMAN ALL THE RIGHTS OF A REGISTERED INDIAN UNDER THE INDIAN ACT. 7-- -- -- -- -- CLIP A Shirley, would you like to give me a verbatim statement for the Journal MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT NATIVE WOMEN ARE DEMANDING concerning the inequality caused by HOUSE INDIAN OF COMMONS AN IMMEDIATE REPEAL OF SECTION 12(1)(b) of the Indian Act where OTTAWA 12 (1) (b) OF THE INDIAN ACT. native women lose their status? CANADA "What I really want to see happen and what I think should happen, 12(1) I SUPPORT THIS POSITION WITH MY (b) -- should be repealed immediately VOTE, before 3 years is up and that equal rights 'thing', mainly because I think WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO END THIS the government should deal with this INJUSTICE? and not leave the onus to the chiefs because the danger of having to take Name : our chiefs to court is very prominent. The government has given the chiefs a Address: directive to file an exemption on 12(1)(b), the government has indeed passed on that responsibility to the A LETTER TO MY HUSBAND chief. The controversy is that the Indian Act is bad and needs to be reMy dear husband: vised but it has to be revised by the Indians and what happens is that women I succeeded During the past year, I have tried to speak to you 365 times. get left right in the middle. I don't only 36 times, or about once in every ten days. Here is a list of the most see where the male leaders of our frequent reasons why I did not succeed: communities should have any problem with eliminating a discriminating 17 times The children were there clause. I see that the government 3 times It was too late would have a problem with it, with the 25 times You were too tired reinstatement of native Indian women. 5 times You had other things tothe do Indian I can't even see where 5 times It was too early male leaders would have any problem 45 times You dozed off with that but I think it is a problem 9 times The window was open, the neighbours could hear with the government. The divide and 8 times You were in a bad mood conquer tactic that the ruling classes 7 times You were too busy in the power structure uses, is so 7 times You had the giggles evident in this and it's really 25 times You were too drunk dangerous for us. 1 time You wandered away I would urge that if any of your 9 times You mad a telephone call readers are native women that they 7 times You were watching hockey give this a very hard consideration 7 times You were on your way to play golf and make it their concern that they 5 times You were waiting for a business call. * will be put in a position in 3 years 11 times You had to take a bath when that equal rights clause comes 19 times Youinto hadeffect, a headache that it will put them tn the position of having to deal As for the 36 times I succeeded in talking to you, the conversation was with it on a local level and the divnever very because: ision is satisfactory going to be even stronger because they'll be battling not only 4 with times, were on following a program on TV over my shoulder; theyou chiefs the reserves, theytwice, you decided the ceiling painting; 'll be battling with brothers needed and 5 sisters times, you got a telephone call that meant you had to go out; and mothers and fathers. I'm 18 times, you told me to hurry up and finish; really frightened that there is going 6 times, I had to wake you up and ask you what your opinion was and to beyour yet only a stronger thatslamming of the door. once, answer division was lost and in the we're going to make the choice of family being that it that family. My dear, is was not never surprising that I am going to leave you, is it? I want to see native Indian women and men really come out very strong and --reprinted from Entkette4 say we don't want to wait three years and we need to have our mothers, our sisters, and our daughters,back as Indian women. That's all." () N D SEND - I 4 , PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �The 6oltowing .ins the 4itzt of a two- patt nepont on the Women and Penzionz Conknence hetd in Thunder Bay, May 28 and 29, 1982. Hene ate exetptz pLom the addtehh ptincipat zpeaket, Monica Townson. The next izzue wit t ieatune Louize Dutude. The tematkz have been edited by Jounnat hta due to zpace nehtnictionh, and every e66ont ha/3 been made to ptezetve the context o6 the nemankh. The conference today is a contribution to the whole educational process. The idea is to give you some facts and a few figures...to tell you how (the system) works, and to let you hear some different viewpoints on what the possible solutions to some of the problems might be. Not surprisingly, there isn't agreement on what those solutions ought to be. CHAWIE PRIVATE OR PUBLIC SYSILNV Some people think that the best way to meet women's pension needs would be to try and change the private pension system; that is, the pensions provided by employers. This should be done by government regula- HISTORICAL BACKGRDugn, There was a National Pensions Conference held in Ottawa about a year ago...Most of (the participants) set_aed to think that if you're thinktions. ing about providing pensions for There are (others who) say that women, you're talking about how widows the best way would be to expand the will be taken care of. So what they public pension system; that is, the came up with was a proposal for makCanada Pension Plan. ing survivor benefits compulsory... Monica Tow noon ,ins a lineetance econo- miht /nom Ottawa who advocateh an expanzion o6 the ptezent Canada Penzion Ptan. She zeez thi.z a-o a pohhibte hotution to home o6 the pnobtemh women cunnentty have within oun pnezent zyztem. At night Lo Lyn Beak, Chainwoman bon the Conference. NOT JUST FOR WIDOWS AND FULL-TIME HOMEMAKERS The attitude of many people (there) was summed up very well by the Ontario Royal Commission on Pensions: (in its report, it said) "the issue of women and pensions is not really seen as anything that has to be discussed in pension planning...(the issue) is in terms of the dependent stereotype. That is, women are not considered as pension plan members, but only as survivors of plan members. There was never any discussion which relates the provisions of pension plans to women's needs, desires and abilities to provide for their own financial security." It seemed pretty clear after that National Pensions Conference that there weren't really very many people who'd given much serious thought to the question of women and pensions. There were also women there who needed more information about particular problems that women were having with the existing pension system... So they had the idea of having a series of regional conferences on pensions where women would be able to get the information they needed about the whole pension system and how it affects them. At the ocdzet, Mss. Townzon haid the izzue o,6 women and penzionz wa4 a "compticated zubject", and by the end o6 the ,6inht day, the oven 100 detegate's undeAhtood tits depth and zcope. Hete, a wett-dehenved co66ee bteak -ins enjoyed by att. There are some people who think there should be special pensions for homemakers, and other people who disagree... You can see what the problem is when you consider that the retirement income system we have now isn't working. We know it's not working because we see so many of our elderly people end up in poverty...So what we're trying to do is to change the retirement income system... WERLY WOMEN ARE POOR The majority of elderly women today--especially those women who are living alone--are poor...because they've spent most of their lives as full-time homemakers...Because they didn't get any pay for what they were doing, they didn't have an opportunity to build up an income for their Because they were retirement years. dependent on their husbands for financial support, they probably thought that he was going to take care of them. one of Old Age Security Pension, or "O.A.S.", and everybody gets that, provided they have been in Canada a certain length of time. Now, the rules on that were changed quite recently...the amount of that pension is indexed to the cost of living, so every time the Consumer Price Index goes up, it changes; in fact, it changes every three months, it suggested. Those pensioners who have no other income besides the O.A.S.P. can also get a Guaranteed Income Supplement or "G.I.S.", and that too is indexed to the cost of living and is adjusted every three months...THE MOST THEY CAN GET FROM THOSE TWO PROGRAMS TOGETHER IS BELOW THE POVERTY LINE... $5,500/year. Now, the amount of that G.I.S. that you'll get will depend on how much other income you have. But you will have access to that first tier of the pension system even if you have never been in the labour force... But as it turned out, most of those husbands didn't have a pension Of plan through their employers. those who did, the plans, generallyspeaking, didn't provide for widows ...If we want women coming up to retirement in the future to have decent pensions, then we have to recognize there have been some pretty dramatic changes in our society over the last 10-12 years...62 per cent of them (women of the childbearing ages of 20-44) are in the labour force...In fact, (there are) only two per cent of the families in Canada where there is both a husband and wife supported on the income of the husband alone, so most Canadian women are no longer full-time homemakers...that is something also that we have to take into account when we are trying to design a new pension system... THREE TIERS: Photoz by Joyce Michatchuk FIRST TTE1 The existing pension system really has three tiers, or three levels, and .the bottom level is the - basic. SECOND TTER, The second tier of the pension system--that is, the top tier, if you like--is what we call Private Pensions The Private Pension is a plan that is provided by an employer for the employ ees, and not all employers have those plans, of course. All of the workers in the workforce are covered by the Canada or Quebec Pension Plan, but... it only provides about 25 per cent of what you were earning before you retired, so what we have to look at as women is whether or not we can meet the rest of our retirement needs from the third tier of the system or the Private Pension system... PROBLEMS WITH PRIVATE PENSIONS: 17in t ere are our major C;211a1"7"..b".mm' t problems with (Private Pensions) as far The first as women are concerned. one is the problem of coverage, because about 51 per cent of all working men have some kind of pension through their employer, but-only 34 un-page 8. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION-continued PDFCompressor �WE MUST DISCOURAGE "SCHEMES THAT I per cent of working women have access ...Now, one of the solutions that has been suggested to that is that all employers should be obliged to have a pension plan...and that they should include all employees who earn more than half the industrial wage. Now, half the average industrial wage is about $9,000. But the average earnings of a woman worker are only about $9,500 (including parttime)...so you can see that in that particular plan, most women would still be excluded...the other problem with advocating a mandatory pension system would be that a lot of small employers say that they can't afford to have this kind of plan for their employees. And many women work for small employers--they are waitresses or clerks or whatever--but a lot of women are effiployed by small businesses. MOBILITY The second major problem...is that women have moved around more often in their jobs. This is a problem of mobility. They've tended to change jobs more often than men, and part of that of course is probably related to the fact that they may take some time out of the labour force to raise THIRD TIER But there is another kind of Pension Plan that is called a "Defined Contribution Plan"...sometimes called "Money Purchase Plans", and that's the kind of plan where the contribution you make to the plan is spetified. The contributions that are made by the worker and by the employer go into a fund and then whatever--that fund earns a return, of course--is in the fund at retirement is used to purchase an annuity, and that annuity forms the pension for the worker. INSURANCE COMPANIES: "BUT WOMEN LIVE LONGER" But the problems with that one is that annuity payments are based on life expectancy, so a woman who has exactly the same amount in her retirement fund as a man will end up with a lower pension because the insurance company will say to her, "Now, you're going to live longer than he does, so that we can only pay you a lower monthly benefit than him," even though you have the same amount of money to begin with. And that, of course, is true of registered retirement savings children. I suspect,that it is probably also something to do with the fact that if you are only able to get low-paying and dead-end jobs as most women can, then you are going to have to change employers more often if you want to get ahead. And what happens if you leave the employer before the contribution you have made to the plan becomes locked in and before your employer's contribution becomes It vested" (that means the employer's part is into the plan, too), then you'll end up without a pension from that employer, and that vesting usually doesn't happen until you have worked for the employer for about ten years. PORTABILITY ...Now, if pensions were portable --that's another technical term which means, really, if your right to the pension could be taken with you when you move from one employer to another --then you wouldn't have that problem, and there are some schemes around that do provide for that kind of portability. But if you haven't got access to a pension in the first place, then it doesn't matter what fancy schemes you have to make the pension portable. You are still not going to get a pension. WORK PATTERNS ...The third major problem...is the fact that women have different work patterns from men. Women want toa withdraw period of from time the when labour they force have chilfor dren...they will (therefore) lose their right to a pension or...they won't be able to build up adequate pension rights so that they will get a decent income when they retire... 1 METHOD OF PAYMENT The fourth (problem with Private Pensions) is the question of how benefits are paid from those pensions. Now, women are at a disadvantage when it comes to receiving benefits from any kind of pension plan, really, ed because pensions are usually re' to earnings, and women's earni , are so much lower than men's... are advocating expansion of the C.P.P you are also assuming that there will be some other changes made to it... I personally do not agree with (their scare tactics... INCREASE C.P.P. RATES One thing that is going to have to happen in any case is that the contri bution rates to that C.P.P. will be increased, but everybody knew that At the was going to happen anyway. moment, we only pay into that plan 1.8 per cent of our earnings, along with another 1.8 per cent from the So 3.6 per cent in total employers. is what we contribute to the C.P.P. and that is way below what most major countries--particularly the European countries--contribute... (An expanded C.P.P.) could also recognize the contribution of mothers or fathers who leave the labour force temporarily to raise children because it could allow them to exclude those years of low earnings from the calculation of average earnings on which the Retirement Pension is based... the C.P.P. Retirement Pension is based on your total earnings averaged over your whole working life--that is, all the years between the ages of 18 and 65. Now you are allowed to exclude 15 per cent of that time- that's about 7 years--to allow for th periods of time when you might have been taking further training or higher education or perhaps out of work. So now, the four problems and the possible solutions don't seem very feasible. What is the answer? In my opinion, the best way that women's pension needs will be met is through an expansion of the public pension system...(The C.P.P.) is already in existence. It covers everyone in the workforce, so there is no problem of coverage. It doesn't matter how often you change your job, you'll still get a pension at retirement, so there is no problem with mobility. It could be adapted to allow parents who withdraw from the labour force fora period of time to raise children...without losing benefits... (It) already covers part-time workers, there's no problem with the annuity payments, it's indexed to the cost of living and it even makes provision that in the event of divorce, the credits that have been built up in the plan during the marriage may be divided equally between the husband and wife, so that a wife who had not worked outside the home would have at least some access to a pension in the event of divorce. So I would support the proposals that have been put forward by the Canadian Labour Congress and by other groups, that the Canada Pension Plan should be expanded and that it should be able to replace 50 per cent of your previous earnings instead of the 25 per cent that it does now. THE ANSWER? "EXPAND THE C.P.P." ...some people, of course, are opposed to expanding the C.P.P. They say, "Well, that plan is already bankrupt, how can we expand it?"...if you But if you take additional time ou of the labour force to raise children then you still have to include those years when you dlikitatimemrsillioro or when your earnings were very low, in your average on which your pensio is going to be based, and that means that you'll get a much lower pension when you reach retirement age. DROP-OUT PROVISION And the idea of excluding those years when you had children perhaps under the age of seven is what we call the "Drop-Out Provision", and it is already in effect in the Quebec Pension Plan...although the change was proposed for the C.P.P., two provinces refused to agree: Ontario and B. C. B. C. reversed its stand on that March of this year so now Ontario is the only province holding out...I've heard through the grapevine that Ontario may be about to reverse its stand...I think it is safe to assume that pretty soon we will get that Drop-Out Provision in the C.P.P...then, the only people who would not be contributing direct ly to the C.P.P. would be those women who do not .return to the labou force after having children, and these are the people we are talking about when we talk about pensions for homemakers. Now, those women are covered by pension plans because they get survivor's pensions from th C.P.P. if the husband dies, and they're also entitled to pension credits if they get divorced...(but) the maximum from (the O.A.S. and G.I.S.) must be increased to bring it at least above the poverty level. WAIFS FOR HOUSEWORK? ...How many women are we talking about here? How many women are full time homemakers?...in 1981, there were 2.3 million married women betwe the ages of 20 and 64 who were not i the labour force...What we don't kno is how long were rhev planning to r continued on page PDF compression, OCR, pageweb 8 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor inrf-hprn Woman �ETUATE AND ENCOURAGE OUR DEPENDENCY" main out of the labour force (or) if they were planning to return within a few months or within a year or so... decent pension, so even though they themselves wouldn't benefit from it, kEWER FULIrTIME HOMEMAKERS All the information I've looked at indicates that fewer and fewer married women are now spending all their adult lives as full-time homemakers...and yet a good deal of this pension debate has focussed on "How can we get some kind of system that people who are full-time homemakers could contribute to a pension plan?", and a number of groups have supported the idea of special` pensions for those who are full-time homemakers...apparently, there is only an, economic value to the unpaid work at home if you do it on a full-time basis, and that of course is the major problem with those proposals to give special pensions to women who stay home to cook and clean on a full-time basis. ...A good 10 per cent of working women are single parents with families to support, and...the married women who are in the labour force are making a vital contribution to the family income and...those women who never return to the labour force after having children are increasingly the wives of higher-income earners. pension because they see it as an official recognition of the housewife role that they chose. Now, I've also come to the conclusion...that some younger women in the women's movement --many of whom have never been housewives--have developed a kind of mystique of housework or home managing, as some people like to call it. It is the ultimate motherhood issue, if you will pardon the pun, and nobody is supposed to criticize it. So even though the vast majority of young, married women no longer conform to that stereotype of wife and mother, we somehow want to compensate for those who will agree to ,continue fulfilling that stereotypical role. It's kind of symbolic of our oppression that fortunately most of us have now managed to escape. In any case, it seems to be considered almost sacriligious that if you dare to even hint that maybe women should be encouraged to move away from that dependent stereotyped role, and that maybe they should start challenging what one writer has -called "the traditional idea that a man is entitled to have a woman taking care of him as if he were a child." "STAGGERING" INCREASE OF WOMEN PARTICIPATING IN LABOUR FORCE ...the biggest increase in women's participation in the labour force in the past few years has come from mothers with children under the age of Lhree...since 1976, the percentage (of these women) has shot up to 45 per cent...a 45 per cent increase in the participation rate of those women within a five-year period, and that, I think, is just staggering. ...the public pension system should recognize that the mothers and fathers of young children are doing work for all of us, because they're raising the next generation of Canadians, and they should not be penalized... 42 per cent of married women betweenthe ages of 45 and 64 were in the labour force...the rate at which that group participates in the labour force has gone up by 20 per cent over the past six years. RECOGNITION OF FULL-TIME HOUSEWORK: NOT "AVERY FAIR PROPOSITION" ...Now, it doesn't matter if the state makes the contributions for the woman or if the husband does, the principle is the same for all of them. You are, in effect, saying that the state grants recognition to housework and supports it when it is done on a full-time basis, but not otherwise. And that doesn't seem like a very fair proposition to me. Everybody has to do housework...(but) the housework that (working) women do would not entitle them to pension benefits, while the same work done by women who chose not to work outside the home would be pensionable. ..But how can you logically say that we will recognize (housework is) of value when it is performed by a woman whose husband makes enough money that she can afford to stay home and do housework on a full-time basis? they seem -to -.want a housewife's ATTACKED FOR STAND ON PENSIONS FOR HOUSEWIVES ...I've been attacked quite vehemently for suggesting that state pensions for women who choose to do housework on a full-time basis all their adult lives are not a good idea. I've been accused of trying to force all women into the labour force, of not understanding what it's like to be a homemaker, even though I myself was one, full-time, for 13 years. It's been implied that perhaps I don't understand that women love doing housework, and statements have been made that perhaps it would be better if people didn't have children, although I myself have four of them. ...I must also mention here that my position on special pensions for homemakers is not one that I dreamed up all by myself; it happens to be identical to the position that has been taken by the Trade Union Movement, along with various other people and other groups, and the Canadian Labour Congress will be issuing a paper on it pretty soon. ...many of the women who are in the labour force don't get decent pensions because their incomes are too low. The immigrant woman who is working in a garment industry sweat shop for example is not going to get a very good pension from the C.P.P.. because she doesn't earn enough money. COULD BENEFIT THOSE NOT NEEDING IT But if we introduce special contributions for full-time homemakers, the wife of an accountant for example whose huSband makes enough money that she doesn't have to go out of work to contribute to family income will do very nicely and probably much better than the immigrant woman. In fact, that accountant's wife will get RECOGNITION OF "HOUSEETEh ROLE" a pension for being "a homemaker" even if she hires someone else to ...allowing special contributions come and clean up her house for her. for housewives (in their 40's or 50's) ...if the marriage ends in divorce, at this time won't be of much benefit under the Family Property Laws, she to them because they're too close to has the right to a share in the faretirement to have enough time to build up adequate contributions for a mily assets, and under the evaluation C.P.P., PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked she also has a right to the credits that have been built up in that plan during the marriage. The government has suggested that a wife at home could have a share in those pension credits even if the marriage doesn't end in divorce; in other words, half the contribution that the husband makes to the C.P.P. would be attributed to the wife--now, I like that idea. I think that is a measure that recognizes marriage as a partnership of equals. I think it's very much in line with family property laws that we, as women, lobbied for. BREAK DOWN STEREOTYPED BARRIERS ...I happen to believe that it is not only women who can be homemakers; I know from my own experience that fathers and children have an important role to play in making a home as well. And I think that all family members will benefit when all are encouraged to break down those barriers that those traditional stereotyped roles have placed on all of us. THE FOCUS, INDEPENDENCE What we have to do now is to focus our energy on changing the pension system that will benefit the majority of women and the most vital issue that we have to discuss is whether or not we want to lobby for changes to that private pension system so that it would better meet the needs of women, or whether we want to support the proposals to expand the public pension system. And I'd like to see that issue addressed here today. And finally, I want to say that if we as women want to have autonomy and financial independence, then we have to recognize and accept the individual and the personal responsibility that that entails. And I don't think we have to feel threatened or afraid about that either. I think we have to move away from schemes that perpetuate and encourage our dependency, and look forward to a situation where women can truly achieve independence. ,SUMMARY: ' AZong with Azpontis and matetiat on penion6, an attay 04 iemini6t Zitetatuice waz ptovided at a tabte thtough the couAte,sy o6 the Thunder. Bay Co-Op Boolnhop and it's manage', HeZen Halet. copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �If only I could soften those dark eyes, so safely cynical. But I'm afraid of your quick acknowledgements and dismissals, of such cruel apathy so I remain silent because realities rules would shatter my illusion. To escape the confusion I find refuge in a dream You, a meadow in my mind and I, a sunbeam. The Farm Daybreak sunrise barnroof tinshine Hayweed buttercup dungreek hoofrot Calfbirth bullring fanspin kit'endeath Eggsnest capful axeblade chickenneck Sloppail doorstep catsrest ratcorpse, Woodsmoke waxbean tonguemeat breadbuns Butterknife teacup washdish womenfolk Dungpile pitchfork wagonload fieldPath Bladespin dungmuck seedfuel fieldcreek Workdone cleanclothes facescrape carsta: Townroad hymnsing rrayerbook homecome Milkfroth floorstraw dogs Jeep halfmoon Sharyl Thompson Susan Collins Hawkins rose bowl world a manic-depressive existence of petals and thorns submerged in societal waters that give life as they threaten to drown. Annex I dance beneath you, swaying in the rhythm of our two-step, hips hugging, lips touching, legs teasing. Tempting hungry hands to hoard an inch of flesh with a moment of man caught in a word of woman, catching us both battered into wanton warmth, leaving us limp and pensive with peace. viola nikkila Joyce Thierry YELLOWKNIFE N.W. T. ( Network Trouble Do Pot Ad'ust Your Attitudes ) You drive the machinery of commerce and industry A seat which we will not occupy fully' As long as the good ol, boys have their wiay, Growing Up? We were kids catching frogs climbing towers playing baseball throwing rocks by the river we were young. Some of us began to love and we drank in our cars on dark river roads. Then we were no longer kids. One day we went to University the cop told Sara to move from the bridge where she sat smoking Terry ran his fist through a glass door Gary went to Nam Woman in a man's world With measures of strength and struggle Foreign to their network, their corporate conniving Intolerant while we slash and call Superficial shit (work) as we would spades, Sparing hearts and flowers for E.T.D. (A network built on sorry male repentancesOf hindsight in action - next day resumed ) How dare they pummel us relentlessly With bullish emotions, crippd by tactical intimidati Tempted by cheap Shot crudity In the making of excuses and the gutless hedging In the hiding and seeking of refuge, in waffling In the network of the backscratching good ol' boys? Joyce Nichalchuk And I, I threw rocks alone at targets that did not care. Nancy J. Zabirka 51mmins POETRY SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED ------ ------ -.711-111ktii2 WT.o. J.:04 f4.-e... PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Nakthern WoMan. page 1 u �PREEDOMI OP CHOICE Book Review CANADIANABORTIONRIGHTSACTIONLEAGUE(CARAL) Going Too Far...by Robin Morgan reviewed by Gert Beadle The passion and spirit of Robin Morgan has energized and inspired the feminist movement for a decade and a half. She compiled and edited the now classic feminist anthology, Sister hood is Powerful, (1970) and has written two books of poetry. Going Too Far is a journey through those years which not only bring us the best of her feminist writing, but in her own words, is a graph of slow growth, defensiveness, struggle, painful new consciousness and gradual affirmation. The rage and vitality with which she pursued the left, the students movement, the civil rights movement, and the peace movement until she found her own niche as a radical feminist gives us some inkling of her potential as a visionary. Yet at no time in all her avowed passion and committment to the cause, did we lose sight of her as an individual. An individual whose vision was large enough to challenge even the cause she espoused. An artist whose sensibilities are so in tune with the spirit that radical feminism itself must become her Holy Grail, the finishing of herself. Going Too Far, is for the record victory and defeat, rage and reconciliation, love that stupifys us, stuns us with its committment. Belief, total belief in the cause, yet moving on to ever new diminsions in herself. It was inevitable that she would move into the metaphysical for it is the unexplored territory into which we all must move if we are to save ourselves and bring about real change. Those who do not understand the space she is in will embrace her for mellowing. Those who should understand will not forgive her for arriving there ahead of them, but those of us trembling on the brink of synthesis will step off the edge with confidence. In her words, and I quote. "Time and time again mass thinking stops (or is carefully halted) at the patriarchal either/or, border, and thus never attemps a third possibility which is no destination in itself but a direction leading toward still further approaches. The third, the synthesis. That earned state of transition from thesis, through antithesis, the dialectic. She reserves her criticism for those of her own compatriots who have not moved from the original position, who have lingered too long without naming the source of woman's energy and power because they have not yet invented themselves, who are strangling themselves and others with frozen thought and correct lines and who out of impatience and disapointment are oppressing and dividing in near patriarchal terms all who do not conform to the either/or. She speaks out of love and a great yearning. for a great new ethic which is yet to be discovered and recognized, a new integrity of purpose rising from the ashes of our rage against conforming to the preconceived patriarchal image of all that we are. Her ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE POCH Li DROIT A L'AVORTIElliNT (Ai..aA) FREEDOM OF CHOICE CAR.A.L. meeting e( I a The Purpose of CARAL is to ensure that no woman In Canada is denied access to safe, legal abortion. Our aim is the repeal of all sections of the Criminal Codce dealing with abortion and the establishment of comprehensive contraceptive and abortion services, including appropriate counselling across the country. "We regard the right to safe, legal abortion as a fundamental human right." 7:30 NORTHERN WOMEN'S CENTRE I support the statement of purpose of CARAL and wish to become a member. Name: Address: Postal Code: Phone: Occupation: September 23rd JOIN NOW Name of Federal Riding: Individual Member Limited Income Family Sustaining Donation $10.00 $3.00 $15.00 $25.00 RETURN 'TO: CARAL, Box 935, Stn. 0. Toronto, M4T 2P1 George W. Kostyshyn, B.A., LL. B. Barrister & Solicitor Is Pleased to announce that Marlene Wilson, B.A., LL.B. Has now joined his practice an an associate (Preferred area of practice: Family Law, Criminal Law, Civil Litigation) St. No. 10, 415 Victoria Ave. E. Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 1A6 Telephone 807-623-5400 message to all that will listen is that we are all that you think we are and something more, a third perception, an entirety and integrity which is greater than the sum of any parts they can understand, greater even than we ourselves have recognized, She has opened the door to the metaphysical feminist that resides in all of us, man, woman and child. It is impossible to go too far. We have barely begun the journey. THUNDER CLAPS Our best wishes go with Northern Woman Journal collective member Rosalyn Taylor Perrett as she leaves Thunder Bay to begin a teaching career in Sandy Bay, Mani-). toba. We'll miss you Rosalyn, but expect to receive quantities of new poetry, and lots of letters we hope. Northwestern Ontario WOMEN and PENSIONS CONFERENCE REPORT is available free of charge at Northern Women's Centre Congratulations to Northern Woman Journal collective member Noreen Lavoie and her partners Dixie Siciliano and Eleanor Allen, who have recently purchased and are operating the Overpass Motel on Highway 17 (Arthur St.) 316 Bay Street Thunder Bay, Ontario For Marlene Fiorito who polled vote for vote with Frank Mazur for vice-president of the Thunder Bay District Labour Council, but was denied the victory by the tiebreaking chairman. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN Paee 11 �Health Wanted N.W.O. WOMEN'S HEALTH HERE WE COME! Fourteen (14) communities have been identified for involvement in the Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, project: Dryden, Pickle Lake, Kenora, Fort Frances , Atikokan, Geraldton, this point the fourteen (10' communiti( will be divided into five (5) regions. The community resource workers will be retained and trained in all of the wort Ten (10) shops, by the co-ordinators. Nipigon, Nakina, Schreiber, Manitowadge , topical workshops will be formulated by the project co-ordinators based on Hornepayne, and Thunder Bay. The Women and Health Sub-Committee information from the Year One needs In Year One,information will be of the Northwestern Ontario Internatassessment processes. These workshops gathered from delivery of a needs ional Women's Decade Co-ordinating assessment workshop and a needs assess- will be delivered to each of the inCouncil presents the Northwestern A greater volved communities. ment questionnaire in each community. Ontario Women's Health Project. The involvement of the community resource It is the purpose of these concurrent Northwestern Women's Health project workers will serve to broaden the tasks to take an inventory of health proposes to: discover the health needs community base of the project. facilities, needs, concerns in the of women in Northwestern Ontario: offer As the project progresses and diversNorthwest region. The project co-ordan educational service to assist in ifies, more and more women will come inators will be assisted in delivery the process of meeting some of these into contact with it. Networking is of Year One activities by community needs; and to work to establish a a major objective of the project. resource women from each of the (13) strong network of women throughout the Updates on the project will appear in The involvement outlying communities. region interested in health promotion. future Journal Issues. of these women in the project will The project will progress over 3 serve as well to integrate the respectYear one,will be concerned with years. ive communities. needs discovery. Years two and three For further information about the Year Two and Three of the project will focus on education. Networking Project, contact the Women and Health (funding conditional on the outcome of will be promoted throughout the project. Committee at 344-8144 or 622-1416. Year One) will focus on education. At PROJECT IT ONLY TAKES MINUTES The test for changes in the neck of the womb, indicating the presence of cancer or of a condition which may lead to cancer, is known as the "PAP TEST" or "CYSTOLOGY TEST". This very important, yet simple, test can be carried out in your doctor's office in a matter of minutes. Ask your doctor to include it in your next regular checkup. If you are over 25, you should take advantage of this safeguard every year, or as often as your doctor recommends. The test is carried out by a doctor who takes a little of the natural moisture from the vagina. In this moisture, there is always a large number of cells shed from the womb which are too small to be observed The doctor thereby the naked eye. fore places a sample on a slide which is sent to a laboratory for microscopic examination. In most women, these cells are absolutely normal. However, in a very few--about six , out of every thousand women--the cells do not appear normal. When this occurs, the test is repeated, and further examinations are made if necessary. Then What? If these further tests show an abnormality, a minor operation may be performed in which a small piece of tissue is removed from the neck of the womb. Very often, this will completely eliminate the risk of development of this type of cancer. It may mean a stay in hospital for a few days, but this minor operation does no interfere with childbearing, nor does it affect the sex life of the woman who is treated. Even if, more extensive treatment is required, the Pap test enables doctors to discover cancer in time so that the chances for complete cure are vastly increased. Good Advice: If you are told that your test is normal, you will naturally feel very happy, but it is wise to remember that the preservation of good health is an ongoing process. See your doctor at the first sign of anything Also keep that appears abnormal. in mind that a Pap test is designed only to detect pre-cancerous changes in the neck of the womb. ofcp Has the Pap test helped? In 1950, British Columbia began a Pap test programme which has now covered 80% of all women in the province over 20 years of age. Het is what happened among those who have and have not participated: Amount of cancer of the cervix in every 100,000 women in British Columbia over 20: with Pap test: 4.7 without Pap test: 51.0 -reprinted from the Canadian Cancel Society TRU-BREAST A REVOLUTIONARY NEW METHOD OF INFANT FEEDING! IT'S READY IN AN INSTANT! LESS WORK FOR MOTHER! o+ ++ V' reprinted from WITH THESE PATENTED FEATURES: hungry than usuel? NO need LUL-A-BYE Sound Unit. Baby to grown baby is lulled to warm and sterile in Unit. Reedy when Men same soothing heertbeat he* l has to refrigerate lett-wars. Milk Maya baby is. r TRU-BREAST Unit is unbreakable. since baby can't drop it on the floor. Maternal TRU-BREAST Nursing Links newer need sterilising. Health News KWICK-FIL Holding Tank stores baby's milk at lust the right tempera- lure. Nos% too hot. Now too cold. Feature' automatic null. Never bother with formulae again. KWICK-KLEEN Nipple. No need to bolt this rabbis. Made of gusranieed lifetime materials and it can't be axidentally pulled aft summer '82 BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! TRU-BREAST Units solve the problem of storage** baby items until the next baby comas along. They we dersoneNe at well as tundlonall They corns In ell sizes, shapes and colors and outwwd appearance his nothing to do with ability of Unite to function. Units come in pairs and improve with use. TRU-BREAST wake Venting with baby easier-the roams. no worry wept With TRU-BREAST Around, Why Bother With Other Methods? PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WO Page �Comment by Sara Williamson In their statement, Women Against Nuclear Technology, make clear the connection between feminist principles and anti-nuclear work. We should also be clear that the preparations for nuclear war are already posing a hazard to daily health and safety in Northwestern Ontario. Atomic Energy Canada has been preparing to use the granite in the areas around Atikokan and Sioux Narrows as sites to dump nuclear waste. Boxcars of yellow cake from Australia and Saskatchewan are shipped regularly by rail swaying past our backyards to the nuclear refineries in the East. Unmarked trucks,many from Reimer's fleet carrying radio-active material roar along the trans-Canada highway. The common reaction when faced with massive destruction to our environment is to suppress the dark feelings of despair, horror and pain because there is no quick and simple solution to the situation . We think that if we acknowledge the nuclear danger, we must also have a solution. Joanna Macy of California in her article in a publication called "Evolutionary Blues" discusses this reaction and a positive alternative. She notes that suppressing any strong feeling uses a lot of energy, leaving us more drained. However, admitting to this terrible sense of fear and sadness makes us feel more at one with ourselves and the world. Despair needn't permanently engulf us. Many antinuke workers find more energy is freed to work - not with hope - but with openness to possibilities that are as unknown but that can evolve as the -uggle progresses. FEMINISM is: ner OUR FUTURE Patriarchal thinking supports a dualistic view of the world: spirit/ matter, mind-body, good/evil, reacReprinted from Herizons, the Manitoba Women's Newspaper tion/intuition, self-other, man/environment. Somewhere in our history this breaking down of reality into polarities provided a model for the What emerges is that nuclear power male/female polarity. As the qualities is feminism no more awould "single issue" than The detractors of associated with maleness (mind, matter have us believe thatfeminism women's is. concerns Nuclear power is the reason, self) become more valued, so latest and unconmost serious manifestation are a 'single .issue', somehow did the qualities equated with woman of ecology, the patriarchal mentality. The nected with politics, his(body, intuition, other) become debased, tory, religion, culture. same mentality We know which has supported and thought of as inferior, if not that the way women have been treated a "power-over"ownership and rapist actually evil. attitude to women over the ages, now over the ages is unseparable from Out of this duality paradigm evolved allows the rape of Mother Earth with the political/social/religious/ the rationale for sex-role sterocultural history of uranium civilization mining, as the dumping and untyping, based on the notion of the we know it. safeSteimen storagesays of nuclear and chemical As Gloria natural superiority of men and the "there is no subjectwastes, that feminism nuclear weapons testing, right of men to control and dominate doesn't transform". nuclear power plants which leak lowwomen. Since women are associated level radiation, chemicals in our with the earth, and it is obvious Feminists, in particular over pollution in our atwater supply, from anthropology and the creation the last decade, have delved deeply mosphere, pesticides in our food and myths of many cultures that men did into the sexism inherent in the numerous other ecological atrocities. equate women with the earth from earmale-oriented view of the world ly times, then possession of and which informs the domination over the earth is an exso-called "objective" tension of power over women that men disciplines such as claim a right to. As this expression anthropology, socof power over women has become iniology, history. creasingly more violent with the development of "civilizatiot e, so has More recently, the violence to the planet increased feminists all over until today we are faced with the the world have begun 111111.144p horror of a technology which could to make the connectdestroy us all. ions between environmental issues and the It is not that all men in all essentially masculine times have incorporated this attitude "man as master" atti of domination over nature into their tude to the world way of living; native people on this that we call the patcontinent did live in close harmony riarchal mentality. with the environment before the white The increased focus men came (and ironically are the ones in the eighties on who today must deal with uranium mining the nuclear menace on their land and the direct health costs of the dumping of uranium mining wastes on their land to their population). They have a saying: "as the .earl 1- is treated, so is the woman". to ere' ve t we The Journal Collective has observed the difficulties of women who join struggles that aren't specifically feminist. All too often, they end up carrying out the men's decisions accepting men's strategies, serving refreshments, selling tickets and other diminutive roles. Women who join such movements should make sure that feminist views are respected and understood by their colleagues.. Better still, women can and are forming their own organ:ization within the movement. In this context they can develop their own range of strategies from marching with flowers and children to the idea of refusing enmasse to reproduce until the world has a future in which babies can survive.Or some other strike actions that 'xpose the patriarchal power structure. NICLEAP ME, IS THE LATEST ANn ''SST F,EPIOUS rANIFEsTATIO1 flF THE PATPJVCHAL VENTALITY, It is no accident that with patriarchal thinking being the dominant culture in the world today, women original peoples, the environment, are all considered expendable in the pursuit of power, profit, and technological "progress" to support a system which values production and consumption of commodities over the quality of human life. continued on Page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Pcige / 3 �by Joan Baril Overshadowing all the news in Thunder Bay is the problem of jobs. There are none. For the past two years the job market for women has been shrinking. The closure of several local businesses, including major employers such as Chapples and the Royal Edward Hotel, have thrown many women out of work. The needle trade industry which mainly employed immigrant women is defunct here. Woods Bag and Canvas has been closed for two years; Tee-Kay, which at one time employed up to three hundred women, has to find refuge. The Centre has been told by the authorities that it can no longer offer emergency accomodation. The women at the Centre are considering setting up "Safe Homes" where a woman in distress can find shelter Changes in faces at the Thunder Bay Women's Centre. Karen Lockwood will be in three days, Monday, Wednesday and Friday as Community Development Worker. Karen is a social worker. Ingrid Dundas, Libby McKay and Myra Hay are working on a resource kit on the topic of closed its doors one out of three battering. The kit can beLused women work in an office but there is for educational presentations on the little turn over in clerical jobs. topic. Sandra Morriseau is working Some local branches of large companies, on research for the Employment and for example Bell Canada, are into a Disadvantaged Women's Committee hiring freeze. Others are converting looking at what's available to facto the new tech-chip toys - word ilitate women getting jobs. Maria processors, video-display terminals Florindo is a summer research and expect to further reduce the assistant. Maria is compiling an inclerical force. C.U.P.E. estimated up formation package on women in employto two million clerical jobs will ment which will be available to be eliminated in the era of the students and speakers. Welcome to "automated office" e The overworked clerks at Unemployment not only face a mounting backlog of claims but, like other government employees, took a pay cut when the June 28 budget limited their salary increase to six percent in a yeat of twelve percent inflation s It now takes up to eight weeks for an unemployed persons to get the first U.I.C. cheque o In Winnipeg the stagnation in the garment industry is causing hardship. It is common for women to report in for work, work a few hours, be told to leave an& report back in, a few days or a week and then the same pattern is -repeated. Caught in this unemployment,v1;ce are 800 immigrant women who were recruited in the Phillipines and brought into Winnipeg over the last few years specifically as clothing everyone Also a good-bye to Anne Donaldson who has looked after that busy front desk Anne'`, parting words, "Vive la centre" When local feminist Donna Phoenix decided to introduce Thunder Bay to Wen-do (Women's Self Defense), she did single - handedly. During the past year Donna has voluntarily ^-rannized four weekend workshops inbasici, intermediate and advanced selfprotection and sister Wen-doer, Barbara Coomes organized a fifth one. For both women, it meant hours of unpaid work. The courses were taught by Wen-do trainers from Toronto and Winnipeg. Local Wen-doers hope eventually to have a resident trainer here in Thunder Bay. The merits of Wen-do as a form of self-protection have been factory workers Recently in spreading on the Thunder Bay grapeWinnipeg I visited the Women's Building vine and not only are women interested at 730 Alexander Avenue. This is a in taking the course for the first fine, four square building which used time, but graduates of the basic to be a missionary hall The main workshop want refresher training or room, two stories high, has a stage more advanced work. This fall, Thunder at one end. Offices are ranged along Bay Parks and Recreation will take both sides and above are mezzanines. over from Donna and Barbara and offer Up there is a book store called a basic weekend on September 25 and Bridgit's Books. Several groups head26th, and an advanced weekend October quarter here including the Painted 16, 17 at Ogden Community School Ladies Theatre Company (the stage is There are no physical or age barriers perfect for rehersals and productions), to Wen-do. All women fit or flabby Artemi's Press, Actors' Research Netfrom 8 to 80, are welcome work, Women Against Violence Against was a "beautiful and moving musical Women, EMPLA (a woman's carpentry experience" - the premiere of the collective), Wen-do. There is a original choral work "The Journey" clothing depot in the large basement, by Nancy Telfer at Lakehead Univera lesbian phone line and of course the sity on June 7 to open the "Female building is used for social, culture Connection" a conference by Women's events 0. From the beginning, the Inter-Church Council of Canada. Less difficulty was money. The building cost moving were the words of the openjust over $30,000 - a very reasonable ing prayer by 'Lois Wilson, the price. It is about half paid for. But Moderator of the United Church of making the payments, looking after Canada. She called on us to "accept the steep utility bills and dealing a life of suffering", to "freely with upkeep and cleaning have taken choose the burden of suffering a high toll of the women's energy and make it "our passion" axle su north dedication. It has been hard to keep the average woman knows all the vision intact. Last winter the about suffering. She doesn't have to centre was without heat for a time. "assume the burden" - she got it The group have taken no government whether she asked for it or not. Let grants; instead they rely on money us pray that she throws down the burraising activities such as rummage den and raises her fist against those sales and donations The Kenora who place it on her a more positive Woman's Centre (136 Matheson St. above the Lo-Cost Drug Mart) is right message came from the opening address by Ruth Cunningham, Director of Women's downtown. Every Tuesday and Friday there are coffee afternoons a pleasant Programs at Confederation College to the one hundred and fifty women who way to welcome local women. These attended the Women and Pensions Conare well advertised and the women are ference in May. Ruth stressed that the invited to bring their children and processes such as the new constitution meet each other. Kenora has an acute ,battering problem but it doesn't have which will facilitate change are in place. Now is the time to take the la crisis house or any place for women power "We don't allow three things on a (oil) rig: liquor, drugs and women." Donna-Lee Hedges of Goose Bay was told when 'applying for a job. Make that two things, replied the Federal Human Rights Commission who awarded Donna-Lee $500 and the first job she qualified for. Her co-complainant Nadine Schuurman who also was denied a job on an off-shore oil rig in Newfoundland because she is a woman rec eived no money because of her lesser qualifications. She was told to re- apply In Vernon B.C. a plant nurser: employer asked Canada Manpower to send out a man for the job. That's why Lesle: Barton was not given the job referral at the local Manpower office. The counsellor later stated that he believe( sex was an indication of a person's ability to do physically demanding work. Barton's ability to do heavy lifting was not tested. The counsellor as well as all the rest of the Vernon Manpower staff will get it all straight after they attend a one day seminar on human rights prescribed by the Federal Human Rights Commission. Barton receive! $2,000 in compensation The end of June marks Gay Pride Week. In tribute this column will not review the movie "Personal Best". Why, you say? Because the plot says it all (i.e. young female athlete falls in love with experienced ditto. Evil -tongued male coach breaks them up. Young athlete finds handsome male. Happy ending). This is a sympathetic portrayal of lesbian realities? one form of reality arrives at the Women's Centre in the newsletter "Grapevine" the news sheet , e It of the Lesbian Mother's Defence Fund. Separated mother who can be 'accused' of lesbianism may find their right of access to their children barred or opportunity for custody lost oo In Toronto Alice W. has been separated for over two years. Her husband had custody of their ten year old son; he agreed to generous visiting rights. However, as soon as she began a relatioi ship with a woman the husband refused to let the mother see her son e Grapevine says, "We see her case as typical." Ex-husbands assume the courts will back them up in denying the mother any sort of fair-treatment when it comes to visitation, child support, custody or maintenance". HELP PREVENT RAPE SISTERS GIVE RIDES TO SISTERS: PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman page �a FEMINISM - OUR FUTURE amen gwaz Llp ya.., we Sky continued from Page 13 THE" H4VE a Win "AS NE EAQTH IS TTAILO, SO IS THE 140"N" That the health and welfare of the earth, and women, and native peoples, and anyone and anything that can be used as fuel for the patriarchal machine is increasingly threatened by the many expressions of this mentality- sexism racism, nationalism, and the inhumane uses of technology, none of which are in the best interests of a happy, healthy life for all of us--is really one issue. The issue is the quality of life, not mere survival in a violent world in which one in four women in Canada will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime, where the life expectancy of native people which is now lower than white people will be even less because of uranium mining and the dumping of uranium wastes n their land, where there is a continual increase in cancer and birth defects from low-level radiation and environmental pollution. We do not have to leave our other feminist work in order to be antiuke activists; we can take antinuke consciousness and information into whatever group we work with and to whatever women we reach through our work and lives, as mothers, as workers as teachers, as union members. If we do not act now to save the planet, we may have no planet in which to create and develop our vision of a non-sexist, non-oppressive society which celebrates life. --exetpted 4Aom a papers wAitten by Women Againzt Nuctean Technotogy, Vancouver, B. C. Attention working-class lesbians WORKING CLASS LESBIANS please send oral herstory (interviews and tapes personal narratives, journal exerpts poetry, analyses or short fiction for consideration in an anthology of Canadian working class lesbians. The Manitoba Council for International Cooperation is pleased to announce the upcoming conference, entitled "Women Hold Up Half the Sky: Perspectives on Women and Development" to take place in Winnipeg, on the evening of Friday,October 15th and the day and evening of Saturday, October 16th, 1982. M.C.I.C. is a group of 27 church and service organizations which came together in 1974. M.C.I.C. coordinates the funding of overseas development projects, and also works in Manitoba to make Manitobans more aware of the problems faced by people in Third World countries. Our Women and Development Project focusses on why development efforts have done little to better the conditions under which women live and work in most Third World countries, and on what Actions resulting from the Conference included: representation to all federal MPs insisting that employers (under federal jurisdiction) be compelled to train and retrain women. regional lobbying of Ministers of Education to ensure that suitable, affordable training courses in computer literacy are established. that special attention be paid by provincial governments to the needs of immigrant,' native, handicapped and poorly educated women is also a lobbying Ministries of Education and school boards to introduce strong measures to ensure that high school girls pursue math and science studies, and are counselled about careers requiring these subjects. noreen iavoie, teresa legowski, danalynn mackinnon, anna mccoll, joycemichalchuk, vinla nikkila, rosalyn taylor pe/Tett, margaret phillips, donna phoenix, sara williamson, For more information please contact: M.C.I.C. 418 Wardlaw Ave., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L OL7 The Future is Now: Women and the Impact of Microtechnology was a three-day conference held in Ottawa, June 25-27 to examine the issues and make recommendations in the areas of employment, training and retraining, education, health and safety, information access and control as well as legislation related to all aspects of the microtechnology industry. Submissions from Canadian raised, as well as Canadian born lesbians are welcome. Please forward your ideas, suggestions, work outlines and completed work to: collective members this issue The October conference will focus largely on issues of women's health and women's work, and will stress the relevance of an international perspective to an understanding of our local situations. We have invited North American and international speakers and see this as an active, working conference to discuss strategies for information exchange and for the participation of Canadian women in international women's networks. WOMEN AND MICROTECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE it is recommended that a national Work Research Institute be established to provide informed guidance in the humane application of the new technology. V5T 4G3 situation. FUTURE WORK ? I want to explore the experiences and perspectives of lesbians from working class backgrounds --coming out stories, our awareness of how class background influences our lives, our relationships, our self-image and our liaison (if any) with the women's movement. Cy-Thea Sand P.O. Box 24953 Station C Vancouver, B.C. our member agencies and women's organizations can do to improve this priority. the conference delegates demanded urgently further information on the possible radiation hazards of video display terminals (VDTs), since, at present, there is no conclusive scientific study in this area. all workers should become informed about the health dangers and the stresses of those jobs in the microtechnology industry which have already become "women's work" such as the operation of VDTs and assembly line work. a Charter of Rights related to microtechnological change is proposed which should include clauses about advance notice of such change and its step-by-step introduction, safeguards regarding deskilling and reductions in the size of the work force, and provisions for both training and health safeguards. the conference delegates urge all women to find out what information is contained in their personal and security files, and to lobby for freedom of information and other protective legislation re theft and/or sale of the information in data banks. A coalition was formed from the conference with the purposes of establishing a National Microtechnology Network with the task of exchanging information and lobbying for action, and identifying urgent needs and ensuring that appropriate measures are taken. FILM INFO WANTED The National Film Board is co-ordinating screenings of films for departments in the Federal Women's Film Program. We are interested in knowing about films, video tapes and slide shows that are about women (women and work, women and health,etc.) If you have such afilm please send the the technical information, a short description, plus distribution information to: Ms. M. McEvoy Federal Womnen's Program 150 Kent St. Ottawa, Ont. K1A 0M9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL page -15 �THE CONFEDERATION COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY THUNDER BAY DISTRICT FALL PROGRAMS FOR WOMEN GS 144 GS 052 In conjunction with Divisions of the College, Women's Programs initiates, develops and facilitiates subjects, seminars and conferences in response to changing needs in education and employment. Women's Programs provides resources for educators, students, individuals and community groups who require consultation abbut feminist issues. NEW--September 1982--General Arts & Science Diploma emphasizing Women's Programs Suggested Curriculum is designed to be of particular interest to women seeking training for a future career through general study prior to career selection. It offers subjects that develop an awareness of issues relevant to women in the work force combined with the opportunity to explore career field(s) through additional subject selection. WOMEN & INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WOMEN, SOCIETY AND CHANGE What is the future of woman? This subject is In an effort to enhance the scope of Canad designed to increase student awareness of the awareness of Third-World concerns and aspi tions, this program will address the inter impact of the changing roles in Canadian society. Current and future issues will be pendent critical issues of international development and the organized efforts that examined and discussed. This post-secondary credit subject is offered ensure the full participation and integrat of women in the process toward a new inter as a DAY program. For further information, national economic order. contact the Registrar's Office. This program may taken as a post-secondary credit or an aud: TIME AND DATE: Tues. Wed. Thurs. 1:30-4:30 TIME AND DATE: STARTING DATE: Mondays 7-10 pm September 7, 1982 STARTING DATE: September 13, 1982 COMPLETION DATE: December 16, 1982 COMPLETION DATE: INSTRUCTOR: November 22, 1982 Mary Fedorchuk INSTRUCTOR: FEE: $45.00 Barbara Marcell ROOM: tba FEE: $30.00 ROOM: 258 ZW 017 Post-secondary credit subjects toward the diploma may be taken in 99 full-time studies or as part-time. Contact the Registrar's Office WOMEN KNOW YOUR CAR Students will learn the basic procedures for further information. of car maintenance and general operation. Offered in the evening this fall (September 1982) under this new GS 026 TIME AND DATE: Mondays 7-10 pm 99 Program will be: STARTING DATE: ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING September 20, 1982 Provides the student with the skills necessa] COMPLETION DATE:' October 25, 1982 GS 010 Personal Financial Planning-I INSTRUCTOR: to negotiate honestly for the things he/she GS 026 Assertiveness Training Don Young, FEE: $25.00 wants--on the job, at home, in the community. GS 136 Women in Management ROOM: Automotive Shop Assertion is not to be confused with aggressi GS 143 Women & Stress Management Dorion Building Assertion takes into account the rights and GS 144 Women & International Development feelings of others. This program may be taken as a post-secondar, WOMEN AS VOLUNTEERnN WOMEN'S PROGRAMS credit or an audit. WOMEN IN TRADES & TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SESSION TIME AND DATE: Tuesdays 7-10 pm INFORMATION SESSION If you are committed to equality for women in STARTING DATE: September 14, 1982 This is an opportunity for women of all ages education and employment and would like to work COMPLETION DATE: November 16, 1982 to learn what is available to them in trades part-time with us as a volunteer, please attend: INSTRUCTOR: Gloria Meredith and technology at Confederation College. DATE: Wednesday October 20, 1982 FEE: $30.00 ROOM: 380 DATE: Wednesday November 17, 1982 TIME: 7:30 p.m. TIME: 7:30 p.m. PLACE: See monitor for room number FILM: 'RBREAKING,JHROMM" Although there is NO CHARGE, it is necessary to GS 141,,,4A00ftp.mwmulemmogwompwwwwwwwmmwmgrw. PLACE: Room 207, McIntyre Building REGISTER BY SEPTEMBER 30th for this evening. To WOMEN AND STRESS MANAGEMENT Confederation College register, call 475-6232. Insufficient registraThis program is intended to examine situaPANEL: Chairpersons from the College's tion will result in the cancellation of the event. tional stresses in our lives -- family, Trades & Technology Departments job, social relationships, conflict, change, FILM: "WHY NOT TECHNOLOGY" developmental crises, etc., as well at potAlthough there is NO CHARGE, it is necessary WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ential sources of stress they bring to every to REGISTER BY OCTOBER 29th for this evening. This is a small newly-formed committee interested situation because of their persenality, To register call 475-6232. Insufficient rein the promotion of seminars and workshops of their own belief system, their life rhythms, gistration will result in the cancellation particular interest to women who are in management. and their style of problem solving. of the event. A lifestyle and attitude approach to changing theil For further information, call Women's Programs at 475-6278. stress response will be developed by each individual. JOB SEARCH SKILLS FOR WOMEN This program may be taken as a post-secondar; A three-week program sponsored by Canada credit or an audit. MATCH INTERNATIONAL Employment & Immigration to assist women who TIME AND DATE: Wednesdays 7-10 pm MATCH is based upon the belief that development want immediate employment. STARTING DATE: September 15, 1982 through women and by women can have a considerable The next tentative program offered Sept.l3th. COMPLETION DATE: November 17, 1982 impact not only on the well -being of the family, For further information, contact the Women's INSTRUCTOR: Walter Martin but also on the standard of living of the entire Employment Centre at 623-2731 or Applied Arts FEE: $30.00 ROOM: 258 community. In order to achieve this MATCH works: Division, Confederation College at 475-6306. -to enable women in Third-World countries to become self-reliant and full participants in ZW 009 99 the development of their own country through INTRODUCTION TO NON-TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS FLYING SOLO the support of small projects which they have An eight-week program designed to give women A lecture series designed specifically for initiated and implemented. an academic and experimental introduction to women who are single, divorced, separated -to help Canadian women understand the concerns traditionally male occupations. or widowed. The students You can expect to hear from and aspirations of Third-World women in light will choose, with the help of the instructor, experts on a variety of topics. Our setting of common situations that link them together. where the training will take place. will be informal and some lectures will, MATCH meets every second Wednesday of the month hopefully, on occasion, revolve around a The next tentative program offered Scpt.7th. at 7:30 pm; come and bring a friend. For the pot-luck supper or meal. For further information, contact your local room please see the monitor. Members arc encourTIME AND DATE: Thursdays 7-10 pm Canada Employment f Immigration Counsellor aged to take GS 144 "Women G International DeveSTARTING DATE: September 23, 1982 or Applied Arts Division, Confederation lopment". For further information, call Women's COMPLETION DATE: November 25, 1982 College at 475-6306. Programs at 475-6278. INSTRUCTOR: Rosemary Peterson FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 270 Chairperson: Barbara Marcell. GS 136 GS 010 99 PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING-I This subject will give the student practical instruction in personal economics, the art of handling money and managing one's financial affairs. Topics covered include budgeting, bankineand investing, credit, housing, insurance, and car ownership, together with othertopics in which the student may express an interest. This program may be taken as a post-secondary credit or an audit. TIME AND DATE: Tuesdays 7-10 pm STAR'T'ING DATE: September 14, 1982 COMPLETION DA'T'E: December 14, 1982 INSTRUCTOR: Lauretta Johnson $S.00 ROOM: 278 99 WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT This subject will briefly look at the traditional principles, strategies and skills of management, but will focus primarily upon particular experiences of being a woman in management. Resource to include "Women in Management" by Bette Ann Stead. TIME AND DATE: Mondays 7-10 pm STARTING DATE: September 13, 1982 COMPLETION DATE: December 20, 1982 INSTRUCTOR: FEE: $45.00 ROOM: tba 'Ewe,/ The Confederation College of Applied Arts & Technology Thunder Bay District FALL PROGRAMS FOR Women's Programs WOMEN ZW 036 99 OUTREACH FOR WOMEN This program is designed for women who are experiencing the need to explore untapped energy, untapped resources, unchallenged potential and undiscovered self. Each individual will acquire a profile of intere< and goals, a sense of new options and a clarification of values. TIME AND DATE: Thursdays 7-10 pm STARTING DATE: September 23, 1982 COMPLETION DATE: November 25, 1982 INSTRUCTOR: Anna Charles FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 312 FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO REGISTER, CONTACT WOMEN'S PROGRAMS AT 475-6232. For information about these subjects outside of Thunder Bay, contact your local Confederation ColicIT office PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �11, Par , 0100 tAlk 111:1 =MP does 220 RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 BAY ST. THUNDER BAY P, ONT. Return Postage Guaranteed INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Don't forget to renew your subscription! Here's my sub: Name Address (postal code) ******* * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *1*. * * * *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL 7 PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION * * * * ************** ************* ******* page 2 Editorials page 3 Wife Beating page 5 Lesbian Mothers page 6 Shirley Bear and the Indian Act page 7 Women and Pensions page 10 Poetry page 11 Book Review page 12 Health Wanted page 13 Feminism - Our Future page 14 Update page 15 Future Work PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 7 No 4 Description An account of the resource Vol. 7, No. 4 (1982) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Liberal Feminism Violence Against Women Lesbian Motherhood Child Custody & Lesbianism Northern Art Galleries Sexism in the Indian Act Canadian Pension for Women Pension & Dependency Poetry Feminist Book Review Northwestern Ontario Women’s Health Project PAP Tests Women Against Nuclear Technology The Future of Feminism Unemployment in Northwestern Ontario Unemployment Insurance Ecofeminism Women & Economic Development Women & Microtechnology Conference (Ottawa) Working Class Lesbians Confederation College Programs for Women Authors/Contributors: Teresa Legowski Joan Baril Arja Lane Joyce Michalchuk Anna McColl Shirley Bear Sharyl Thompson Susan Collins Hawkins Joyve Thierry Viola Nikkila Nancy J. Zabirka Gert Beadle Sara Walliamson Noreen Lavoie Danalyn MacKinnon Rosalyn Taylor Perrett Margaret Phillips Donna Phoenix Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1982 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2772/1982_Vol_7_No_5.pdf 9add14f29b7cb86f33a111e079f2c000 PDF Text Text korlAtrn Vom;t; Th undeA. Bay, Ont. NOVEMBER 1982 jOlirn we must work collectively if we don't , our energies die PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �RA1111E111 LNG "The Silent Crime" Wife battering is one of Canada's biggest covers-ups. It is obscured on police occurrence sheets and social worker case reports as a "domestic dispute" or "family violence". Dear Sisters Wife battering knows no geographical, economic or cultural boundaries. Any woman can find herself a battered spouse. : The last Journal surfaced while I was doing some cleaning, and this time I noticed the asterisk! (Time to renew - Ed.). I would not want to miss a single issue; I usually devour eac one cover to cover the day it arrives.In the last one I particularly enjoyed Joan Baril's report on Judy Chicago's Dinner Party. I would love to see it but would have to come closer than Wife beating is rarely a one-time occurrence. Toronto. HAVE YOU TOO BEEN ABUSED? Wife battering often results in serious injuries. Fully 20% of Canadian homicidal deaths are the result of one spouse killing another. Battered wives often feel they have no place to go, no protection from their husbands, little 'Toney to live on, and little access to professional help. As for Joe Borowski, his attempts to stop legal abortion fall into my definition of "obscen The Women's Centre is here to support you. If he would use his energy to stop We care ... think about dropping in or the killing of women, men and telephone our counsellors. childern in wars - people already born, about whose personhood there is no doubt - he'd be doing some thing more to the point. The fact that he is contesting a law affecting only women, with the money (taxes) of both men and women, only adds to the obscenity. Yes let's stop Borowski. Please keep the Journal alive we need it, lest we become complacent over small gains and forget that there are many who would o turn back the clock. 345-5541 341-1101/ CENTRE 111V01111 E Yours in sisterhood, Kay Tingley, Red Lake. Dear Collective Members I have just completed reading the_ last issue of the Journal and wasimpressed, as always, with the variety of feminist issues covered and the quality of presentation. : The Journal is a fine undertaking and never disappointing. Keep up the good work Fiona Karlstedt Karen Lockwood ! Yours truly. Joy Fedorick, Community Outreach Officer, Women's Bureau - Northern Office, Ministry of Labour. Thanks for publishing a paper that expresses what so many of us feel but cannot articulate and so often feel frustrated and angry because we can't. Our worst "enemy' women who don't believe that other c women live in less than perfect conditions. It really shakes me that so many of these ivory tower women are not of my over 40 generation but are less than 30. Best of luck in your future endeavours. Shirley Browning, Dorchester, Ont. Women's Centre, in conjunction with the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, participated in a public education event on the streets of Thunder Bay on October 16. Formally proclaimed as "Unity Day with Battered Women" by the City of Thunder Bay, its objective was to increase public awareness of the problem of wife battering and, hopefully, lead to greater recognition of the issue and support of services for these women. That time of the fiscal year has arrived and Women's Centre is again actively seeking financial support from various sources. An application has been submitted to the Thunder Bay Foundation for funds to revise and update our kits and publications on battering and sexual harassment, as well as a centre fact sheet. Our submission to Secretary of State is to be discussed and finalized at a meeting scheduled for Saturday, December 4th, 10-4 p.m. at W.C. You are invited to participate,-so if you can attend, please make a note of the date. Warren's Centre is sponsoring "Outreach 82" a public education project in which the kit on battering will be taken out into the community. Vija Russell, Barbara Fotherby and Colleen Jirroh have been hi-red and will be addressing interested groups in the city and surrounding area on the topic within the next four months. If you know of any group who would be interested, please give them a call at the Centre. Women's Centre has been active in the schools speaking to students on the issues of women and the law, pensions, employment, and pro choice perspective. Sabine Berg, a fourth year LU nursing student, recently completed her placement with Women's Centre. Consistent with our interest in and promotion of community health, it was a valuable learning experience for both Sabine and the Centre. Joyce Michalchuk was recently appointed to fill the vacancy on the Board of Directors. If you are interested in more information regarding Women's Centre activities, drop in or call - we'll be happy to tell you more. As part of our campaign for funding, we are asking YOU to write a letter setting out why you believe Women's Centre deserves support! Let's hear from you ... PDF compression,page OCR,2 web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern.Woman �edaiM Wivgki Taken From Fight Back -- Feminist Resistance to Male Violence 1901 by Janet Howard As I read this first sentence, a woman somewhere is being beaten until she is bloody and half conscious, not sure if she is alive or dead. By the time I have completed reading this page, several more women will have been beafen, - and at least one other woman will be aching with DEAL WITH HARASSMENT the pain and terror of rape. We are here because we are aware A quick glance through any newspaper of violence against women - injury, should be enough to convince anyone abuse and destruction directed agthat all women regardlessof age, income ainst and experienced by women. In or race, are vulnerable to attacks. this country and in many other Therefore all should have a knowcountries around the world women are ledge of self defense as one of their the object of a violence so wide basic life skills. As unpleasant as ranging and so much the result of the subject of assaults is, it is one interlocking oppression that to no woman can afford to ignore. untangle the violent web and understand the different strands will Wen-Do is a system of self defense take a long, long time and the designed for women. A very efficient collective work of manylpeople. form that teaches awareness, avoidWomen in this world are owned ance and reaction to attacks. Wen-Do bought and sold, paid unlivable was developed in Cne early wages, rorced towork hard and seventies by the Paige amily.theprovide services for no money at all, physical components of the course are locked away, sterilized, used to sell from a combination of martial arts every product that makes a profit, and street fighting techniques. The burned alive, drowned at birth, lob- basic course is from 12 to 14 hours otomized, denied basic human rights long. It can be structured to fit into Somewhere along the list of grievany schedule. Examples of class times ances we come to the physical abuse are: -an intensive two full day weekof individual women by individual end - once a week, three hours per men - the isolated, raw violence session for four or five weeks. of a specific man against a specific woman, or a group of specific men against a specific women. An individual violence that repeats itself again and again to become a kind of MASS violence. The violence known as rape is increasing, and already the number of known cases is staggering; the records suggest that a woman is raped every 13 min. in Canada. But reported rapes are only a very small percent it is estimated 1 in 10 women report It is impossible to estimate the real number because women who are raped often choose to keep quiet rather than face further attacks from family, the law, and the rapist himself. The definition of rape is very different depending on who you talk Wen-Do offers ways to deal with __ to. harassment on the streets, in public The province defines rape very places, at parties and with physical narrowly in terms of penetration and and sexual assaults. An advantage presence of semen---as if rape is this course has over others is the something that happens to the vagina emphasis on women, their socializa---not a wholewoman. A woman expertion and conditioning and their needs. iences rape every time a man forces It is taught by women and only women her into performing a sexual act attend the classes. against her will. Force takes many forms: actual The mental aspect of the course is physical force, the use of weapons, equally important as the physical. the threat of losing a job or being Often the most valuable thing that deported, and the threat of death. originates from this course is the feeling of self-confidence, the As read by Carol McColl on the steps belief in oneself. To realize that of Thunder Bay's City Hall on September 17, 1982. you can be effective in your environment, in your life, is a definite asset. Women have stated that taking Wen-Do has enabled them to be more active in their lives. Until now women have had no concept of attack situations; they have had no concept of their self power. Through Wen-Do women have been discovering this power. IT'S YOUR DECISION In every situation you must make tl decision to fight or not to fight, considering all the variables of yc yourself, your assailant and the envi place in. If you decide to resist you must put one hundred percent of your effort into your defense. For women who wish to train more intensively and keep up their skill there is intermediate and advanced Wen-Do. Again the classes are made up of mental and physical sections. Women learn different types of kicks, punches and blocks, sparring( training of defense and counter attacks ) and katas ( stylized movements using different forms and combinations of movements). There is no set course length. There is a sliding ranking scale of six steps.At the second rank women are able to take an instruc tor's course to enable them to pass on their information and experience. From a basic course it is expected a women will become proficient in one or two favorite techniques. CONTACT PARKS &REC 6232711 FOR MORE INFORMATION RE DATES OF FEBRUARY COURSE PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman pane 3 �YIP YIP SUR LA Two hours out on the South Kawishiwi River in a party of four canoes and ten women I realize that my fears about this five-day canoe I lean back trip are groundless. into the stroke happy to see the July sun glint off water and paddle The shore of the wide and drops. incredibly beautiful river slides The by in cliffs, spruce and swamp. women are laughing and talking, meeting each other for the first time. Another tour by Woodswomen, the -women ouned wilderness outfitters of Minneapolis was gliding off into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area of Northern Minnesota. At the first portage, I make my little speech. "I cannot carry the canoes or heavy packs, only the paddles and lighter stuff. I'm apologizing now for the whole trip." All are I scan the womens' faces. smiling acceptance without a hint of the disgruntled expression so familiar to back sufferers when they have to beg off heavy work. Judith Niemi, our guide and a founder of Woodswomen had been infirmed of my disability a month previous when I first signed up. Now she smiled. "Don't apologize. We've had lots of bad backs on our trips and people with other disabilities too." An hour later, over the portage and on our way, my second worry melted away. There was not a "bush jock" in the group, and certainly our two guides Judith Niemi and Kris Frish didn't qualify (Bush one who insists on paddling Jock: thirty miles a day, who trots over the portages and refuses to lie down at night until all muscles are exercised into knots of pain; has a raucous guilt-producing call ending on a rising note,"All right: All right! Let's go! Let's go!") Woodswomen, I realize, deliberately designs their trips as a relaxed focussing into the wilderness with time to learn camping skills and to zen in on the details--a flower, a bird call, a sunset. This is an over-40 trip, eight women from various parts of the U.S. plus two I am the only Canadian. guides. Decisions are made collectively and amiably, sometimes slowly. "Everybody should do their fair share of cooking and dishes," says Judith, "We don't keep a list, but I don't want anyone to do more than her share." Someone in the group giggles: "That's surely a speech designed for women. I bet when you take a group of men camping you don't have to remind them not to over-do on dishes." Evening campfire in a world dimming into lavender dark. Women's conversations. A topic moves out, is encircled by our experience, enlarges into a thought-field. We learn and listen and add, we brood and study, we joke and toss the conversation back and forth across the fire like hoop dancers. We can feel our own human force field emerging in the black bush and gold light. We do not try to score points, nor himmer home a point of view. There is no thrust and parry talk, no desire to impress or to "solve" all problems. We are women after all. We discuss American politics, the "fundies"(rabid anti-women religious fundamentalists), the fifties, children, marriage - surprisingly only one of us is married and she wishes she weren't - divorce, the single life, being 40 or older, living alone and living with someone, the lives of women, and of course the lives of men. RIVIERE in the mapping of the course as some I grit my teeth and Mmm. women do. ask Mary to teach me how to cast. Somewhere in my heart, I realize, is a little black hard pebble marked "Impossible. You can't do it." I fling the rod out according to her directions and the line sings through the blue air in a perfect "To hell with fishing--I'm arc. casting." I am elated and just cast again and again. Two days later I'm standing on the shore studying a long flashy set of rapids using my new white-water I'm checking for deep water skills. vs. standing waves, the dangerous Next, I'm rock-concealing pillows. in the bow, twisting through the After course, in a tremendous high. one particularly exciting run, Judith carried the canoe back over the portage and, _Ate ran iLagain, just for the pleasure of it. aris-Z---a- champion kyaker, says: "White water is _ Meg Cruikshank of San Francisco has a definition:"Whatever can be measured, weighed, compared, rated, counted, quantified in any way that has importance to the masculine world. The next evening as Nary is fishing, two men in canoes glide past. "How many fish have you caught? How much do they weigh? How far did you paddle today?" Those of us within earshot fall to the ground in laughter. I learn something new and deep about myself that sends me spiraling I down a well of self-knowledge. realize I resist learning new things which require manual skill. On a sunset canoe tour of the lake with Peg, I'm happy to learn from her about the San Francisco life-style, her teaching experiences and a book I'm fascinated. she is editing. But the next day, I don't join the group around Marianne who are learnNor do I ing to filet fish. Mmm. take out my compass and get involved addictive." So I learn to cast, to whitewater, to map read, to make a fire with a flint; but, the little pebble is I ponder on its origin still there. as we sweep along. There were many times in my life when I tried to learn something but was balked. Lost and enlightening memories ripple For instance, my first driving in. It was in Ottawa and my husband, who was my'driving teacher, lesson. directed me without any prior instruction into Confederation Circle Round and round the at rish hour. War Memorial I went in a complete panic--my first time at the wheel. When I finally got out I was so shaken I decided driving was too difficult for me. My husband agreed, no doubt secretly pleased that his plan to retain control of the car (and me) had worked so well and that he hadn't killed himself carrying it out. He convinced me that he himself had learned to drive instinctively without lessons but that I was the sort of person who could never learn. Cont'd on pg.18 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor tiarthp.rn Woman page. 4 �Health Wanted finally, health project a reality by Teresa Legowski In Northwestern Ontario, the predominant policy of physicians is to perform cesaerians on women with the risk of a breech birth. As well, it is also their policy to perform C-sections on each successive birth. This is one of the many health issues that the Northwestern Ontario Women's Health Education Project ( W.H.E.P.) will be addressing. The project received funding from Health and Welfare Canada for the first of its three year operation, and started rolling September 1st. The four co-ordinators, who are working together within a jobsharing and collective structure, are Heather Woodbeck, Margot Morgan, Dianne Loucks and Teresa Legowski. The basic philosophy of the project is to promote personal responsibility for women's health through education. Working as far east as Hornepayne, and as far west as Kenora, the coordinators hope to have 13 target communities gear their health In another study, 66 women with FBD were placed on a caffeine restricted diet. Improvement in breast symptoms occurred with 88% of the patients and 91% had a reduction in palpable nodularity. From left to right, Dianne Loucks, Heather Woodbeck, Margot Morgan, Teresa Legowski. education to their own specific needs. Through questionnaires and workshops, the project will attempt to bring a balanced viewpoint of health information to all women in Northwestern Ontario. Anyone who is interested in W.H.E.P. may contact the office at 214 Red River Road, Suite 4, in Thunder Bay, phone 345-1410, 345-7583. Coffee, Tea and Lumpy by Teresa Legowski. A recent article in the pharmaceutical magazine On Continuing Practice (Volume 9, No. 9, 1982) has Understanding how caffeine contributes to FBD involves some biochemistry. Putting it simply, the action takes 'lace DNA 1 (FBD) with caffeine consumption. Fibrocystic breast disease is defined as a benign condition in which there are many painful lumps in the breasts. in body cells and controls the type of growth that occurs. The DNA is made up of four different kinds of nucleotides, each of them responsible for a particular function. Besides the famous coffee bean, caffeine exists in other commonly consumed substances. Following, is a brief diagram demonstrating caffiene content per unit for different items. Item Caffeine content /unit Brewed coffee 64-124mg/140m1 cup Instant coffee 40-108mg/140m1 cup Decaffeinated Coffee 2-5mg/140m1 cup Tea 30-48mg/tea bag Instant tea 24-31mg/140m1 cup Oval tine natural chocolate 8.2mg/19 g powder Cola 32-65mg/336m1 Drugs Frosst 222 or 282 30mg caffeine citrate Tylenol #1 or #2 30 mg caffeine citrate Choledyl 100.200 or 300mg (Caffeine citrate contains 50% caffeine) . The diagram of the DNA molecule shows its typical spiral form, made up of nucleotides in a linear succession. Every fourth nucleotide is called c-AMP and its function in the DNA is twofold: assisting in energy transportation and transmission of genetic information. However c -ANP doesn't work unless its broken down into another nucleotide called 5-AMP. An enzyme performs this job. 5.5mg/19 g powder Oval tine When all coffee, tea, colas and chocolate were eliminated from the diet of women in the study who had FBD, 13 of 20 women (65%) experienced complete disappearance of all palpable breast nodules, pain, tenderness and nipple discharge in one to six months. Also, Minton found that once women began to consume caffeine again FBD reappeared. Now when caffeine enters the picture it acts as a "lock" that fits the "key" enzyme and stops it from performing its function. Eventually, the body cells develop a very high concentration of c-AMP. For some reason (and no one knows why) high c-AMP concentrations are directly associated with FBD development. Two studies were cited in the article. J.P.Minton conducted a study in which normal breast tissue was compared to benign and malignant breast tissue. In benign lumps, c-AMP existed 1.5 times the normal level. In malignant tissue c-AMP existed five times the normal value. Very few studies have been done on this subject but the authors advise that any radical surgical procedures should be postponed for at least two months. During this period the woman should attempt a restricted caffeine diet with constant monitoring of FBD symptoms by her doctor. C.A,R.A.L. What is Childbirth by Choice ? Briefly, childbirth by choice means freedom of choice in planning ones family. It means a woman should not be pressured to bear a child against her will. It means a woman should not be pressured to have an abortion against her will. CABAL believes that women should have the freedom to choose whether or not to continue an unplanned, undesired pregancy. Our position is the one taken in the United Nations Human Rights Declaration of 1968 (signed by Canada) and further enunciated at the UN-sponsored International 1976:"Every couple and every individual has the right to decide freely and responsibly whether or not to have childern as well as to determine their number and spacing, and to have information,education and means to do so." If you believe that you, not the government should decide when you will or won't have a child, then you are what the "Right to Lifers" call "Pro-Abortion." Frankly, we at CARAL don't know anyone who is "pro-abortion." But all birth control methods can fail and unwanted pregancies do occur. Some people feel abortion is immoral. Others feel it is immoral for a government to force a woman to bear a child or to force her to risk an illness or death with a back-alley butcher. An unwanted pregnancy is a situation faced by thousands of Canadians every day. It's a situation where there are no good answers, only rational decisions. The "Right to Life" people are unrelenting in their campaign to make your decision for you. And they won't stop without a fight. It should be our choice. The purpose of CARAL is to ensure that no woman in Canada is denied access to safe, legal abortion. Our aim is the repeal of all sections of the Criminal Code dealing with abortion, and the establishment of comprehensive contraceptive and abortion services, including appropriate counselling, across the country. "We regard the right to safe, legal abortion as a fundamental human right". rttwn PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �...Cabin Fever - we used to call it 'getting bushed: It strikes isolated trappers in the winter and young mothers at any time. Now a group of local women have decided to designate one day in January as Cabin Fever Day and not a Minute too soon either. The idea is to make people aware of the behaviour changes caused by isolation. An education workshop will be held in February. The women call themselves The Cabin Fever Connection', The women also won a prize for the best Public Service Booth at the Hymer's Fair. They set up a 'Baby Change and Feed' area - marvelous idea.For more information contact the Rural Resource Office at Kakebeka Falls 577-1211 mornings. ... "I've gone through a whole personality change since starting work here", says Fiona Karlstedt, administrator of the Women's Centre. "When you work in a traditional office you lose the ability to think. Here at the centre I'm being creative again - I'm starting to think again. It sounds corny but it's true" Fiona brings a lot of business and administrative experience to the Centre. She had her own successful secretarial business for three years and then worked in a local law firm . "The first few days I was just drowning here" says Fiona. "The work is so varied, so unstructured compared to office routine. I felt under pressure to produce something but I often didn't know how to equate what I did with money. So much goes on here. You have to find a balance. One day I sat and talked for an hour with a women who was totally depressed how can you equate that to money ?". ...If you like to receive information concerning activities at the Women's Centre as well as the Centre's newsletter, please phone in your name and address ... Are there lots of magazines, newspapers or pamphlets piling up at your workplace which will eventually be thrown out ? Or perhaps you are a Magazine or newspaper reader. At ahy-rate the Women's Centre would appreciate it if women with access to magazines would clip articles to add to their educational files. Any material dealing with women and womens' issues from any type of publication, be it popular magazines or specialised journals is welcome. Please write the date and name of the publication on the article ... The Rape Kit. Every hospital in Thunder Bay has one. It is used to gather forensic evidence such as hair, blood and sperm traces from the victim. The kits are supplied by the Ministry of Health but many doctors don't like them. They say the tests in the kit take too long = over a total of two hours in some cases see Local police admit the procedure is lengthy but this is partly caused by the doctor's lack of experience in using the kit.More doctors should have attended the anectidotes, opinions and pedantics BY JOAN BARIL training workshops. A trained doctor can use the kit in faster time... what about the rape victim? In September a young woman was turned away from Humber Memorial Hospital in Toronto after a three hour wait. The doctor on duty said he was too busy to treat her. After phone calls to two other hospitals. she finally found "in five years, this guy has never asked me one question about myself, never shown any interest in me as a person, in fact he doesn't know one thing about me--perhaps not even my name. I'm just a big ear for him" Several women present at this conversation agreed this was a common male type in Thunder Bay. They facetiously suggested a huge paper mache ear which could be fixed in front of the face whenever Mr. Monologue ap- peared Women supply "The Big Ear" for men in marriage as well as at work as several studies (i.e. Dale Spender: Man Made Language) have pointed out. Men just talk a lot more than women, socially, at work and at home rape one who would take her in tests are "not a priority" said hospital spokesman Robert McMillin Rape Crisis Centres in Ontario have often charged hospitals with keeping victims waiting for hours, leaving them in public waiting rooms. Victims cannot wash their clothes until tests are done localRape Centre spokeswoman, Doreen Boucher gives good marks to St. Joseph's hospital."The women are put in a private area where we can talk to them" she said. Doreen admitted that a victim might wait as long as an hour for care 'depending on how frantic the emergency room is at the time'. She has never heard of a case of a women being turned away as at Humber . A happily married man, regardless of how much he talks, also listens, concludes a nine-year study of 487 couples by John M. Gottman of the University of Illinois reported in October's Psychology Today magazine. He is like a good C.B. radio which not only sends signals but can quickly pick up and interpret messages coming in, even non-verbal signals. He knows when his wife is happy, playful or pleading 4..4) The unhappily married man cannot do this. He doesn't "hear" his wife. Like a radio with a broken receiver, he can't pick up messages. When something finally gets through to him, he labels his wife's concerns as problems to be solved usually by arguing them away. (These unhappy husbands often enjoy arguing). If his wife expresses an emotion, he sees that as a problem too Gottman's major findings state that in distressed marriages, there is an imbalance usually caused by the husband 'Imo strangely enough, however the deficient husbands, when shown video-tapes of other women, could interpret their intended non-visual messages. They were only dense with their own wives, which no doubt made them appear responsive and caring to anyone outside the marriage situation. oA recent issue of Worldlit, the Canadian newsletter on global literacy, states that "nearly two people out of every three illiterate in the world today are women". In the Arab world, 89% of women are illiterate (compared to 66% of the men)and the figures for Africa are almost the same. In Latin America 30% of the women are In spite of illiterate, in Asia 57%. the U.N. declarations and programs to combat illiteracy among women which were initiated in International Women's Year, evidence indicates the situation has deteriorated, according to Worldlit. ooThe company of women makes life more enjoyable for everyone, both men and other women, says a recent study, which found both men and women had more enjoyable, meaningful social experiences when they were with women than when they were with men *so nevertheless one local woman claims she is fed up with providing "meaningful social experiences" without the usual At her place of human interchange. business, she claims, there are a few "Monologue Men," the kind of male who when he sets beside her at lunch for example, fills her ears with non-stop Poll after poll, Canadians vote pro-choice. The latest survey commissioned by CARAL (Canadian Abortion Rights Action League) showed 72% agreed that the decision on abortion should rest with the patient 04 pro-choice means a committment to education about contraceptives in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies "We need funds for public health education" says Wayne Taylor, vice chairman of the York Borough Board of Health. Taylor claims the abortion rate in Toronto is highest amongst 12 to 14 year olds and girls of Roman Catholic and/or immigrant Cont'd on pg. 15 PDF compression, optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern WomanOCR, page web 6 �RAPE NOT INHERENT IN SOCIETY NEW ANTHROPOLOGICAL FINDINGS NOT ENTIRELY NEW by Joyce Michalchuk New anthropological evidence indicates findings which contradict a feminist hypothesis that rape is inherent in male-female relations, as published in Susan Brownmiller's_ 1975 text on rape. University of Pennsylvania anthropologist Peggy Reeves Sanday has consulted extensive research encompassing the cultural traits in 156 societies and some of the findings indicated are not entirely surprising to those familiar with the "nature - nurture" controversy. The research shows that cultural factors, in particular, govern the incidence of rape in various societies, and that in many cultures in the world, rape is virtually unknown. Scientists (who acknowledge that the findings are tentative at this point) can divide the societies into two basic categories rapefree and rape-prone. In the article published in the October edition of Science 82 magazine, entitled "Rape-Free or Rape-Prone", author and anthropologist Beryl Lieff Benderly adds a third category - rape-present - which lends about an even split to the sample societies studied which encounter rape, and those that don't. Benderly reported that 47% of the societies were rape free; other forms of sexual assault were either "absent or rare". On the other hand 17% were "unambiguously rape-prone", and displayed "the social use of rape to threaten or punish women or the presence of a high incidence of rape of their own or other women".It is known that rape exists in the remaining 36% but the extent is undetermined. This new research shows, Benderly states, that the incidence o of rape in a given society is dependent on cultural factors such as the attitudes which are taught to boys, women's status and the values governing male-female relations within the given society. Further, Ms. Sanday writes that Ms. Benderly's findings show that "rape is anything but universal. It does not stem from a biological drive, she (Benderly) believes, but is rather a conditioned response to the way certain kinds of societies are organised." With regard to the U.S., Benderly writes that "American women are several hundred times as likely to be raped as are women in certain o other cultures ".She cited the example of the football players who are culturally encouraged in the game of football to inflict bone-crunching tackles on their opponents as a form of violence. This violence is not innate in the natures of men, but is culturally reinforced. To further illustrate cultural influence, Benderly cites research undertaken on various African societies, such as the model rape-free free Ashanti society of west Africa, where women play a full and : participation, are highly regarded and valued by the Ashanti people. Likewise, the Mbuti pygmies of central Africa live co-operatively in small bands, where both men and women fully share the work and decision-making, in the belief that they must live harmoniously with nature which provides for all their needs, lest nature become displeased with displays of anger, discord and human attempts at dominance. By contrast, the rape prone Gusii society of Kenya showed an incidence of rape almost 3.5 times greater than the U.S. rate, when the U.S. rate stood as one of the highest in the industrialised world. The Gusii regard the sex act as an act of dominance and aggression "in which a man overcomes the resistance of a woman and causes her pain," Sanday writes. Horrifyingly, sexual relations as a forceful act of aggression to be i flicted "upon a woman is actually encouraged by the wife on the wedding night. According to cultural mores, she holds no respect for the husband unless she is taken by force in an assertion of the husbands so called "manhood". Other rape-prone societies included the men of the Plains Indian tribes_ who extended invitations to friends to gang-rape their unfaithful wives, and the Mundurucu men of the Amazon who threaten women with rape if they approach their sacred trumpet,. The regard these trumpets as embodying supernatural powers and are kept closely guarded from women in a special men's house. Sanday believes that much can be done to prevent the incidence of rape in societies by revering nurturance rather than violence in the raising of boys within the societies, and by encouraging women to resist 2 3 4 assault. Essentially, this is not new. In her "Sexual Politics: A Manifesto for Revolution", Kate Millet in part called for "a re-examination of traits categorised as "masculine" and "femine", with a total reassessment as to their human usefullness and advisability in both sexes. Thus, if masculine violence is undesirable, it is for both sexes; "feminine" dumb-cow passivity likewise. If "masculine" intelligence of efficiency is valuable, it is so for both sexes equally, and the same must be true for "femine" tenderness and consideration."(This was written in connection with the Columbia University meeting of the first women's liberation group in 1968). As Ms. Benderly concludes "rape is not inevitable". influential role, and whose contributions to all aspects of life, Ancluding full religious PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern fforirzen page 7 �In May 1982, a NWO Women and Pensions Conlienence was Extensive inheed in Thunder Say. Editou Note: Otmation,about the "pensions issue" Ln Canada was pnovided to Con6enence detegates by seveltat expert guest speakeu. Last NWJ issue (7-4) we katuted excerpts pcom Monica Townson's speech. The 6ot-towing ate excetpts prom the add/Less given by MS. Dutude's speech Louise Dutude. has been edited to inctude °pity a/teas o6 new in0Amation, phitosophicat di66etence6 on additionae necommendationirthan those exptessed by W. Townson and tepoAted .east issue. The compete text o6 both speakeu nemaiths appear .Ln the Women and Pensions Con6eltence Repola which is avaitabte bite oi charge Ptom NoAthetn Women's Centte, 316 Bay St. . the PROBLEM is POVERTY The most urgent problem, Problem one. one that is acknowledged by everyone The Old is the problem of poverty. Age Security Pensions, and the Guaranteed Income Supplement together are sufficient to give a couple a level of income that is at, or slightly above the poverty level. So couples Unfortunately it is not are okay. high enough for singles. It is such a flagrant injustice and it is clearly women who are the victims of it. Not just women generally, but specifically it is mainly women who did stay in the home most of their lives working for practically no pay So, they are fringe benefits. the women who did what society told them they were supposed to do, and they are the ones who are punished the most today. It has become then this problem of poverty, strictly a political issue. Now the second problem is in fact related to the first, and it is that even if people were not poor, they end up with a pension that is very much lower than the income they received before they reached the age And that means they have to of 65. suffer a considerable drop in their standard of living. And this applies The to practically all of us. reason they are getting such a low one now is first that the CPP and QPP only replace 25% of the earnings that you were getting before, and that the employers pensions that are supposed to be on top of that are completely unreliable. ITS TOUGH 0 BE OLD And on that subject I really encourage you if your husbands and yourselves are participating in an employer sponsored pension plan to look very carefully to see what the conditions are because it may be that you think you are protected while in fact you are not. Especially in the case of women who are in the home, you should look at a provision concerning widows' benefits because in the majority of cases, there is an option to have a higher pension for a retirement pension and no widows' benefits or a lower retirement pension and a widows' benefits, and, it is found in surveys across Canada that the majority of men, because it is almost always the man who is the employee, choose to not have the widows pension, and their wives don't even know about It is only in Saskatchewan that it. they have changed the law to waive that option you need the signature of both spouses. So we've come to the last big block of problems under the present pension system which is the unfairness of the system toward And there are two aspects women. to that injustice towards women: the first is the design itself of of it is unfair, the CPP, the and the reason for that is that we weren't around in 1965 when the plan was being set up. There were no women who were making representations then, so we ended up with a system that leaves out the work women do in the home, that penalizes women who drop out, if only for a few years, to take care of younger children, and we have a benefit structure that perfectly mirrors the discrimination that women are subjected to in the labSo you see, everything our force. in the design of the CPP was ensuring that the gap between the incomes of elderly men and women would grow as the CPP matured and this is in fact what happened. For every additional $1 that elderly women have gotten, men have gotIf it just ten an additional $2. continues like this we will never catch up under the present system. Con6exence guest speaker Louise Vutude,o6 Ottawa, is a tawyet and teseatchet .speciaZizing in the economic tights o6 women. Louise Dutude is author o.6 the NWC tepott 'Women and Povetty' and the CACSW tepoAt 'Pension The other problem is the unequal treatment of the spouses. And I'll say that the unequal treatment of the spouses results from three bad habits of Canadian women, (and I'll tell you in advance that these are jokes because in one place somebody didn't understand them and took it The first bad habit of badly). Canadian women is their passionate love of housework. Women go out and even if they have a full-time paid job they insist on coming home at night and doing all the housework. So what happens is they don't have as much energy as men to put into their careers. Of course, they're tired, and women will often say "Don't talk to me about a challenging job, I just can't take it, I've got Of course that too much to do". means that they don't have the higher Also they don't have a paid jobs. wife doing things for them which helps men have better jobs, and they end up with lower pensions because the pensions are related to income. So that's the first bad habit of The second is that Canadian women. women have the disagreeable characteristic of continuing to live after they are no longer wanted. This was less obvious in the past when marriage lasted forever, but ever since one marriage in three ends in divorce (and we know that's going to increase) it's become increasingly embarrassing. After all, no husband wants to leave one third .of a widows pension to each of his former wives. He wants the present system where only the last one gets the widows pension, because, of course, the last one is the only I don't know one he's in love with. if you realize that this is the system we have today. The widows pension goes to the last wife, and if you were married from the age of 20 to the age of 55 to someone who at 55 decides he's tired of it and walks out and he goes to live with someone else for a few years, even if he's not married, the second one is entitled to the full widows penThis I'm sure was not an sion. accident and I've been discussing it and they did say that this was the reason, that really the man only So even cares about the last one. if you were getting alimony, lets say you were divorced, your alimony stops at 50 or 550 And you get dnothing, nothing at all to show for your 30-40 years of marriage. Now the third fatal flaw of Canadian women is they don't have the elementary decency to die at the same time as their husbands. Not only do they not die at the same time but they also have the nerve to complain that widows usually get much reduced benefits while widowers usually continue with exactly the same benefits that they had before. Now RepAm with Women in Mind' continued on page 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor a,lor,thern= Worm rate �Stifled Dreamer SUNSET ON ALGOMA STREET Christmas holidays at home Boyfriends, relatives, skiing in favourite haunts Only one person was missing from the family scene An escapee From the old folks home Living in sin with her boyfriend On Cumberland Street She wasn't home when we came to call The boyfriend said she was in hospital So I went Waited for him to leave Waited in a waiting room Watching the sun go down Behind the stone church on Algoma Until I couldn't wait any longer I went into the room Shared by three other beds And one crying boyfriend Sitting, head in hands, beside One old woman Bruised and incoherent Hands clutching like steel claws The nurse said "Try to get her to eat..." What for ? I thought. Clutching back. They were divided, people say, like blind fish in a bottomless cave. He had hopes, dreams, aspirations; Which he expounded, volubly, with the force of a cresting wave. She had hopes, dreams, aspirations too: With no opportunity for expression. They were concerned silly, childish, no account! How could she be so lacking in discretion? She lifted her hand, tentatively, as though to banish her expression. She sighed, resumed her task; once more she would strive to ward off recurring depression. Roxanne Merits -Irma Johnson All day the heavy mist swallowed the trees with its open mouth, making sky meet earth rocks and spruce like old worn teeth protruding, darkly stained; but, soft around the edges. And WHATSITITIS in the flowing midst, water jewels clung to the wolves' gnarled coats, those victimized creatures terrorized by European land scavengers, their teeth chewing a moose meal protruding, darkly stained; but, hard around the edges. So far I have had neuritis, bursitis, Teresa Legowski arthritis, mastitis, myositis: Now I have ligamentitis. I'm sick of it all by a damsitis: Will the day ever come when I'm allrightis? -Irma Johnson- POETRY SUBMISSIONS REQUESTED Let Us Fly How we. can lift each other Like dreams, we can drift so high How we can be chained to one another Like fences, we can close and encumber Let us fly Joyce Michalchuk Northern Woman ixAie § PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �by TERESA LEGOWSKI HEDDA AND POWER 'Some folks go to THAH "the most solemn of responsibTHEEAHTAH to view the primal ilities" for a woman. Should quality of the acting; some to we guess the obvious? Well, model their designer clothes Hedda responds with definite during intermission (over disgust and refusal, denying scotch, of course); some because her pregnancy exists. As yet their mate would like to enter- another alternative Judge Brack taro them expensively. Some then illudes to a clandestine folks go to figure out what the relationship with another man. playwright is attempting to say. Needless to say, we know who Henrik Ibsen first intrigued he has in mind. Again Hedda me with his play The Doll's refuses, having no intentions House about eight years ago. of unfaithfulness. Not too Since then I have been wondering many choices for a career how a man could so perceptively woman in those days. be a spokesperson for the Soon, we discover that women's movement, and during another one of Hedda's more the Victorian era to boot. Most flamboyant lovers, Mr. Lovborg times, men describe women's - (played by Nicholas Kilbertus) lives in the way they see their is in town. Apparently a new own lives. Ibsen's play, Hedda woman has reformed his violent Gabler, recently performed at and drunken tendencies. He has Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay, written a new historical, left me less perplexed. I have potentially publishable book yet to meet a woman like Hedda that rivals Hedda's husband's, (played superbly by Deborah George Tesman, scholarly Kipp) outside of fiction. endeavours. We meet this new Generally, the acting was woman, Mrs. Thea Elvsted adequate, the set beautiful, and (Diane Lasko), with first the costume design simple and impressions of honesty, straighttastefully enhancing the charforwardness and idealism. acters and moods of each act. A jealous Hedda attempts to Interesting too, was the colour befriend Mrs. Elvsted, to the sequence of Hedda's costume, point of an obvious sexual changing from white through seduction. grey and red to morbid black Lovborg's visit to Hedda's with the closing act. However, home ended in a quarrel. Lovborg the play itself reinforced the questioned the purpose of their stereotypical heroine (villian* previous intimacy. He felt that ess?): scheming, bitter, bored, Hedda used their closeness to attuned to society's gallows gain control over his life and of gossip and tenacious ladders to acquire knowledge of the to the upper crusts. From "secret world" of men. Shakespeare's Kate in Taming of Hedda saw nothing immoral the Shrew, to Erica of the with this. Using devious means afternoon television soap to gain knowledge, to gain life, All My Children, we see this was typical for a woman. How coniving, hand wringing, pacing, else was she going to achieve evil-minded, BUT intelligent power? and beautiful, portrait of a Herein lies the clue to woman. Hedda Gabler is no Ibsen's rationale for the play. different. Limited to the Victorian The first act reflects the structure, he saw an alternative two social norms of society to the woman's stereotyped lot. prevalent at that time (and That alternative presents now, too): men are naive; the itself in Thea Elvsted. most Wonderful part of the house is the wife. Now let's get our basics straight: In the second act, we find out Hedda's motives for her marriage to a young, rising scholar. During a private conversation between herself and a former beau, Judge Brack (played by William Webster) she rationalizes that 1)She is not getting any younger; 2)she wants respectability and what a better way to get it than marrying a distinguished scholar; 3)it was more than some other admirers could do. Certainly no romantic illusionn about marriage are at stake here. (I find this attitude common among today's teenaged boys and young men - women marry for money, only, period. So the stereotype lives on.) Hedda also confides that she is bored and lonely. The Judge suggests she find herself "an occupation" to solve her restlessness. IMmediately, Hedda indicates that her husband might go into politics. But Brack elaborates. He means Millard) and Judge Brack. His manuscript "child" went with him, and through the course of the liquid evening, was lost. Is this not typically naive? Back at the ranch, Hedda and Thea await until dawn the return of their mischievious mates. After Thea goes to bed, Hedda's husband arrives bearing the lost manuscript. He leaves shortly to attend a dying relative. Haggard and desparate, Lovborg arrives, bemoaning his loss. Hedda underhandedly does not reveal that the manuscript is in the house. However, she again plays the scheming temptress role, convincing Lovborg that "an act of deliberate courage is still possible in this world." He still has a chance to perform an act of beauty, despite the loss of his "child". She hands Ltivborg her pistol and he leaves. Having des.troyed LoVborg's relationship with Thea, and his will to live, Hedda finally destroys his and Thea's "child". She burns the manuscript, page by page, revelling at her action. When George returns home, he discovers that Hedda has burned the manuscript. Hedda plays the martyr, claiming she did it for his sakeand George naively ponders, "I wonder whether all young wives feel this way towards their husbands?" Word begins spreading. Lovborg commits suicide in a prostitute's boudoir and the weapon used was, none the less, the property of Miss Hedda Gabler. Oh, oh: Scandal: In the midst of this, Thea produces the original notes from the manuscript and George jumps at the opportunity to assist her in reconstructing the destroyed book, during the' evenings. To Hedda this means an absentee husband. Let alone spending afternoons with Judge Brack, evenings, would be unbearable. Her husband is more interested in Thea's offerings now. Lovborg did not die beautifully. She is pregnant. Her plan did not work out. Hedda is defeated. No more power. No more freedom. What is the next step? Hedda shoots herself in front of George, Thea and the Judge. A fire of destruction is sparked in Hedda on from this moment. She ends the act with the statement "For once in my life, I have the, power to shape a human destiny." In the third act, Lovborg's book is revealed as being, jointly, his and Thea's "child" Through Hedda's temptations offerings-of liquor and goading words, Lovborg, against Thea's wishes, attends a wild, males only party with George (Peter The play should have been about Thea. Thea Elvsted utilized her own intellect wisely. She wrote books. But at that time, a woman had to live through a male partner, so she wrote through Lovborg, and through Tesman. Pity.-A talent gone uncreditted. In a way both Thea's and Hedda's power was directed to personal desires of achievement. Thea wanted to write. Hedda wanted to manipulate. One was a creative power, the other self-destructive. However, unless a woman was guided by same inner motivation that prese-et` ci itself in terms of a ,ocatior or a talent, she lia.(.1 lo idea of where to direct hr energies. NORTHERN WOMANOCR, Page 10 web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, �by CAROL BARRY MONEY Money is essentially a necessary form of security but it can also be a nuisance and a worry, a responsibility and a joy. We store money in sugar bowls, pockets, under mattresses and in the banks. In all of these places, money loses value due to the economy and the inflated cost of goods. Because most of us never seem to have enough of it, we can try to offset the cost of inflation on our money. To retain some value it is necessary to look at the different ways of earning interest, then money can work account is to o-take care of current bills within the pay period. A daily interest account is for excess money or deposits within the month or that may have to be spent soon. In the latter case, it can be transferred to the chequing account just prior to writing the - cheque. for us. Financial institutions such as banks, credit unions and trust companies offer interest earning options. There is a wide range, from true chequing, statement and passbook chequing accounts, chequable savings, daily and true savings accounts. Some chequing accounts have no service charges and the cheques are provided at no cost to the user, while others can cost up to $4.00 per month to.operate. Some people feel that trust companies are not for savings or chequing like the banks. Go in and talk with the personnel. They offer similar services. The trust companies are regulated, like banks under the same Canadian Crown Corporation, the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation and it protects a depositor's money up to $20,000A list of member institutions can be obtained by writing the corporation. I believe that 3 accounts or mo _2 are needed to maximize the. options; a chequing, a daily interest and a true savings. Remember to list the account numbers and the branch location and to keep a record in a safe place at home and/or in a safety deposit box. Stuff It Russ. RUSS RAMSAY RECEIVES PACIFIER by Merle Donald, Women for Women In response to the now infamous remarks about equal pay for work of equal value from Russ Ramsay, Minister of Labour, the Sault Ste. Marie women decided to present him with an award befitting his statements: an over-sized pacifier. So Russ became the invited guest of several women's groups at the Sault Ste. Marie Women's Resource Centre "Friday Soup's On" lunch. Lavera Crack representing the women gathered for the occasion presented the soother to Russ with an appropriate poem. Telegrams in support of the event were read from an impressive list of women's groups. Ms. Crack told the Minister that his remarks were an embarrassment to constituents in Sault Ste, Marie and an insult to women in Ontario. She went on to say 'bur silence would seem to condone your behavior, therefore we must speak out." A savings account is for longer term gOals. A chequing On payday calculate how much you will need for bills that must be paid and place this amount in a chequing account. Write cheques at the beginning of the month so they will be cleared before month end and then any remaining can be transferred to a daily interest account. The daily interest account is calculated on the closing balance for the day and there can be a lower minimum during the day, the final entry is what coun,-s. At the end of the month and before the first of the next month, transfer what is in the daily interest account to a true savings account. The money' must remain in this account for the full month to receive interest as it is calculated on the minimum balance in the month. The interest is credited to the account monthly or once every 6 months. The funds can be transferred by signing a form ahead of time and there can be a charge of about $1.50 for Some plans require a minimum balance of $100 or $200 be' retained and then there are no service charges for cheques drawn. However, it seems to be difficult to maintain this balance unless a person deletes that amount from the cheque record and pretends that it doesn't exist,-otherwise there is a great temptation to spend it. On a $200 amount the interest that could be earned in one year at 10% would be $20.00 so that must be included when figuring the cost of the account. It is a good-ao-count if a person writes numerous cheques. Remember, the more frequently the interest i"-§ compounded the greater the financial advantage.' (daily interest) The higher the rate of interest over a month period, the-better is the return. (true savings) By watching these interest rates and being flexible in transferring money, it is possible to make up some of the inflationary costs and to have extra funds available for special goals. Let the money work for you and you will receive the benefit. In this way it is possible to enjoy some control and it is well worth the effort...after all, it is YOUR MONEY: Charts on page 12 this. Mr. Ramsay opened with the cliche "I don't deserve this" and went on to wade through a wad of statistical side-stepping data. First he informed us that a team of eleven were investigating "Equal pay for work of equal value" but could not tell how many of the eleven were women. He then told of a recent settlement to women under equal pay for equal work legislation in the amount of $856.000 but who got what for which, why or when he was unable to say. Nor did he know how long the women in question had been struggling and waiting. He went 'on to the Sunderson Report, a more or less scare paper to keep women on hold. Mr. Ramsay said that moving forward with Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value was economically-untimely and the climate among his colleagues unreceptive. He stressed the difficulty of legislating E.P. for W.E.V. and the necessity for thorough study. Finally he exhausted his rehearsed material. Merle Donald pointed out that after all it is the year 1982 and women are understandably impatient and intolerant of continued delay. Donna Siltanen-Pickering asked the Minister if he thought a racial minority seeking justice could be placated with "The state of the economy". He had no comment. Mr. Ramsay seemed somewhat dismayed at the large scale reaction his statements received. He left the occassion, pacifier in hand, less likely to stir the ire of women again. But will he or any others in Queen's Park really work on behalf of women? SISTERS, THANK-YOU FOR PUBLICIZING THE DISATISFACTION OF ALL OF US WITH RUSS RAMSAY'S NEGATIVE RESPONSE ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. WE HOPE THIS STOPPERS ANY MORE STATEMENTS AGAINST THE URGENCY OF LEGISLATION TO ENSURE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SO THAT ALL OUR SISTERS CAN CEASE TO BE ECONOMICALLY SECOND CLASS CITIZENS. NORTHERN ONTARIO REPRESENTIVE TO THE NATIONAL ACTION COMMITTEE FOR WOMEN - LYNN BEAK,NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO REPRESENTATIVE OF LES ONTAROISES LISE PROVOST,NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO WOMEN'S CENTR,ATIKOKAN WOMEN'S COORDINATING COUNCIL,NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL WE HEARTILY ENDORSE YOUR CHOICE FOR THE PACIFIER AWARD. THE TIME FOR EQUAL VALUE IS NOW. 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PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Wallah page 12 o rf14 I 0.510 pet fh0N-040 6 A LANcE -C.RetnTeDJuge3a /NTEREST P �It's Tough... continued from page 8 in the case of women even if they were married all their lives until he died, the CPP benefits will drop to 60%, the old age pension that the husband was getting will disappear, and usually she won't get anything at all from the employer-sponsored pension that her husband was contributing to. It has been estimated that a widow usually ends up with about 1/3 of what the family income was before the husband retired. Try to imagine what that does to one's standard of living. Now the solution proposed to correct these problems of the unequal treatment of the spouses is all in these equalization proposals - the splitting of credits between husbands and wives and it is already partially introBut duced in the case of divorce. the fact is that it is not working. Less than 3% of spouses in the last 3-4 years that it has been available have been applying for it. And we don't know why. We know that it is partly a problem of information. So if you know anybody who is divorcing tell them. Don't tell the husband tell the wife about this splitting provision. So what is being proposed now is that we extend this right to equalization to couples who are remaining married. The proposal that seems administratively the easiest is that when the younger spouse reaches the age of 65, so that both are 65, you do this splitting between them and you give them each a cheque as a result. Let me interject first the question of employer pensions which I wasn't going to mention. But since it is little known, I will talk about it. In the case of employer pensions, what happens upon divorce? It depends upon provincial law. And the Family Law Reform Act of Ontario, which was adopted in 1978, says that pension credits are not part of the family assets, which are split as a matter of course between the spouses upon divorce. Neither are monies put in a retirement savings plan, neither are savings of any kind. These are not part of the family assets (and) I don't know how many of you realize that. The only case in which a woman might be entitled to a share of these- which are the pension credits, the RRSP and other savings--is if she can prove that her work in the home helped her husband earn the money that he thereby put away, and this is extremely difficult to do. There hasn't been a case to my knowledge of pension credits as such that has gone to higher court. But in the case of an RRSP, it was found that a woman who had stayed at home all her life was not entitled, so it looks like the proof is going to be very difficult to make. So this is Ontario law, and it need not be that way. Monica was saying that the splitting of CPP credits and of employersponsored pensions on divorce (would be sufficient) if we can get it in Ontario...that it would be enough to give pensions of their own to homemakers and they wouldn't need any more than that. And I completely disagree with that. Because in the case where only the husband was the earner...if you split the pension, you would end up with two inadequate pen_ sions instead of one. It there was a divorce, you would end up with both of them living in poverty instead of just her, as is the case now, so it's clear that it is not sufficient because the total pension would remain the same, and the total pension was not calculated to be for a couple; it was calculated to be for a single person. Now this is why it is essential that we have not only that splitting of pensions...to recognize the equality of the woman's contribution within the marriage, but (that) we must also have a recognition of the value, the economic value, of the work of homemakers... Credit Due Indeed, we are all each personally responsible for (our own) material maintenance... and this is not the type of work we would like to have recognized because it leads into massive complications. What we are talking about is the work that a homemaker performs for others, whether it be children or a spouse or parents or adult children. And also I want to emphasize that all the proposals being made were not just for women, but were equally for men. If the man is the homemaker, he will be covered the same way. Now, to start, which is the main proposal that's being made to integrate homemakers? It is the ChildCare Drop-Out Period, and Monica has isolated that as if it were not a proposal to integrate homemakers, but that is what it is. If you leave out of the calculation of the pension the years spent at home with a young child, what you have done is you have just subsidized the participation of the homemaker in the CPP--and call it by any other name, this is what it is. This is the proposal that everyone pretty much agrees upon except the Government of Ontario. Ontario has been blocking its introduction--not just here, but everywhere in Canada outside of Quebec- and I can tell you that women in many other provinces are not at all happy about that. JUSTICE for as an argument in its bargaining (on the funding cif the CPP) with the federal government...You know that the money is being loaned to the provinces, the fund that's accumulat7 ed, and mainly that means that it's been loaned to Ontario because it has been on a per-capita basis. So Ontario has borrowed these huge amounts of money, and the nego itiationsl are coming about what's going to be done and how much Ontario, -_ will have to repay. And this, the Child-Care Drop-Out Period, is the bargaining tool. Women are being used as a hostage by Ontario in this they're saying, "We know fight; you, the federal government, want this badly, but we want something in exchange for it. That's why even though there are all these rumours about Ontario changing its mind, it wouldn't be surprising if they waited until the very last minute and didn't give it up without something in return. So this is the CCDOP, which is enforced in Quebec and has been enforced since 1977, and, as I said, it gives fully-subsidized pension coverage to women who are, only It is discriminatory--it is women. given to the person who received the- family allowance. So that means the woman, because family allowance is discriminatory, so it is fully subsidized coverage of women who have children under the age of 7. And it has been calculated to increase a typical woman's pension CPP benefits by about 23%, so as far as women are concerned, it is a very important subsidy. And it's paid for by all other plan contributors. Though it doesn't add up to a lot of money in the whole of the fund, the estimate is that it costs 0.02% of the total expenditure of the fund. Also, what was mentioned following a question is that there have been several proposals to expand the dropout period so that it would also cover the time taking care of very disabled family members, and there has been no reaction (to this) from governments at all. The proposal was made in my report, Pension Reform with Women in Mind, which came out last April at the National Pension Conference. There's been no reaction from the government at all about this. Women all across the country are in favour of it, (as are) the majority of men I've talked to. Now, apart from these drop-out periods, there are some people who oppose the participation of homemakers in the CPP. It is the minority of people, so what you were hearing Monica express was very much a minority view in the Women's Movement, and I'll come back to this. The reasons they invoke - and I'm not including only Monica in there continued on page 14 HOMEMAKERS In fact, this is one of the petitions I have that Monica was referIt is a petition to the ring to. Government of Ontario, specifically about the Child-Care Drop-Out Period. This one says, "We the women of the Thunder Bay area want this changed as soon as possible". And I hope that Monica is right when she says that Ontario is about to change its mind, but I've been hearing rumours The prolike that for a long time. blem is that Ontario seems to be using this (by) keeping it in reserve "Mother, what is a Feminist?" "A Feminist, my daughter, Is any woman now who cares To think about her own affairs As men don't think she oughter." -Mee Dust Miller, 191$ PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Worr. pn9e 13 �It's Tough...continued from page 14. but I'm including some bureaucrats' opinions as well - the reasons they invoke for not including other homemakers_are, first, they say that homemakers who -don't have young children aren't working:--Not working, they just stay home and sit and do nothing. This is the common view among bureaucrats. If women choose to stay home and do nothing, it's their business. Secondly, and this you heard Monica express, that women who take care of young children or very disabled family members are working for all of society so they should be included through the dropout period, but homemakers who are doing homemaking only for older' children and spouses should not be included, because the work they do is a private matter between them and theirspouses and families. So that the state shouldn't intervene in that case. Thirdly, they say that pension coverage will discourage homemakers from joining the labour force. Then some others say that there is a contradiction between women's claims for equality in the labour market and their demands for recognition of the value of the work they do in the benefit, so it has no relationship whatever to the work that the homeSo you see the maker is doing. question really is not whether we should integrate homemakers in the The CPP because they are there. question is how we can have a system of homemakers participation in the CPP that makes more sense, and that is fairer than the one we have now. And if we had that, if we had a system where homemakers could get fair pen-Sion& on their own, then the result would be that widows benefits' could practically disappear beause they would be no longer needed. Women would have benefits in their own name. then. who pays home. something wrong .... Also, in my view, generally about all these arguments, there is something wrong there, and it is that we are starting from the wrong end. It's looking at the picture starting from a different point of view from the one.of the system itself. Because if you look at the system itself, you see that there are homemaker pensions ans they are widows Everybody agrees that benefits. this is the homemakers pension we The reason it is essenhave today. tially a homemakers pension is because if you are in the labour force, you're automatically entitled to no widows pension at all or reduced amounts because your benefits are reduced accordingly. The more labour force credits a woman gets under CPP the less her widows benefits will be, so only full time homemakers are The getting full widows benefits. problem is that if you look at that widows benefits system, that homemaker system we have today, you see that it is outrageously expensive, First, these very very unfair. widows pensions give benefits to people who don't need them at all, while denying them to people who need them very badly. It's very haphazard in its coverage and it is It was calculated very expensive. recently that one third of all benefits paid out by the CPP were widows So compare this, the drop benefits. out period was 0.02% of the cost, widows pensions amount to 30% of And who pays for this? the costs. ...it is not the husbands because the husbands in the labour force aren't paying anymore in the CPP than anybody else. So you have a system of homemakers benefits right now, that are heavily subsidized by women in the labour force, py married women specifically in the labour force because they are the largest group that won't leave survivors. And what kind of benefits_ does it give? It give pensions that are based on husbands earnings. So that means the higher the income of the husband, the higher the widows We don't want to disincentive. encourage or discourage either choice of being at home or outsi we just want the choice. Okay, so the average wage was too high the level of the husbands earnin was anither proposal. As in the case of widows pensions it's unacceptable because it is unfair, it has no relationship to the wo So the last proposal that done. is being retained right now is half the average wage, which is about $9,500. The advantages ar that it resembles the marker val If y of the work homemakers do. had to hire somebody to keep the house for you and do all the thi that a homemaker does, it would cost you somewhere around $10,00 Also it means it would not usual be a drop in the credits of the woman who joined the labour forc because that is about what women If she was working partearn. time you could let her contribut on her earnings but give her cre dit up to that level, so women who are working part-time would There would be be covered too. an assumption that if a person works part-time it is because they are taking care of their families the rest of the time. So they could be assigned credit The second question was who should pay? We saw that in the case of women who had young children and who dropped out, th the dropout period would subsidize them and the people whp would pay would be all the other participants. So that subsidy is already accepted. It seems logical to extend the same prin ciple to other women who are outside the labour force and can't benefit from the drop-out pi iod but who are also taking care young children or disabled relatiIt's reasonable that they should 1 subsidized too. Now the other ho. makers, if you look to see who th, are, they are women who are mainl homemakers for their spouses, the largest group is women between th There are also ages of 45 to 65. men and women who are homemakers for their parents or for their ad children, sometimes the woman wil keep house for her son or daughte Now all these people are giving o how much What are the questions that arise when you talk of integrating them. The first is at what level of income are you going to integrate them? And that doesn't mean you are going to give them a salary. It means that you have to choose a level on continued on page 19 which to base the pension, because the pension is a percent of earnings ..so what hypothetical level of earnings do you pick in the case of a woman who doesn't have earnings (or a man who is a homemaker)? The That's the first question. second question is who should pay for the homemaker participation in the CPP? Third question.. Come out and celebrate winter solshould the system be optional or stice and the new year with us at first mandatory? Women'sOkay, Centre, 316one.. Bay St., on Frithe level of income.. there have day, Dec. 10: There will be a coffe( Some music have to be been a few proposals. house atmosphere, with said made it should be the average wage by local women, skits (hopefully food and drinkbecause to suit the everyone. which and is about $20,000 work ofIf homemakers is come very early, important you wish to there Now Brir and they get thehour maximum. will sould be a dinner from 7-8. it was soon seen thata this creates something--it's potluck. There will difficulty, means be tapedbecause music, it with thethat live enterin many cases,beginning if a woman tainment at joined 8. the labour force pension creSince thisher will be both a celebraAnd that dits tion wouldand go a down. fundraiser for is the Centre, generally not acceptable womenfor we will be to asking a $2 donation because it would at the door. give a very small disincentive to join thefriends. labour Tell your women It shoul force, it would be but a good time, be andthere we'll neversee. you theless and we don't want such a there: CHRUTMAf COFFEEHOWI PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 14 �UPDATE cont'd families whose parents consider birth control unacceptable woe Taylor's observations may explain a phenomen noted by U.S. abortion clinics who say a large number of their clients come from anti-abortion families Alopdp In the U.S. Senate anti-abortion ammendments have been talked off the floor and onto the shelf. The media has been hailing this as a significant defeat for the conservative right. However it is doubtful if an organisation as well financed and as powerful as the anti-choice group will shrivel up and fade away quite yet * Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina, who is easily the most powerful conservative in the country after Reagan, still retains his position of leadership with the anti-people, as does Senator Orin Hatch abortions, a more traumatic and dangerous procedure than first trimester abortions. He attributes this to our backward abortion laws which cause delay. He also stated that two thirds of Canadian women who get abortions go to the U.S for them. Morgentaler praised the Quebec government policy of allowing free standing abortion clinic, separate from a hospital, which can provide compassionate and trained service for women to have an abortion on request. Quebec Medical Insurance pays for Quebecoise but out-of-province women must pay for themselves. The fee is $250 at the Morgentaler clinic in Montreal but there is a policy that anyone unable to pay will not be turned away ... attempts to set up womens clinics in Ontario which according to Ms. (Jufle_1980) the majority of American Roman Catholics support pro-choice. So does the National Coalition of American Nuns. Says president Sister Donna Quinn "the organisation considers it (abortion) a matter of conscientious,moral choice for a women to make." Although opposed to abortion, the nuns also oppose any legislation to limit choice too. according to Dr. Henry Morgentaler on the Oct. 14 tv. programme "speaking Out", Canada is the second 'country in the world after India with the highest rate of second trimester would provide abortion have always run into provincial government opposition Female genital mutilation is now outlawed in Kenya following the deaths of fourteen young girls. It is unclear if they bled to death or developed infections due to a common scapel. The directive, issued by President Daniel Arap Moi, was praised by the Kenya media and represents a victory for African women's organisations so however the practise is deeply ingrained in the culture. It is doubtful it will cease with the publication of a government edict. In 1979, an African conference on health emphasised intensive awareness programmes to abolish the practise. The difficulties can be seen if one considers that in Egypt, where genital mutilation was banned in 1959, the disfiguring operation is still performed and 90% of Egyptian women, both Muslii and Christian, have experienced it, according to Cairo Family Planning. It is estimated that 60 to 70 million women in the band of countries south of the Sahara, in southern Arabia and in a few areas in Malaysia undergo the operation which includes removing the clitoris and all or part of the external genital area, in most cases without anaesthetic occasionally reports surface mentioning the procedure being performed in Europe. In Sweden it was learned that some doctors were operating on the daughters of African residents American Agency for International Development(AID) has been criticised for not co-operating with local health officials and international agencies (UNICEF, WHO) to end the practise. A.I.D has been accused of allowing modern hospitals and AID trained personnel to be used for the mutilation - a perversion of medical ethics the A FEAR LIKE STONE by Joan Baril It's a "Pilot Project" and many people fear we'll be taken for a ride. In October 1982, lured by the carrot of provincial money and the stick of provincial pressure (and ultimate power), the City of Thunder Bay has agreed to take on financial responsibility for sole-support mothers who are at present receiving provincial Family Benefits or "mothers' allowances". The pilot project is expected to fly well for the first eighteen months but it is feared that once the City takes it over it won't be able to hand it back. It is also feared that the province will eventually pull back funds and the whole contradictionridden structure will come crashing down, right in the middle of the City's budget. A spokeswoman from the Single Parents' Coalition of Toronto outlined to me what is happening now in Toronto when a woman just can't hold on. She calls it the Toronto Scenario and it may be the scenario of the future. There are five steps, all leading down. One: A sole-support mother finds she just cannot manage on the bone-scraping money she gets. Perhaps an emergency, a rent increase, a cessation of a husband's support money, a combination of reasons. Two: She loses her apartment. Three: She gives her children to Children's Aid. She moves to a hostel or a friend's place. Without an address she can't get benefits. Four: She shows up at the legal clinic, the Manpower office, the women's centre, social service office trying to find a solution. She says, "When I get a place... if I could only find something so I could get a place...". Five: Her kids are in foster care. As time goes on she wonders if she should just let them get adopted. She thinks, "If I could just get a place..." There is a bizarre footnote to this story. In Toronto, there is a shortage of foster care. Our province, which cannot afford to keep mothers and their children together, is spending a_ lot of money on a promotional campaign to attract foster parents. This opinion has been expressed by many citizens, including the sole-support mothers, who call themselves "the Concerned Moms", who tried - unsuccessfullyto convince the city to turn down the proposal. Other citizens, including some aldermen, believe changes in the whole welfare system are coming. By accepting the pilot project now, they believe, it can be monitored and there 21m0R4Marelliother Fully half of all low-income earners are single mothers or senior citizens can be some input into the future. It is especially necessary to make sure that any changes in welfare policy have Northern conditions in mind. However, it should be noted. that the present "pilot project" scheme was devised without any input at all from the people most affected... the sole-support mothers. Probably no issue has been more surrounded by sincerity and posturing, rhetoric and fear, all encompassed in a cloud of politico-babble. At a meeting at the Vale Community Centre, organized by the Concerned Moms in June 1982, the local Family Benefits officials sincerely CONT'D ON PG 18 Northern Woman page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �sow or hen or any such thing ... DECADE COUNC1 by Sara Williamson Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council is set up to connect women and to give them a stronger lobbying voice. But people were saying that Decade Council was getting fuzzy. The-y---ut even sure what kind of critter-it was anymore. So the new executive and core committee got together on a Saturday morning and clipped and trimmed away the fluff and fuzz. Some said it looks_ like a brood sow with lots of piglets. Some said it is more a mother hen. Everyone did at least agree that it is a fine woman-made creature. You can look at it this way dc' ati Outreach There is a maintenance core group that ensures that Decade continues to operate. And there is a ring of committees and affiliates that give Decade its purpose and excitement. In the maintenance core there are four executive positions with specific responsibilities and limited power. The chair (Marg Lanchok) and vice-chair (Ruby Chumway) are there to co-ordinate the input of the membership and ensure that work and responsibilities are delegated to the membership. The treasurer (Julie Fels) keeps the financial records up to date so that the membership can make decisions on where the money is to be spent. The secretary (Leni Untinensihas to keep track of the minutes and correspondence. cilors to confronting federal Women from Geraldton, Marath ministers face to face. LobbyingFort Frances, etc. also join technique training is available. Decade as individuals, or as representatives of sub-commi The media committee are the tees or of affiliate groups. women who can_ contact and res- To assist with transportatio pond to the media on behalf of Decade pays the gas for one Decade on the women's issues vehicle per community and ca where their expertise lies. arrange billeting. The special events committee Decade wants to continue of course is struck whenever outreach into communities ti special events are being provide technical assistanc' planned by Decade such as a and resources to emerging Conference on women's issues women's groups and to indiv in March, and a morning of dual women working on women' sharing information by women's issues. To this end, the groups in October. budget allows for a staff pi son (Leni Untinen) who also Decade has three types of functions as a co-ordinator membership: committees, affilDecade also liaises with oth iates, and individual members. organizations, institutions Committees may have originated and government bodies, that to deal with a concern such as are directed to responding t Women and Health or Women and women's issues in Northweste Economic Development. Or, they Ontario such as Confederatio may have been formed to respond College Women's Programs and to a maintenance need of Decade Secretary of State Women's such as media contacts or Programs. special events. Committees use Decade's name and can get help Decade meets at least once a month on Saturdays to deal from the whole Decade Council. They must promote participation first thing in the morning wi with Decade and an awareness maintenance matters and the of Decade by women and relevant remainder of the morning one organizations. early afternoon to discuss issues, concerns and informs Affiliates are women's action tion brought up by the membs groups who wish to exchange For more information ship. information on their work and contact Leni Untinen, R.R.lf get added support for lobbying. Pine Shore Drive, Thunder Bs Both affiliates and committees 683-5236. are expected to participate in some way with Decade supported lobbies. COA.R.A.L. MEETING Individual members are the women of the maintenance core group. They help by actively enlisting new members for Decade, serving on committees of their choice, promoting Decade and women's issues in their communities, participating in Decade activities and, as much as possible learn how to do the maintenance jobs of Decade, DEC. 2nd 8 p.m. WOMEN'S CENTRE 316 Bay St. Did You Know ? ?? If you've had a hysterectomy, you still should go for a regular pap test. The networking committee takes on the task of ensuring that members are in touch with Decade about the issues they are working on and that Decade news and requests get back to the members. The lobbying committee can become active as needed to direct strategies to influence the decisions of different levels of government on matters that are of special concern to women. There are several women who are experienced in ways of going about this ... from writing letters to writing briefs and from telephoning municipal coun- PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN Page.16 �Women On The Other Side By LUAN WALL Women comprise one half of the do two world's population thirds of the world's work; recieve one-tenth of the world's income and own less than one-hundreth of the world's property. Statistics regarding women in developing countries are even more appalling and worsen when one considers the rural dwellers of these countries. Women in rural areas are amongst the most overworked underpaid and iiieducated people in the world. Development theories have changed considerably in recent years. Foreign aid and investment once concentrated on large scale projects such as dam construction where the trickle down process was meant to take place. Now the concept of 'small is beautiful' and 'self help' dominate approaches and ; bare-foot doctors, -teachers and agricultural extension workers are logging up an impressive number of miles world wide. One factor in the development field remains virtually unchanged however, and that is both national and foreign programme developers' attitudes to women. Women's often is a subsistance economy with food production being the greatest activity. According to the FAOwomen are responsible for at least 50% of all food production. More importantly much of their efforts go to providing for their own families and community. Increasingly men have been devoting their energies towards the production of cash crops for export. These undoubtedly earn more immediate income but in the long run can prove to be costly. Depending on foreign markets their demand is not ensured they often require large amounts - amounts of pesticidesles and fertiliser andcan engage cash crop farmers in lending arrangements and often permanent indebtedness.Furthermore it is usually the women that work at weaving,embroidery and other crafts to be sold to increase family earnings.These have a further activitiespositive contribution in that they help to diversify the local economy. Rarely are either of these contributions directly recognised by programme developers 4..Women are not unable to learn. Many are superstituous, many hold onto old be virtually totally ignored. traditions, many cling to the Rarely are women included in familiar when the new is the public participation strange,not understood and exercises to discuss project imposed from outside.- but development, local issues etc. they are not unable to learn. Seldom are projects directed What often evades programme to address specific women's designers are the local social, needs - except possibly in the religous and customary beliefs. case of health care. Even here though motives are suspect with These often prevent women from learning anything but the projects often being prompted local dialect (and thus for governmental economic and any effective communication political reasons rather than with many programme operators), from -direct concern for the from being assertive or from problems of the women they taking a visibly active part address. in the community. These beliefs Many reasons can be cited for this - most of which are are not always acceptable to the women they oppress nor are similar to those which women they impossible to change. of more developed countries Worldwide there is a malehave had to deal with. False child preference. This has assumptions abound and are the many implications. In some bases for many of the current countries male children between failings in development the ages of 0-5 years have a programmes. 40% greater chance of survival 1. Men cannot be presumed to be heads of households. In than female ones. Frequent pregnancies, lack of access to developing countries as many adequate health care and malnutas 1/3rd of all households are rition have meant that longevity headed by women with no male head to support them. The figure rates can differ by as much as augments considerably for 10 years in favOur of the male periods of months or years as and the little seen need for male folk migrate to other education for women means that parts of the country in search two out of every three illiters illiterate people in the world of work. are female (in rural areas for 2. Improved circumstances every four literate males there for the male will not by necis one literate female).And essitybenefit all the other members of the household. Often the tale of woe goes on increased wages from male development programmes are earnings are directed to usually staffed by the purchasing material possessions elite ie.well educated males such as bicycles and radioswho have little understanding or to more tobacco and alcoholor empathy for the people they They do not always go to puport to serve - the lowest improving the household str;-ts of their society. wellbeing. Alt2.rnatively the programmes 3. Women do make an cal. be staffed by well important contribution to the educated foreigners who come local economy.The latter very to a society they barely underroles in and contribution to the local economy continues to *FAO- - Food and Agriculture Organization stand and into parts of which they can often barred from entering (the most obvious example being in Muslim societies) - with such characteristics what hope is there for the rural, female peasant ? So the features of many of todays programmes are not surprising - instead of ignoring the needs of a vast number of the worlds rural poor they now only ignore 50% of them -those of women.It is the landless male that is benefiting, from land reform; it is the peasant male farmer that is receiving credit, fertiliser, agricultural training etc. - many of the fruits of recent development programmes totally bypass the female component of the communities they serve. In some cases programmes have left women worse off than before they were introduced - increased mechanisation has infiltrated their agricultural functions. Instead of being trained to use new machinery their former tasks are being taken over by men and the division of labour is now even greater than it once was. Also with the increasing trend towards cash crop production less land is available to produce adequate supplies of food for home consumption. The increased cash earned and controlled by men does not make up for the shortfall _leaving families suffering serious malnutrition, But the situation is not without it's bright spots. Work is slowly being done. In countries as diverse as the Phillipines, Thailand and Bangladesh programmes dealing with the problems and needs of rural women have been set up The brief experience of these have been that - social,religous and cultural restraints can be overcome if women work together in groups. - rural women can be motivated to design and implement development activities, both inside and outside their villages. - rural women will travel outside their own localities to receive training they perceive I : CONT'D ON PG 18 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOW. Page 17 �OTHER SIDE cont'd to be beneficial. - rural women will form and join co-operatives. Basic to all these programmes is the concept of strength in numbers and the importance of group structures. These make possible events which women could not realistically achieve on their own. a tirade of abuse. This type of behaviour on the part of the Minister makes many women fear that the "Pilot Project" is just a step to dismantling Mother's Allowances in Ontario. Mother's Allowance is based on a philosophy fought for by the first woman's movement: mothers who have to bring up children on their own need financial support. But to have just a few programmes is not enough. In the present economic Development, if it is ever to depression more and more people be equitable development are applying for city welfare. cannot happen as long as the This winter is going to be a needs, talents and potential of nightmare as U.I.C. claims 1/2 of the world's population run out. At the same time are ignored or, at best, are government revenue is declining. seen as marginal,secondary and There are various schemes of little relevance. around the continent that would make sole-support mothers take the brunt of the economic crunch A FEAR cont'd In the United States, one idea is to cut the living allowance assured the mothers that the as soon as the child reaches change-over would not reduce two years old. In various benefits and might even proprovinces, and American states, vide better services. Yet officials are considering many on June 9, 1982 COMSOC ways to cut back, cut off, or Minister, Frank Drea, stood make ineligible funding to on the steps of Queen's Park mothers. in Toronto and screamed at In Ontario, the new program a crowd of mothers that they will allow mothers to be were no-goods who didn't want classified as "employable". to work. Questions from the The province claims that this women about the availablity is for "statistical purposes of day care and jobs were only and will not affect the ignored. Mr. Drea continued YIP, YIP from Pg. 4 On another occasion a boyfriend who I had asked to teach me chess so confused me with fast talk and jargon that I could not understand him. He refused to clarify, but simply repeated the incomprehensible sentenced louder. When I still didn't understand, he shrugged and suggested perhaps I never would I believed him too. catch on. It was a rewarding sweep down the Catching on South Kawishiwi River. at last, for-six years old and realizing I'd been conned into incompetence--negative conditioning doesn't end with childhood after all. I sang bits of vogageur songs I once knew: "Yip: Yip: Sur la riviere... oh, fils du roi, to es mechant"... We saw no moose--though we had seen signs on the shore--or any other large animal, but there were birds, mama ducks and loon families. One day Karen yodelled a beautiful loon imitation and a loon answered back. A conversation developed with the loon sounding each time a little more puzzled. Occasionally, we saw another canoe. Like Quetico, the Boundary Waters area is reserved for canoeists, and no motor boats are allowed. But the solitude seemed so fixed we were soon skinny dipping or paddling along topless. The evening circle again. No roughing it in the bush for us as far as food is concerned; we eat curry, falafel, fresh fish and fresh fruits, and vegetables,--nothing canned or freeze dried. The food is mostly vegetarian and it's delicious. The tents go up and the mosquitos come out filling the clearing with their horrible hum. I burn a bit of "pic" in my tent to clear them out. The American women have never seen mosquito coils. I offer pieces . around but they are suspicious- probably rightly--that sleeping in the fumes is unhealthy. But my tent mate Gayla is thankful I've brought it. "Light it up," she says, "There ara millions of things I hate about this trip and all of them are mosquitos." On a Woodswomen trip all food, supplies, tents and canoes are supplied by the organization. Although they specialize in tours for women only, or women with children, they have guided mixed and all male trips. "An entirely different experience". says Judith. "The men spend the first day setting up heirarchies. They develop competitive.groups that absolutely refuse to work with each other. And in the mixed group, some of the men expect to carry the canoes and packs and of course paddle stern. It's easy for the women to slip into passive roles." Operating out of Minneapolis, Woodswomen was founded six years ago by three women. It's aim is to encourage women to enjoy the wilderness. Besides canoe trips of various lengths, its calendar lists cycling, rock climbing, riding, cross-country skiing, and classes in white water canoeing, outdoor skills, plus a history course on wilderness women of the past such as the Canadian, Minna Hubbard, who journeyed across Labrador to Ungava Bay in 1905. Her name was frequently mentioned because benefits." Single parent organizations, such as the Mothers Action Group of Toronto, don't believe it for a minute. People classified as "employable" receive much less in benefits than those labeled "unemployable" Privately, the women were told that "by the Fall of 1982, there would be no further referrals of mothers to Family Benefits", and that during the reclassification period, only those "obviously unemployable" or who insisted on family benefits would be referred (for more, see P.26 "Protecting Our Own," report of Mothers Action Group, Toronto. Available at Women's Centre) . In fact, the difference between what the government is saying publicly, and what officials are saying privately are the chief cause of the confusion and fear surrounding this issue. But underlying all is a deadly fear--a fear like stone in the hearts of the mothers I talked to at Vale Community Centre and the women at Queen's Park--the fear of losing their kids. Just scraping by on Mothers Allowance now, what will happen if their benefits are reduced through such ploys as a reclassification as "employable" or a change-over to the lower city welfare rates... how to hold on then? some woodswomen, including Judith Niemi, hope to duplicate her 576-mile trip in 1982. On our fifth day, we leave the Boundary Waters area. At the last carrying place, I am dumbfounded to see a large man strolling down the trail toward me, a lit cigar in his The hum of motor boats is mouth. heard and the final mile is lined with summer cottages. At the landing, some unload, others go for the cars or set up lunch. We all look a bit glum. I'm suddenly struck by "post camping syndrome"- the sudden and overwhelming desire And I realize I for a hot bath. have a long drive ahead of me and I have to return to work tomorrow. "Joan, what are you thinking," says "I'm thinking I have to Marianne. stop on the way home and buy pantihose for work tomorrow," I reply Everybody laughs. truthfully. At the campground, we eat a farewell meal which included fresh "You can watermelon and champagne. gold plate these or make them into earrings--these are original souvenirs Judith says as she hands out momentossaran-wrapped moose berries. I recei the first one "as a symbol of inter"Turds across national good-will". the border," we laugh. All the things we ten women talked about still float like pollen through my mind--it's all there. "Oui, lointain que je t'aime. J'amais que je t'oubliais." For a Woodswomen calendar, write 3716 4th Avenue, S., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55409 or phone (612) 8321900. HELP PREVENT RAPE SISTERS GIVE RIDES TO SISTERS: PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN. WOMAN Paap 1R �It's Tough... continued from page 13 services which really can't be said to be given to society as a whole. So it seems reasonable that the adult who is receiving the service should be the one paying for the pension contribution. Now the only exception that seems to be widely accepted to that rule is that if the person who was being taken care of made a low income, then you might have a subsidization by other' participants of the CPP. Now the last question...should this be optional or mandatory? It's clear from what has come out of European countries where this has been tried. Many European countries where they have opened up voluntarily the public pension plans to homemakers and said anyone who wants to contribute can come in, have had disasterous results. It seemed that less than 5% in any country that has tried it, has contributed. And that the ones who had were all the upper income women who had money of their own. So they in fact had the least need for pension coverage to start off with. So this is really not fair and not adequate. It is clear that the only system that could possibly work is a mandatory system that would cover all homemakers. Here I want to come back to something very important that Ruth Cunningham said yesterday. She was talking about the relationships between women in the home and women in the labour force. She was saying that unless we were united, that we would not be very strong, we would not be listened to. This subject came up at the National Action Committee on the Status of Women and this was specifically voted on in the context of pensions, because the choice was between women whose goal is to push everyone into the labour force, for good intentions, because they say that women will be more financially secure if they are in the labour force so we shouldn't reduce the disadvantages of being in the home. And this is Monica's position, and the other position which was to have the choice and to reduce the disadvantages of being at home. And the vote overwhelmingly went in favour of the choice. I think that given that you can say NAC does represent a good cross section of the women's movement in Canada, I can say safely that this is the position of the women's movement in Canada...that women should have the choice. ... I would go further myself.. and I think that we must bring - the work homemakers do, which is private now, bring it out of the private domain and bring it in the market place. And again, Ruth was saying last night, women's work is not in the market place. As long as it is not in the market place it will not be recognized and it will not have proper credit. The situation with homemaking is similar in a way to that with part-time work, politically. The reason why one reminds me of the other is that when labour first studied the problems of women who work part-time, the reaction was to say 'we should abolish it'. Part-time work shouldn't be allowed. In fact several unions still hold that position. This is the position they have to homemaking. That we should abolish it. In the case of part-time work though, most of the unions have turned around, because they've realized you can't take a magic wand and make part-time work disappear... no more than you can make homemaking work disappear. That as long as there is a demand for it, it is going to exist. So in the case of part-time work, they've changed their tactics, and now they are saying the way to make it better, the way to take away its disadvantages is to make it safer to have women who work part-time have good working conditions. Then it won't be objectionable any more, women will not be financially insecure as they now are when they work part-time. I say the same thing applies for working in the home. The way to deal with it is not to wish it away and hope it will disappear. Because as long as there is need for it and several women have shown, how in diverse conditions it is a choice they have made, or it is something they have had to do because they have had no choice for whatever reason, it is clear that full time or part time homemaking is going to be with us for along time yet. The majority of women are still not working full time in the labour force at the present time. So as long as homemaking fills a need, the best way to reduce its disadvantages is to make it safer, to give financial security to women 'in the home. The main way of doing this would be to change family law, so that women at home are entitled to a part of their husband's income while they are in the home, not only if they divorce, but while they are homemakers. And the other less important, but also important way to make the homemaker more financially secure is to give her financial protection under the CPP and that is why I think we should do it. I will end the subject of homemaker participation by saying I strongly disagree with the argument that seems to be developing that there is a contradiction between the interests of women at home and women in the labour force. This has been set up for you I think, as you have to choose between women at home and women in the labour force. ry you look at the picture closely, you see that it doesn't work that way but that the interests of women at home and in the workforce are inextricably intertwined. The reason women in the labour force full time are not getting the value for their work that they should be getting is because the women that are at home are under cutting them in a way, because they are a pool of cheap labour who is not protected So you have this in any way. The weakness of Achilles heel. women in the labour force is the financial insecurity of the woman at home. As a woman who is full time in the labour force I know full well that to better my own position, the best thing I can do is to support measures that will improve the financial security of women in the home. That is why I support this, this is my reason, as well as the realization that if women are not united behind the political positions they put forward, they will be very weak. Now to end, I really encourage you to work in this area because it's really going to come back to roost for us before long and I think that once you start work, you realize the old saying that 'charity begins at home' really applies in this area. That if you look at the projections for the year 2010 you see that 60% of senior citizens are going to be women and most of us are going to be in those figures at that time. HEDDA from pj,.10 Henrik Ibsen was writing in the Victorian era. How much-of-this is still so true today? Adrienne Rich describes feminine power very succinctly in her book Of Woman Born. "Like other dominated people, 'women have learned to manipulate and seduce, or to internalize men's will and make it their own and men have sometimes characterized this as a "power" in women But it is nothing more than the child's or courtesan's "power" to wheedle, and the dependent's "power" to disguise her feelings - even from herself - in order to obtain favours, or literally to survive." Nonetheless, Thea Elvsted was still powerless. Yet she dealt with her situation creatively. She made her will (the book) her own (the child) and convinced men that it too should be theirs. Thus she controlled the creative aspect of her life (unlike in pregnancy), although she remained dependent upon men for its final , . expression. Hedda showed us a destructive means of overcoming powerless-' ness. Her actions did not stem from boredom. Her actions cannot be coined as intrigUe, seduction, toying. Her actions depict the powerless woman. Her actions present the stereotypical -ersion. Discounting the television screen, how many women do you know who fit into Hedda's lot? Are not all of us, in our own ways, Thea, conceiving and growing our unbodily children? It's time we saw some new, refreshing, unstereotyped feminist plays. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern-Voman'POOe' �THE CONFEDERATION COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY THUNDER BAY DISTRICT It is now possible to receive a General Arts and Science Diploma emphasizing Women's Programs Curriculae. Post-secondary credit subjects toward the Diploma may be taken in full-time studies or as part-time; contact the Registrar 475-6164. For information about Women in Non-Traditional Occupations (Management, Trades and Technology), contact Women's Programs 475-6278. A new bibliography of feminist books and films is available now. GS 143 99 WOMEN & STRESS MANAGEMENT This program is intended to examine sit tional stresses in our lives--family job, social relationships, conflict, cl ge, developmental crises, etc., 1 as potential sources of stres y bring to every situation because fa leir personalii their own belief system heir life rhythm! and their style of em-solving. A lifestyle and atti e approach to changin4 their stress ;fir nse will be developed by each indivi DATE AND Wednesday 7:00-10:00 p.m. STARTI TE: January 12, 1983 COMP DATE: March'16, 1983 I TOR: Walter Martin $30.00 ROOM: 342 Women's Programs FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO REGISTER, CONTACT WOMEN'S PROGRAMS AT 475-6232. For information about theSe subjects outside of Thunder Bay, contact your local Confederation College office or call Toll Free: ZW 001 800-465-6961 800-465-6962 - 99 NAGEMENT will briefly look at the tradiiples, strategies and skills of but will focus primarily upon xperiences of being a woman . include "Women in Management" Stead. : Monday 7:00-10:00 p,m. : January 10, 1983 TE: April 18, 1983 Barbara McEwen ROOM: 99 LIFE AFTER 65 265 99 TERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT introduces an international in an endeavour to address the affecting Canadian and Third and the effectiveness of developts aimed at improving living and itions for women in developing This subject will explore the changing roles of the older person in today's society with emphasis on the concept that Old is Beautiful and that the lifestyles of the over 65 age group can and must include meaningful status and useful functions in the community. DATE AND TIME: Thursday 7:00-10:00 p.m. STARTING DATE: January 20, 1983 COMPLETION DATE: March 24, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Betty Chalmers FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 282 ZW 017 : ZW 032 IMAGES OF WOMEN IN THE MEDIA Through the use of films and recordings, this subject will examine the portrayal of women in advertising, television, newspapers and contemporary music. 99 SECTION 99 (Evening) WOMEN KNOW YOUR CAR DATE AND TIME: Wednesday 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. STARTING DATE: January 19, 1983 COMPLETION DATE: April 27, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Liz Poulin FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 282 Students will learn the basic procedures of car maintenance and general operation. DATE AND TIME:_ Thursday 7:00-10:00 p.m. STARTING DATE-: January 20, 1983 February 17, 1983 COMPLETION DATE: INSTRUCTOR: Don Young FEE: $25.00 Auto Shop, Dorion Bldg. ROOM: SECTION 98 (Day) DATE AND TIME: Wednesday 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. STARTING DATE: January 19, 1983 COMPLETION DATE: April 27, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Liz Poulin FEE: $45.00- ROOM: tba COAING UP - 1983 : Monday 7:00-10:00 p.m. : January 10, 1983 TE March 14, 1983 Barbara Marcell ROOM: SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY CEIFIIRATION Women coming INTO Trades 4 Technology (WITT) Women coming INTO Management : DATE: TIME: PLACE: 342 99 JOB SEARCH SKILLS FOR WOMEN A three-week program sponsored by Canada Employment and Immigration to assist women who want immediate employment. Friday MARCH 4,1983 1:30-4:30 and 7:00-10:00 p.m. Concourse, Shuniah Building Resource People .. Displays .. Films Contact the Women's Employment Centre at 623-2731. ESS TRAINING student with the skills necessary honestly for the things s/he wants' , at home, in the community. not to be confused with aggression. kes into account the rights and thers. Tuesday 7:00-10:00 p.m. : : January 11, 1983 TE: March 15, 1983 Ruth Corbett ROOM: 260 99 OR WOMEN l process -- how it works and how rk for you. Tuesday 7:00-10:00 p.m. : -January 18, 1983 TE: March 22, 1983 Rita Uhriaco : ROOM: MEN'S ATTITUDE TO WOMEN'S CHANGING SEXUALITY Thursday APRIL 28 (eve), 1983 Dr. Claude Guldner, Dept. of'Family Studies, University of Guelph For further information, contact the Seminar Centre 475-6380. ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING INSTRUCTORS' WORKSHOP To provide a laboratory experience for those wishing to- teach Assertiveness Training or to integrate it into their educational materials. Registrants will be expected to have a background in Social Sdiences or permission of the instructor. DATE: MAY 4, 5, 6, 1983 For more information, contact Women's Programs at 475-6232. take place. Start Date: JANUARY 17 and MARCH 21, 1983. Contact your Canada Employment and Immigration Counsellor at 344-6601 or 623-2731. ' TAKE A LEAP FORWARD WOMEN'S EDUCATION-NORTHERN ONTARIO 282 (WE-NO) 99 JULY 1984 -- SEMINAR CENTRE where required accommodation will be available in the Student Residence at a moderate cost. E LAW will focus on the Law as it peren, including special reference r of-Rights, other Human Rights , Family Law, Employment Law and s Rights. : Tuesday 7:00-10:00 p.m. : January 18, 1983 March 22, 1983 TE: Lynn Beak ROOM: INTRODUCTION TO NON-TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS An eight-week program designed to give women an academic and experimental introduction to traditionally male occupations. The students' will choose, with the help of the instructor, where the training will 342 WOMEN'S EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE 1. To facilitate an opportunity for students to undertake post-sedondary credit subjects and non post-secondary subjects, which study roles and relationships which women experience on all levels of Canadian society. 2. To provide leadership in contemporary issues of particular concern to women. 3 To respond to the needs of women-for information and practical skills to assist them to meet pressing, immediate problems. 4. To reach segments of the population who for one reason and another, have not benefited from the resources of the College. 5. To become a'"44" for disseminating information to any interested person about education and-employment issues touching The lives of women. ; BASIC SKILLS FOR THE WOMAN SUPERVISOR WORKSOP 983 (7:00 - 10:00 p.m.) 983 (9:00 am - 3:30 p.m.) on: IMLA ROBERTS, nationally knowmconsultant and educator. information, contact the Seminar -6380. UNITED NATIONS 1985 WORLD CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN NAIROBI, KENYA Initial meeting to organize the trip: DATE: Monday JANUARY 24, 1983 7:00-10:00 p.m. TIME: Room 213, Shuniah Building ROOM: Barbara Marcell and Ruth Cunningham. - PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 BAY ST. THUNDER BAY P, ONT. Return Postage Guaranteed INSIDE THIS ISSUE: (Six issues) 5.00 9.00 Business or Institutions Women who worked on this issue: Anna McColl, Teresa Legowski, Noreen Lavoie, Danalyn MacKinnon, Joyce Michalchuk, Donna Phoenix, Sara Williamson, Margaret Phillips, Luan Wall, Arja Lane, Viola Nikkila. THUNDER CLAP WOMEN'S CENTRE NEWS 2 TAKE BACK THE NIGHT 3 YIP YIP SUR LA RIVIERE 4 COFFEE, TEA AND LUMPY 5 UPDATE 6 RAPE NOT INHERENT 7 IT'S TOUGH TO BE OLD 8 POETRY 9 HEDDA AND POWER 10 MONEY 11 A FEAR LIKE STONE 15 DECADE COUNCIL 16 1 WOMEN ON THE OTHER SIDE-17 Edith McLeod for Person of the Year in Canada. Founder of Ontario Native Women's Association, PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 7 No 5 Description An account of the resource Vol. 7, No. 5 (November 1982) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Violence Against Women Battered Wives Reclaim the Night Woodswomen Northern Minnesota Cesaerean Sections Northwestern Ontario Women’s Health Education Project Canadian Abortion Rights Action League Fibrocystic Breast Disease & Caffeine Cabin Fever Day Northern Women Solidarity Building Comic Anthropological Study Finds Rape Not Inherent in Society Northwestern Ontario Women & Pensions Conference Pensions & Old Age Pensions for Single Women Poetry Theatre Review Thunder Bay Understanding Money & Interest Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value Justice for Homemakers Compensation for Housewives Christmas Coffee House Event Welfare Policy & Mothers on Welfare Northwestern Ontario Women’s Decade Council Women & Labour in Developing Countries Confederation College Women’s Programs Authors/Contributors: Janet Howard Teresa Legowski Joan Baril Joyce Michalchuk Roxanne Merits Irma Johnson Carol Barry Merle Donald Sara Williamson Luan Wall Anna McColl Noreen Lavoie Danalyn MacKinnon Donna Phoenix Margaret Phillips Arja Lane Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1982-11 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2773/1983_Vol_7_No_6.pdf 54c4dc699a714f1e08ef2a50bc7ab4d4 PDF Text Text .90 Northern Woman Journal March 1983, Vol. 7 No. 6, Thunder Bay, Ontario PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Editorial --722 -wt.-T-7777 Many months age, as the Northern Wbman Journal collective was meeting to plan future issues of The Northern Woman, we suddenly found ourselves engrossed in a discussion of our (i.e. women's) situation. Many hours later Donna (who always discusses with pen and paper in hand) brought to our attention key words she had heard us say. Restricting. Inhibiting. Tied up. Locked. Cramped. Confined. Limit. Cage. Stopped. Caught. Duty. Subordinate. Trapped. Silence. Inferior. Blocked. Excluded. And so, this "Prisonssissue was born. Prisons is not a cheerful topic. Yet, an understanding that the -±2 factors that imprison women are systemic is crucial. The "prisons" a imposed by rape, battering, pornography, sexual harassment, denial of reproductive rights will only be counteracted when we fully understand them as issues of male power and control. The dilemmas women face regarding double work days, inadequate day care, isolation, and 'super-woman' exhaustion will be rationalized only when we understand the tyranny of the "institutions" of marriage and motherhood, and can separate the "institution" from our very normal desire for warm, caring relationships. We will only regain control of our own well-fare when we acknowledge the misogyny of many "experts" (medical practioners, counsellors, etc.) who have usurped women's traditional healing roles. And it is important to recognize and analyze the renewed economic oppressions women are experiencing - blanketed by that over-used term recession. Let's face it, the governments' (6&5 and 9&5) restraint programs are a direct attack on women. It is not accidental that in Canada poverty is largely a female phenomena. Urging an examination of the prisons that restrict us is meant not to depress us, but to empower us. It is only when we understand and acknowledge the roots of the oppression of women, that we will develop the strength, the courage and the creativity to demolish the Ms.t "prison wall". -11111 Its Getting Crowded "I've been on wee6ate Ao many yeau, I mu cased to being poor. T just have a at mote company att cf4 a Audden." We hate to be cynical, but the media's new sympathy for the poor strikes us as hypocritical. Suddenly, those standing at the unemployment lines and welfare lines are cause for headlines. Not so coincidentally poverty becomes a news-worthy issue item because those new poor are organized male workers. Not that we think men on welfare lines isn't a news-worthy issue. We just think it's a bit nauseating that if the depression ends, and the men are back to work, the women who were poor will remain poor and the issue of being poor will no longer be an issue. The Vancouver Province sends columnist Allen Garr around B.C. sympathetically portraying the degrading process men must face at the welfare office when their unemployment insurance claims run out. Of being home all day, with no identity but the home, with kids who are little and screaming. Will it be an issue when they go back to work, and the single mothers are still on welfare? This depression isn't an accident. It's.a deliberate monetarist design to deflate the dollar and increase the power of the dollars of the rich. The policy causes high unemployment and allows the rich to benefit from it. With workplace after workplace closing, the powerful will be able to buy them cheap, and further consolidate their power and holdings. Remember the great oil shortage, when large companies swallowed the foundering small businesses, and lo and behold, not much later there was no more oil shortage? The fear and threats of closure are a frightening weapon wielded forcefully against workers--male and female, organized and unorganized. The threat of closure is used to reopen contracts, extract concessions from unions, and keep us battling simply to retain what we have instead of moving forward. Businesses wrap themselves in Pierre Trudeau's "6 and 5" patriotic flag, unfurl it at bargaining time and use it to thrash working people. As women, we have started to make strides through our unions, but our demands will be pushed to the background as unions fight to keep from losing ground. The battle for equal pay for work of equal value is losing what priority it has, as the employer proposes pay cuts for everyone as the rosy alternative to continued layoffs or possible closure. As the fear increases, women will be more intimidated about pressing charges of sexual harassment and becoming more militant about health and safety issues, such as the use of video display terminals. The employer, after all, will remind us that there is a large army of unemployed to draw from if we start grumbling. After all, "You ought to be grateful you have a job at all." Women breaking into non-traditional jobs won't have the job market to break into, and those women who have recently found the training grounds will be among those exerpted from "Images", the Kootenay Women's Paper with the least seniority who are the first laid off. For those of us who still have jobs, the institutions or companies we work for expect us to perform work we are not trained for, and to work harder to cover the missing workers they have laid off. In health care and education, two traditional employment areas for women, the demands for service are not decreas_ ing. More people are returning to schools to upgrade their training and education while they are jobless, but the schools are cutting back teachers. Those who remain are overworked and the quality of education declines. The B.C. Teachers Federation presents statistics showing women make up 54% of the educational system, but received 71% of the termination notices. This should be a time for women and men and kids to face an outside force together and unite against a common enemy. If we don't join ranks, this depression will be a time when the outside forces laugh as they feed on our chaos, unemployment, alcoholism, depression, anger and violence. And if and when this depression ends, the unity should not end with it. The men who are on welfare now, and learning how it feels to be degraded like that, shouldn't forget later that it's where women have been a long, long time. When they get back to relatively secure jobs, they should remember the solidarity we know will hold us together And they should join their now. sisters in the fight to get us all out of this mess. NORTHERN WOMAN page 2 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Update by JOAN BARIL NETWORKING . Networking - it's the issue and the challenge of the eighties. The small consciousness raising groups which powered the women's movement in the early 70s usually consisted of friends, or friends of friends. Then new people were drawn in, more politically active groups were formed, but the movement was small enough for everyone to know almost everyone else No longer. The Women's Movement is now too big, too varied - even in Thunder Bay. It is difficult to keep up to date on the whereabouts of groups Invitation lists are being drawn t.E now with fervent prayers to the Great Goddess that we do not forget anyone. If you have names for us, or want an invitation, please phone the Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre 345-7802. A NEW HOME information sharing was done orally, personally, later by telephone or at meetings. The women's movement still relies on these methods. There is no way - except in a limited sense - that we can use mainstream media (newspaper, radio, etc.) to discuss what is important to us, or even to keep informed. Besides journals such as this one, the only useful print activity has been the newsletter but with every postage increase the good ol' newsletter be- For six years a group of local women calling themselves "Crisis Homes Inc." have been working towards a transition house in Thunder Bay. The existing city-run home is almost always full, and only accepts women who have children. A place is needed which will serve all women, including those without children, and women from outside the city. The goal is in sight. On January 1, the group rented a roomy old-fashioned-home close to downtown Port Arthur. They will be in operation May 1. On January 23, they refurbished a traditional women's activity, the kitchen shower, and held a shower for the new home. The response was overwhelming. About 120 people arrived with gifts of food, money and kitchen utensils. The house still welcomes donations. They are particularly in need of towels, bed linen - especially pillows - new and used household appliances, groceries, a baby crib, mattress and high chair, and, of course cash. Call the house at 345-7456 during comes more expensive the day much less individuals A common scenario. You have lost touch with a group for a year or two - in fact you are not even sure if they are still alive. Then you run into a member, ask what is happening and get a very prickly reply. It seems they are working as hard as ever. People tend to get upset when they realize their organization is forgotten Traditionally women's I often run into women, once active, now completely out of touch with women's issues and they don't know how to get back in. It takes energy to stay current. We have to work to reach into groups but groups have to reach out. Insular attitudes can be our downfall. Assuming the public is informed or worse, expecting the public to inform themselves, can be disastrous... The chief lesson in failure of ERA in the U.S. was a lesson communications. All the polls showed the public solidly supported ERA, but the pro-ERA groups were never to use that support. They couldn't even inform their supporters because they relied on mainstream media who distorted shortened or ignored the ERA story. In most communities the pto-ERAites didn't even have up-to-date lists of supporters. By the time they got organized it was too late The right-wing organizations, by contrast, had computer-banked thousands of names and addresses which were mobilized at the drop of a letter. LET' S CO/1E TOGEn-MR In the interests of web creating, meeting old colleagues, and celebration the Women's Centre is planning the first annual feminist reunion dinner in Thunder Bay. Ten years ago, in April 1973, the conference was held, which led to the first Women's Centre in the Fort William YM/YWCA. Thirteen years ago, the Thunder Bay Women's Liberation Group had its first meeting. Later other groups sprung up at the University and the College. Since then hundreds of women in the city and region have been involved in women's issues. AND THE BEAT GOES ON Still alive and kicking is the Atikokan Women's Resource Centre. Housed in the former tourist information centre, an attractive building with one unattractive feature - -the building has no insulation! Still the women have managed to keep going with portable heaters. There are now three staff people. Among other concerns, the women are looking at private-home day-care, a skills and service exchange, and activities for the women's community and perhaps, in the future, a conference - In Dryden, there will be a workshop in February about violence against women. The new cransition home will be called the Faye Peterson Transition Home after feminist radio announcer Faye Peterson, who with her two young daughters, Heather and Rosalie, was killed in a car accident on the North Shore on December 18, 1982. Once a battered woman herself, Faye escaped to make a new life for her family of four children. She was a devoted worker for women's causes, and she is very deeply mourned by the women who worked with her Issues that haven't been previously examined by women in Thunder Bay will be aired at the Women in the Economy conference, May 13-15 at Confederation College. Areas of concern include hi-tech, microtech, organized and unorganized labour, education for the labour market, etc. Shirley Carr will be speaking. Interested women can phone Leni Untinen at 683-5236 Project Mayday is the name of the activity started by women from several small communities along the North Shore of Lake Superior. They want to do something about violence and battering of women in their communities. At present they are doing research, meeting with police and hospital personnel, and looking for a way to get a transition house on the North Shore. On March 8, Inter- national Women's Day, there will be a Bread and Roses drop-in at the Home from 4-6 p.m. Everyone is invited to drop in. Please bring a donation of something made of paper (anything from envelopes to waxed paper). Ten years old and a new location. The Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre has moved from the Bay St. area to downtown Thunder Bay, #4, 204 Red River Rd. above St. James Stereo. (same phone number 345-7802) The rooms are bright with large_windows. "Everyone iv very excited about our new place," says administrator Fiona Karlstedt, "but the centre is in a lean financial period just now." Fiona has been cut back to three days a week and social worker, Karen Lockwood has been laid off. The three women of the Outreach project handle phone calls when Fiona is not working The good news is the-success of the "Outreach 82" program which has been speaking to groups of women, to educate people about women battering. The Outreach people are Kathryn Brule. Colleen Jimoh and Barb Fotherbye "Our centre needs a typewriter" says Fiona, calling for a potential donor What will happen to the old quarters, 316 Bay St.? A cooperative of interested women has formed to take over as Womanspace. Each member, whether individual or group, will have access to use the space as they wish. The area is ideal for film nights, parties, meetings, classes, studio work, music practice and Wen-do practice. If you would like to be part of the group phone Margaret Phillips at 623-9067e Susan Wortman, a Wen-do instructor who has conducted Wen-do workshops locally over the past two years will be staying in Thunder Bay this May and June. She wants to do a lot of teaching and also alot of practice work while she is here. NORTHERN WOMAN page 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �"You have put me in here (jaiZ) a cub, Howl Noe Noe Nie but I wiZZ come out AoaAing Lae a Lion, and I witt make all hell home!" (Cavtie Nation, 7901) Nor Why an I counting if not casualties of battle? Why then don't we admit we are at war? Every man: has probably raped or beaten a woman; or enjoyed rape fantasies; or threatened a woman with physical force, explicitly or with gestures--stepping closer, raising his voice; at least a man he works with or socializes with, who he thinks is an O.K. type, has raped or beaten a woman. Every woman: fears rape, or lives inside limits imposed by that fear: no late night walks, no living alone, no hours of solitude by the river. If she relates intimately to men, the threat of violence has probably sufficed to keep her in line. If she is a lesbian, her comfort is that the threat probab- continued from pg. 18 Books and harrassment accompanied by threats of violence, is intended to strip away a person's sense of self-worth. The slow, emotional torture which produces invisible scars is as lethal as the quick, sharp physical blows. The result of psychological abuse, in varying degrees, is depersonalization, and it is typical of brainwashing techniques used when any individual or group attempts to dominate others. "He really made me feel like a receptacle. My husband had told me that all a girl was,was a servant who could not think, a receptacle, a piece of meat." p. 5 Walker gives characteristics of batterers and victims that may not necessarily be true of all persons, but that are common in a great many Noe 14.9 Nor Noe ly comes from men she is not intimate with. In sum: if you are a woman, you have probably been raped or beaten or will be; at least a woman you love has been raped or beaten or will be. It's easy after saying this to think of men and women as separate species, one preying on the other. The state of war waged on all women by men who are overtly violent gives all men power. Rapists and batterers are the military arm of patriarchy. "The 6iAst peAzon to be oi4iciatty executed in Canada wa/s a 16 yit.. otd giitt sentenced to death in 1649 4on that, accoiLding to Ch'LstAina MaiLia Hitt in het paper 'Women in the Canadian Economy'. A mate citiminat who had atzo received a death sentence at the 'same time escaped Ivbs 4ate by agiLeeing to act az heft executionet" (PLom PeAception, Spiting Summet 1981) Paper Path continued Ptom pg. 10 We must not let the media hype us. The proposal is in no way a radical iea that will shake the roots of capitalism or substantially alter economic sexual discrimination and exploitation. It is merely a modest liberal reform that could redirect some government monies more appropriately. The dilemma that feminists face in entering the debate is the eternal problem of expending our energy on minor reforms, thus diluting our energy for radical action. But because the proposal interferes with sacrosanct male privilege, a violent attack has been unleashed. We must recognize this hostility for what it is...an attack against women. And, if only to make clear the roots of the opposition, we must accept the reformist position and support this proposal to study appropriate changes to the tax system. Women must get beyond the media's efforts to divide us, so we can focus on the real issues involved. The real, though largely unreported, opposition to Erola's proposal comes from affluent men. The real issue is control. --exerpted from "Fight Back", a feminist resource manual on violence against women Amnesty Please show your concern for Egyptian prisoners of conscience by writing a courteous letter (an example is given below) to the following address: His Excellency Muhammad Hosni MUBARAK President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abedine Palace Al Gumhuriya Square CAIRO Arab Republic of Egypt Your Excellency: cases. She introduces the concept of a three-phase "cycle of violence" which helps explain how battered women become victimized; how they fall into learned-helplessness behaviour, and whythey do not attempt to escape: 1. tension-building period, ending in 2. an acute battering incident, followed by 3. a period of calm--the "honeymoon" period. Understanding the dynamics of the battered-woman syndrome is essential for anyone who attempts to help the victim. Lenore Walker's book gives the basis for this understaniing. It is the author's plea to the reader that you "Let your anger spur you on to some kind of positive action to remedy the injustices committed against such womeno" It is with concern I have learned that Farida NAQQASH, a writer and a mother of two children, is facing two trials before the Supreme State Security Court on charges of illegal political activities. The arrest and detention of Farida NAQQASH and others like her is contrary to the guarantees of the rights to freedom of opinion and association contained in the Permanent Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt. I therefore urge you to declare a presidential amnesty to Farida NAQQASH and others facing trial because of the nonviolent exercise of their human rights (N.B. Women interested in forming a discussion group to further explore the Erola proposal please contact Fiona at Northern Women's Centre, 345-7802.) RIMM. THUNDER CLAP To the women determined to keep a space for ourselves and that have financially contributed to WOMANSPACE. Name Address 4, 441... Air ././. INV ANY ANW. AIM/ WOMANSPACE A meeting to plan the continuing use of WOMANSPACE will be held at WOMANSPACE, 316 Bay St., Thursday, Mar. 24, at 7:30 p.m. All women welcome. Your ideas about how we can retain our SPACE and how best to use it are important. Please attend. WELCOME The NWJ collective welcomes Devon, Thunder Bay's newest feminist. Congratulations to Devon's parents Danalyn MacKinnon and Evert Ottertail. THUNDER BOLT To Pierre Trudeau, for kissing the hand that bites us, in arranging the pact that approved testing of the U.S. Cruise Missile in Canada. NORTHERN VOMAN page 17 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Books by MARGARET PHILLIPS, KATHRYN BRULE, and JOAN BARIL Ofeloped Woman theoretical Born will shatter perceptions any are inDuring the months of planning tertwined withour quotes the women unconsidered myths, wearyfrom complaand preparing for this issue the is the cency. she But interviewed. Rich does notItleave us integration Journal collective did much reading of theory with the reality of daily without our hope. challenges us ".. to encourage ownShe understanding to thinkofthrough the body, to connect lives (as revealed by the women's and analysis the "prisons" women what so the cruelly disorganized quotes) that makes this such a readendure. We has havebeen found following our great mental able book. Analysis and gut reaction. books -interesting and/or capacities, instructive hardly highly developed tactile The strength of More Than A Laband weused; offerour these mini-reviews. sense, ourthe genius for close observaour of Love comes from the examinaCertainly foremost book of tion; our complicated, tion of the changes in women's lives feminist theory to appear in pain-enduring, the multi-pleasured physicality. ....The and the changing oppressions past five years is Adrienne Rich's repossession by women of our bodies through the three generation (50 yr.) OF WOMAN BORN (W.W. Norton, New York) will bring far more essential change The relationship of mothers period. As the sub-title 'Motherhood as Exto human society than the seizing of and adult daughters, and the desire perience and Institution' suggests, the means of production by workers... for a women's community, while subRich very skillfully distinguishes ..We need to imagine a world in which tly reported is another highlight. between the experience of the relaevery woman is the presiding genius The women's stories, although tionship between woman and child and of her own body. In such a world wouniversal, are profoundly moving. the institution of motherhood which men will truly create new life, bringNorthwestern Ontario women will inis defined and controlled by men. ing forth not only children (if and deed relate to their Flin Flon sisRich states "Institutionalized mothas we choose) but the visions, and ters. erhood demands of women maternal inthinking necessary to sustain, constinct the rather than intelligence, sole, and alter human existence - a selflessness rather than self-realHIDDEN IN THE HOUSEHOLD: Women's new relationship to the universe". ization, relation to others rather Domestic Labour Under Capitalism than creation of self". Rich believes (Bonnie Fox, Editor, Women's Press, that "the patriarchal institution of Toronto) will be of interest to readmotherhood is not the 'human condiers who are serious students of thetion' any more than rape, prostituory. (Before embarking on this book tion, and slavery are". a re-read of Margaret Bentson's 'The With much courage Rich shares Political Economy of Women's Liberaher personal motherhood experience. tion' and Mariarosa Dalla Costa's Her love and anger. "My children "Women and the Subversion of the Comcause me the most exquisite suffermunity' is useful) Presenting articles ing of which I have any experience. by Canadian based academics Wally SecIt is the suffering of ambivalence: combe, Bruce Curtis, Linda Briskin, the murderous alternation between Bonnie Fox, Emily Blumenfeld, and bitter resentment and raw-edged nerSusan Mann, Fox indicates that Hidden ves, and blissful gratification and In The Household is designed to "help tenderness". Her unachieved need for develop the Marxist theory of women's space. "I would feel the futility of oppression that is an essential tool any attempt to salvage myself, and in the struggle for women's liberaalso the inequality between us: my tion". Although providing new and schneeds balanced against those of a olarly arguments, the theory presenchild, and always losing". Her accted will be viewed, by many feminists, eptance "This is what women have alas insufficient for the appreciation ways done". Her gradual integration of the oppression of women. This book of her intellectual reasoning with will encourage and augment the conher emotional re-action to understand tinuing debate, and is useful for that the patriarchial concept of mothose who wish to elucidate their therhood is not natural. ideology. Rich exposes to analysis (and A further dimension of the ideofor our continuing discussion and logical discussion is found in CAPIanalysis) concepts of patriarchal TALI$T PATRIARCHY AND THE CASE FOR assumption and dominance that must S9CIALIST FEMINISM (Zillah R. Eisenbe understood if women are to break stein, Monthly Review Press, New York from the prisons that now engage us. and London). Seen as a developing proBasic to the institution of mothercess, socialist feminist theory is hood we must understand that "The put forward as a synthesis between regulation of women's reproductive Marxist analysis and radical feminist Several have approached power by men in every writers totalitarian theory. Eisenstein states that "the theevery oppression of women through a system and socialist revolution synthesi3 must formulate the problem domestic labour. Neithe legalnew andanalysis technicalofcontrol b-yof woman as both mother and worker, ther understood or recognized as work men of contraception, fertility, reproducer and producer. Male supredomestic labourgynecology, seems to beand invisible, abortion, obstetrics, its workers (women)experiments not respected pri- macy and capitalism are defined as extrauterine reproductive the core relations determining the opvately or publicly. While the numbers - all are essential to the patriarpression of women today. This volume of women in or re-entering chial system, as remaining is the negative or is devoted to understanding the dypaidoflabour continues to insuspect the status women force who are not mothers".crease, their domestic responsibilities namic of power involved, which derives from both the class relations of prohave not diminished. Rather Reading Of Woman Born will be athese woduction and the sexual hierarchial men engage in a for double of work disquieting experience manyday women as wage workers as women domestic workers relations of society." perhaps particularly forand those Well organized and easy to read Feminists must understand the forces involved in 'enlightened' relationthe articles provide an interesting resisting change in the function of ships, and for women who believe they variety of theoretical discussion, domestic labour. are accepted in mainstream work sochistorical analysis and specific staMORE THAN A LABOUR OF LOVE: Three iety. It will not be comfortable to Generations of Women's Work in the Home tements. Discussion of women's deveexamine the fear men hold toward women lopment in Cuba and China make appar(Meg Luxton, Women's Press, Toronto) the contempt of sons for mothers; the is a good starting point in this under- ent the distance yet uncovered. Jean suspicion of the unmarried, childless Gardiner's article on Women's Domesstanding. Through extensive interviews woman; the contempt for women's sextic Labour and the entire section on and observation, Luxton traces the uality - especially aging women; the lives of three generations of Flin Flon Motherhood, Reproduction and Male threat (men feel) of close relationSupremacy are particularly recommended. Manitoba women, and analyzes the woships between mothers and daughters, men's relationships to husbands, chilbetween sisters, between women; women's drens housework, economic management, need to connect our minds to our bodcontinued on page 18 and 'the Company'. Luxton's well-devies. NORTHERN OMAN pa ge 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Prisoner of Love "Moons and Junes and ferris wheels The dizzy dancing way you feel As every fairy tale cols real I've looked at love that way..." Joni Mitchell "Love is all you need..." by JOAN BARIL (PART 1 ) The B eatles You are madly, passionately, irrationally, besottedly in love. So deeply engrossed are you with thoughts of your beloved you would be ashamed to tell anyone, even a trusted friend, how you spend hours conjuring up the image of his face, his small gestures, his walk, his bodily stance and his eyes--yes, above all his eyes--and that one moment when your glances met, touched, a shivery instant to be relived again in private, a moment encrystallized perhaps in the words of a popular song. And how can you tell anyone that his image, now always present at the edge of your consciousness, intrudes--constantly intrudes--so that during your day, as you take the bus or start the first tasks at work, his face appears in your imagination and, in spite of yourself, you relive the last encounter with him, the movements of his hands as he lit the cigarette, the smile as he opened the door, the warmth of tone--did you imagine it ? -as he said hello and you search through these images for a signal that he loves you. You are obsessed and you pick, pick through these shreds, rearranging them until the most casual remark and gesture becomes a proof of his love. And of course there are the fantasies, the vision of a chance meeting with the quiet conversation that causes him to realize that he adores you; or the heroic fantasy with the building on fire or the ship sinking- and perhaps at that point you can smile and wonder if you are taking leave of your intelligence. But what can you say about the intensity of this emotion, the wrenching anxiety of not knowing for sure, the pain in the chest, the lovely walking-on-airness if he responds, the plunge into depression if he ignores. You seem to be imprisoned in a sort of love torture machine which is able to fling your emotions back and forth between heaven and hell. NORTHERN OMAN page Aside from the fictional worlds of love created by novelists Tolstoy Bronte, Sand, Tendal and others, the only person who has seriously investigated this intense romantic state is Dorothy Tennov, a psychologist at the University of Bridgeport. In her book, "Love and Limerence: The Experience of Being in Love", (Stein and Day. New York. 1979), Tennov describes her method of study which included the collection of over five hundred case histories, several hundred diaries and questionnaires designed to investigate what happens when a person goes head over heels. Almost all recount feelings similar to those described above. She decided to call this intense romantic attachment "limerence" simply because the word 'love' is loaded with so many varying meanings. Limerence, says Tennov, has a "fitting sound" and it encompasses "what is usually termed being in love". When it happens to teen-agers it is called a crush or puppy-love. But Tennov finds no difference between the loves of young people and the supposedly more mature. Nor is there any difference in the feel of limerence for men or women, or for homosexual or heterosexual. Usually it starts pleasantly. There is a flicker of interest in someone, and if the interest is returned--or, more likely, if the budding limerent convinces herself that it is returned or, there is a possibility that someday the interest will be returned--then the condition can swell to monstrous intensity. It might be well here to summarize the basic components of limerence, according 4-c Tennov. 1) Intrusive thinking about the object of desire, (This person is called the limerent object or LO by Tennov; 2) Accute longing for one's love to be returned; 3) Dependency of mood on the limerent object's action--the love torture machine mentioned previously; 4) Fear of rejection and sometimes incapacitating shyness in the presence of the beloved one; 5) An aching in the heart or chest area; 6) A feeling of intense happiness and walking on air if reciprocation seems evident; 7) A remarkable ability to emphasize what is admirable about the LO and to avoid dwelling on the negative, even to respond with compassion for the negative and render it into another positive attribute; and, above all, 8) Acute sensitivity to any act thought or condition that can be interpreted favourably, and an extraordinary ability to invent reasonable explanations why the seeming neutrality of the LO is really a guise for hidden love;1 and finally, 9) although sexual desire is almost always part of limerence, it is more than sexual desire. Tennov's findings are quite remarkable. First she has investigated a state which everyone knows exists from the evidence of soap operas, novels and popular songs but which few people admit to personally or easily. People find discussing their personal limerent feelings somewhat shameful and listeners react with embarassment. In fact it is considered better form in the 1980's to admit to being sexually obsessed with someone than being romantically infatuated. "Love is not a sentiment worthy of respect", said Collette in 1928, presaging the mixture of callousness and cynicism people use nowadays to discuss their friends love affairs, a sure sign that the "Grand Passion" is definately out of fashion. At best, to discuss love seriously is to feel the cloying grip of nostalgia as if one is taking from an old trunk a dazzling formal gown which once had supreme importance but which no longer glitters and, in fact, doesn't even fit. But the research shows that love is widespread. A sort of hidden condition, an unacknowledted and recurring base line beneath the hum of everyday activities. In spite of the sneers of the "experts" on love who have tended to find romantic limerance as evidence of neurosis, emotional immaturity or masochism,2 Tennov's limerents were, in the main, healthy, normal, ordinary people of all ages and both sexes. Some people only experienced one passionate affair in a lifetime, others have many. Other people, long past middle age, who believed that the fire had gone out forever described how suddenly they found themselves dancing in the same flames again. Then there are the poor souls who, from the age of 11 or so, seemed to be in a constant state of limerence, spending a lifetime swinging from sizzle to fizzle and along the way experiencing appalling amounts of emotional stress. A romantic attachment often ends in unhappiness, occasionally in marriage --cynics might say it's the same thing. Limerence needs a feeling of insecurity to retain its power. As soon as a couple feel sure of each other's love, the flames subside, sometimes banking down into that long-term glow which is also a species--a rare species --of love. But often the thing just ends, sometimes from one minute to the next. ("It was when he was explaining for the hundredth time how important his job was and how hard he worked and how no one really appreciated him and I thought to myself how could I t) have ever continued on page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Eradicate the Illness Industry by ARJA LANE I've been attending a series of conferences organized by a coalition of women from North Eastern Ontario during the last few years, where issues related to our well-being have been discussed, dissected, argued; exposed; and, it's been fascinating in a bizarre sort of way. It's been fascinating to learn about the many outside or political connections to our health, or rather, our illnesses. Realizing these connections have turned my personal frustrations with feeling unhealthy to angry understanding of how the promoters of the illness industry function. This understanding has made me see how bizarre and full of contradictions our present system of survival is. For example, the food industry that basic-need provider for humankind - has managed to dupe us all into thinking that we should be able to live and grow on food products, products that have been refined, chemicalized, preserved and packaged to the point of producing serious allergic reactions in many people. The food industry is threatening us with chemical poisoning and malnutrition. We are not feeding our bodies adequately, and it's not because we don't want to --- it's just so difficult to find food that isn't processed to death. But, money is the main manipulator again, because I'm sure General Foods is happy with the profits they make from The longer shelf-life of their food products --- those preservatives just make it so much more efficient to sell food. But, the food industry isn't the villain --- it's only a part of the illness industry. Expand your view to include the general environment, and you will see that industrial pollution is taking a serious toll on our natural resources. Resource industries like mining and refining ore have always been the biggest environmental hazzard existing. Industries like INCO not only pollute and exploit the workers who work the plants, but they cause acid rain to fall on all of us. Pulp and paper mills have poisoned the wa-, ter we drink; and now that we're into the nuclear craze, our limits for pollution are being challenged in the name of energy, And, it's all making Food co-ops are a real alternative to plastic food products, but we could take it further. We could support, promote, create more local farming. I would buy locally grown vegies and meat rather than imported food products, wouldn't you? Resource industries don't have to be such polluters, they have the technology to clean up their act, and we have to convince them and our government that they have to. Environmentalists around the country are screaming about industrial pollution and they just need a little support from the people to be heard more clearly. Let's give it to them. And, we can begin to learn more about our own bodies as well, so that we can say "no way" to the doctors who try to push tranquillizers and unnecesary surgery on us. There's nothing wrong with self-help and self-knowledge as long as that's not where the effort to change stops --- share this knowledge with people in your community who don't know yet. Changing this system that views money making more important than our health is the struggle for those of us who understand and feel the contradiction getting too destructive. Let's keep meeting and developing our strategy into a more positive reality. "It Ls batten, to die on yawn beet than to Live on you/E. knees" (Data/1.a lbaAnuAi, 1936) pect a profit motive to be the basic reason for such surgery. Caesarean sections are "performed" on us more and more. Our babies are being performed out of us by surgery and drugs. It makes the whole experience of birthing babies more profitable and exciting for doctors, but it robs us women of birthing our children, while at the same time exposing us to all 'kinds of drugs during their performance. And, who do you think ends up supporting the tranquillizer industry the most? Women are prescribed about 75% of the going tranquillizers while being told by the experts that side effects and chances of addiction are minimal and quite harmless. Drugs and hospital equipment are replacing human care and understanding as technology hypes us out of control. So, what to do? How to get more control over these things that affect us so much? Boycott foods that are substandard in nutritional value and pop vitamins instead? Vitamins are quite expensive, and most of us could not afford them. And, for general stress, instead of drinking and smoking, exercise yourself into exhaustion --- for specific stress, learn how to "communicate" better, and hopefully, someone will listen? Or better yet, practice purism and create a world of your own out in the country somewhere, away from the obvious contradictions of the illness industry. It can all be done, but how effective is all that when it comes to dismantling the illness industry? For more specifics, read: "Society May Be Dangerous to Your Health", Fran Conrad, from Science for the People, March/April issue, 1979 and, "The Story of Hospital Work" by Joan Newman Kuyek, from Healthsharing, Summer, 1982 issue. us sick. It's quite a chain reaction, this illness industry. Chances are that if you don't eat. well, you won't feel well, you won't function very well eithr; and when you don't function very well in this system, the system assumes that you have a problem, whereas really, the problem is the system. This is where the medical profession comes in, usually. They use drugs and their medical expertise and mix it with technology to produce surgery and analysis of symptoms. I think the medical profession has become an important accomplice of the illness industry. I'm suggesting this connection because when you take a close look at how the medical profession operates, you will notice that it chooses to treat symptoms of the illness industry rather than address the reasons for illnesses. Drugs and surgery are prescribed to hide symptoms until the symptoms get more drastic, and then it's stronger drugs or more cutting. "Every movement that aim at the du-auction oi exating inztitution4 and the teptacement theneoi, with zomething maize advanced, mane petiect, has iottoweAs who in theoty stand OA the most Aadicat ideas, but who, neveltthetesis, in thews every -day practice, ieignate Like the avenage ing nespectabitity and ctamoAing iot off our backs/october 1982 the good opinion of that opponents" (Emma Gotdman) Women are major victims of the medical profession's bumbling promotion of drugs and surgery. For example, our uteruses are being operated out of existance. Some doctors claim hysterectomies are a form of preventative medicine because they remove a potential cause for problems later on in life. Well, I sus- NORTHERN W OMAN page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �behitsd the Vjan TRANSLATED AND WRITTEN by LINE JOLICOEUR and ARJA LANE Although little information about the past employment records of women prisoners is available through official prison reports, other statistics indicate that only one-third of female inmates have been previously employed. This explains the difficulty of exprisoners, especially female, integrating themselves "successfully" into the work force. It also partially explains why women have turned to trafficking drugs as a means of economic survival. It also helps us understand why women commit fraud and theft--it is a means of survival, often the only choice left. The length of imposed sentences for women prisoners varies alot, but sentences rarely run for more than three years. In 1977, there were two women condemned to prison for a life sentence; but, most sentences run for three to six months. Unfortunately, court statistics and police reports do not reflect the "real" dimension of the criminal phenomena--they provide statistics about the number of crimes, lengths of sentences and titles of crimes. These stats do not reflect or analyze why crimes are committed, and how crime prevention can be humanely and practically administered. Often, there is no correctional or rehabilitative programmes operating out of prisons or offered to prisoners who are scheduled to be there for such short periods of time. In Canada, in 1977, one woman, compared to 10 men was being accused of a criminal act. Out of 19,000. prisoners in various penitentaries only 450 were women (2%). In 1980-81, 6,515 out of 108,575 prisoners were women (6%). Although the woman percentage has tripled in three years, the total number of prisoners has gone up five times; so, the incidence of women committing crimes and being imprisoned for them is drastically lower than that of men. Women are put into prison because they have been found guilty of a criminal act by the judicial system, and prisons serve as punishment--basically the same routine that is applied to men. But, half of the crimes committed by women who are in prison are to do with simple possession, possession of drugs for trafficking purposes, or importation and trafficking of drugs (and not the kind perscribed by doctors...). The two other common crimes that women are convicted of are fraud and involuntary homicide. Theft ranks as the least committed crime..by women. that such acts of violence are always aimed against a person with whom the Woman has verynarrow affection links and their murder motivations are inexplicitly connected to unique situations, which in turn require humanistic rehabilitation--not prison, for prisons don't offer such humanistic services. Prisons remove a convict from the general society, but does nothing effective to prevent such an act from occuring again once the prisoner is released. Add to that the financial fact that it costs $46,000 a year to imprison woman... So, the practice of prisons, for women, for men, for children is a question that has not been discussed openly enough. And, there is the whole question of what effects imprisonment of mothers has on the children of these women. Many women lose their children when imprisoned, although there isn't a lot of information readily available from official prison reports regarding such statistics. While she's in prison, she survives more creatively than her male counterpart because women are more easily confined--they endure imprisonment bette than men probably because other "imprisonments" in their lives (marriage, children, men, religion, work, sexuality) have prepared women to "make do with less". And, the incidence of women attempting to escape while serving a sentence is nearly non-existent--it's probably easier for women to survive in prison, where they don't have to be constantly searching for a means of economic survival... When you compare the scope of the crimes committed by women and other desperate people, with the scope of crimes committed against the individual by . . ,way of racism, pollution of the environmant, sexism, exploitation of children, consumers, workers; political corruption, war... you begin to wonder how balanced the scales of justice are. And, once you begin to realize who controls the scales of justice, you begin to suspect the effectiveness of prisons, for sure. In reality, societal crimes like racism, pollution and exploitation of the environment harm more people than those crimes committed in desperation by individuals, yet societal crimes are not being dealt with through the judicial system with the same gusto and moralizing and severity that occurs when an individual is found guilty of basically, choicelessness. Who keeps statistics of societal crimes? It seems to me that societal crimes are not being committed by the same people who are imprisoned, and so, it occurs to me that prisons serve to house the brunts of the much more severe crimes committed by those who control our quality of life through manipulation of the economy. Statistics imply that one-third of women prisoners are addicted to either alcohol or drugs. These statistics aren't necessarily medically diagnosed, but could simply be evaluated by the administrators of prisons. Further to the issue of addiction of prisoners, the percentage of female addicts reported is much smaller than of male addicts. Generally, women in prison have a higher level of formal education than the men there. Among women in prison, illiFor more specifics, refer to: teracy is non-existent, whereas among article by Marie-Andree Bertrand "Les men prisoners, it isn't. More women in Femmes en Prison", in les editions du prison than men have post-secondary magazine ovo, les prisons, 1977; and, school education experience. Status of Women News, November 1982 Then, if we Lalk about women who issue. ,have been convicted of homicide, we find - Prisoners of conscience by ANNA MCCOLL Amnesty International is a worldwide movement which works impartially for the release of prisoners of conscience: women and men detained anywhere for the non-violent exercise of their conscientiously-held beliefs. Many of those imprisoned are women. The treatment that women receive is as harsh as that meted out to male prisoners: prisons are overcrowded, lacking in both hygienic and medical facilities. However, because interrogation centers are male-orientated, the difference in sex between the interrogater and the victim invariably leads to special forms of sexual harassment and torment. Women are forced to lift their skirts up before prison guards. Women are forced to parade naked in front of interrogaters. The chief form of sexual torture is rape. Sometimes threats of rape are made, other times rape itself occurs. have miscarried astheTMITTTriW:-----peated shocks with electric prods.* Women who do give birth in-prison often die as the result of barbarous treatment during childbirth. Amnesty International's "special Action" pamphlet for February 1983 deals with human rights violations in Egypt. Many reports have been received of the ill-treatment and torture of political detainees in certain Egyptian prisons, intelligence and police headquarters between October 1981 and March 1982. Torture by suspension from the hands and feet, burning with gigarettes, threats of murder and sexual assault for both detainees and female members of the family,and beatings on various parts of the body have been reported. Athough torture does not appear to be systematic, detailed information available on a number of specific cases raises AmnestyInternationalls concern. A number of the detainees have been adopted as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International. One such person is Farida Naqqash. Farida is a writer. Her book As-Sign...Al Watan -(Prison...Homeland) describes her experience in prison and includes letters she wrote to her husband and two children while she was in prison, she now faces two trials on charges of illegal political activity and risks life imprisonment with hard labour. Farida's husband journalist Hussein Abdul Raziq is also an adopted prisoner. Although provisionally at liberty, he now is also facing trials one of which is a retrial of the case in which he was acquitted of all charges in April 1980. NORTHERN WOMAN page 8 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Free Standing Abortion Clinics by THE ONTARIO COALITION FOR ABORTION CLINICS (OCAC) Hundreds of women in Ontario are forced to leave their hometown, pay large sums of money in advance, or submit to dangerous and agonizing delays in order to get an abortion. A woman's decision to end an unwanted Pregnancy is no crime, so why is an abortion so difficult to obtain? In a recent Gallup poll 72% of people in Canada agreed that "a decision on whether or not to perform an abortion should rest with the consenting patient and should be performed by a licensed physician in conformance with good medical practice", yet abortion remains within the Criminal Code and Ontario Attorney General Roy McMurtry threatens to prosecute any doctor who opens a clinic in Toronto to provide women with safe abortions. The Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics (OCAC) believes that the right of women to control our own bodies is a basic human right. To freely decide if and when to have children so that we can plan our future is fundamental right for women, yet the decision to have an abortion is beyond our control. The issue is not pro or antiabortion. Whether or not to have an abortion is a personal choice. Women who are against abortion have the right to continue an unplanned pregnancy to term. They and others should not have the right to impose their religious or moral views on others through legislation or intimidation. Once a woman makes the decision, she should have ready access to a safe medically insured abortion. THE PROBLEM In 1969 the Federal Criminal Code was amended so that abortions remain illegal unless approved by a committee of three doctors in an approved hospital. But hospitals are not required to set up committees and even those that have committees are not required to perform abortions. Due to pressure from well-organized antichoice groups many hospitals have decided not to perform abortions at selling, more thorough birth control information, and a generally sympathetic and supportive environment. WE CAN WIN The Ontario government can choose to allow such clinics to operate. With the support of Dr. Henry Morgentaler, a group of women active in the women's health communall. ity will be opening an abortion clinic Only 37% of Ontario hospitals, in Toronto early in the new year. concentrated in large urban areas, OCAC is organizing mass support for have abortion committees, and those the legalization of free-standing that do have strict quota. Toronto General Hospital, for so example, re- clinic abortion clinics that this ceives requests day, those free and75others likea it canofoperate they from book prosecution. six. Most gynocologists are opted In outOctober of OHIPOCAC and began chargea public campaign. support has been $100-$200 over Public OHIP rates. They overwhelming. More than 500 people often demand cash in advance, which signed an ad in the Globe and rarely demanded for otfier medical Mail; almost 1,000 attended aturns spirited procedures. If a committee a rally in Toronto with speakers woman down, there is no appeal pro- Dr. Henry June Callwood, cedure. TheMorgentaler, hospital committee system Louis the Lenkinski frommaking the Ontario Fedpostpones procedure it of Labour, Evans more eration dangerous. Too manyRuth women are of the United Churchtoand others; more than forced to travel Quebec or the 60 States groups at including the Ontario FedUnited great financial, physical, eration andofpsychological Labour have endorsed cost. the legalization of free-standing clinics THE SOLUTION providing medically insured abortions; and thousands of individuals are In Quebec, signing the government-funded OCAC petition and wearcommunity ing pro-choice clinics provide buttons. medically We are the insured abortions despite majority and we are inthe thefederal process law. of They exist it there thehelp. proving but because we need of your broad public support for the right to choose. First trimester abortions provided in free-standing areC.A.R.A.L. In Thunder Bayclinics the next safermeeting and less expensive than those will be held at 8:00 p.m. performed according to March in 17,hospitals, 1983 at WOMANSPACE, 316 Bay studies done at John Hopkins UniverSi-See you then. sity. Clinics can also provide coun- Miss Mandragola or stay and of myself? went as I lusty Reld by local ry, passion7 ter says, opriate d. "Stupid" d" possibly re ways than f a highly ting critit I saw was main purand not protive auditably on cue s to the the play. me worthant of the dded those nts and el he was o watch. tos.) Siro t alot to be otally preexcruciata local, ur time was gths he went unter with The lady was just for the taking, her mind apparently as blank as that of her suitor, and the common feeling was that women in general were squealers, squawkers and whiners. By the way, men almost totally dominated the stage women appearing periodically to serve for some light sexual relief and deviation (all covertly performed in the sanctuary of the church, with yours truly - Fr. Timeto, who, in his own words, admitted that he was too good for himself). Parodies abounded - the outrageously corrupt priest whose chief concerns in life were money-making and women-laying (and just how far does that all sound from us?). And the men - never were we allowed to forget that they held fire itself between their legs (or a dangling turkish dagger for the less well endowed in a costume masquerade) and burning passion in their breasts. What a crowd of sops and indeed ,a pathetic bunch. Their costumes served to emphasize their rotundity, spindly legs and knobbly knees - seems that they have not yet discovered the wonders of sheer, clinging panty-hose, but then they have been out of touch for a while. Anyway, our leading Romeo (Callemaco in the play) was indeed an insipid character who seemed to be best at hiding in full view of us all, attempting mighty leaps across the stage, or flat on his back with his legs and arms flaying. Adding salt to the already opened wounds was the final clincher having waggled his way into the reluctant woman's bed, she promptly falls "in love" with him, suggests his becoming a friend of the family to allow for more intimate meetings, and implies that "she never thought it could be like this" - deary me the old line still to be heard (Take note of our enlightening article, sisters, on the wonders of your friend the finger), So it was all to be expected after all and not a bit of gumption anywhere to be seen. The play was altered, modern language introduced, and music added! (all to its detriment I thought) but the plot and drift remain those of Machiavelli. It was claimed to be the most highly regarded comedy of Italian Renaissance literature - and by the reactiojls of one twentieth century audience it still remains so. Sad to say, some of what it presented rang home true (regardless of the jokes and exagerations), and it made me think that a lot had not changed after all. Everybody laughed and as I sat there I wondered from time to time "just how far have we come?" NORTHERN WOMAN page 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Leading You Down the Paper Path uy MARGARET PHILLIPS the 'married or equivalent' exemption in isolation from other reforms would create hardship for some women, most significantly for single mothers who, under the present system, can claim one child as 'equivalent to spouse' for tax exemption purposes. Concern expressed by single parent women, most of whom are low income, is valid. As one single parent of modest income commented "I may be expressing selfinterest, but it is the only tax break I get and I don't want to lose it." Modification of this exemption should and could be accompanied by other reforms that provide equivalent or increased benefits to low income people. The purpose of any change must be to re-distribute income more equitably. It will not be easy for women to sift through the blanket of misinformation and the climate of hostility that surrounds this debate to date. The well-orchestrated media distortion of this issue feeds us myth, encourages controversy, but has largely failed to provide unbiased information from which a rational discussion can evolve. Erola, who has been subjected to one of the most vicious media attacks we've witnessed in a long time, has been accused of "subverting the family". A picture has been painted of committed homemakers being dragged unwillingly into the labour market. A perception of raging battles between full-time homemakers and women in the paid labour force is encouraged. One editorial tries to revive the mothballed myth that married women only work for luxuries, while the CBC locates a Canadian version of Phyliss Schflay who advises us that only a dependant loving wife will be a good mother. Ridiculous...yes. Amusing... no. Because submerged by this distortion is the urgent problem..the economic situation of women in Canada in Council points out "This (Income Tax) Act conceals, very literally, billions of dollars in government spending.. the spending which constitutes Canada's hidden welfare system for the non -poor. It hides this spending so well that governments do not publish, in fact do not even calculate, its total amount. Ordinary citizens..middle and lower income taxpayers..are almost totally unaware of its existence. They are also unaware that it is they who bear the greatest burden of this cost, while it is the wealthy who reap the greatest benefits." The report continues "...since most tax subsidies operate through exemptions and deductions, tax expenditures almost inevitably give their greatest rewards to those with the highest incomes, and none at all to those with the lowest. This is the unavoidable consequence of deductions in a progressive tax system. If $100 is exempt from tax, the saving to an individual (and the expenditure for the government) is $60 for a high-income person in a 60% tax bracket, $25 for a moderate-income worker in a 25% bracket, and zero for a person poor enough to be below the tax-paying threshold. Tax expenditures are equity in reverse." The National Council of Welfare's study illustrates that in 1976 the tax loss due to 20 tax expenditure provisions totalled $7.1 billion. The loss from the tax deduction for dependant spouses was in excess of $1.5 billion. The study estimates that if all the 60+ tax expenditures (i.e. exemptions, deductions and credits) could be examined the tax loss of $7.1 billion men). would be more than doubled. And rememReform of the tax system to allow ber, these are 1976 figures. for a more equitable distribution of (For a detailed discussion of income has long been advocated by peo1983. this problem see The Hidden Welfare ple concerned with social development Perhaps the most insidious of all System..Nov. 1976, and The Hidden Welin Canada. Because of government's the media's misrepresentation is the fare System Revisited..March, 1979, efforts to control spending, we have notion that the proposal will take available from the National Council of already witnessed, in recent years, money away from full-time homemakers. the steady erosion of social and health Welfare, Brooke Claxton Building, Let us not forget the reactionary media programs. And we have seen an escalat- Ottawa, K1A OK9.) support for those politicians who wish Obviously, tax reform is long ing attack against government spending to end the universality of family aloverdue. Erola's suggestion to examine on social and income maintenance prolowances...the only income (token as the spousal deduction is reasonable, grams (and an escalating attack on the it may be) of most full-time homebut should be merely part of a more recipients of these programs). makers. The savings accrued from the comprehensive tax reform: Eliminating Little attention nowever has peen spousal deduction is controlled by the paid to the other side of the coin wage earner not the homemaking spouse. the tax system...and the revenue lost There is no provision within the tax to government through the myriad of system or within family law that protax exemptions and deductions containvides the dependant spouse any direct ed in the Income Tax Act. benefit from spousal deduction tax This revenue loss must be seen as savings. Does anyone really believe government spending. In terms of the the myth that 'family' income is equitgovernment's budget the result is the ably shared within the family? It may same whether a person receives an be reasonalbe to assume that in low extra dollar through a direct governincome families this saving will often ment spending program or gets an extra be used for 'family' purposes (which dollar in tax breaks through a tax exmay or may not benefit the wife/mother) penditure. Even such indirect benefit for the The difference is that the direct homemaker is more doubtful in high inspending programs, which benefit the come families, where, it is reasonable poor, are visible and subject to pubto assume, the savings will frequently lic scrutiny and criticism, while the be invested by the husband in, for tax expenditures programs, which beneexample, business ventures, in RRSPs. fit the rich, are invisible. There is Do we need to be reminded that, in the no officially published estimate of event of marriage breakdown, such intheir cost and no public evaluation of vestments are not considered family their effect. Thus, the National Council of assets. Thus the wife will not share Welfare, which has studied the subject in her husband's investments which he in depth, has called the tax system acquired by reason of her economic deAs the "The Hidden Welfare System". pendence. The patriarchy is threatened! An "outrageous" proposal that questions tax subsidies which primarily benefit affluent men has produced much irrational re-action. Fed by public media intent on controversy, or myth, or (in some instances) personal male bias, the issue has been so distorted that it serves to divide women. An informed, rational debate of the subject is urgently required. The issue at hand developed when the Hon. Judy Erola, Minister responsible for the Status of Women, suggested that the tax system be examined with the view to modifying the tax deduction for dependant spouses. Monies saved from changes to this deduction could then be directed in a more socially responsive way - that is, to increased deductions for child care, to increased family allowances or increased child tax credits. It should be pointed out that Erola's "radical" proposal was initially recommended by the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1970. The first question that bears answering is why the government has ignored this recommendation for 13 years. The reality of the present system is that the vast majority (app. 90%) of beneficiaries of the tax deduction for dependant spouses are men, and that the greatest savings from this deduction go to those with the highest income. (An upper income earner will realize some $1500 savings, while the savings to the lower income earner may be in the neighbourhood of $500.) The bottom line is that the present system is one more example of the poor (mostly women) subsidizing the affluent (mostly NORTHERN OMAN page 10 continued on page 17 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �HEART HELD HOSTAGE I can catty my heatt -Ln a padlocked box Removed ytom the gesh and gnom 4ec2ing Whexe stilt- opened wounds, beneath, tie bteeding Under scats, both Mesh and deceptive-4 {ailing Whete it can't be plucked and ground into powder On tegt in me, too tong to pondet Wands btutat in their gotm, when .intransigent On iotmeess and ingettite, the times when absent Heart held hostage, incommunicado Desiting and 6m /sting the deep oi Loving But mote geating og an empty bravado A guatd, this tock outside; sttong in its ptesetvation Og the oisonet, inside, searching unattainabte salvation. Joyce Michalchuk she was not destitute, at .least not to the point oi smoking cigatette butts itom city curb sides; she was not destitute, at teast she ate better than baAgain dog good with no name white tabets; ANOTHER TIME One morming when I woke I noticed that I'd .teat the cuttains pattty opened So I chose to tie abed and watch the day ()teak thAough the window 3ut what emerged was not the day at all con tathet thtough the window came a great wide coit oi gtey... to wrap itscei in thickening strands she was not destitute, i mean not all het clothing came atom gooduat arc the salvation atmy; she was not destitute, wwand aget all And as I scotched its muthy depths I tonged to zee within, perhaps, some save/Led thread of beauty But such was not the case Just a said mass of gtey it way ...and waiting. she had a toog oven het head (what's wtong with tow tentat?); she was not destitute, tote unemptoyment was high but you can get by on general wetiate; Violet Winegarden February 1980 she was not destitute, at Zeast she was ative... COMMITMENT ..she was until yestetday........ I am not sick I toZd them But I saw them Zook and heard them viola nikkila The bond og Darkness .eet me in I could not see his lace Beneath the hous ChiZdZike --- out hearts -Ln hiding, await They gave me drugs It did not deaden the pain I had gotgotten to 6ee2 to untock And saw instead the magic key out innet cupboatd to of 6eceings... I knew I was sane Oi OWL dreams , As I stated at the watts Just a tittte mote time channetting And Pa be O.K....I said But no one ase woad .tow gonth the wishes Otmet thoughtz into the teaZity of being. Donna Dowly This isn't the best thing, I I I I said. am not sick. am not sick. am not sick. Susan Collins Hawkins September 1980 Poet Cr' PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Finger vs. Man Having read and enjoyed Betty Dodson's book Liberating Masturbation and having reflected upon David Reuben's comment on masturbation ("it is like going to the movies by yourself - the show is the same except that you are in the movie theatre alone"), it occured to us that Dodson takes the mattermuch too seriously while Reuben is entirely too flippant. Reuben implies that aloneness is necessarily a less desirable state than togetherness. We feel that this snide attitude is unwaranted and that Betty Dodson's approach makes a continual mountain out of what can be, at times, a nice little molehill. A digital quickie can be fun We take the view that the nicest thing about masturbation is the fact that it is something that you can do when you are alone. The stress of a sexual relationship with another human being is totally eliminated in constructive auto-eroticism. Indeed, this is truly "doing your own thing." Your finger is your friend and just think of what a faithful and loyal friend it can be. It's handy,too.(Pun intended). Being attached to you, you are unlikely to ever be without it because it is difficult to lose it, forget it or misplace it. Other good points about your finger that you should be aware of are the following 1.You never have to nag your finger to take a bath,or shower before it makes love to you. 2.You never have to pester your finger to turn off the T.V.-and come to bed. It is always ready when you are. 3.Your finger doesn't have a nose so you don't have to be squeaky clean to insist., on some sexual attention from it. 4.Your finger doesn't talk. (What Bliss) Just think of what that means. Your finger doesn't criticise you for not having orgasms, taking too long to have orgasms, or having so many orgasms that it can't get loose. It also doesn't ask stupid questions, such as "Did you . : by VICTORIA POWELL and JENIFER SVENDSE without either damage to it or risk of imminent electrocution. 7. Your finger is a perfect bed partner, It does not snore,fart,sweat,belch,hog the bed space in spread-eagle fashion, hog the covers, steal the pillows, or dig you in the ribs with its sharp elbows. Your finger doesn't complain when your pet wants to sleep on the bed. Also, your finger does not misfire and leave wet spots on the sheets. In the morning your finger will not pounce on you intent on seduction because it woke with an a.m. tumescence before you have had a cup of coffee. Nor will it refuse to deduce you before it has had a cup of coffee, made by you and brought to it. 8. Your finger will not get you pregnant You do not have to concern yourself wit'. an IUD, hormone pills, rubber apparatuse come?" or "Was it all right for and greasy kid's stuff. All you have to you?" or "Did the earth move?" have is a bottle of hand lotion, in a your finger will never criticize scent of your preference. you for being too quiet and undemonstrative, nor will it fuss that 9. Your finger will not give you syphill gonorrhea, yeast infections or crabs. you make so much noise that the The most harm you can do to yourself is neighbours might call the landto scratch yourself with a ragged finger lord. Your finger won't moan at -nail. (File it down gently; your finger you because it dan't have an oris your friend, remember. Reflect also gasm, if it just had one, and it can't have another one again soon. that if a penis hurt you its owner wouldn't permit you to file it down). You don't have to make charming Life with your finger can be serene and intelligent conversation with silent and blissfully content. But, cry your finger, before, during or the critics, "What will happen when you after sexual activity. Nor do you are lonely?" Your finger can help you in have to listen to it give the dethis department as well. Your finger can finitive view of the Third World. 5.Your finger does not wake you up dial the telephone number of any of your at 4am to read you the poem it has friends. You will discover that friends just written, to brag about how it become better friends when you are not clinched the Figby contract (after sexually dependent on them. Finally, when you are old and grey seven double martinis yet), or to and full of sleep, you will find -hat discuss (in excruciating detail) your finger has gracefully grown old how it solved that fascinating with you. Indeed, the more use you have problem in staff relations. made of it the more gracefully it (and 6.Your finger is somewhat better you) will grow old. Remember the more than a vibrator. It never needs battries, replacements or mechani- excercise the joint gets, the less cal repairs. You can use your fin- susceptible it is to arthritis. ger in the bath or the shower, reprinted from Branching Ou CELIBACY as an alternate lifestyle The first issue of a new journal is out: 'The Celibate Woman, a Journal for Women Who Are Celibate or Considering this Liberating Way of Relating to Others". While most of us spend a portion of our lives in a celibate state, we are not always able to appreciate its benefits when all around us there is an attitude that the only healthy and happy way to live one's life is to be sexually active. If one does not have a partner with whom a sexual relationship can be shared, one is expected to seek a partner. Otherwise one's life is not considered to be 'full' or 'complete'. Yet,at,the sametime, more of us are discovering that choosing celibacy can be a very positive choice and that this lifestyle can provide healthier and happier relationships with those we care about, including those with whom we share an intimate relatioship. Living in a society where sex enters practically every aspect of our lives, it is refreshing to share new ideas, to explore new ways of rela ing to others. As one woman expressed in the journal, "What made celibacy possible for me was the realisation that it does not mean giving up affection and touching. What it means for me is not taking affection in a sexual direction. In fact, I fihd that when I do not narrow my affection by directing it sexually, I experience more equal and warm relationships with everyone I care about." Another wrote in "One Year of Celibacy" that during that year she had more relationships, both personal and professional, and more affection than in any other time of her life. Still another woman expressed that when sex enters_a friendship, the friendship part suffers. In an interview two women agreed that a negative aspect of sexual involvement, other than disrupting a friendship is that the sexual relationship or sexual experience does not always proceed as you imagine it would. You may think you want the sexual dimension one woman noted, "But what you really want is your fantasy, the way you wish it would be."These and other reflections on celibacy and sexuality are increasingly shared and articulated promoting the creation of new forms on interpersonal relationships. In addition to articles, the first issue includes book reviews, poetry and artwork. In the introduction to the journal the editor comments: "Mass communications in all it's various forms push sexuality in every concievable way, including way! that are degrading and life endangering to females. This has a direct influence on attitudes and behaviour in our society. The role mass communication plays in promoting pornography and overemphasis on sex is being documented and challenged by many women and women's organisations. The Celibate Woman Journal was conceived as a forum for presenting another view of sexuality - an opening up for alternatives in a sex-oriented society." The Celibate Woman Journal is published irregularly and is available for $4 (for a single issue) or $8 for a subscription (2 issues) from 3306 Ross Place, N.W., Washington,D.C. 20008. The editor, Martha Allen, welcomes articles, artwork, letters, experiences, ideas and theory. NORTHERN WOMAN page 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �by Katherine Brule "Family violence causes more deaths, serious injuries, and emotional suffering than the use of illicit narcotic drugs." (Shirley E. Small, Wife Assault) At present, wife battering is a silent crime--silent for a society that won't listen to the screams. It is so prevalent that 50% of all women are likely to experience some form of abuse at some time in their lives. It is felt that only one out of 10 cases of abuse are reported, but that three out of 10 women in Canada are actually victims of battering. In a 1980 report published by the Ontario Status of Wouen Council, it is estimated that 72% of victims of family violence are women; 2% of victims are men. There are a number of factors contributing to the high incidence of spouse abuse, including alcoholism and poor economic conditions. However, the use of violence as a means of expressing frustration and anger is learned behaviour. Because of the role expectations in our society, people are conditioned to behave towards each other as dominant or passive. Needless to say, in a society that reinforces patriarchal attitudes, it is the male who is expected to be dominant, and woman who is conditioned to be submissive. Anyone Anytime Anywhere Violence in the home is considered to be a private matter, rather than a social problem: "A man's home is his castle"--and it is accepted that he rule as he sees fit. It has been found that fully half of the persons involved in family violence, whether-as victim or as offender, have experienced or witnessed abuse as children. Thus, violence as an element of personal relationships is preserved from one generation to the next. Even when children live in a stable and loving home environment, they are saturated by an atmosphere of violence at every hand--in the media, on the street and among their peers. There is no area in our society --no social class, no economic or educational level, no age group, ethnic group or religious affiliation- that is free of spouse abuse. In this respect, at least, we can be said to be a truly democratic society; we are all affected. "Outreach '82" is a community education project funded by the federal government. It's purpose is to make the public aware that spouse abuse is a serious social problem. "Outreach '82" project workers give presentations to community groups and school classes throughout the Thunder Bay area. Arrangements for a presentation can be made by contacting Women's Centre at 345-7802. Fresh Start by JOAN LE FEUVRE Project workers from "Outreach '82" highly recommend the handbook, Fresh Start...is this book for you? for women who are in an abuse situation, or for those who are concerned about the most supportive way to relate to an abuse victim. This handbook is available at Women's Centre, 4-204 Red River Road, Thunder Bay. Copies may also be ordered from the YWCA, Peterborough, and want to get out, of want to stay and-Want the abu6e to 4-top, you may Peet atone, con4used and guiZty be- Ont. who want mote than iniotmation about what to do you ate in an abmive you ate in an abuisive tetationship cau6e you& emotions 4 .top you ittom acting. LiO. izn't a master o6 togicatty going 4tom one step -to the next. Feat, guilt and con4uzion ate notmat Hocks along the way. This biook is wtitten sot att. oi you tetationzhip. It is writ ten 4ot tho-s e of you who have - 'red getting out of it, and iett guitty that you didn't. wtitten Got those of make it. It you who haven't ttied, and don't know It Ls written to what to expect. tett. you of some of the dii4icuts that othets have sound. Thi.4 wilt not take away the ieeting4, but Lt witt hetp you to be ptepated 4ot them and know that... YOU ARE NOT ALONE! /1111111111111111.....0.1111. reprinted from Sudbury Women's Centre Newsletter Feminism and Heterosexuality Reviewing Still Ain't Satisfied: Heterosexuality and Feminist Consciousness, by Joanne Kates, Women's Press, 1982 Joanne Kates' article on being a feminist and heterosexual speaks for many women who feel that the price for their feminism is pain and anger with the men they love. Upon reading this article, I often felt as though Ms. Kates was myself; I laughed, I cried and I got mad, because I too am caught between loving this individual for who he is and hating him for what he represents. Heterosexual feminists are not, contrary to popular belief, "selling out their sexuality". As Ms. Kates states: "the implication is that if you go home to sleep with a man you don't really love women, and therefore you don't really love yourself; and, therefore, you're not really a feminist." Personally, I feel that such statements are sexually repressive and detrimental to the sisterhood of feminism. Yet, that doesn't help to lessen the anger you feel when the man you love leafs through Penthouse when you have just seen Not A Love Story. Being heterosexual and feminist means expressing that anger then, because it's a fundamental aspect of our feminism. But, it also means that it's such an integral part of our consciousness that we're able to love our men just the same. by Viv Dembinski NORTHERN AT OMAN page 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Wome: It's a Beginningasbut., "It was the One actions women facing those majorofproblem d section 28 who use the Charter to combat disnstated in the crimination is the nature of the ated Doris AndSupreme Court of Canada, the highest he National Accourt in the country and the place Status of Wowhere the effect of the Charter will be decided. Until 1982 all members aturday, October of the Court have been white, male, middle-aged and successful lawyers. ke to a group gathered to hear This year, with the appointment of Bertha Wilson, this uniformity has hts and equality r new charter. been marred. "We need a greater degree of nal decision to representation by women and by people f president of Council on the of other races and other socio-eco81 when Lloyd nomic backgrounds on our Supreme Court' majority of the stated Lynn Beak, "in order to ensure stpone a women's that the judges are personally knowrter. Following ledgable about the nature and effects oup of women of discrimination, and deal with the e Ad-Hoc Commissue sympathetically". tion,.planned an Susan Ellis, a Sudbury lawyer e, drew together involved with the Sudbury Women's in November 1981 Centre, had the unenviable task of n constitutional describing the limitations upon our s an exhilerating rights. The Charter is subject to ulminated in the several limitations including such ement on women's unreasonable ones as "are demonstrably er. Section 28 justifiable in a free and democratic tanding anything' society". Ellis questioned the meanights and freeing of "are demonstrably justifiable are to be guarin a free and demoncratic society" e and female and suggested that since this type of wording was unusual in Canadian laws followed Anderit would take some time before the thern Ontario courts decided what had to be demoneffects of the strated and how. She also questioned the limitations the use of the words 'free" and "democratic" society and wondered why Beak, a lawyer the drafters of the Charter had not the Northern NAC executive used "Canadian" society instead. The panel discussion and the the equality workshops that followed left us with the feeling that obtaining the Chartution embodies ter and equality rights was not the er can be used end but the beginning of a long pros of both the cess. It will require many years of l governments work before we know how effective islation which the equality rights sections of the women, handicapCharter will be and in the meanwhile based on their we can look at the Charter as a new ionality can be tool that women have acquired to arter. In order assist us in our struggle for equalof the proity. equality rights The panel was organized by the into effect two NAC affiliates in Sudbury, the ee years after Sudbury Women's Centre and the Suder. Therefore bury Women's Action Group. ime to know hts are Municipal Counci "Never netteat, never explain, neveA apotogize, get the thing done and te them hota." (Nettie McUung) EAR FALLS Margret Bergman SIOUX LOOKOUT Elizabeth Harding NAKINA : Raymonde Mercier PICKLE LAKE Rose Koval GERALDTON Sally Lane Doreen Boulanger FORT FRANCES Diane Cunningham (Mayor incumbent, acclamation). HEARST: Sheila Zamontangne (by acclamation) Blanche Doucet (by acclamation) MARATHON Mary Gerritson LONGLAC Colette Dufault MACHIN Marion Marcellus Sandra Walkey Exilda Kondra MANITOUWADGE Rita Kalincak CONMEE Peggy Smart Frances Pa,amaki JAFFRAY - MELICK Marg Confield KEEWATIN : : : : : : : : : : : : 'Helen Korba DORION Mary Tolmonen (incumbent) IGNACE Joan Barnes (Reeve incumbent) KENORA : Annette Koonanek Helen Dubenski Joyce Chevier NEEBING Sheila House (Reeve) O'CONNOR Nancy Myers (Reeve incumbent, acclamation) Lorna Blackie OLIVER : Tina Mayala (by acclamation) PAIPOONGE Marg Germans Margret Sideen DRYDEN Susan Wells SHUNIAH : : : : : : : Un Nouveau Monde contre toutes e. Mais elles raphie mame le chose pour endoctriner jouet sexuel. ont persuade ierge avec la ite aussi, pour l'homme omme. Apres es nous sommes ogande et nous parmi les rtout les images qui peintent moi et mes soeurs comme les jouets de la sexualite, n'est pas comfortable. J'aimerai a faire deux choses - commencer 1. developer les images erotique qui sont valides pour les femmes nous -mimes. - arreter toute la propogande des images faux des tous de nos freres et nos soeurs. A renverser les ondes de la pornographie ne sert que nous Bonner un petit coin qui ne pas decriver par les hommes. Il nous faut de creer un nouveau monde. THUNDER BAY Betty Kennedy : We would like to congratulate these women on their successful election. We would also hope that they would use their positions to forward opportunities for and the equality of all women in Northwestern Ontario.* by SARA WILLIAMSON Sara Williamson, NWJ collective member is presently involved in a French immersion program in Winnipeg. 4 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �"And in he eyez the .have -.e ight Zia And Zia - and tia and £.i. ?4" (Anita Owen, Oneamy Eyes 1&94) The saddest people Tennov interviewed were those who had remained quiveringly limerent for years of unrequited love, caught in the cliche of the secretary and the boss, the student and the teacher, the patient and the doctor. To the limerent person there was enough uncertainty combined with little bits of evidence which could be manufactured from the briefest encounter into hope for reciprocity. Sometimes these long-term limerents were deliberately victimized by their LOs who enjoyed the adoration and kept it alive by dropping encouraging hints, or even initiating an occasional romantic encounter--any game necessary to preserve their power. But Tennov also found many people who had never had a limerent experience These non-limerents very often believed that the acute longings described in popular songs were an exaggeration that no one actually felt. When a nonlimerent relates how she feels when she is in love she doesn't describe the emotional takeover that limerents experience and she is less likely to glorify the loved one. If she never scales the peaks of happiness when her love is returned, she also does not have to endure the agonies of pain which accompany uncertainty. Even more fortunate for her, she is unlikely to get pulled into the terrible and sometimes dangerous depressions or into the feelings of shame and self-hate which is often the lot of the woman in love when she realizes that the cause is hopeless. On the other hand a non-limerent may feel deprived because a door to a significant human experience remains locked. "Perhaps there is something wrong", she thinks. She believes she is "unable to love". "Love hurts", as the song says and the hurt often sweeps around the compass of the limerent's friends especially when a woman falls in love with a man who is wildly unsuitable. It is heartrending to see a friend deify a man who everyone knows will batter her, or take her money or involve her in a scheme of lies. Feminists hate the loss of the authentic self and the dependence that limerence induces; they hate themselves deeply if it happens to them. "Cleaving," snaps Jane Rule, "is an activity which should be left to snails for cleaning ponds and aquariums." Germaine Greer has no sympathy. "Love, love, love--all the wretched cant of it, masking egotism, lust, masochism, fantasy under a mythology of sentimental postures." Even though Tennov believes there is no difference in the way men and women feel when they are in love, the difference is surely in the possible results. Men are the violent sex. A woman who is rejected usually gets depressed, a man may become dangerous. Jealous scenes from a woman are just that--jealous scenes. Jealous scenes from a man, whether the scene is based on reality or fantasy, can be deadly. Moreover, women are taught that love is supreme, that "Love is giving, not getting. It is a sacrifice, and sacrifice is glorious. If a man is worth loving at all, he is worth loving generously")/A woman who is indoctrinated to some degree--is set up to be a victim, a psychological mutant or the victim of physical violence. This situation provoked TiGrace Atkinson to one of the most bitter comments on the nature of love. "Love", she said, "is the victim's response to the rapist." Tennov believes that limerent states are involuntary and are biologically imposed--a hell, or in the event of reciprocity from the loved one, a heaven from which none of us can escape. In a rather weakly-argued concluding chapter, Tennov states that limerence is an inherited behaviour because it induces us to mate, to commit ourselves to another person for the purpose of rearing children. So the race survives. This kind of backward argument ignores cultures where limerence is rare and it overlooks Tennov's own findings that there exist a large percentage of people who never experience the thing. I believe limerence to be a culturally learned response. Some cultures have nourished it, others discourage it. In Part 11, I hope to show that limerent experiences were much less common in the past than they are today and why this is so. Today, our postindustrialized society almost demands that we all fall in love and if we don't, labels us deficient in=some way. Even children are expected to participate. Ann Landers wrote: "During any given week, no less than 300 letters from 'desperate' girls between 10 and 13 cross my desk with this sad refrain: 'Other girls my age have boyfriends, why can't I get one? There must be something wrong with me.' Ann blamed it on "peer pressure"; I blame it on cultural pressure. I recall that at 11 or 12 years old, I actually taught myself how to be "in love". I remember exactly how I did it. I monitored every fleeting emotion that seemed to be connected with feelings of love. I checked to see if these feelings were connected with certain boys who struck my fancy. I lingered on these feelings, I felt and re-felt them. Bit by bit, I dug the neurological paths to the emotional cluster called by Tennov, limerence. I remember looking out for a suitable LO and discarding various ones--one was "stuck-up", another was too short, another stupid in school. When one is choosing a god, it is important to choose carefully. Finally I settled on a slim, pimply youth with an open smile and beautiful hands (it might have been to avoid looking at his pimples). I remember clearly making myself love his hands. He asked me to a dance. Oh, bliss: How I replayed in my mind the events that led up to his asking me, how I carefully assigned each event a different shade of emotion, how I massaged those feelings, trying to make the warmth which flowed from them last forever. I extended them, deepened them and so I taught myself how to turn myself into a bundle of emotions. The dance was a disaster. I was catatonic with shyness. It had been more personally fulfilling to be in my room at home, with the record player on, fantasizing about the dance than actually being there. The word my mother used was "moping". I believe. After the dance, he never spoke to me again. Whenever I saw him in the school halls, he would sort of scuffle off without looking at me. Now I understand the despair of love. I could feel it all through my body. I stored it up somewhere in my body and I could take it out and re-experience it again. It is easy to smile at a school "crush". But the same emotional hurdles I so painstakingly taught myself at 12 are the very same that I have involuntarily gone through several times since. (Part 11--next issue: "Destroying the Prison of Love.") Research Group /cpf Notes 1 2 This list is a paraphrase of a more expanded list found in Love and Limerance, p. 24 Karen Horney viewed romantic love as a sign of masochism. Theodore Reik believed it filled a pathological need. Albert Ellis termed it a "sex tease" and so on. 3 This is typical of women's advice books from the 20's to the 60's. This quote comes from the autobiography of a Canadian movie star, Marie Dressler, The Story of an Ugly Duckling, 1924. NORTHERN aOMAN page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Shack Whacky And she cout.d gy in the smatt maiming howls be4ote the ctatte4 o4 teaeity by ELAINE LYNCH and the echo o4 het piti./son watts "Cabin Fever" is a term that is not defined in any medical encyclopedia as a bona fide disease, but it conjures up an image of someone with a very definite ailment. Numerous articles on the subject talk about a person who is fed up with confinement to a particular space and the activities associated with it; a person in need of a break or change. Because the long Canadian winters tend to immobilize people, the phenomenon is most common during that season. However, the effects of isolation, lack of stimulation and the repetition of a mundane routine, in fact can be felt at any time of the year, particularly by women confined to the home with small children. The causes are both blatant and insidious. Some of the more obvious causes are: cramped quarters with little opportunity to escape because of inclement weather, or because of a gaggle of small children that must be tended; isolation from other adults or facilities, such as a movie theatre, both of which represent a refreshing break from daily routines; physical and mental fatigue caused by endless day to day tasks with no break in sight. The more insidious causes are related to social values which give little credit or credibility to the woman who stays at home to care for children. Low self-esteem demanding role of care-giver can create depression, apathy and stress in women. Depression seems to be the broad term applied to the resulting condition. However, cabin fever can manifest itself as a tendency to overeat, a disinterest in physical activity, edginess, hopelessness and, generally, a vicious circle of related problems that combine to overwhelm the person attempting to cope with situation. There is no single solution to cabin fever other than the recognition of the condition and the development of a better plan to cope with it on both a personal and social level. Setting definite goals to work towards can alter a vision of an endless winter. Putting the never-ending task of running a household aside to take time out for oneself, or to engage in something pleasurable with family and friends, are effective. Women have co-operatively organized planned outings with provided child care, playgrounds, drop-in sessions, sports activities in the evening. The important thing is to recognize cabin fever, understand the dynamics, and prepare to cope with a problem that is related to social structure and the unalterable facts of winter, or life in a small community. "The totment o4 human 4tusttation, whatever its immediate caul e, Ls the knowledge that the sett is in pnizon, tins vital 40tce and 'mangted mind' teaking away in .lonely, wa6teiut set4-congict." (E1- Lzabeth Drew, 1959) -01 became too toud. When she wrote she wrote of paz4ion and .love, the ittusion the winged-tipped sky 0,4 independence be4ote the exchange, the landing. She stitt hevus the pAomizu the golden rating, tike iite butning out too soon. She dreams now in co44ee-ctouds and stoten moments hading to the hat4-4itted cup the zitence Rosalyn Taylor Perrett Right to Decide reprinted from Sudbury Women's Centre Newsletter Yes, we are pro-choice. This Fall, Sudbury Right to Lifers have been holding regular Sunday vigils at Memorial Hospital. I haven't been to watch. I haven't read the literature I hear is being distributed. I understand they are mourning the death of the fetuses aborted at the Memorial. At present, in Ontario, abortion outside a hospital is illegal. Memorial Hospital has Sudbury's only committee for the review of abortion requests. The committee exists at the discretion of the hospital's board of directors. That is to say, the board decides whether or not abortions will be performed in their hospital at all. (The committee decides on individual cases.) The province does not require the hospital to provide this service. You can see why it is important that the hospital board feels it has community support for the continuance of their position. The Steering Committee of the Women's Centre has sent such a letter of support. Let's make one thing perfectly clear. The Sudbury Women's Centre is not pro-abortion. It is our wish that no woman ever had to face an unwanted pregnancy, for abortion surely presents one of the most agonizing dilemmas that a woman can face. Presently, there is no 100% reliable contraceptive method. We do not see abortion as a method of birth control. We are not flippant about the value and dignity of human life. Many of us have borne our own children, and we love them as much as someone from Right to Life loves theirs. Our love of human life extends to the many women who have died or been maimed by the back street abortionist. We want this to end. Abortion was with us prior to its 1969 legalization in cases where the physical or mental health of t5e mother is at risk. Illegal abortion is still with us as presently safe legal abortion is not widely enough available. The middle class woman faced with an unwanted pregnancy has financial resources to go wherever she must to get an abortion. ode need the same availability for women of every class. Every woman should have the right to bring to bear her own moral and/or religious insights into human life in reaching her decision through a free and responsive exercise of her conscience. But, we are realistic. We know the decision will be made in our community many times this year. For this reason, we want safe abortion to continue. We want it available to women regardless of economic class. And of ultimate importance, we want to each have the right to come to our own decision. What would my own decision be? Would I ever have an abortion? I have a medical history which would make another pregnancy hazardous to myself and potentially to my baby. I almost didn't make it the last time. Thankfully, my baby was fine. I have responsibly taken permanent measures to prevent future pregnancies for this reason. But, the best laid plans of mice and women...! What would I do if pregnant again? I honestly don't know. I could never decide something this important hypothetically. I do know that I want that right to decide to rest with me. That's what we mean by pro-choice. by Carolyn Campbell NORTHERN V OMAN page 16 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Howl NO NW, '4409 "You have put me in hete (jaie) a cub, but I wite come out /waiting Zike a Zion, and 1 witt maize att heft howl;" (Cattie Nation, 1901) v 409 v 1,40, 91409 Why am I counting if not casualties of battle? Why then don't we admit we are at war? Every man: has probably raped or beaten a woman; or enjoyed rape fantasies; or threatened a woman with physical force, explicitly or with gestures--stepping closer, raising his voice; at least a man he works with or socializes with, who he thinks is an O.K. type, has raped or beaten a woman. Every woman: fears rape, or lives inside limits imposed by that fear: no late night walks, no living alone, no hours of solitude by the river. If she relates intimately to men, the threat of violence has probably sufficed to keep her in line. If she is a lesbian, her comfort is that the threat probab- continued from pg. 18 Books and harrassment accompanied by threats of violence, is intended to strip away a person's sense of self-worth. The slow, emotional torture which produces invisible scars is as lethal as the quick, sharp physical blows. The result of psychological abuse, in varying degrees, is depersonalization, and it is typical of brainwashing techniques used when any individual or group attempts to dominate others.. "He really made me feel like a receptacle. My husband had told me that all a girl was,was a servant who could not think, a receptacle, a piece of meat." p. 5 Walker gives characteristics of batterers and victims that may not necessarily be true of all persons, but that are common in a great many ly comes from men she is not intimate with. In sum: if you are a woman, you have probably been raped or beaten or will be; at least a woman you love has been raped or beaten or will be. It's easy after saying this to think of men and women as separate species, one preying on the other. The state of war waged on all women by men who are overtly violent gives all men power. Rapists and batterers are the military arm of patriarchy. "The Lit peAzon to be o66iciatty executed in Canada wa4 a 16 yt. otd giAZ 4entenced to death in 1649 6ot the6t, accotding to Chtistina Mania Hitt in he papet 'Women in the Canadian Economy'. A mate ctiminat who had a.t.so neceived a death .sentence at the same time acaped ha bate by agteeing to act az hen executionee (6/tom Petception, Spiting Summet 1981) Paper Path continued prom pg. 10 We must not let the media hype us. The proposal is in no way a radical itea that will shake the roots of capitalism or substantially alter economic sexual discrimination and exploitation. It is merely a modest liberal reform that could redirect some government monies more appropriately. The dilemma that feminists face in enter-ing the debate is the eternal problem of expending our energy on minor reforms, thus diluting our energy for radical action. But because the proposal interferes with sacrosanct male privilege, a violent attack has been unleashed. We must recognize this hostility for what it is...an attack against women. And, if only to make clear the roots of the opposition, we must accept the reformist position and support this proposal to study appropriate changes to the tax system. Women must get beyond the media's efforts to divide us, so we can focus on the real issues involved. The real, though largely unreported, opposition to Erola's proposal comes from affluent men. The real issue is control. --exerpted froth "Fight Back", a feminist resource manual on violence against women Amnesty Please show your concern for Egyptian prisoners of conscience by writing a courteous letter (an example is given below) to the followingaddress: His Excellency Muhammad Hosni MUBARAK President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abedine Palace Al Gumhuriya Square CAIRO Arab Republic of Egypt Your Excellency: cases. She introduces the concept of a three-phase "cycle of violence" which helps explain how battered women become victimized; how they fall into learned-helplessness behaviour, and why.,they, do not attempt to escape: 1. tension-building period, ending in 2. an acute battering incident, followed by 3. a period of calm--the "honeymoon" period. Understanding the dynamics of the battered-woman syndrome is essential for anyone who attempts to help the victim. Lenore Walker's book gives the basis for this understanding. It is the author's plea to'the reader that you "Let your anger spur you on to some kind of positive action to remedy the injustices committed against such women." It is with concern I have learned (N.B. Women interested in forming a that Farida NAQQASH, a writer and a discussion group to further explore mother of two children, is facing the Erola proposal please contact two trials before the Supreme State Fiona at Northern Women's Centre, Security Court on charges of illegal 345-7802.) political activities. The arrest and detention of Farida NAQQASH and others like her is contrary to the .111. mom. mama . as ammo ammo aoMM guarantees of the rights to freedom of opinion and association contained in the Permanent Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt. I therefore urge you to declare a presidential amnesty to Farida NAQQASH and others To the women determined facing trial because of the nonto keep a space for ourselves violent exercise of their human rights and that have financially contributed to WOMANSPACE. ammo THUNDER CLAP Name Address AMMO" 411.11M., ../. 0 WOMANSPACE A meeting to plan the continuing use of WOMANSPACE will be held at WOMANSPACE, 316 Bay St., Thursday, Mar. 24, at 7:30 p.m. All women welcome. Your ideas about how we can retain our SPACE and how best to use it are important. Please attend. WELCOME THUNDER BOLT The NWJ collective welcomes Devon, Thunder Bay's newest To Pierre Trudeau, for kissing the feminist. Congratulations to hand that bites us, in arranging the pact that approved testing of Devon's parents Danalyn MacKinnon and Evert Ottertail. the U.S. Cruise Missile in Canada. NORTHERN WOMAN page 17 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Book! FOR HER OWN GOOD As our feminist consciousness has developed our determination has grown to act on our internal knowledge, to regain control of our health and wellbeing, and to counteract the "advice" that bombards us from society's experts (gynecologists, psychologists, pediatricians, sociologists, counsellors, therapists, ad nauseum). Any time we feel that determination slipping we should pick up FOR HER OWN GOOD: 150 Years of the Experts Advice to Women (Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English, Anchor Press/Doubleday, New York) Tracing the development of male expertise on the 'Woman Question' this book illustrates that "the experts' authority rested on the denial or destruction of women's autonomous sources of knowledge, the old networks of skill-sharing, the accumulated lore of generations of mothers" ,:or -Lie/. Own Good not only examiners the usurption of women's healing skills and processes by the male medical profession, but also descibes the emergence of male experts who "used their authority to define women's domestic activities down to the smallest details of housework and child raising". For Her Own Good provides an insightful evaluation of the evolement of male experts "scientific" authority to prescribe and restrict women's mind, body and nature, and examines the dilemmas women face in regaining control of our well-fare in an unhealthy, masculinist society. was happening to them, since they had not left the violent situation that they were in." p. xii (intro) The lack of understanding of the plight of an abuse victim lies in the fact that the conditions that allow it to prevail have been taken for granted in our society. There is an established tradition of tolerance for wife abuse, and it centres on the concept of sex-role stereotyping--the meintenance of the women in the role of an inferior, even that of a possession. "Men believed it was their duty to defend their women, but they also believed they had a right to discipline their 'property' as they saw fit. Man's physical and economic strength reinforced woman's acceptance of this 'right of discipline'." p. 11 Although the legal code of the present day asserts that assault is a criminal act, the attitudes that allowed "right of discipline" in relationships still prevail. A man who batters his spouse because he is allowed to do it is a result of the expectation of society that the male shall be the dominant figure. Battering is considered to be a minor infraction in the exercise of that role. THE BATTERED WOMAN (Lenore E. Walker, Harper and Row, 1979) In The Battered Woman, Lenore Walker gives evidence of the pervasiveness of battering in our society, but the most significant contribution she makes to our understanding of the problem is an analysis of the process of victimization. Her emphasis on the psychological process of victimization emerged as more and more women revealed their experiences of abuse. There was reluctance, initially, for women to discuss the details of their cases. This is a symptom of one of the first obstacles a victim faces when trying to seek help. "These women told me how rare it was to be able to tell their entire stories to someone. Most listeners would cut them off as soon as they got to some of the more ghastly details. Either they were not believed or they were told that it could only be assumed that they liked what Battering and abuse can exist in any type of relationship, whether it be married, common-law, gay or courting. Hbwever, "it is important to note that battering relationships are more frequent among married couples. The marriage license in our society seems to serve as a license to violence." Contrary to accepted notions, spouse abuse is not confined to any area of our society--it cuts across all econo.dc, educational, cultural, ethnic or religious affiliations. ...although many men do indeed feel powerless in relation to their control over their lives, it is my contention that the very fact of being a woman, more specifically a "married" woman, automatically creates a situaof powerlessness. This is one of the detrimental effects of sex-role stereotyping." p. 51 Battering is comprised of two components, the physical and the psychological. Physical abuse is, of most obvious and includes course, the gamut of assault, from slapping, punching and kicking to the use of weapons, including knives and guns. There is often coercive sexual acti- GOING TO IRAN (Kate Millett, photographs by Sophie Kerr). It seems sad now to think that there was a time, in early 1979, when the women of Iran believed their lot would change for the better. The Shah had been dethroned, the hated secret police disbanded and the prison doors flung open to release thousands of political prisoners, both men and women. Women had fully participated in the riots which brought down the government and they expected to have a voice in the new order. To celebrate their freedom, Iranian feminists invited well-known feminists from around the world to join them in celebrating International Women's Day. One of these was Kate Millett who had worked for an antiShah organization in the U.S. By the time Millett arrived in Iran, the revolution had started to implode inward with frightening speed pulling all the progressive elements into a black hole. Homosexuals were executed on the spot;with the tacit approval of the revolutionary government, gangs of young men roamed the streets beating up unveiled women. They chanted "Cover your head or we'l] break it". The Iranian feminists found they had the greatest difficulty arranging meetings or rallies. Their greatest and last achievement was a march of ten thousand women to protest the return to the chador. The marchers had to be physically protested all the way and whhn they were turned back by the authorities, the stragglers were were killed, set upon and beaten. Millett and Canadian photographer Sophie Kerr barely escaped. A few day later they were deported. Millett's book points out that the international press was, for the most part, uninformed about the lot o: women in Iran. At press conferences, called by women to try to inform the international community about what was happening, the reporteres focused on Millett to get a "Famous-Person-InThe News" slant to their stories by trying to get her to say something controversial. They ignored the Iranian feminists present and were comple tely uninterested in the issues at stake. The tragic destruction of women' human rights was never adequately reported in the press. Millett's book along with Kerr's photos, left me wit admiration for the bravery of the Ira ian women, who, incensed to find them selves completely betrayed by their own revolution, spoke out as best the could at great risk. vity. The extent of psychological abuse, which often goes unrecognized, may be even greater and more damaging in long-term effects, for it severely limits the capacity of the human psyche to function effectively. Psychological abuse, which includes continual verbal criticism continued on pg /7 "When co conduct a ctime, and when i4 a c.'iLme not a mime? When somebody up thene-- a monatch, a dictatot, a pope, a tegiztaton - ao decneee (JezAica Mitiotd) NuRTHERN IT OMAN page 18 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �International Women's Day March 8th, International Women's Day, has been a proud day of celebration for women around the world since 1910. You can help to continue the tradition by joining in the celebration A DAY TO REMEMBER this year. "BREAD AND ROSES" Echoing the familiar revolutionary cry for "bread and freedom", women in the massive and bitter 1912 strike of woolen mill workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, carried signs declaring "We want bread and roses too." Their slogan captured the spirit of women's struggles so well that it has become a popular and fitting symbol for International Women's Day to this day. Join Thunder Bay women celebrating the strength, the spirit the solidarity of women ow, The International Women's Day party is usually the best party of the year. This year's -- the Third Annual -- will be held in the usual place, the Strathcona Golf Club House on Saturday March 12, As ever, the party starts with crosscountry skiing for the athletic in the late afternoon, attracts the more sedentary for the pot-luck supper and spins into an evening of dancing. There will also be a cash bar. All WOMEN WELCOME woo WOMEN'S UNIVERSITY Canada's only women's university is asking one dollar from every woman through out the country to support scholarships and bursaries for deserving women of all ages and to fund neglected areas of research into women's issues. Mount Saint Vincent University President Dr. E. Margaret Fulton announced the million dollar campaign while addressing more than 300 women attending the second annual conference of women executives. She said her university had launched its first ever national fund-raising campaign four years ago. The goal was $3.5 million and without the old boys network, it hadn't been easy. To date, $2.5 million was raised in pledges, many of which were contingent on whether or not the university could raise the rest during the next few months. Dr. Fulton said the first $2.5 million had to go into much-needed facilities because the Mount was bursting at the seams with hundreds of mature women returning to full-time study. A major disadvantage has been that the university, built by women for women at a time when women were not welcomed in such circles, had no endowment funds. "We cannot provide these deserving women with the scholarships and bursaries they so desperately need, nor can we provide the funding reqUired to carry out the many neglected areas of research on women's issues." Dr. Fulton said she was determined to even out the odds and give her students an equal opportunity to develop their potential in an environment designed specifically for their needs. And, she said, she is confident the women of Canada will help her by stuffing a dollar (anything over $5 will get an income tax receipt) in an envelope and sending it to Mount Saint Vincent University, 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax Women have a strong and a proud heritage - one that is too often forgotten or not acknowledged. Women have always worked. Women have always made history, individually and together. Among the many strengths of women is the ability to work together to achieve common goals. Women of all ages, social classes and political beliefs have worked together to reclaim the right to vote, to secure equality of treatment under the law, to improve labour laws and conditions for all people, and to promote equality of opportunity and remuneration. Yes, we have come a long way. Yes, we still have far to go. The wage gap between men and women is still increasing. In Canada and the Western World, men still overwhelmingly dominate the seats of government and the nations boardrooms. In many countries, the oppression of women still cries out for redress. Together women can rise up strong and proud, reclaiming the right to control our own bodies and an equal voice in making decisions that affect our destinies. Let's work together this year to make our voice heard, especially on this day of celebration and protest, International Women's Day. MARCH 8,1857 Women textile workers in New York's Lower East Side had had enough - of long hours, low pay and intolerable work conditions for themselves and their children. Dropping their work thousands filled New York streets that day with one voice of protest. In a massive demonstration, they bravely withstood brutal police retaliation to voice their demand for reasonable pay and labour laws, and the long-denied right of women to vote. COPENHAGEN, 1910 March 8th is declared a holiday International Women's Day - to commemorate the protest of 1857. The courage and tenacity of the women of 1857 have inspired thousands of women and men around the world to rise up and demand their rights. The declaration comes from the congress of the Second International, at the urging of socialist leader Clara Zetkin. It acknowledges women's struggles and the inequalities against which women still must fight. March 8th has been celebrated around the world since then, as a day of protest and of triumph for women. 11111 OUR APOLOGIES In the last issue we neglected to credit Joan Baril for her article, "Yip Yip Sur la Riviere" and Joyce Michalchuk for all the photographs' that appeared therein. Our collective apologies are extended to these two women to whom we are indebted for their regular contributions to the Northern Woman Journal. NORTHERN W OMAN page 19 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �"HEALTH SHARING" At,100c4ivoirvil OUTDOOR TRIPS FOR WOrlfffl with vital information 2540 _Pillsbury %Ave. So. -Aiiimeap014, .M .A1 55404 Laurie Conger on women's health issues you won't find anywhere else T5- Heather Bishop A Canadian Women's Health Quarterly Sat,, April 9, 9 P.M. at the Nor Shor's Hallmark Rom (612) 823-1900 Info Centre Opens Ticket/3 cote timited...get yowl NOW Phone 34 5- 74 82 Deals only with issues as they affect women: reproduction, occupational health hazards, sexuality, violence, drug abuse, therapy and more $6 advance ..,$7 at the door $8.00 $15.00 Individual Inst or Library Phone or write for a sample copy: Healthsharing, P.O. Box 230, Station M Toronto M6S 4T3 416-598-2658 open ii -tom The opening of a COMMUNITY INFORMATION AND REFERRAL CENTRE is announced by the Lakehead Social Planning Council. Effective immediately, anyone needing information on the various services and programs provided by all levels of government, as well as voluntary organizations and groups in Thunder Bay, can phone the centre at 345-4009, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. The basic goals of the Centre are to provide the information to link people in need to the appropriate agency or service; to assist the community services in improving the accessibility of their services and to identify unmet needs and problems in the community service network. daily Wen Do natural food restaurant WOMEN'S SELF-DEFENSE INSTRUCTION BeginneA4 and InteAmediate 104 South Algoma Thunder Bay MAY and JUNE 344-0277 crepes Contact: qtraledge Donna Phoenix Sunday Brunch 345-7802 omlettes Please send me'( ) copies of RISING 0 $5.00 ea logiosOls-a,cheque:or money order. for ( ) whIchincludes postage, payable to: mar. ART show- -DAMON UMBACK - Women Fight Back! MEDIA WATCH NORTHERN WOMAN 4oypiAL, 316 Bay St., Thunder Bay Ontario, P76 141 PREEDOM OR CHOICE CANADIAN ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE (CABAL) ASS OCIATION CANADIZNNE POUR L8 DROIT A L'AVORTICSIZNT (Aa.WA) :Lied; MEDIA WATCH, a sub-committee of NAt (National Action Committee on the Status of Women) is dedicated to keeping up the pressure on Broadcasters and Advertisers so that women need not feel insulted, angry or invisible every time they turn on their TV's or Radian The Purpose of CARAL is to ensure that no woman in Canada is denied accel to safe, legal abortion. Our aim is the repeal of all sections of the Crimin Codce dealing with abortion and the establishment of comprehensive co traceptive and abortion services, including appropriate counselling across tt country. "We regard the right to safe, legal abortion as a fundamental human right I support the statement of purpose of CARAL and wish to become a member. Here's how you can do your bit and get some of that anger off your chest. Pick up some MEDIA WATCH complaint forms at Women's Centre, 2Q4 Red River Rd. Every time you see something you don't like, fill out the form, and send it to MEDIA WATCH. They will get it to the right people. LET THEM HEAR IT FROM US! Name. Address: Postal Code: Phone. Occupation Name of Federal Riding. Individual Member Limited Income Family Sustaining Donation $10.00 '$3.00 $15.00 $25.00 RETURN TO: CARAL, Box 935, Stn. 0. Toronto, M4T 2P PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 Prisons Issue i<76V/F> Collectively produced RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 BAY STREET THUNDER BAY "P", ONT. by Joan Baril, Kathryn Brule, Arja Lane, Noreen Lavoie, Theresa Legowski, Anna McColl, Joyce Michalchuk, Viola Nikkila, Margaret Phillips, Donna Phoenix, Luan Wall, Sara Williamson Return Postage Guaranteed Northern Woman Journal 316 BAY STREET THUNDER BAY, Ont. (Six Issues) $5.00 $10.00 Business or Institution PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 7 No 6 Description An account of the resource Vol. 7, No. 6 (March 1983) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Incarcerated women Poverty & Welfare for Women Northern Women Networking New Transition Home Thunder Bay Faye Peterson Transition House Solidarity Action from Egyptian Prisoners of Conscience Womanspace Thunder Bay Adrienne Rich Of Woman Born Institution of Motherhood Bonnie Fox Women’s Domestic Labour Under Capitalism Socialist Feminism The Emotion of Love Health as Political Commodification of Food Illness Industry Processed Food & Health Reintegration into Society After Prison Inaccuracy of Court & Police Reports of Incarcerated Women Motherhood & Incarceration Inefficacy of Prisons Amnesty International Sexual Harassment in Prisons Sexual Torture Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics Free Standing Abortion Clinics Access to Safe Abortion Lack of Abortion Access Play Review Miss Mandragola Tax Deductions for Dependent Spouses Poetry Betty Dodson’s Liberating Masturbation Masturbation Celibacy as an Alternate Lifestyle Family Violence Wife Battering & Alcoholism Spousal Abuse & Economic Hardship Intergenerational Patterns of Family Violence Feminism & Heterosexuality Women’s Rights & the Charter Pornography & Violence Cabin Fever & Depression Amnesty with Egyptian Prisoners of Conscience Womanspace Thunder Bay Feminist Booklist International Women’s Day Women’s University Mt. St. Vincent, Halifax Authors/Contributors: Joan Baril Margaret Phillips Kathryn Brule Arja Lane Anna McColl Line Jolicoeur Ontario Coalition for Abortion Clinics Luan Wall Joyce Michalchuk Viola Nikkila Violet Winegarden Donna Dowly Susan Collins Hawkins Victoria Powell Jenifer Svendse Joan Le Feuvre Sara Williamson Elaine Lynch Rosalynn Taylor Perrett Noreen Lavoie Teresa Legowski Donna Phoenix Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English French https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2777/1983_Vol_8_No_1.pdf d9894883f2c02eb89b57c47be1f43548 PDF Text Text 1 111 11111' IIII lib livii 111111 MlIlIl I 11111111 101111 1111 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Editoria In April of last year, the Ontario Advisory Council on Equal Opportunity for Women published its "Three -year Report on Affirmative Action", which stated that its "greatest disappointment...has been the absolute (ed. emphasis) lack of response to the repeated recommendation for legislated affirmative action". The Council again urged the support of the Minister of Labour in its recommendation "that legislation relating to mandatory affirmative action be tmnlemented". Affirmative Action, which has been around as a concept and a federal law in the United States since before 1975, has not been law and has subsequently had a very minimal impact in Canada to date. It must be made mandatory in order that progress beyond the theoretical, lipservice level is made, to a level in which tangible change can be effected through a monitoring and follow-up process of each individual affirmative action plan put into place. In the beginning, affirmative action programs were to be planned by employers, in consultation with government, to promote a given number of women within a given period of time. It was designed by government as a means by which women would be able to achieve equal opportunity in their workplaces tangibly, bY putting the onus on employers to create a framework and carry out programs which would promote women (in the traditional sense of "job promotions"). However, in leaving it up to the employer and leaving it out of legislation, the government has, in effect, minimalized the hoped-for, tangible results of what could be a very DOSitive step in seeing that women achieve their potential in terms of both recognition and wages. In other words, in leaving affirmative action to the upper levels of the pyramidal structure, the ivory tower of the organization, it has remained, and may very well continue to remain, a theoretical concept. It is a concent which employers may endorse to enhance their public images by simply stating their public support of affirmative action, while being under no legal obligation to carry out any of its programs which would tangibl-7 benefit any women in their employ. A grass-roots affirmative action program must be implemented within each organization in order that each individual woman, on a grass-roots level, be aware of the principles of affirmative action, and how they are applied within each program designed in her place of employment. The main objective is to identify any possible "artificial" barriers to the hiring, promotion and retention of women (along with natives and the physically disabled, also affirmative action targe groups) created by the employer. A woman employee must become a monitor of any affirmative action program implemented within her place of employment by undertaking, firstly, personal consciousness-raising regarding the issue and meaning of affirmative action As well, her union or non-unionized labour group must see to it that the programs are carried out as planned. They must be able to apply both internal and external (political) pressure if stated practices are not adhered to. All this, of course, cannot become reality until affirmative action in Canada becomes mandatory and not voluntary, as it is presently. This will force the employer to commit itself to advancing the status of women in the workplace by promoting women according to a designated plan of action. This is something which obviously will'not be done if we leave it up to our employers to initiate, since for most of them, affirmative action will remain a buzzphrase which they will continue to support in principle, but not in practice. In practice, if voluntary affirmative action continues at its present rate, women will have equal status and equal pay with men by the year 3035. mtetesestostectevestemeratemetestrog Voices Dear N.W.J.: It was spoken by someone at the "first part" of the Annual Meeting of the Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre on May 3 that the Centre had come "full circle". As we went around our circle, each giving opinions about the "board" vs. "collective" approach to handling the operation of the Centre, it became very apparent that this long and contentious issue with many of the women present is heavily emotionladen. It eems to spring from wellestablished roots which see a "board". approach as traditionally "male", having no place in a women's centre such as ours. The voting power and supposed exclusionary aspects (lack on non-board input) associated with the boards of other institutions seems especially distasteful to, the collective crowd. Being aAvember of both a board and a collective (Women's Centre and the Journal, respectively), I can honestly say that I've seen no great difference in the method of dealing with issues and business that have confronted both over my time in association with the Centre and the Journal (except that they are of a somewhat different nature). I would have to also take exception to the issue of "exclusion" of non-board women at the board meetings; as was also mentioned at the meeting, they were and continue to be open to all women associated with the Centre. If there has been a feeling of being an "outsider" on the part of some women who are not board members, I respectfully say that it is of their own manufacture. At no time would we have not welcomed input, and, as it was also mentioned, that issue never arose as there were never any nonboard members of the Centre at the meetings. (It was pointed out that this was due to the fact that they were called "board" meet;.ngsi I have also sensed a feeling that there is a "split" in ideologies- in my opinion, one that revolves around the separation of "business" (ie. the day-to-day operation of all the aspects of the Centre) and "philosophy" (ie. feminist ideology and its approach to matters of concern to all women--health, employment, sexuality, self-discovery and awareness, attitudes to all the aforementioned et al). In my mind, there is no "split". Those who have volunteered their time and energies and given their commitment to being on the Centre's board are all members of the women's feminist community who are sincerely interested in working with and for women on feminist principles. They've also been interested in expanding their own feminist awareness (which is an ongoing, neverending process) through one of our vehicles--the Centre. feel the circle encompasses both the Women's Centre and Womanspace. They are in danger of becoming symbols of the dual modes of thought/action oF the board/collective approaches. If they do, the symbolism may be self-fulfilling, and some of the energy which the board has lost over the winter, combined with the energy lost through the angry debates and accusations on both sides will be destructive. This is an issue which may very well never be resolved, much less dealt with effectively in a letter such as this. Perhaps we do need to get more of our feelings out in the open at a future meeting (currently being discussed), but we cannot allow this issue to weaken the circle and our energies out of sheer frustration. We need to further explore our directions and our resources at this point without fear and with understanding and a renewed commitment. Joyce Michalchuk Dear N.W.J.: Enclosed is a cheque for my subscri tion to the Northern Woman Journal. In interests of accuracy, your list of women on municipal council has Diane Cunningham as mayor of Fort Prances. It should read "Deane" (or Although I well realize the nature Deane) Cunningham and he is a MAN. Amy Werner of the principles involved in the Atikokan, Ont. "board vs. collective" controversy, I hope we do not sacrifice the circle Cont,i_nued on pg 15 and the spaces we have created. I page 2 web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN PDF compression, OCR, �Update the doctor believe( go tountreated, City Hall realizing and make million her menstrual problems were a "story" dollar decisions in the afternoon to Another con the him out of woman nartotic drugs local has put however alderman didwho not up with disabling cramps for win his pacifier. The winner of fifteen the years finally found a solution. award, announced in March, is Charles It that at eacha yearly check-up, ft,how we danced - at Bevin who has written book "Women's the seemed annual when she described the problem International Women's Day party Liberation and Chaos" which blames to on March 12 at the Strathcona femi-ists her gynecologist, he had responded including club housefor everything with a shrug. Last year she The music was excellent, the pot-luck teen-age suicides, homosexuality thought and sherash. would Asked try once more but this time dinner delicious, the company diaper stimabout fathers ulating. stress how much her children husband suffered And how we marched - athome staying with their he during her periods. She the related the Mother's Day March for opined, Peace on"God never intended worldhow she hadway. to take tohave bed and her husband May 7, w;tich ended up at Trinity to be that Women an emotion typewas of burdened males with making meals Church to see the award winning N. body are more ad- and the care of children. In a trice she justed to reasrn". F.B. movie "If You Love This Planet" 'he National Film Board, includwas on the table and perscriptions It's easy to make fun of Bevin, ing Studio D are threatened by the around snowbut,were the falling attitudes shownher by like Edmonton's recommendations of the Applebaum/ flakes So if your doctor appears Chief Justice William McGillivrary Herbert Report. Studio D is the only menstral McGillivrary pain, bore publicly-funded, woman-runbored centre foryour arewith more dangerous. rehim duced no inlonger. Change of doctors. women filmmakers In Canada--and the sentence convictedIfrapcramps not Brown disabling deed the world. ist are Dalepainful Morgan but Brown. had been there Studio D is the voiceand ofconvicted women is no of underlying raping and physical brutally attin film, it has made such disease, might trywoman. some Said of the acking a disabled films as you McGill-. alternative in "Not A Love Story," and employed ivrary " methods A woman mentioned who accompanies freea Guide to to drink lance women filmmakers to "Womancare. produce man home AinGynecological the early morning Body" Lyndamarijuana Madaras and Dr. films such as "If You LoveYour This beer andbysmoke shouldn't be Janeand Patterson. They suggest heat, Planet" and "Loved, Honoured surprised if she is raped." Women's fromgroups a hot in bath or sauna, yoga,with shock Bruised." Edmonton reacted masturbating to orgasm to good relaxnews the andeven outrage. though it is massage, alchoholbeing and even toarea, read of local rapists conincreased exercise. Instead of to strong victed, it is still distressing diuretics some localattitudes women have read about the sexist of used a mild diuretic herbal tea such as local lawyers and judges. Last year theUrinaforec rape of a. young mother was desSome news.lawyer Ruth Cunningham, cribed by thegood defence as a Director Women's Programs at Con"soft rape"of because the victim was not federation College announces that she a virgin. received a grant fromunusually the Ministry On April 19th the long of Education to help women enter hisentence of seven years, was handed fields. The new program, to be outtech to Clyde Sharrow because of his called Women in Advanced Technolo callousness in raping the woman in and of Trades (W.A.T.f.) is you another front her husband "What subsolidher step in Ruth's continuing drive jected husband to was terrible", to make hi-tech jobs more accessible said Mr. Justice John White to women. Ruth has also In gotseveral started a A new movement. two year diploma program in General Canadian cities, women's groups are Arts and Sciences emphasizing women's forming to work for more humane treatstudies and is planning a two year ment of women in childbirth. SpecEqual Opportunity Program. ifically these groupsManagement want birthing . *The Canadian woman is the world's centres modelled after similar centres. greatest reader. Canadians spend more in Europe and North America money per capita on books than any so me quotes. A woman visiting omen's Centre said to Fiona: other "I've country and 80% of book buyers are women whose book-buying habits nour of National Secretarhe table for ten years and I funnel $700 million into the economy, an American organization, s give myself the chipped plate" says a special report on Women and hich in several From has the chapters Alberta Status of Women Writing in Canada in the magazine resents awards to good and etter: "The difference between "Fireweed". 'Women read, and women Topping theold list is is yers. derly lady and an woman write but men make the decisions about ge the Year*Judith award given ly of income" Finlayson whats on the market. Men run the book iwa bank Los Angeles. t and on of psychology in "Homemakers" nese -owned women firm required its production business. Close to half l recently artist struggled the published authors are women yet ist to get their knees ve voice toon their own experience women are reviewed with much less customers tea. Since win-The theore forms created by men. frequency than men. They are recomaward, officials of the the psychol moulds that establish mended much less and have much less explained that it had never al traits for both sexes have chance of getting into textbooks and kneeling to be so obligatory based on males" that "by birth anthologies. Women writers are much This was it was voluntary. , boys follow the rules and girls to the women employees who e problems"... on a poster "Iless likely to get writer-in-residence had way beenyet given 'tthat comethey a long --and jobs I am (only 12.5% of such teachers are women) or go on reading tours. tandbaby!" that they would lose our Because most juries for awards or sspite unless they knelt of several types of drugs grants are stacked male, women nited States does not have e market to combat dysmenorrhea on male supremists authors are short changed there too. re menstral cramps) and a growing For example only 20% of Canada Council we have Edmonton alderman tance by doctors of the fact that money went to women authors; not lier who was nominated for roblem is widespread and physiosurprisingly 20% of the jury were nal Action Committee (NAC) l--not psychological - many Thunder women. Researcher Jane Martin has Award for this public stateomen complain that they are geteven devised a new law, we could call he "Edmonton Journal". "A no help from local doctors Martin's Law to corelate the ratio of who's never made any importone woman told her doctor how she awards to women to the number of ions in her life doesn't issed several days from work in time or the resources to women on juries. There's a "direct, ast year due to menstral pain, lligent, decisions dramatic and irrefutable" corelation s read a serious little lecture on the illion dollar operation like between the percentage of women jurors s of pain killers and told "we of Edmonton. You can't exgive out demerol you know. and In the percefitage of female applicants usewife to clean house and demerol is no longer manufactured Continued on page 4 ec= the morning andthe then bletinform." She left office by JOAN BARIL NORTHERN W OMAN page 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �TAKING CHARGE , Dr. Margaret Fulton continued ytom Page 8 organized, then, people should be freed to do more work that is lifeenhancing. self-fullfilling, societyrelating, creative activity which'is absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of the individual and of our total society. Economists seem to function with the limited notion that the only type of work that can be linked to the total income of society is work at a job where someone else pay you wages. If there are not enough of those limited kinds of jobs to go around, then governments try to create more. The results are often the kinds of feather-bedding, make work projects, insane arms races, and mindless consumption activities with which we are all toJ familiar. Surely a better way would be to put a value on all of the subsistence work that women and men do. The long term solution is to provide more stimuli and opportunities for people to take the initiative in creating life-enhancing work for their own subsistence. Our evolution from roles that have been passive and secondary to roles of active participation in our total society is a great sign of hope in an otherwise gloomy scene. The biggest impact in the labour force of tomorrow will come not so much from new technology or from the feminist movement alone as from the two revolutions coming together to change all our ways of thinking about ourselves and about our roles. Shock after Shock /A * fun fpm photo by Joyce Micha1chuk This combined interactive force is only a part of a total world revolution which must be bloodless or it will not be a revolution of any value. We have seen enough of the bloody kinds of revolution and we know that they never really change anything. Only the players change and then we're back into the same kind of rigidly structured societies. The transformational revolution going on in our society today can bring about the liberation of the creative personality and awaken individual personal initiative. And I was delighted to hear in my workshop from a young woman who is working in the arts and crafts section of life. The creativity that's there gives us new images, new patterns and it's the releasing of that kind of creativity which will give us a new society. We can and must challenge the present systems and structures which are so inhibiting and so limiting. We must become part of participatory democracy and participatory management style. To be equal partners, to be fully involved in bringing about a new age, we must go on learning; we must be fully informed; well-trained; well-educated and organized. Above all, we must understand our technology and use it for the creating of a new and positive society. The challenge I leave with you wonderful and patient women to-day is to take over the use of the machines and use them to build a better future for all Canadians, and all 1,lanetary people. Women indeed have a new role to play in the shaping not only of the work place, but in the re-shaping of our total society, DA. Matgatet Futton pne4ident o.6 Mount St. Vincent Univeuity, Ha-Wax, Canada's oftty women's univeuity. She ms chaitpekson 06 the 6edekat goveknment'4 taisk 6o/tze on Mickoeteettonics.and Emptoyment. Matgatet Fulton was 601tmetty head 06 the Engtizh Dept. at Font Wittiam Categiate. 13x13 by JENNY VAN CRAM ,A response to Micro-Technology - A Subtitle to Women and Economics Artists and crafts people keep us humane. The primary technology of the studio labs tie us to the past. Subtle, demanding, always the illusion of simplicity and romance. Paints, glazes, dyes, lacquers and enamels calculated individually with an understanding machines cannot know. Literature on every topic to tell the secrets of eye ball calculated imperfections. A Philosophy to render the unknown harmless and clean. A vehicle for personalized discipline. No unions - guilds - guides not contracts. An intense language of colour, form, texture, mass and image. More than compensation for contemporary "unstructured" leisure, the fate of the unskilled and unemployed. Reversed, the elite of our day emersed in an investigation of our roots. An opportunity to develop a creative individualism which meshes the traditional roles with the electric age. Meaningful activity at a conscious and contributing level. No one wants to be a bored illiterate of the past. Pottery is the bottom line of technology. On that basis examine the concept that each tea pot is a sculpture. Accept that the fear of "advanced technology" is a fear of the unknown. Know of Ghandi and his spinning and weaving. Accept with pleasure the potential of the new world. The skill to produce quality is a painful and long process. Entering the age of "automated memory" our hands, eyes and hearts must compute the inarticulated flow of our awareness. Emerge from the roles of kept to keeping - peace keeping of our own fears. This is a new age: creativity as NEON, CHIPS, MUTATION and a new monetary system. All of this reliant upon someone who knows when to push which button. Mirror doubt. NORTHERN WOMAN page 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Women and the Continued itom page 3 on the Governor General awards "fewer than 20% of jurors have been women and 20% of awards have gone to women"... Worse, women authors are judged by different standards. Books in Canada, the "free" book review-nagazine is heavily government subsidized. It reviews and recommends mainly male authored books (70%) and 77% of the reviewers are male.* it prefers women's bobks to espouse traditional values like romance and routinely Male denegrates a "feminist bias", authors work is described as "making a statement;" of entering into the realm of ideas of significance. A female authors work is considered as emerging from her personal life. If she describes her reality she's bitching; if he describes his, its Literature. Economy Conference Women and the Economy. An Action Conference. On May 13,14,15th over 100 women gathered at Confederation College to hear expert speakers; participate in workshops on various economic concerns; and to develop action plans addressing many economic issues. Action strategies evolving from the Conference include: striving for equal representation of women on the Thunder Bay Economic Development Corporation; developing support systems for non -unionized women workers; planning training needs of women workers in response to the "Chip" revolution; ensuring the establishment of an Advisory Committee to monitor the FBA/GWA integration program; and a series of recommendations concerning educational attitudes and options affecting girls and young women. These action strategies will be carried forward by committees formed at the Conference. (If you are interested in joining any of these committees contact Leni Untinen at 683-5236). The committees are Technology (dealing with 11 resolutions from the Microtechnology and Advanced Technology/Trades workshops); Edu- cation; Economic Development; PRA/ GWA Integration; Changing Roles and Responsibilities; Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value; and a Committee to study Bill 89. Co-ordination of the follow-up action on Women and the Economy will be undertaken by Decade Council. Copies of the Conference report are available from Decade Council or Northern Women's Centre. As well, "audio-tapes of Conference guest spec ers Shirley Carr, Margaret Fulton and Audrey Swail are available for loan by any local or district women': organization. photo by joyce michatchuk Who speaks for worm exetpted ikom atticee by the Pico- Choice Coalition On May 9, Regina's Court of Queen's Bench was the scene for anti-abortionist Joe Borowski's long awaited legal challenge to Canada's abortion law. While Borowski has won the legal right to represent Canadian fetuses in court, a judge has disallowed any other interventions in the trial. No one represented the thousands of Canadian women who face unwanted pregnancies; in fact, no one represented women at all. The critical decision for Canada's future abortion policy lies in the hands of the judge, Joe Borowski, his lawyer Morris Schumiatcher, and legal representatives of the federal Department of Justice whose Minister is the avowedly 'pro-life' Mark McGuigan. Outside the courtroom, however, representatives of many women's community and labour organizations, and the Regina Pro-Choice Coalition, challenged Borowski's case. The law in question, Section 251 of the Canadian Criminal Code, in place since 1969, allows for legal abortion when the 'life or health' of the woman is endangered. Since its adoption, deaths from illegal abortion in Canada have dropped dramatically. The federal government's own taskforce, the Badgley Report, has already documented the regional inadequacies and restrictive nature of the existing law but Borowski's challenge would restrict abortion al- under the law? Could that IUD you've got, which prevents implantation of an already fertilized embryo, make you guilty of manslaughter? Could we return to the old days of illegal abortions which killed (IL b nitand maimed so many? It could happen. lirJoe Borowski's one-man crusade to overrule what 72% of the Canadian population feel should be a matter c individual choice--the right to choc whether and when to bear children- could be successful. The Pro-Choice Coalition, forme this year to defend the right to chc welcomes any individuals or groups Borowski's current legal battle interested in participating. Contact over the 1969 abortion law was iniPro-Choice Coalition, c/o #219-1810 tiated in 1979 and argues that Smith Street, Regina, Sask. ConCanada's Bill of Rights and the newly tributions of a financial nature arE drawn up Charter of Rights guarantee also welcome. of right of life to 'persons' should extend to human fetuses. Delay in the hearing of the case since its initiation awaited a Supreme Court of Canada decision in March of 1982 to allow Borowski legal standing. Thus he was granted ASTERISK ON IS THERE the right to represent fetuses and challenge a law which does not directly YOUR LABEL affect him in any way. Thus the trial went ahead with no input from those most directly (Please .renew your Sub) affected. Canadian women, currently facing limited access to a basic reproductive right--the right to choose--may now face the total removal of that right. Could safe, legal pregnancy termination become murder NEVER AGAIN together. NORTHERN WOMAN page 4 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �ing Opportunities for Women or the new networks that are bringing together business and professional clubs in an umbrella group. All of them are trying to find new structures. Taking Charge The labour force to which we all belong is part of that system. And, with all due respect to RememberItthe thtitt youttask 6itst will be noo easy to reShirley Carr, and all that she has Women's structure Conietence. it.The excitement worked for, I feel compelled to say ci4 heating your actuatBut gut as I4eeting4 suggested in the that the labour union groups have nety anticutated. inspination deworkshopsThe to-day tha challenge for ver served women's interests well. tived Prom 4eminist speakeAs.the Ponlabour us is to restructure For such union groups like the busimany o4 force. w it happened ten yeah Not to learn to cope with nesses or employers, take their sysago at the NottheAn Women's the4itst system as it is, but to totally tem, their organization, directly Con4etence. change the system. from male-dominated patriarchal patThe challenge of this Confer- terns. Women in the traditional polAnd son some o4 UA, it happened ence to you women is to assess your itical parties or labour union organagain. At 4 p.m, on a Satutday past roles and to image for yourizations invariably find themselves ageAnoon a 4ew weeks ago. Wet selves a new one. We all know that playing secondary roles and exhausa tong and exhausting day o4 .imporfor generations most successful ting their energy in the old competitant economic workshops, we gathermen at the top have risen to their tive struggles. And if you want a ed to ti ten to .. i4 you can ,i maeminent positions because they have footnote on this one let me remind gine.. a univeAsity president. But had a wife who has cooked their you that women are challenging other not a typicat university president.. way into social prominence, and a women who are fitting into the sysAnd certainty not a typicat acadesecretary who has typed them up tems, getting into the power games, mic speech. the political management ladders. and the next thing you know they have We teit theNow auditmium - out this fatigue to challenge establi, eschewed their genuine feminist pexevaporated, out hope renewed, our speakshed order of things is like spective. They are functioning as determination re-eiqotced. The ing against if not motherhood, then pseudo-males in the system, and they stnength, warmth, the energy, mostthe surely against the very men we are no longer really working for wothe wisdom o6 Margaret inlove, We have allDutton been timid about_ men. They are, whether they acknowspiting critiquing us att. As the onesystems woman comin which we ledge it or not, keeping the systems, mented work joyousty "At who tast, I'veto be stoned as they stand, going. As I say, we're because wants 4o and in a rate the modet". streets as a man-hater? Per- not here to cope with those systems, haps it is because we that love our men or to perpetuate those systems, we The NWJ cottective believes that we must now seize the opporare here to change them. Margaret Futton's message shoutd tunities to help them make the deCooperate then among yourselves be shated with alt out teadeAs, cisions that will get society onto and you will find a new synergy stemthus we ate teptoducing her additais a more positive course. And let me ming from your own team spirit, from ,in its entitety. be very clear about this matter, your new integrative efforts. Thoughtful men instead of being threAnd the time is very ripe for atened by women of a feminist persuch new style organizations for thepective as they were in the 60s,and re are two revolutions taking place 70s, now, some of them at least, in our society today which will help welcome women's ideas as the cataus all evolve. One, of course, is the lysts for a new ideology that will feminist revolution, or the women's change society perceptibly. movement about which we'vebeen speaThe ability to critique the king. Recognize its positive value a male systems must never be confused and become part of it if you are not with women's ability to love 0their already deeply committed and involved. individual men. We must challenge 0 "THE CHALLENGE IS-NOT TO LEARN those groups that would trivialize 0, TO COPE WITH THE SYSTEM...BUT the women's movement as a mere "batTO TOTALLY CHANGE THE SYSTEM" tle of the sexes". Unfortunately, women have in the past through pure The other is the "Chip Revolusentimentalism been discouraged tion" which again is really an evoluMy task this afternoon is to from analysing and trying to change tion because technology has been here pull together some suggestions which the system. But being taken to lunch for centuries. Read the Task Force may help women to take charge of on Secretaries Day, chocolates at report carefully. Study the recommentheir lives rather than being left Christmas and flowers on birthdays, dations and determine which you think the victims of an ailing economy. are no substitute for equal pay for are effective ways to change society, In our workshops we concentrated on equal work, for day care facilities, And then, barrage the politicians to very specific problems faced by or for good pension rights. make sure they implement those recomwomen both inThe ourloss working and old kind of of that mendations. Write the Minister of domestic lives. Now, more generally sentimentality which has been the Labour, and copy the Prime Minister, I want to sketch in some ideas about most subtle way of keeping clerical and the Minister of Employment and the general evolution of our society workers and secretaries and wives Immigration, and the Minister of FinWomen, particularly, have been ' invisible is the beginnings of a Indeed, the Minister of Finsocialized since the industrializedwho ance. new evolution for all women ance has said in his last budget speage to accept our roles as a seconenter the labour force. All too ofech that we need a centre to examine dary labour force. We have been ten the oppressed have tended, throexactly what technology is doing to socialized to believe that our opiughout history, to participate in society. What we have to determine nions are of no consequence in the their own oppression in exchange for is what women will be represented at great scheme of things. The hiersmall comfort and gains, even for that Centre and at the planning stages archial ordering of events and vaprotection and privilege; but proWe must learn to be a more effective lues which comes directly out of tection and privilege are poor allobby. We must speak out about our the Pa'.:riarchial System under which ternatives for equality and genuine rights to work in a high quality enwe all liberation. function must now be called Effective organization now will vironment. The impact of microtechnointo question. And I would venture assist you in your professional delogy is already being felt in all our to velopment. say there as yet does not exit But let me warn you to do homes an workplaces across the counanyyour major industry ownbusiness, organizing. If youorneed institution in our society that is try. assistance seek it from what are The "Chip" revolution as it is notnow organized on the vertical vision the established women's groups called can help us evolve that new of across societythe which meanswho power the country haveatchallensocial paradigm needed to replace top, and a status descending set of boxes ged the quo..and you know the outmoded patriarchal one. And if strung out on linear lines, unless who these groups are, they have sponI heard Dusty Miller's question corperhaps a few small renegade sored in this Conference today, Seek it rectly I think that's exactly what companies of little or no consefrom the Status of Women's groups, you were focusing for us:p.the need alized or the National Action Committee, co have those different kinds of work. because act, they of the Canadian Congress of Learnr our new continued on Page 8 NORTHERN V OMAN page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Because You Are a Woman Mau fn By Luan Watt., Noma Win-tout, Thompson Such is the name of one of the programmes run by the Rural Development Centre, CEPRO, in El Salvador. Its aim is to make more women aware of their own, individual attitudes and psychology, to question their subordinate position in their society. Topics covered at the centre include discussions on socially determined personality differences, attitudes and why they differ between the sexes, breaking the traditional role stereo-typing. CEPRO is a church organization with a number of centres throughout the country. Although not exclusively concerned with women's issues, it is concerned with the training of community leaders, skills promotion and networking. Trainees attend programmes on literacy, sewing, health, nutrition, community work and family planning. Developing organizational skills is tantamount - women in rural area then with women (Sr. Uuacialupe is not unique) may be a surprise - for many of us Catholicism is usually summed up in terms of the Vatican's oppressive position on contraceptives, abortion and women's role within the family. In places like El Salvador, for many women it is through their involvement with christian organizations that they become politically and self-consciously aware. Many are now involved in the struggle for social justice in El Salvador. Sr. Guadalupe emphasizes that the radical church must acknowledge a changing reality. The nuclear family is seriously undermined, communal living situations must be accepted, safe family planning methods are necessary to alleviate the problems of unwanted and abandoned children and the plight of the single mother. She sees the church's task as one to ensure that the political visions of the armed struggle to create a new society be vested with a certain religious spirituality. have the confidence and knowledge to "As christians we want socialism to form neighbourhood groups and demand have a special meaning and our task basic services such as drainage, wais to ensure that the new society, ter or electricity supplies. based on a true democracy of open The family planning programmes' and constructive criticism, will be mentioned above came in response to more humanitarian and caring. Mara government initiative which sought riage has traditionally tied women to reduce population growth at all to their husbands and children and costs. Predictablylit was aimed at they have therefore been restricted working clags and rural women with in their activities outside the home. no concern for their welfare, sexual In the new society women will not education or freedom to choose. The be limited in this way .. we will 'church rejected the idea that demoghave government nurseries by peoraphic explosion was at the root of ple who are politically aware.." El Salvador's economic and social Incited by such views, many woproblems. It felt that the solution men in El Salvador are becoming inwould only come through far reaching creasingly aware of their power, structural changes such as agrarian strength, needs and plight. Although reform, education and welfare proviunder the impression that feminists sion. are "bra burning, men haters" or a Sister Guadalupe, a Carmelite nun, a socialist, a christian and most of product of the "corrupt bourgeois system" they, at the same time, all a woman, very much represents the enlightened attitudes of the share our concerns for the need for Catholic Church in many Latin Amerchange in the traditional concepts ican countries, and also the growing of woman's place in society - in strength of women in El Salvador. terms of equal education and work Although she never heard the word opportunities, personal relation'feminist' before going to Mexico ships and childcare. Many of these (where she now lives in exile, havwomen are, as I said, very political ing fled threats on her life) Sr. ..to such an extent that there is a Guadalupe has spent many years workstrong belief that the revolution ing in programmes with women of the must come first and women's demands shanty towns and rural areas of El will then be addressed and met. On Salvador. Basic to her involvement a more cautionary note, despite the is a conviction of the need to infact that women make up over 40% crease women's awareness of the opof the revolutionary council of the pression imposed, and to encourage FIR (Democratic Revolutionary Front) them to become involved at a communthere is no specific reference to ity level to improve their situation. women in its edicts. A unitary woA member of the 'radical church' men's organization does not yet exSr. Guadalupe is committed to the ist. However there are encouraging 'theology of liberation'. The latter signs. Radio Vinceremos, the insurhas spread through Latin America gents radio, now broadcasts a weekly since the mid-sixties and combines programme directed to women, and rea marxist analysis of class structure cently women members from within with christian humanitarianism. the FDR visited the USA and Europe. Included in the philosophy is a They are now working to promote rejection of the traditional tenets women's demands within their polion the subordinate position of womtical organization. Support is needed, and more inforen. Small communities make up the radical church's basic structure. mation on women's struggles in other They serve as consciousness raising parts of the world. Send any matergroups - often using methods and ial to: RADIO VINCEREMOS expressing views about women similar Women's Programme to those found in women's groups in PROGRAMA PARA LA MUJER many developed countries. APARTADO 7-907 That the church involves itself MEXICO D.F. MEXICO in consciousness raising activities NORTHERN W OMAN page 6 Female Infanticide in China by Joyce Michaichuk A campaign by the government of the People's Republic of China to limit family size to one child is causing a resurgence of female infanticide, and the beating of women giving birth to girls. What's provoking these actions, reported by Shirley Armstrong Small in the April edition of Science 83 magazine, are old feudal attitudes (and economics) which regard the birth of males as more desirable to families in China. About 135 million peasant families believe that, traditionally, a son can help with the farmwork and support the parents after retirement, whereas there are no tangible benefits to be derived from daughters who, again, traditionally, move into her husband's home and take care of his parents. That this practice is re-surfacing at the present day is horrifying (with equally horrifying implications inherent), and the Chinese government, which imposed the campaign to limit family size in order to control China's ever-increasing population, is attempting to address the situation with billboards showing two parents holding a baby girl. The caption? "You'd better have one child only." Unfortunately, although Premier Zhao Ziyang has publicly stated that female infanticide and the maltreatment of mothers must be condemned under pain of public punishment (the state cannot sustain a looming population imbalance), old attitudes are hard to break. New government measures which include permitting daughters to take over their retired fathers' factory jobs and to take their mothers' surnames are, admittedly, catching on slowly. In the meantime, stories are continuing to circulate regarding the once-common practice of drowning femal-a infants; the beating of wives who have given birth to females; inlaws forcing divorce, hoping the son's next wife will produce a grandson; women aborting fetuses found to be female (determined by amniocentesis) and women in the provinces having abortions because they have conceived during a time when tradition holds that a son will not likely be producIt has also been reported that ed. these pressures have caused suicides and mental breakdowns. off our backs PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Regional Routes North Bay Transition House by Valerie Adams The North Bay Women's Resource Centre has received contributions from the federal government to do a feasibility study on the needs of battered women in North Bay and surrounding area. The Transition House Project got underway January 24, 1983, and has had an overwhelming response thus far. The Project has a questionnaire circulating among 20 agencies and has had 60 incidents of wife battering to date. The initial data and community interest point to, the need for a transition house. Therefore, the Project is pursuing different levels of funding and is in the process of negotiating for a house. The target date for the establishment of North Bay Interval House is September 1, 1983. Violence against women has always been within society and, finally, steps are being taken to condemn wife battering and bring it out in the open. Transition houses are needed to provide an alternative to women who live with violence. Future Feminists Sudbury A new approach to career counselling has been established at the Sudbury Secondary School. The MENTOR PROGRAMME hopes to bring women already employed in non-traditional occupations face to face with female students who express an interest in these fields. Ms. Sharon Gorham, career counsellor, says the two may hopefully want to meet regularily, or just when the student needs further information or clarification. She is presently looking for interested female participants. These women are asked to fill out a school form for filing purposes in order to match students with mentors. Statistics sight the following facts: women entering non-traditional careers will more likely emerge from an environment where the mother works and is in a high-level, nontraditional job; the father is an "achievement role model" and a source of job related identification for the daughter's career orientation; family socio-economic status is high; family size is small; the daughter is first or early born among other sisters; the peer group serves an important influence. Note that vocational counsellors' influence is negligible. Thus, it is important to provide a strong role model and the opportunity for the female student to discuss a career with a won-an employed in that field. North Bay The annual North Bay Teen Conference was "the biggest and best ever", says Valerie Adams of the Women's Centre. The two day conference was attended by 150 young women. On Friday March 3, 1983, Sue Johansen, the guest speaker, spoke about "Talking to Children about Sex". The next day, among some of the workshops that were held included a panel on non-traditional jobs, modelling, make-up _demonstrations, as well as a special session for Francophones. Adams explains, "The conference is becoming quite a popular event. Teachers' and womens' organizations help support it through funding, endorsements, supplies and volunteers". Self-Healing Workshops Topics: 1. Healing through Visualization. 2. Fundamentals of Herbal Medicine. 3. Field Trip Identification of Some Important Wild Herbs (June August). 4. Healing Properties of Some Important Wild Herbs. 5. Practical Directions - for growing herbs, and for picking, drying and preserving cultivated and wild herbs. Price is negotiable in relation to income and financial backing of the participants. For more information, or to make arrangements contact Doreen Worden or Isabel Andrews RR#2, Kenora, Ont., P9N 3W8. If you are from out of town, assistance with arrangements for camping and accomodation for the physically challenged is available. Worden and Andrews will travel if their expenses are paid. They are a lesbian couple, ages 49 and 51, who are committing much of their energy to reclaim the womin's healing heritage and encouraging other womyn to do the same. They publish "Voices: A survival Manual for Wimmin". They make their living by housecleaning, peddling herbs and other products, through reflexology and through selfhealing workshops. Workshops are open to wimmin, wimmin and kids, or kids. . Note from the Editors Due to a request by some of the northern Ontario regional women at the National Action Committee Annual General Meeting, NWJ is including this new feature in our future issues So far, we have been taking information from regional women's newsletters. However, any or all articles are welcome from women's organizations and centres, and individuals across northern Ontario. There are no monetary rewards for this. It is an attempt at "networking". Contributions of a regional/ issue oriented nature will receive undivided attention. BUT REMEMBER!!! THE SUCCESS OF THIS FEATURE DEPENDS ON YOU. Your participation is appreciated .Thanks to Valerie Adams from North Bay for her contribution for this. issue. (NWJ reserves the right to edit and publish. A copy of the editorial policy will be forwarded upon request.) Lay-Offs and Their Effects Arja Lane I was recently a participant at a conference on Women and the Economy here in Thunder Bay, at which I had a chance to get involved in a workshop on Effects of Layoffs--Backlash... The workshop turned out to be a real consciousness raiser about being un. employed. We thoughtfully felt that women's liberation is connected to the economic independence of women. That nfkans demanding that we have, a basic right to a job. We have to reinforce that it isn't less important for a woman to be laid-off her job than it is for a man; that a family man is more deserving of a job than a single woman is a myth in these times of increasing divorce rates where women become the heads of single-parent families. That job is just as important to a woman. And, when that job is taken away from us because of sexist, capitalist raising children, is less valuable than some jerk working at promoting Mr. Clean, for instance. Let's destroy this myth by suggesting that being out of the labour force actually puts you in a very pasmismanagement of the market, then at least let's not feel like we are indi- sive state as far as making it all vidually failing. work. You aren't helping the system- you are unemployed by the system. We have to remember that we are Doing the bureaucratic steps with not usually unemployed by choice, and that we cannot let a system that does the Unemployment Insurance Commission and Welfare can be quite frustrating not respond to our needs make us feel useless. and time consuming, and confusing, We found lay-offs, leading to and demeaning. We noted that the endless form filling made us feel quite unemployment, leading to de-employment to be an issue with very complex roots, stupid at times (and you don't need that kind of reinforcement when you but we noted some interesting points are already unemployed). Then, having about lay-offs and the vicious circle it can start you on. to look for jobs that weren't there, all to keep their bureaucracy working. layed-off meant being jobPerhaps we should do away with less, and being jobless eventually could lead to feeling respectless, and that one bureaucracy and let our employpretty soon you could feel like a ers administer unemployment insurance failure. The system says we are usebenefits, with them contributing more to unemployment insurance benefits ful members of society if we are also members of the paid labour force. This than they do now--maybe they would be implies that women's unpaid work in the home, i.e., cooking, cleaning, continued on Page 14 NORTHERN WOMAN page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �TAKING CHARGE DON'T Dr. Margaret Fulton AGONIZE continued Ftom Page 5 structures. If part-time is a word that puts you off, if contract is a word that puts you off..find different ways of describing how we work, the different ways in which we work, and the different times in our lives that we need to work. But all of that will add up to a new social paradigm, one quite different to what we exper ience today. Despite all the gloomy forecasts about how office automation will displace workers, it does not have to happen that way. We do not have to be the victims of technology. We can take charge of it and re-direct the energy of our society. Nevertheless I am not naive. Since women form 98.8% of office employees as typists, clerks and secretaries, women stand to be seriously disadvantaged unless they take charge now. Already the lay-offs because of the introduction of wordprocessors can be chalked up. To what extent the layoffs can be directly attributed to the acquisition of new machines, or to what extent they are attributable to the present economic slump is a moot point. There can be no doubt that we are in a difficult transition period moving from an industrial age to a technological one. It must "be clearly stated as it is in the Task Force report that technology itself is neither good or bad. Automation to benefit the human race is a great' ideal, but ruthless automation is a process without conscience promoted by those to whom human lives are but numbers on a profit and loss sheet. The laissez-faire attitude playes into the hands of immoral power groups motivated by profit, by greed. Those are the groups that will abuse the use of our new technologies. Computers don't have a life of their own. If they can make possible a delivery system of nuclear weapons which will destroy life on this planet, it is because some person has programmed the computer to do just that. "W E DO NOT HAVE TO B E VICTIMS OF TECHNOLOGY" Women's involvement in the development of high technology has a longer history than we probably realize. Micro-electronics is a generic term for the development of transitor technology which integrates numbers of electronic components into a single chip of semi conductor material, normally pure silicon. In the 1960's the earliest versions of integrated circuits contained only a few components mostly for military applications. Prior to that wou had thousands of women working as clerks with less sophisticated adding machines making the connections now made by the computers. In fact the first computers were not machines at all. The word "computer" was the job description given to 200 women who calculated firing tables for the U.S. army during World War 11. Three months work was necessary to produce a single table of 3000 artillery shell trajectories. The development have control of that fascinating word-processor which can help you gain greater control over all aspects of the company's operation. The "Information Revolution".is part of the "Feminist Revolution" and the "Chip Revolution". Keep up with new ideas. Women have a key role to play. As the information organizers, you are in a position to make connections in the manner of the chip. then from old style calculators, to digital computers, to silicon transistors, and from there to the more sophisicated micro-electronics equipment being loaded into your offices today has taken place in the space of a few decades. No wonder we have difficulty in knowing how to use the equipment effectively. No wonder the impact on the future remains unknown. Simple chips today contain a million or more components and mass production makes them cheap. The "Chip" will affect all our lives! Whether technology turns our workplaces into the old sweat shops of former times, or whether it can be used to free us all from boring repetitive activities depends on how we learn to use it. It is clear that technology can be seen as appropriate, that is a technology which comes from fusion, from connections, from silicon and sand and which is used to benefit the human race, or technology can be seen as entirely inappropriatethat is a technology which comes from fission and is used in nuclear missiles for totally destructive purposes. Which do we choose? From the peace marches around the world it seems to me that women, at least, are making a very strong statement that we choose a positive capability not a negative destruction. Albert Einstein, that great scientist and lover of humanity wrote somewhat sadly after he'd discovered the formulae wt,ich gave us our nuclear technology: "When we released energy from the atom, everything changed except our way of thinking. Because of that we drift towards unparalled disaster." The only way we stop that drift toward disaster is to change our way of think- The new inter-connectedness of ideas can become the concept which will spring us out of the old conceptual trap of patriarchy. Microelectronics can be the wedge to open up a new world cooperative society based on partnerships. The information society is here now. We are looking into each other's back yards all around the globe, all around our little planet. What we have to do is teach ourselves to relate in a globe way and in an information way... wisely. That brings me hack to my concluding point about organizing to improve our personal lives to fit in more effectively with our working lives. Certainly one way is to try t to awaken our economists and our pol iticians to the fact women are equal partners in the labour force. Women cannot be relegated to a secondary role. Nor can the domestic work done by women in our homes any longer be considered an irrelevant part of the gross national product. "productivity" is the "in" word right now, but productivity is really not the issue. The world is glutted with commercial products which it seems no one can afford to buy. Economists must come to recognize what all wo men know. That there are two kinds of work that are done daily. The "waged work" we do in offices, at our jobs, where someone else pays us, very often a small stipend, for it. Then there is the "unwaged work" that we do in our homes to sustain the quality of our personal lives. These two types of work must be brought into proper focus if our economic forecasts are to have any meaning. ing. The new role fow women who are part of the labour force is to also become part of the management force. And the new management systems should surely no longer be based on a linear projection and those vertical boxes, but rather we need to form quality circles: circles where" inter-connections and crucial decisions are made. And we need to start imaging ourselves and thinking about ourselves in a totally different way. So instead of working in the vertical vision of society we start moving round and drawing all people into the circles. If you work in an office don't ever again when asked what you do respond "Oh, I'm just a secretary, or I'm just an office worker, or I'm just a clerical person". Instead, reply, "I'm part of the participatory management circle which makes the decisions for the whole company". (I) After all, you photo by Joyce michrtYchuk Work on the job in the mainstream economy is often satisfying but sometimes unpleasant, routine, or stultifying. The value of technology should be to reduce the amount of work rc.uired for "Productivity". If such work is carefully continued on Page 13 NORTHERN W OMAN page 8 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �NAC AGM lobby group, it should be bilingual, the move would be benificial. However strong disa-greement was voiced by a Talking, line-ups, listening, looking, little over half of the membership being looked at, sitting getting mainly due to fears of co-option by the sore, eye strain, politicking,allying, federal government and satisfication voting, assessing, judging, liking, with the level of bilingualism already hating, manipulating, representing, attained by the Toronto staff. lobbying, eating, maybe sleeping. The French-Canadian members voted That's the national Action Commsolidly for the move, the motion was ittee's annual general meeting. It lost and NAC remains Toronto based.. was certainly fascinating to see, Another highlight surrounded Bill hear and speak with women from across 675, an act to amend the Broadcasting the country who, in their own ways Act. Pornography, as we all know, is work for the betterment of the status big business and nothing in the of'Canadian women, Broadcasting Act protects the woman's The three and a half day event held image. What NAC supported was the in Ottawa (March 25-28) was highlightfollowing addition "... no station, ed by a discussion of a move of head network, operation, on pay television office from Toronto to Ottawa. Since license shall broadcast any abusive most of the lobbying work done by NAC comment or abusive pictorial representis at a federal level (the constitution ation on any race, religion, creed or pornorgraphv, native women's rights, sex...". This legislation will give disarmament,etc) and, as a national judicial teeth to any violation of the In Ottawa, International Women's Week/Semaine Internationale des Femmes was celebrated from March 7-13. A comprehensive program of celebration an and political education was carried on throughout the week. On Saturday, March 12th the International Women's Day March and Rally was held. Approximately 300 women gathered at Parliament Hill and marched through downtown Ottawa, stopping at the War Memorial to observe a minute's silence following the reading of the following declaration by Helen Durie "We are here at the War Memorial In Rage In Resistance In Strength, In Hope, and In Affirmation Of Life We are here in remembrance of all the women, who have suffered and died in wars fought by men - at home, on the streets, with politics and on battlefields We are here for every woman raped in every war For every elderly woman whose life has been reduced to poverty and starvation For every lesbian who has been imprisoned and burnt and denied living and loving For every woman who has died from an illegal abortion For every woman battered, often to her death, by her husband, boyfriend, father, or son We remember Indian women who were killed by white settlers, and settler women carried off by Indian war parties We remember the women who died or were wounded at Hiroshima, Nagasaki and everywhere where bombs have fallen from the sky We remember all our sisters who have died or been poisoned, or were never born, as a result of nuclear radiation - in Utah, in China, in the Soviet Union, in the South Pacific, and elsewhere We are here for Karen Silkwood who was murdered for her opposition to the nuclear industry, and for our sisters everywhere who have died in resistance For all our dead and wounded sisters, named and unnamed, we dedicate our lives, in unity and in diversity, to transforming this world so that our grandchildren and future generations can live in harmony and peace and joy with each other." "sex" part of the act, making it enforceable. As it now stands, women have to bring each violation to the courts with each individual violator and prove the fact. legislaMore resolutions included tion of mandatory affirmative action in the private sector; affirmative action programmes in the public sector, the implementation of a National Day Care Act for universal, quality day care; the withdrawal of Canada from NATO and NORAD; the declaration of this country as a nuclear free zone. The most fascinating aspect of the three day meeting was the unity and oneness of purpose displayed by women from so many different social and economic backgrounds - Communists and Conservatives, the rich and the poor, the radical feminist and the liberated lady. The rivalry was apparant but the cohesiveness outshone the discord. : For Every Woman over our sexuality, lower wages, a conspiracy of silence against women's experience, and more. This is true whether we are immigrant women, native women, longtime Canadians, farmers, lesbians, office workers, students, mothers, daughters, or women in other countries. Through music, skits and speecles 'women as survivors' were celebrated at the Rally following the march.The following address by Karen Luks was a Rally highlight. "For her crime of being unmarried and pregnant, a young woman is arrested and tried. Her sentence is one hundred lashes in the public square and two years in prison. This is life in Pakistan under military fundamentalist rule. A young woman is raped by her supervisor. For the next two years she struggles for justice and to be transferred to another department. Her demands are ignored as her employers try to bury the incident in red tape and hope it will be forgotten. Their response is to try to prove that she is mentally incompetent. This is life in Canada under a democratic government. These two women live across the globe from each other in radically different cultures, but their oppression stems from similar attitudes towards women as seductresses and as the property It is an astonishing fact that women survive the constant undermining of our social, economic, and political rights. Not only do we survive, but we dare to dream of a future for ourselves and our children in a world free of oppression. There are no quick or simple solutions to our problems. They will not end with a change in government or even a change in laws or with more women as heads of corporations or heads of state or with the opening of one more daycare centre. And they will never end if we work alone. Together we must search more deeply for the causes and the answers. It has never been women's choice to be linked through our historic and global oppression. But it can be women's choice to be linked with one another in our struggle for a safe, s sane, and green world. Today is a day of celebration of women as survivors. But as sisters we must fight together to go beyond survival: to create a world free of all forms of oppression against women." of men. We are linked within and across national and cultural boundaries to women all over the world. We are part of one vast web struggling to survive in a patriarchal world which values men more highly than women, winning more highly than human life, the rich more highly than the poor, and technology more highly than the earth and the life which grows from it. This system of values works against us in all parts of our lives. It leads to a slow and endless stream of barriers that wear us down: financial dependence, violence in the home and on the street, disrespect, poverty, control NWJ member MaAgaiLet Phiteio way in Ottawa and paAticipated in the TWD Match. Appteciation '1.4 extended to Ottawa women Helen Dmie, Helen Fon6ey, Shetyt GeAvai4, Karen Lutz6, Lynn TyZet, ion peAm&mion -to nepkint theift oeechez. CongAatutation4 to att the Ottawa women who made I Women'. Week a guat 6uccaz NORTHERN WOMAN page 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �I swear it to you I swear it on my common woman's head The common woman is as common as a common loaf of bread and will rise! Women & Words Information has been received about an exciting Conference to be held at the University of British Columbia campus, Vancouver from June 30 to July 3, 1983. Women and Words/les femmes et les mots will bring to-gether women working with the written word: writers, editors, printers, publishers, booksellers, critics, translators, teachers and librarians. The three day Conference will be structured around issues, problems and innovations for women in associated fields. In addition to scheduled workshops and panel discussions there will be networking sessions for women from across the country to gather together according to their regions and their areas of Trades & Technology KATHRYN BRULE The Confederation College presentations and displays in celebration of International Women's Day featured Women in Trades and Technology. While women are registered in Trades programs, Dave DeKnock, Director of the Trades Division, pointed out that the number of women in programs such as Welding and the Mechanics interest. Participants include Canadian novelists and poets (including Joy Kogawa, Marian Engel, Margaret Atwood and Jane Rule) as well as women involved in publiShing, editing, along with journalists, crit ics, and playwrights. For further information about this bilingual, country-wide Conference write to West Coast Women and Words Society, Box 65563, Station F, Vancouver, V5N 4B0. Affirm It! Improved equal pay legislation and narrowing the gap between men and women appear to have a high priority for Robert Welch, newly appointed Ministerfor Women in Ontario.They certainly have a high priority for women affected by such wage discrepano. ies. According to the Ontario Federation of Labour's statement on affirmative action "the government's failure to adopt and enforce strong equal pay laws has been the most effective wage restraint mechanism ever devised." In an interview on May 18, Mr Welch's stand on affirmative action appeared less positive than hoped. He equates mandatory affirmative action with an arbitrary quota system and feels the expansion of voluntary affirmative action to be a better solution. The perception of mandatory affirmative action as being simply an arbitrary quota system reflects the very attitude that advocates of affirmative action are attempting to overcome. Ontario Federation of Labour sees affiirmative action as being action desig -ned to remove barriers to equality, to overcome past and present discrimination and to improve the economic - SURVEYING THE FUTURE status of women. Affirmative Action Plans are programmes to acheive these goals through 1. Analysis of the status of women and men in the workplace. 2. Review of personnel practises to identify systematic discrimination. 3. Establi6hment of targets or quotas and timetables for employing women : at all levels. 4. Monitoring and evaluation of systems to assess progress. To acheive any of the above a change in attitude must come about - both at an educational level and in the ranks of management. Locally, Confederation College is about to meet part of this need. A new two year programme is expected to be approved for this fall. Entitled Equal Opportunity Management, within the Business Division of the College, it will incorporate affirmative action concepts in its training. Lisa Minville, co-ordinator for the proposed programme, feels that it will serve as a means to assist industry to integrate equal opportunities within their existing framework. Thus their image and standing as major employers within the community would be enhanced. courses would probably remain low but steady. To a great extent this reflects the obstacles faced by women seeking employment in areas traditionally and tenaciously held to be male preserves. The fields of Technology, however give an entirely different prospect. Tech areas are new - new enough to be more readily accessible on the basis of training and skill, with less gender bias. P. Ramanathan, Director of the Technical Division, said that women in these programs have been highly successful.. These women are dedicated students, highly motivated to prove themselves, and eager to secure more lucrative employment. The technological revolution has actually been underway for quite a while now, and the phase out of minimum-skill labour will continue, as a result of automation and high technology. By the time the country emerges from the present depression we will see a whole new employment horizon. (The recent cut-backs in Federal funding for conventional training programs underline the reality of this trend toward an economy thoroughly based on high technology.) Ramanathan has travelled extensively in Northern Europe and Russia, and as a result of the studies he has made of the training and work practices in those areas, feels that Canada is far behind, in regard to education and employment of women, both in trades and in technology. He is concerned about how much less effective Canadian education is in preparing students, especially women, for post-secondary training in technological areas, which will inevitably provide the basis for well-paid employment. Both Dave DeKnock and P. Ramanathan feel there must be an emphasis on continuing revision in education for preparation for living in the technological era. These comments reflect the concerns of Audrey Swail, Ministry of Labour, Women's Bureau, who conducted a workshop on Education and Female Poverty, at the Women and the Economy Conference workshop held recently at Confederation College. Swail emphasized that the present most urgent concern was the education of young women to become self-relient and financially independant. The schooling they receive should equip students with marketable skills. More and more, this means skills in the areas of technology. Continued on pg 14 NORTHERN W OMAN page 10 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �GPoet C3r 52 Children gone - a search for youth Wandering husband's eyes-- 52 - a pass in a class - a democratic majority I Love My Car 52% - what we get paid for equal work 52% - Wonen, strong in numbers a majority - yet singularily alone WE ARE ONE The fact of our sex transgresses all boundaries When we realize the aggregate All is possible, at least 52% of the time Joy Fedorick Dear Daughter that I never had, there's a myth I would dispell, that your spine is silly putty and your heart is soft as well. Sone would teach you language,, and sone Would teach you skill, but I would teach you to delight in your woman's iron will. For you leaped to life, my darling, through a woman's blood and pain, you were screaming in defiance and equipped to swim upstream. You were born to strive and struggle, born to risk and born to dare. You're the lifeblood of the planet and your place is everywhere. love my car. cot a few miles on her, yes, And a few years; And a bit of rust, yeah, And she guzzles gas; Eut I love her. Costs me for an hour .:hat they pay me; And that's cheap. She's worth more. Costs me for other things... ¶ell, like the painting; Costs me more than I make, Except the wife does it for free. 3ut don't go thinking she works hard; She's lazy. She even gets me To do the dishes...occaisionally; And if I'm hone,. I have to babysit when she works,. And she won't even help pay my debts. She just buys things for the house-Gifts for the kids--you know. She should do more housewOrk. She costs me almost as much ?s the car. Her and the kid. ;Wish she'd leave me Wish she'd take the kid 'faybe I could buy some new seatcovers Have the rusty parts replaced... Susan Collin Hawkins Gert Beadle Elephant Stew Take one elephant Add a creative thought Mix in an ounce of common sense And a pound of intuition Lace sparingly with freshly-shed tears Then add a large dash of hope Simmer gently over new energy_ And stir once every full moon. When all ingredients are subtly intermingled Cut into bite-size morsels And share with Womankind So can your problem be remedied- Shared and consumed One bite at a time!! Joy Fedorick NORTHERN W OMAN page 11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �THE NORTH AMERICAN BOY: the stranger beside me Gerald Eugene Stano? Does this name mean anything? This is the jovial, soft-spoken motel clerk who is the most prolific mass murderer in U.S. criminal history. Stano killed 39 women. Arrested in Tampa, Florida, he was described by detectives as "basically having a dislike of women". The Toronto Star gave Stano's arrest a few paragraphs on an inside page. The story was ignored by most Canadian newspapers. Then there is Crystal Sheane. Do you recognize her name? The 23-yearold Chilliwack woman was found dead, the 35th victim of the Trans-Canada Highway Murderer (or murderers). Crystal's death, along with a few facts about the unsolved highway crimes, was mentioned briefly by the media in connection with the discovery of the bodies of the Bentley and Johnson families who were brutally murdered in B.C. last September. Aside from this, very little information has appeared about the highway murders. The fact of the matter is that mass killings of all kinds have become so commonplace in the North American continent that they are hardly newsworthy anymore. The media are drawn to only the most dramatic stories, such as the Atlanta killings where the killer seemed to be playing a game with the police by striking every day, or cases where the killer can be dubbed with a distinctive nickname: the Boston Strangler, the Monster of Jersey, the Yorkshire Ripper and so on. Mere mass rapists such as the man who terrorized Thunder Bay two years ago make only local news and are forgotten. Which brings us to Ted Bundy, a personable, handsome young man that mass murderers are so often declared to be, or so his friend Ann Rule claims in her best-selling book, The Stranger Beside Me (Signet Paperback, $3.95). Ann Rule met Bundy when they were working together as counsellors at a phone-in crisis centre in Seattle in 1971. Bundy, at that time a psychology student at the University of Washington, just oozed boyish charm. Ann brought him sandwiches--"he looked so frail". During the long nights waiting for distress calls, they talked private lives. Bundy told about his long-term relationship to girlfriend Meg, but he also confided that he had other women on the side Meg knew nothing about. Ann admired this sort of Don Juanism; much later, she would joke to him in letters she wrote to him in prison, "Be sure not to get your letters to your women mixed up". It never occurred to her to see Bundy's dishonesty to his girlfriend as a serious character defect. If Ann was completely taken in by Bundy, others were not. The fact that he was an habitual thief who "picked up" things he said he needed such as a stereo and a TV was known to several people including his girlfriend Meg. Other people were just instinctively suspicious. One of these was Meg's best friend who considered Bundy to be a con man. She was right. Bundy was the type of guy who was extraordinarily nice to people when NORTHERN WOMAN page 12 REVIEW by Joan Baril died because they had been hitch-hikhe wanted something from them--the ing--even though there was no evident use of a car or a short-term loan. that they had been. Still the public One elder11- woman, a fellow employee, reasoned that women who hitchhike lent him money and waited in vain to "just ask for it", these women had be repaid. Finally she called up been killed and therefore they must Bundyts mother to ask her to remind have been hitchhiking. It was a neat him. She was laughed at. "You were if illogical means of explaining a fool to lend him money." away a horrendous situation and The Victorians would have labelled blaming the victims at the same time. him a "cad" or a "bounder" and shunned him. In 20th Century North America, The number of women hitch-hikers decreased; the murders continued. where character is labelled style and The arm-in-the-sling ploy was pubstyle is all, people judged him as a licized and so Bundy switched to a charming, upwardly mobile young man. leg-in-a-cast, carrying and dropping Bundy made that charm pay. He used an old-fashioned briefcase and lookit to land a thousand-dollar-a-week ing helpless. One witness recalled job with the state Republican party and then sleaze his way into law school meeting him in the street. "He was on crutches and he was carrying a He would still be with us today, kind of old-fashioned briefcase... being boyishly charming as a TV polihe kept dropping, picking it up and tician, or cutting a well-groomed then dropping it again...He smiled figure in court. The fact that he had at me. He looked like he wanted me no principles, that he was dishonest to help him and I was almost going and that he hated women would not have to...until I noticed his eyes...they stood in his way. However, Bundy were very weird and they gave me the started to kill. In a short 18 months, creeps. I began walking very rapidly, he killed or mutilated 20 women, and Bundy's downfall was, strangely he used his cute boyishness to do it. enough, a most naive and trusting Bundy killed for enjoyment--the young woman, 18-year-old Carol Da ultimate sport. He preferred a certain Ronch, who was easily conned into physical type: small women with long, Bundy's car with a fake policeman straight hair. Like most rapists and story. Carol may have been trusting mass killers, he picked his victim but she was also incredibly gutsy. carefully in advance. He liked to As soon as she realized they were cruise the university area looking not heading for the police station, for a woman who seemed preoccupied as she tried to jump out of the car. she walked along. Once his victim was "In an instant, he clamped a handmarked out, he would go into his act. cuff on her right wrist. She fought He slipped one arm in a sling and him, kicking...scratching him, walked by, carrying a large stack of screaming at the top of her lungs," books which would topple over as the Bundy pulled a gun and threatened to victim approached. If she stopped to shoot. Carol got the car door open help, he would ask her to carry the and hurled herself out. He came afbooks to his car. No one knows exactter her with a crowbar. "She put up ly what happened next. Somehow he one hand...managed to keep it away from her head, She kicked at his genitals and broke free." Eventually feisty Carol Da Ronch would be the key witness responsible for Bundy's conviction. Imprisoned for the kidnapping of Da Ranch, Bundy was transferred to Aspen to be tried for the death of another woman he had murdered while vacationing in Colorado. Shortly after, he escaped from prison and became a sort of folk hero to the trendy Aspenites--the man who laughs would get the woman in the car; perat locks, the subject of humorous haps he used a gun. Later the horribpieces in the local paper: ly mutilated body would be discovered at a lonely place. "So let's salute the mightyyBundy Here on Friday, gone on Monday Sometimes a victim escaped. One woman was saved by a finely-tuned All his roads led out of town sixth sense. She had carried the books It's hard to keep a good man down." to the car and she happened to look into the vehicle. She noticed that Bundy, who killed for ego gratification, for sport, had at lastZfaund the passenger seat was missing. She an appreciative audience. recalled, "Something about the missing Captured, he escaped again to passenger seat caused the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end". Tallahasee, Florida where, in one She dropped the books and ran. incredible night of mass murder, he On July 14, 1979, Bundy, arm in killed four students in the women's dormitory of Florida State University sling, strolled a beach asking women and then crippled for life another to help him put his sailboat on his woman in a nearby apartment house. A car. Most women refused but one obligingly followed him away from the week later he killed his last victim, beach area. He murdered her, disposa 12-year-old girl. Carol Da Ronch was the key witness again at his tria ed of her body and within a short time He was sentenced to death, returned to the same beach, put back the sling and found another helpful Ann Rule, who first met Bundy at the Seattle Crisis Centre, was always woman to help with the sailboat. He murdered her as well. in touch with him. When the murders Seattle began to panic as the bodies turned up. In the city, it was Continued on pg 15 widely rumoured that the victims had " - PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �TAKING CHARGE Dr. Margaret Fulton continued 4nom Page 8 organized, then, people should be freed to do more work that is lifeenhancing. self filling, society ON,-full IA 4Ny 4/."*. relating, creative activity which'is absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of the individual and of our total society. Economists seem to function with the limited notion that the onBP ly type of work that can be linked ,o) to the total income of society is work at a job where someone else Vvy pay you wages. If there are not enough of those limited kinds of jobs photo by Joyce Michalchuk to go around, then governments try to create more. The results are often the kinds of feather-bedding, make work projects, insane arms races, combinedactivities interactive force and mindless This consumption is only a part of a total world rewith which we are all toJ familiar. which must or Surely a volution better way would be be to bloodless put it all willofnot a revolution of any a value on thebesubsistence enough work thatvalue. women We andhave men seen do. The longof the bloodyiskinds of revolution and we term solution to provide more knowopportunities that they never stimuli and for really people change anything. Only in thecreating players change to take the initiative and then we're life-enhancing work for back theirinto own the same kind of rigidly structured societies. subsistence. transformational goOur The evolution from roles revolution that on in and our secondary society today have beening passive to can brabout the liberation of the creroles of ing active participation in our ative personality and awaken total society is a great sign of hopeindividual personal initiative. And I in an otherwise gloomy scene. The was delighted to hearforce in my workshop biggest impact in the labour fromwill a young is working in of tomorrow come woman not sowho much arts andorcrafts section from new the technology from the fem- of life. The creativity there inist movement alone as that's from the two gives us new coming images,together new patterns and it's the revolutions to chanreleasing that kind of creativity ge all our ways of of thinking about which will give us a new society. ourselves and about our roles. We can and must challenge the present systems and structures which are so inhibiting and so limiting. We must become part of participatory democracy and participatory management style. To be equal partners, to be fully involved in bringing about a new age, we must go on learning; we must be fully informed; well-trained; well-educated and organized. Above all, we must understand our technology and use it for the creating of a new and positive society. The challenge I leave with you wonderful and patient women to-day is to take over the use of the machines and use them to build a better future for all Canadians, and all planetary people. Women indeed have a new role to play in the shaping not only of the work place, but in the re-shaping of our total society, DA.,Matgatet Futton ptesident of Mount St. Vincent Univeuity, Hati4ax, Canade4 oney women'4 univeuity. She wars chaitpeuon 0,4 the 4edenat goveknment'6 ta4k 4cince on Mictoetecttonia.and Employment. Mangatet Fulton Rutz 4onmentg head o4 the Engtizh Dept. at Font Witt iam Collegiate, 13x13 Shock after Shock by JENNY VAN CRAM A response to Micro-Technology - A Subtitle to Women and Economics Artists and crafts people keep us humane. The primary technology of the studio labs tie us to the past. Subtle, demanding, always the illusion of simplicity and romance. Paints, glazes, dyes, lacquers and enamels calculated individually with an understanding machines cannot know. Literature on every topic to tell the secrets of eye ball calculated imperfections. A Philosophy to render the unknown harmless and clean. A vehicle for personalized discipline. No unions - guilds - guides not contracts. An intense language of colour, form, texture, mass and image. More than compensation for contemporary "unstructured" leisure, the fate of the unskilled and unemployed. Reversed, the elite of our day emersed in an investigation of our roots. An opportunity to develop a h meshes the tivity at g level. No one wants to be a bored illiterate of the past. Pottery is the bottom line of technology. On that basis examine the concept that each tea pot is a sculpture. Accept that the fear of "advanced technology" is a fear of the unknown. Know of Ghandi and his spinning and weaving. Accept with pleasure the notential of the new world. The skill to produce quality is a Painful and long process. Entering the age of "automated memory" our hands, eyes and hearts must compute the inarticulated flow of our awareness. Emerge from the roles of kept to keeping - peace keeping of our own fears. This is a new age: creativity as NEON, CHIPS, MUTATION and a new monetary system. All of this reliant upon someone who knows when to push which button. _ Mirror doubt. NORTHERN WOMAN page 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �LAYOFFS continued PLOM Page Compromise (Now and Then) Sometimes, I think that the only given is that we will gb on... Often, making light of ourselves And wondering where it is we're going Then, grandoisely thinking that somehow, we know... (I used to think, as a young girl /woman, that I was right about 98% of the time. Even then, I allowed, however slight- given my ego at that time --a margin of admitted error... Later, teachers told me that it was closer to between 85 and 90. I thought then that that still wasn't too bad an average. Besides, I was being formally evaluated, accredited and historically recorded, and for a kid who then held recorded history in fairly high esteem, it was heady stuff.) Then, the continuous arguments with parents Who, with their simple wisdom, Never completely understood their shades-of-grey daughter... I'd debate and emerge the victor, Having scored the required points properly... Now that they're both dead, Those sometimes hard-wom victories fought on raised fist Are now bittersweet, as then. In retrosptct, it seems now I should have "compromised" more, then. (At one time, "compromise" was a dirty word.) And I did so like peace and harmony... Now, it's an essential word to PEACE. All our unlikenesses require it, Though in our struggles to be CORRECT, we may not desire it. Becoming older now... And in recognition of our likenesses, I admire it. After all... Even though I may be right from time-to-time, And seeking to work on that bothersome 10-15%... If I became a Bodhisattva, a diva, a prophet, Lealer or heroine-- PERFECT -- How much more bothersome could I be? And, anyway... SO WHAT? (a Michigan journal entry) Joyce Michalchuk VOICES continued from pg. 2 Dear N.v.J.: We are the editors-publishers of "Voices: A Survival Manual for Wimmin", a 24-page mimeo'd journal which was birthed in Kenora, Ont,, in December 1980. We are writing to appeal for subs and donations to help her continue. Since she originated, her two main features have been lesbian writing and natural healing from a lesbian/wimmin's perspective. Our current issue, #9, features alternative cancer therapies. We publish three or four times a year. Subs are $6 for four issues; sample issues are $1.50 (U.S. funds in the U.S.). We are the only lesbian '1111)1.71:a- tion between B.C. and Toronto; the only rural lesbian publication in Canada; one of the very few on the continent regularily featuring natural healing from a lesbian/wimmin's perspective (that we know of). We are no longer able to finance "Voices" from our own funds, since costs are too high. Fifty new subs or donations would go a long way. Please consider subscribing/donating Be well. Isabel Andrews Doreen Worden R.R. #2, Kenora, Ont. 7 less slap-happy with their lay-off policy. Oh, but that would create lay-offs in the civil service sector if we did away with the Unemployment Insurance Commission... well, aren't their jobs being taken over by computers soon anyway? We concluded that UIC and Welfare actually isolated us in our homes a lot too: waiting for cheques, and phone calls. Discussion delving into job creation programmes brought us to realize that what the government actually promoted with their job creation programmes was short term work, favourable employment statistics for use in election rhetoric, unstable work records for individuals, erosion of organized labour. So, while the newspapers report economic recovery plans launched by a government that's boosting its job creation programme budgets, the workforce remains de-employed or newly unemployed again as projects are usually short term work projects. So, let's not be fooled. But, we do have to survive unemployment, its emotions and its economics. Best way to stay emotionally stable (if that's really possible at all) is to keep in touch with other unemployed people and plan things together, like picnics, parties, potluck suppers, marches, demonstrations. Do things with your time, all those things you never get to do when you are working for the system. Paint positive angry posters and go for a walk with them and your friends. Write some militant songs and sing Offer to babysit for a single mom. Write letters to the editor about things that piss you off. Have a spontaneous sex-trf-C--Water your plants regularly. Read For Her Own Good, Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English, or Northern Girl, by Elizabeth A. Lynn, or Understanding Marxism, by Frank Cunningham. Go to a women's centre and see what's brewing. Don't waste time feeling useless because you are not that just because you were layed-off your job. It's not your fault, but now that you're laid-off and have all that time, what are you going to do about it? Continued 4tom pg 10 T AND T The traditional patterns and attitudes of instruction of$1young women, particulary in the maths and sciences, has resulted in their being educated for poverty. The report of the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, on Microtechnology and Employment, also addresses this concern: "Career counselling has an important role to play here, both with regard to re-entry of women, and to young women first entering the labour market. Women and girls need to be steered away from work (such as clerical work) where there will be few job opportunities and into other types of careers. They need to be encouraged to take math, science and computer programming in order to enhance their job mobility. In addition, they need to be helped to deal with any "technophobia" problems through discussion, education and experience with technology." NORTHERN WOMAN page 14 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �American Boy - Continued Thom pg 12 began, Rule, a crime writer by trade, accepted a publishing contract to write about the killings, not suspecting that the killer was her friend Ted. Or did she suspect? Actually, there was one time she began to doubt. This was when a good physical description fit Bundy exactly. She mentioned the fact to her police friends and Bundy's name joined hundreds of others in the computer. But Ann forgot about her suspicions. After all, how could a man who loved Mozart, wine, gourmet food, a man so -straight--be a murderer? He seemed the perfect late-20th-century male. When he was arrested, she was shocked and unbelieving. Mr. Perfect Male was, of course, a Bundy creation. The swollen ego, which, unlike God, fashioned a personna out of a random collection of trendy images, was able to sell that personna to the world. Bundy programmed himself as Mr. Perfect and rejoiced at his ability to make people like Ann believe. Ann Rule spends the last section of her book analysing Bundy's childhood and his teenage love life, looking for rejections and traumas to explain why he was "sick". Bundy was not sick. The explanation of his, character is found beyond his individual psyche. It is found in a society which considers women as game ("fair game") and a bloated ego as meritorious. It is a society which applauds the male style and ignores substance,. rewards male charisma and ignores character. Beyond consideration of individual history, there is something in North American society which has bred-monsterS, is even now breeding monsters, will continue to breed monsters. REAL FEMINIST__ STAND UP PLEASE QUIZ. What's your FQ (feminist quotient)? CIRCLE ONE CHOICE 1. A feminist is a: a) socialist b) liberal c) progressive conservative d) anarchist e) all of the above f) none of the above 2. The priority of the women's movement should be to: a) elect a woman as Prime Minister b) smash the capitalist patriarchy c) lobby for government change d) create a separatist state e) all of the above f) none of the above 3. A feminist, is: a) b) c) d) e) heterosexual lesbian bisexual married none of the above 4. The term 'sister' refees to: a) a blood relative b) in-law c) all women d) a and b e) a female Christian f) a nun g) a female communist h) all of the above 5. A feminist cannot be: a) the president of Exxon b) a Tupperware salesperson c) engaged d) born again e) a man f) all of the above 6. In the last provincial election feminists voted: a) Progressive Conservative b) Liberal c) NDP d) WCC e) spoiled their ballots f) the opposite of who their husbands and bosses voted for What are the correct answers - there are none of course, but that hasn't stopped us as feminists and as women from believing that there are. After all, we've had a lifetime of practice being tested on everything from floor polishes to our orgasms. We've begun asking ourselves whether we haven't traded one straight-jacket for another in trying to re-define ourselves as women. Protest NFB Closing Bureaucratic insensitivity to the needs of NWO is again evidenced by the decision to close the Thunder Bay office of the National Film Board. Community groups that have long depended on the valuable NFB service will suffer from this decision. The greatest losers, of course, will be the small district communities who already experience a serious scarcity of resources. The women's community in Thunder Bay has frequently made use of NFB resources, and has consistently received helpful, co-operative service from the local office. A pioneer service provider in NWO, the NFB aot only has offered needed ed- D E S the wonder drug you should wonder about for more information write DES ACTION/CANADA P.O. Box 233 Snowdon, Montreal, Quebec H3X 3T4 ucational resources, but also has served as a catalyst for social change. Reportedly, closing the NWO and several other regional offices will promote greater efficiency. Efficiency may or may not be achieved. Certainly effectiveness will suffer. The Northern Woman Journal protests the decision to close the Thunder Bay NFB office. We suggest all concerned groups and individuals write to the Hon. Francis Fox, Minister of Communications, and to your MP, urging that the decision be reversed. Um,,,... 4 74 i Ccrer 4 b r. 6 ] 1 PRISONER OF LOVE ) .,,o10 --,> PART (tcHiLr,_7111iiiI___TL,,,... TWO WILL APPEAR IN A A 1-0 10, A FUTURE ISSUE A i.,))1),VAAnWVAIMWPWj NORTHERN WOMAN page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �THE CONFEDERATION COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY THUNDER BAY DISTRICT ADVANCED INFORMATION ON WOMEN'S PROGRAMS In conjunction with Divisions o6 the College, Women's, Pugums initiates, devetops and Lacititates subjects, zerninats and con6etences in response .to changing needs in education and in emptoyment. Women's Programs puvides tesouues ion educators, students, individuats and community gnoups who Aqui/Le consultation about 6eminist issues. GENERAL ARTS AND SCIENCE DIPLOMA PROGRAM emphasizing Women's Programs Curriculae is designed to be of particular interest to women seeking training for a future career through general study prior to career selection. It offers subjects that develop an awareness of issues relevant to women in the work force combined with the opportunity to explore career field(s) through additional subject selection. POST-SECONDARY CREDIT SUBJECTS TOWARD THE DIPLOMA MAY BE TAKEN IN FULL-TIME STUDIES OR PART-TIME DURING THE EVENING. Offered in the evenings this Fall under this new program will be: GS GS GS GS GS 010 026 052 136 143 /59 PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING WOMEN, SOCIETY AND CHANGE WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT WOMEN & STRESS MANAGEMMT yo,A Aer,'"ra.4 Ac...t /04 C-.)ilYtt "u For further information, contact Women's Programs (807) 475-6232. GS 010 99 PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT DIPLOMA PROGRAM (Pending Approval from Council of Regents) NEW BUSINESS DIVISION TWO-YEAR PROGRAM Will prepare the student to work in program analysis, development and co-ordination of Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity for women, ethnic and racial minority group members and for people with disabilities, in government and non-governmental organizations. For further information, contact the Program Co-ordinator (807) 475-6140. SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS INTRODUCTION TO NON-TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS (I,N,T.0.) An eight-week program designed to give women an academic and experimental introduction to traditionally male occupations. .The students will choose, with the help of the instructor, where the training will take place. This subject witt give the student paacticat instAuction in perusonat economise, the ant o6 handting money and managing one's iinanciat a66aiitz. Topicz cove/Led inctude budgeting, banking and investing, credit, housing, insutance, and cat ownetship, .together with othet .topics in which the student may exptess an intetest. DATE & TIME: Mondays 7:00-10:00 p.m. START DATE: September 12, 1983 COMPLETED: December 19, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Lauretta Johnson FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 278, Shuniah Bldg GS 026 For further information, contact'the Women's Employment Centre, 130 S. Syndicate Avenue, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 1C7 (Ph. 807/623-2731). NEXT PROGRAM BEGINS SEPTEMBER 12, 1983. 99 ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING Provides the student with the ah,4:22z necezzaty to negotiate honutty bon the things s/he wants --on the job, at home, .in the commuiLity. As,settion i4 not to be con6used with aggtession WOMEN INTO TRADES AND TECHNOLOGY (W. I ,T,T. ) Women trainees learn from hands-on experience with core generic tool skills and machinery from a variety of trades families (i.e., construction, electrical, mechanical, machining, woodworking, metal working, etc.); and they actively apply these skills to learning projects in trades shops and industrial projects in the work force. Assertion takes into account the tights and 6eetings o6 othets. DATE & TIME: Thursdays 7:00-10:00 p.m. START DATE: September 15, 1983 COMPLETED: November 17, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Elizabeth Wieben FEE: $30.00 .ROOM: 270, Shuniah Bldg It's a time for "catching up" for a woman: of developing her mechanical reasoning; her math and science skills; her confidence with hand and power tools; and, her familiarity with trades machinery and vocabulary. WOMEN, SOCIETY AND CHANGE This training program is designed to re-introduce, re-educate, and re-direct women to future employment and training in the skilled trades and technology. It's also a time for moving ahead: of exploring trades choices and then charting her own career course towards a specific trade -- or further skills training, and entry-level jobs, or an apprenticeship. This program will be sponsored by Canada Employment & Immigration. There will be some seats for fee-paying students. PROGRAM BEGINS SEPTEMBER 26th, 1983 AND CONTINUES FOR 18 WEEKS. For further information, contact Women's Programs (807) 475-6232, or Chair, Industrial & Motive Power Department (307) 475 -6211. ZA 119 99 FIRST STEP-COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FOR WOMEN An intnoductoty subject in computer 6undamentat4 designed .to give women an undeAstanding o6 the capabilities and teutinotogy associated with computens. Upon comptetion, students Witt be able .to dedign dome 06 .theist own "BASIC" ptogtams such as budget on mortgage payment catcutations. Students wilt have hands-on experience with computers. DATE & TIME: Saturdays 9:30 am-12:30 pm START DATE: September 24, 1983 COMPLETED: November 26, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Marlene Walther FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 345, Shuniah Bldg ZW 004 99 EFFECTIVE LIVING FOR WOMEN A placticaZ subject based on _sound p.sychoZogi_ca ptinciptes and 6indings. Women, wi.E.r_ be helped to achieve gteatet ii6e zati,saction &tough .techniques oS solving petsona publems, enhancement o6 zexuat 4atiz6action, contAaCZing bad habits and .lea ring dezixabZe onez, ztAers Pxduc tion, incteasing Zeatning e6Sectivene4z and helping othet women thtough active tiztening AULez. DATE & TIME: START DATE: COMPLETED: INSTRUCTOR: FEE: $30.00 Thursdays 7:30-9:30 p.m. September 22, 1983 November 24, 1983 Bert Hopkins ROOM: 265, Shuniah Bldg ZW 036 99 TOMORROW'S WOMAN New confidence through 6e26-axatene,s6 and zet6- GS 052 99 This subject wilt pnovide an oppontanity Got patticipants to discuss and assess -the rapid changes in 6ociety and -to discovet how these changes a66ect women in ateas such az 6amity ti6e, sexuatity, economic development, technotogy and community involvement. DATE & TIME: Wednesdays 7:00-10:00 p.m. START DATE: September 14, 1983 COMPLETED: December 14, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Liz Poulin FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 265, Shuniah Bldg GS 136 uteem war be achieved through the exercises, WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT group di..6cto)sion.s, and tkitt. deveZopment o6 This subject wit-Z. deal_ ptimatity with the 99 .this subject in personal gtowth. Each inda,iduai notes o6 women in management, and the patticuta skills needed by women to e66ectivety wat acquLte a pto6iLe o6 intcteists and goaLs, managetiat 6unctionz undet constAaints a sense ci6 new options and a c..ea.,,i..6cat,i.on o6 which are 6/tom within themselves, as welt az values those imposed by the oAganizations. DATE & TIME: Tuesdays 7:00-10:00 p.m. DATE & TIME: Mondays 7:00-10:00 p.m. START DATE: September 20, 1983 START DATE: September 12, 1983 COMPLETED: November 22, 1953 COMPLETED: December 19, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Liz Poulin INSTRUCTOR: Barbara McEwen FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 278, Shuniah Bldg FEE: $45.00 ROOM: 265, Shuniah Bldg . 2W 017 99 WOMEN KNOW YOUR CAR GS 143 Studentz wat. .62.v:it the basic iwceduAn o6 cat maintenance and gennat opeaati_on. DATE & TIME: Mondays 7:00-10:00 p.m. START DATE: September 19, 1983 COMPLETED: October 24, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Don Young FEE: $25.00 ROOM: Auto Shop, Dorion Bldg WOMEN & STRESS MANAGEMENT For information about these subjects outside of Thunder Bay, contact your local Confederation College or call Toll Free: 800-465-6961 800-465-6962 li6e thythms, and thei/r styte oS pubtem savir A ti6estyte and attitude approach .to changing theit stAess response witt be developed by ead individuat. DATE & TIME: Wednesdays 7:00-10:00 p.m. START DATE: September 14, 1983 COMPLETED: November 16, 1983 INSTRUCTOR: Walter Martin FEE: $30.00 ROOM: 278, Shuniah Bldg FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO REGISTER, CONTACT WOMEN'S PROGRAMS (807) 475-6232. 99 This subject is intended to examine 6ituationae 4tte,s,sez in out tives--6amity, job, social telationzhio, conduct, change, devetopmentat ctizez, etc., az welt az potential. zouAcez 06 ,striers they being .to evety situation because () theit pelsonaeity, .theft own beZie6 system, the PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 Collectively produced RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 B BAY STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7B 1S1 byJoan Baril, Kathryn Brule, Noreen Lavoie, Teresa Legowski, Anna McColl, Joyce Michalchuk, Luan Wall, Margaret Phillips, Donna Phoenix, Sara Williamson , Arja Lane Return Postage Guaranteed Northern Woman Journal 316 Bay Street Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 1S1 (Six Issues) $5.00 $10.00 Business or Institution PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 8 No 1 Description An account of the resource Vol. 8, No. 1 (June 1983) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Affirmative Action Board Vs. Collective at the Northern Women’s Centre Critique of Capitalism and Economic Valuation of Labour Women & Economics Art & Culture Women and the Economy Conference Confederation College Backstreet Abortions Female Infanticide in China North Bay Transition House Self Healing Workshops North Bay Teen Conference Lay-offs and Their Effects International Women’s Day Women & Words Conference, Vancouver Trades, Technology & Women Gender Wage Gap Poetry Closure of National Film Board Thunder Bay Confederation College Women’s Programs Authors/Contributors: Joyce Michalchuk Joan Baril Dr. Margaret Fulton Jenny Van Cram Luan Wall Nora Wintour Marilyn Thompson Valerie Adams Arja Lane Kathryn Brule Joy Fedorick Gert Beadle Susan Collins Hawkins Noreen Lavoie Teresa Legowski Anna McColl Donna Phoenix Sara Williamson Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-06 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2778/1983_Vol_8_No_2.pdf 6dea6f9141e512135b9a80662aff61f9 PDF Text Text PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor .90 �Editorial In June the Minister of Community and Social Services announced that his Ministry will provide capital costs for the con struction of 'Family Resource Centres' in twelve northern Ontario communities of less than 12,000 population. The Centre is to serve abused women, women under physical, social and emotional stress, single mothers and elderly women. The operation of the Centre is to be a partnership between the municipality and the province. Lest any of us be lulled into thinking that the government is finally taking action to benefit women, a careful analysis of the proposal is reciuire.d. In fact, for a number of NWO communities, the devoted work of Transition Home advocates will be put back months if not subverted entirely. This arbitrary government action came without any consultation with the affected municipalities or with concerned women's groups. Many municipal officials, understandably, are angered by the lack o consultation. Unfortunately, their anger has sometimes been directed towards the women's groups advocating Transition Home rather than toward the anonymous government official who devised this questionable program. While it has been difficult for concerned groups and municipal officials to obtain precise clarification of the proposal (And goals, we can assume from the available information that the implicit objective is to aid the construction industry. how many jobs for women do you suppose will thus be created?) clear That the construction industry--not battered women-- will be the beneficiaries of the government's initiative is from the qualification that the Municipality/Indian Band must agree to construct a new building. Renovations of an existin building will not be allowed--although in many communities that would be the desired approach. The problems attendant from the high visibility of this new construction (e.g. security, community acceptance) have been disregarded by the Ministry. For Municipalities/Indian Bands who are persuaded to accept this government 'gift' the construction of this visible fac ility will only be the first of many problems. A major concern is the on-going operational procedures. The Ministry antici pates inter-municipality/government agreements. But witness the extensive problems the Faye Peterson Transition Home has experienced in implementing such agreements. Without the resolution of this issue by the Faye Peterson Transition Home it would be fool-hardy for other communities to assume they could achieve appropriate responses. In considering the well-being of the women and children who will utilize these Centres, and the well-being of the staff working there, two issues immerge. Granted northern Ontario communities require a variety of social/health services. However, Transition Homes for battered women have evolved across the country because of the proven need for particular suppor services for battered women. Combining services for battering problems, with support for women whose concern/crisis is med needs ical, psychological or gerentological has the potential for serious operational problems. In presuming to meet the of all, it is likely no one's needs will be met. volunteer staffing. Inthe The 'second issue is how the Centres will be staffed. The government appears to be emphasizing guise of proevent of paid staff, (except for the supervisor) the payment will be minimum wages ($3.50 per hour). In the is deliberately abetting the exploitation of women. viding support services fol. women in crisis, the government For the municipalities/Indian Bands who accept the 'carrot' the Ontario government is offering, we anticipate a bureaucratic absurdity which will result in insufficient, inappropriate services for women. On the other hand, the communities who refuse to participate, but who wish to develop Transition Homes and other community-defined services, undoubtedly will have great difficulty obtaining provincial funding support. Whichever the choice, women will lose. When is this womenbattering going to stop: wy,0000, Your Voice Sidegialaaahatatladraaktalgieilleaddelb°41 "- To the Editor: REFLECTIONS ON THE ABORTION DEBATE At a time when the Nova Scotia Legislature is preparing to cut welfare payments to teenage mothers and their children from $390 a month to $85 a month, across the country, the Alberta courts are attacking, on be behalf of the rights of the foetus, the legislation allowing women to receive therapeutic abortions. In 1980, following an in-depth study, the Senate presented a report entitled "Child at Risk" which clearly and undeniably illustrates how important human life really is and how important it is for both mother and child to recieve proper prenatal and post-natal care. What do our "male" judges and "male" politicians throughout the country consider to be the moral choice in this debate? Cutting welfare payments to young women who choose the life of the unborn child and who receive no support whatsoever from the father of the child or sending these young women who cannot face the possibility of raising a child alone back to the quacks and charlatans who perform illegal abortions? I am ashamed and thoroughly disgusted by the manner in which our young women are treated in this country. Not only are they asked to assume all of the responsibilities for their actions because they belong to the female sex, the system NORTHERN WOMAN page 2 at the same time blithely ignores and absolves from any responsibility the individuals who father these children in the first place, individuals who, like the judges and The young politicians, are males. women are sentenced to 20 years of misery, hardship and privation. They are condemned to suffer primarily because they are women. My vision of a just society is one in which all individuals are treated equitably. What I consider immoral is the fact that for the sake of great principles, which may or may not be supported by our religious leaders, we often forget the most important thing a child needs to survive in this world, namely love. When a child of 14 or 15 herself bears a child and when the young mother is rejected by her parents for violating socalled "moral" principles and left to survive on only $85 a month, what chance does she have to love her child and bring it up to be a responsible adult? When will our "great thinkers" politicians and fathers finally love their wives and daughters enough to allow them the right to choose to be mothers and not merely reproductive "machines"? When are women going to be given the right to be human beings and not merely objects? Yours truly, Celine Hervieux-Payette Lawyer, M.P. for Montreal-Mercier NEWS RELEASE--MACDONALD SCEPTICAL ABOUT EXTENSION OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION--JUNE 30 Dear NWJ: Progressive Conservative Status of Women critic, Flora MacDonald, expressed scepticism today about the announced earlier this week that the federal government was intending to expand the Affirmative Action Program for the federal Public Service. "While everyone agrees that the goal of equality must be realized, it is understandable that this latest public relations effort is being greeted with cynicism by women's organizations, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, and all those who have reason to mistrust a government which has such a deplorable track record in this field," said MacDonald. Monday's announcement merely extends to other departments what was originally begun in 1975, and we are all very well aware just how unsuccessful that initiative was", she said. The 1975 policy on equal opportunities for women in the public service raised expectations, and led to the belief that the advancement continued on pg 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Update remarks made by the anti-Choicers picketing the Winnipeg clinic. In such an atmosphere, it is not surWhat is the real story behind prising that Morgentaler was attacked the burning of the Harbord Street personally by a man with a set of Toronto Women's Bookstore on July .The bookstore garden clippers. 29? As ususal with women's news, there carried comprehensive insurance on are two stories:' the real story, and equipment and stock, but the owners the media version. need about $20,000 to re-locate and re-statt. They expect to re-open in The facts are these. The arsonists (or arsonist) entered the bookabout three months. Bravo to Sally Ride, finally the store through a rear door. They crosfirst American spacewoman. In the sed the bookstore to the front door which opens out into a small foyer early 70's, N.A.S.A. had been traininside the main entrance of the builing a small group of women as possible ding. From there, they went upstairs astronaut candidates, but, it is now to Morgentaler's clinic. They probab- openly admitted, male hostility to ly intended to break into the clinic female participation in space succeedbut were deterred by the fact that ed in closing the program down. Forthe clinic was protected by an alarm. tunately, the policy was reversed Game" booth at this year's Canadian There was a small notice posted at Her achieveand thus, Ride's ride. . Lakehead Exhibition. The "game" was the entrance to that effect. They ment was slightly dimmed by a typical to throw darts at a woman's breasts then covered the clinic entrance with type of female trouble--her salary. which were really balloons positioned typical anti-Choice slogans--"murderIt was the lowest of the five astrounder a t-shirt. In a letter to C.L.E. er", "butcher" and so on--as well as nauts aboard the shuttle, at $42,653 administrator Bruce Lehtinen, the the curious notation saying that annually. The salaries of her male "dehumanization" and "gross insensipeople who use alarms are evil. They colleagues ranged from $48,950 to tivity" toward women. Local women re-traced their steps back into the $58,743. . told how shocked and repelled they bookstore, and, in the section on This summer, I dropped into the pregnancy and childbirth, set the were when they saw the "T-Shirt Winnipeg Women's Health Clinic, which Game". The booth was removed the next fire which gutted the store completeis downtown behind the Bay at 304-414 ly. day. Graham Avenue. I found a busy, spacious Sweden is having second thoughts upstairs set of rooms which last year served over 4,000 clients. Treatment about porno. After ten years of lobis covered by Manitoba Health Insur- bying, Swedish feminists have pressured the government to regulate the The Clinic gives general ance. medical care and aims at a holistic porn business. Porn shops are now approach and preventative medicine, regulated and nightclub porn is banned. The government is even considering but because it serves women only, there naturally comes about speciali- censorship for videocassettes which feature "prolonged or offensive viozation. For instance, -they fit the lence". Sweden was never so de-regucervical cap. Their full-time doctor, Judith Cracknell, visited thelated as Canadian pro-porners would English Dallin Clinic which speciali-have us believe, nor was there approNow for the media side of the zes in pre-menstrual syndrome studiesval from all sectors of society. story. Both the firefighters and the Women hated it and blamed it for rapes police stated they believed the fire and increasing was set by anti-Choice supporters in men. In Canada, a proposed amendthe hopes that it would spread to the ment to the Criminal Code would declinic on the floor above. This was fine as obscene material where the also the publicized opinion of dominant characteristic was any one C.A.R.A.L. was well as the bookstore of the following subjects: sex, vioowners, Patti Kirk and Marie Prins. lence, crime, horror or cruelty Yet, a syndicated newspaper columnthrough degrading representations of ist stated in the Chronicle-Journal a male or female person. Since the (Thunder Bay) that holding such an present imperfect law is inadequateopinion is an example of "feminist ly enforced, it seems that the most But after learning fanaticism". . Pre-menstrual syndrome (P.M.S.) important thing at present is imthe facts of the arson, many Toronto is becoming a recognized condition. proved enforcement. women believe that the anti-Choicers Not everyone who feels rotten in.the deliberately set out to destroy the. week before menstruation has P.M.S., women's bookstore when they found out but for many women, the severe psych. . they couldn't touch the clinic. . ological or physical changes endured Whatever the motive, the right-toby P.M.S. victims cause untold stress life supporters ignored the lives of in their lives. The Winnipeg clinic the people living in apartments in is helping women to find out if they the building. Luckily, there was no have P.M.S. and to set up treatment serious injury beyond hospitalization Also in Winnipeg, I visited the due to smoke damage. offices of the new women's magazine, The anti-Choice fanatics who use Herizons, and which, with only four language like "mass murder" and "holissues out, has already become a maocaust" are responsible for a climate The Squeal Reele screams to a jor magazine featuring national and of violence, says Michele Landsberg halt, stopped by the U. S. Supreme international news and articles. of the Toronto Star (Aug. 1/83.). As Court. The Reagan administration's Subscriptions are $10 per year to: an example, she mentions anti-Choice legislation would have required the Herizons, P. O. Box 551, Winnipeg, spokesman, Dr. Robert Mendelson's, parents of girls under 18 years of Manitoba R3C 9Z9. comment to the Winnipeg press, sugage to be notified if they obtained Guess who came to the Feminist gesting that the way to stop abortion contraceptives from tax-supported Reunion Dinner? June 11. Besides the was to buy a "Saturday Night Special" ninety guests who celebrated their clinics such as those operated by walk into a hospital and shoot the Planned Parenthood. Planned Parentcommitment to women's issues, two first two abortion doctors you meet hood, the largest provider of contramen, including one who referred to .Also widely publicized was the ceptives to teens, claimed that conhimself as an off-duty policeman, comment Manitoba judge Mike Baryluk fidentiality was crucial, and that handed out anti-women hate material made in a private courtroom converthey always have encouraged minors to at the door. One woman in attendance sation to the Crown attorney, which consult their parents, but they would protested to the local police force, was overheard by a Winnipeg reporter: never snitch on teens even had the and the complaint was handled satis"Wouldn't you agree that any woman . new law came in. factorily. The Northern Woman who wants an abortion should be given Journal, Northwestern Ontario Women's a razor blade?" said the judge. Centre and Faye Peterson Transition NORTHERN !V OMAN page 3 Also disturbing are the anti-semitic House also protested the "T-Shirt by JOAN BARIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . ' . . . . . . . PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Women and Words by MARGARET PHILLIPS One woman had an idea. A fantastic fantasy. So this woman, Betsy Warland, shared her dream, and one evening six women sat down to discuss the idea. Eighteen months later seven hundred women gathered at UBC for the first WOMEN AND WORDS/LES FEMMES ET LES MOTS Conference. A dream come true. Not only for Betsy Warland, but for hundreds of women poets, novelists, playwrites, journalists, publishers, editors, booksellers, reviewers. Women of all ages. From the east, the west, the north. From cities, small towns, reserves, rural areas. Women of different racial, cultural, economic and political backgrounds. Joined by a common love..Women and Words. A Personal Account Sometime last fall the first notice of Women and Words came to NWJ. I looked with longing at the information. But acknowledging my economic reality I reluctantly put it aside. Then, in the winter, Conference details arrived...outlining dozens of exciting workshops.. listing, as Conference participants, so many of my favorite writers. My dream of attending grew more and more vivid. FoCusing on the section 'some travel subsidies available', I sent off an urgent plea. I was rewarded. Yes, I was one of those 700 women. Happily, former NWJ members Estella Howard, and Helen Halet and Sharon Lund (now living in Vancouver) also participated. My most sincere gratitude goes to the Women and Words committee who recommended, and to Secretary of State Women's Programme who provided, my travel costs. Thanks also, Helen and Sharon for the housing, the hospitality, the nurturing. I really want to share my joy, my excitement about this remarkable Conference with NWJ collective members and readers, yet find myself groping as to what to relate. I believe it was important for the NWJ to be part of this Conference and I was glad to be your representative. Contacts made and discussions held with women from other feminist publications were certainly useful. Hopefully, some of my learning from various workshops will aid me to more effectively contribute journalistically to our paper. (More about workshops later.) But, to be perfectly honest, my chief desire to attend Women and Words was absolutely selfish. My creative writing..so happily birthed while at Women Writer's Centre.. has been so sporadic since my return to Thunder Bay. Yet the urgency to write causes me more and more frustration. I went to Women and Words for the stimulation just being with other women provides. What happended to me at Women and Words? A dozen new story ideas, for one thing. And from the "readings" ..most particularly Margaret Atwood and Audrey Thomas.. a renewed sense that whatever else I do with my life I have to finish "my novel". The other important thing that I learned.. rather, that was reinfor- ced..was that writing is a genuine, and a necessary, albeit unique, factor in the evolution of feminism in GOOD ART CAN AND SHOULD BE SUBVERSIVE AND IN OPPOSITION TO THE STATUS QUO Conference Content Orchestration of this mammoth Conference was extremely well handled. As well as extensive work by staff, over 10,000 volunteer hours styles, classes and our immense were spent in Conference preparation. creativity. Here is a few moments And many more will go into the folcollage of 44 diverse topics: low-up. All those responsible for - we need a new approach to critiConference organization are to be cism with critics open to new forms commended. without the distortion produced by My problem, also expressed by mainstream criticism. everyone I spoke to, was deciding - the aim of the artist is to dream which workshops to attend. It should alternatives; good art can and should have been a month long Conference. be subversive and in opposition to I wanted to attend 40 of the 44 the status quo political establishworkshop/panel choices, but had to ment. content myself with the 7 possible. - class does affect our writing. Fortunately, we were able to learn Where we have come from is integral the results of many workshops from to our expression of self; and the a very creative and succinct summary voice of working class women, women given at the concluding plenary sesof colour and native women is lacksion. This summary, prepared by ing even in our own literature -Women and Words committee member the literature of women. We need to Barbara Herringer is reprinted here appreciate our differences and not with permission. Shifting from being a long-time be divisive because of them. community activist to a solitary - creative mothers shared their struggles and successes and gained writer creates many contradictions strength from one another. and dilemmas for me, especially when I live in Thunder Bay. The sense of-mimoimommtugpmmsluxi-gmmr-fri-mg aflopplo the erotic workshop encouraged women hope apparent at Women and Words to create more space for our bodies was enormously reassuring. Confidence in our work. was apparent that women writers, reviewers, publishers, etc. can and - feminist publications highlighted the need to be financially viable, must and will create new structures, while a history of feminist presses new language, new values..encourafocused on the need for survival and ging a society that will allow women the necessity to support our feminto grow, not merely survive. The ist bookstores. statement from one workshop that - a feminist booksellers association "good art can and should be subverwas formed following the workshop on sive and in opposition to the status promotion and distribution of wpmen's quo political establishment" fills books to act as a lobby group as well me with peace. (Now all I have to do as a network for feminist publishers is write the damn book .') Another bonus...new authors to and booksellers. - there was a lively exchange of discover. Really, I could contentedideas and how-to's for survival in ly spend the rest of my life just the media as a woman reporter/jourreading. I haven't even half worked nalist while struggling against male through my list of unknown authors values in the media. I brought back from Writers Centre. From the Conference, a further list of nearly fifty poets/short story OUR LITERATURE MUST BE VISIONARY, writers/novelists that are new to A LITERATURE OF CHANGE THAT EXAMINES me. I question whether I'll ever read ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES even an internationally acclaimed male author again. Is it unreasonable - sources, strategies and the need to become absolutely nationalistic, for patience and persistence as well (even more) womanistic in my reading? as ongoing personal contact, was With so many marvellous Canadian wostressed in the funding workshop. men writers, will there be time to - that same persistence is necessary read anyone else? in our professional associations as (Information about a number of well as in our schools and colleges the writers who participated in Women to ensure that we are on reading and Words will be included in this lists and on courses. and future issues so that NWJ readers - not only that -- we need to become may also explore new reading sources. policy makers, work collectively "We are more than 700 women this and push for new criteria in the arts. weekend---all of us involved with our literature must be visionary, words. We have discussed, argued, a literature of change that examines shared, learned, explored and straall aspects of our lives. tegized. We immersed ourselves in in that literature we must use language through theoretical,practical and speculative workshops. We continued on pg 5 shared cultures, backgrounds, life- WOMAN page 4 PDF NORTIERN compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �WOMEN 6 WORDS cont'd our language differently by restructuring vocabulary, syntax and symbolism in our different tongues. - again, our diversity was celebrated in an exploration of the need for lesbian writers to re-invent language and the world. - and, a greater need overall in our Canadian literature, to explore new directions such as greater freedom in both form and content. - with all this new language, we need alternative structures. The old ways are obsolete. But, there is a tremendous amount of energy needed to implement new structures to meet our needs---such as mentors, networks, and reading/writing support groups. - the relationship between writer and translator brought many of the feelings of translators out of isolation. There is a great need to bridge our language barriers and much of that has happened this weekend. - more practical issues were dealt with on the panel on the relationship between publishers and writers-- the need for good contracts and editors among other things. - the extent of censorship and selfn censorship was explored by a writer, critic and archivist -- our physical selves as well as our creative selves are censored continuously in this _ culture. This is a brief overview of an intense weekend." On-going Activities One of the most exciting features of Women and Words was the personal testimony of support and gratitude expressed by so many women. "I've waited all my life for this weekend", and "This is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me" are samples of the comments. Even the criticisms were constructive, with the theme of "next time let's also " There was unanimous agreement that there must be a next time. So plans are being made for the second Women and Words Conference, to be held in 1985, possibly in Mont-. real or in Winnipeg. Before comprehensive plans for the next Conference begin, an enormous amount of follow-up to this Conference will occur. Of great interest is the Anthology of fiction, poetry, theatre and critical articles (in English and in French) which will be published. The documentation of all workshops would be a tremendous resource to all of us, and hopefully funds to transcribe these recordings will be procured. Minutes of the business meeting and action steps recommended are being worked on now. West Coast Women and Words Society The Conference was sponsored by the West Coast Women and Words Society, which for legal and practical reasons is a British Columbia organization, but for networking and support functions is available to all Canadian women. On-going contact between Women and Words and The Northern Woman will be maintained. If any NWJ readers are interested in more information about the West Coast Women and Words Society, please let me know. Should Winnipeg be the site of \ 11 the next Conference we know many NWO women will participate. Several of us are discussing the possibility of establishing a NWO group/caucus and offering some specific help to the Winnipeg women re Conference preparation. Wherever the next Women and Words is held, as many of us as possible should attend. Perhaps we could collectively fund-raise to subsidize .NWO delegates. Again, if you have any ideas please contact me. ASIDES FROM MY B.C. VISIT It was nice to run into Bonnie Kreps and reminisce about the 1973 Northern Women's Conference. Bonnie, who was a member of several Women and Words panels, has just selfpublished 'Women's Lip', a collection of her feminist writings. Visited the collectively-run Vancouver Women's Bookstore and the woman-owned Ariel Book Store, and was pleased that each of them agreed to stock the Northern Woman. Met several women from HERizons (Manitoba) which is now publishing in magazine format. Learned that La Vie en Rose has a distribution of 20,00011 Very impressed with the work and philosophy of Vancouver Women's Research Centre. The Centre, a community based feminist organization focuses on action research. They work with women and women's groups that don't normally have access to research facilities. The emphasis of the Research Centre's work is on developing a descriptive account of how, rather than why, a problem or issue is experienced by women as the grounding for analysis and strategy development. They believe that process 'contributes to the transformation of problems as personal or individual to recognizing them as political, economic or social. Interesting Research Centre publications which I brought back include: Women's Perspectives in Research, How to Study Your Own Community, Women and Psychiatry, An Analysis of Ideological Structure and How Women Are Excluded. These papers may be borrowed from Northern Women's mate in B.C. is really quite terrifying--with rights of workers, and protections for disadvantaged groups eliminated overnight. First to go was the Human Rights Commission..to be replaced by a Council who reportedly will deal with human rights but not the "trivial issues such as sexual harassment". Consumer protection legislation was to be abolished, as were rent controls. Provincial workers including teachers, college and university personnel may be fired without cause. For starters 600 human service workers have been fired. The government's action seems to stem from not so much an ultra-right ideology, as from a paranoic power grab. The community activists I talked to were in a state of shock and despair. Let's hope that will be translated into anger and action. If the B.C. madness isn't curbed it bodes ill for all Canadians. YOUR VOICE cont'd of women would be rapid. But the intervening eight years have seen those expectations dashed. Government statistics bear this out. After eight years of so-called equal opportunity, only 0.2% of the women in the public service are in management positions; only 5.7% are in the scientific and processional categories. Yet, at the same time, the number of women as support staff and in the junior levels, has increased by 13%. Despite an equal program being in place, women have been unable to achieve significant breakthroughs in the federal bureaucracy. "What assurance do we have that a program that has not achieved its goals in the five government departments where it has been attempted should suddenly become successful simply because it is extended to other departments", said MacDonald. The expansion of the Affirmative Action Program offers no new initiatives that can, or will, assist women in the public service. No mandatory goals have been established and, once again, women are expected to be satisfied with vaguely-worded recommended targets. "We only have the promise of the Treasury Board President that Deputy Ministers will be called to account for lack of progress in their departments", said MacDonald. Other government initiatives are enforced by a Cabinet Directive or an Orderin-Council. In this case, the govern.ment did not see fit to take such action. "I might perhaps put a little more faith in the success of the expansion of the program, if it was backed up by Ministerial enforcement ",. MacDonald stated. "No Affirmative Action Program, however promising on paper, will be successful without the will of government to make it work", said MacDonald. Centre. The Research Centre is federally funded so hopefully will survive, which is more than can be said for most community-based services in British Columbia. The political cli- NORTHERN WOMAN page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Women and Orgasm by Betsy Getaz and Carol Ehrlich An Interview with Terry Dalsemer and Judy Waldman Tetty DaUemet and Judy Wadman ate two ticenzed ctinicat. zociat wotketz who have tived and ptacticed in the Battimote atea ion a number o6 yeaA4. Tetty and Judy developed and oiieted gtouo ion pre-otgaismic women .through the Women'4 Growth Centte, ' f '.; : 'S ' a Batimote 6eminat therapy centte, and they continue -to give the gtouo in ptivate ptactice. The gtouo ate' baked on a model bake developed by Lonnie Gat6ietd Batbach, who wrote a book baked upon the expetience4 o6 the women in het gtouo, "Fan Youtset6: The FutiiUment oi Female Sexuatity." Q: What do you mean by pre-orgasmic? Terry: Pre-orgasmic reflects the optimistic attitude that women who do not experience orgasm are not psychologically disturbed, but rather lack the necessary information or experience for orgasm to take place. All women are, at some time in their lives, preorgasmic. The term actually came out of one of the original groups which was developed by Lonnie Barbach in San Francisco. It came from a group member who felt the term was more positive and quite different from other descriptions such as "frigid" or "an -. orgasmic ", which imply some sort of sexual dysfunttion. These groups provide an opportunity for women to explore and learn more about their bodies so they can become, orgasmic. Judy:-One of the most important messages in the group is that the orof a woman's orgasm, is, of course, gasm is yours. Only you can give of what happens yourself an orgasm - -usually nobody the can description give to a man. When a man has an orgasm, it'E it to you. If you have learned ways to much more obvious, because most likely relax, to turn yourself on, to be open he will ejaculate. That's a much more the things that turn you on, ho comes to to finding the workshops? obvious physiological experience. For then you can have an orgasm, or you can women, it's so different, and the varto with tell asomeone Judy: Wefind haveways women broad else what to iations are so great, that very often do to enable you to achieve that. e of backgrounds and experiences. they aren't aware of what's happening may be with partners or without. r age range has been between 20 60. We work with both heterosexualthem. They're looking for something other than what they're already expern and lesbians. Women want to exiencing. Again, the enphasis in our their options for sexual satisgroup is on looking for what is happenit ion regardless of their background instead of creating what isn't - - paychoices. I think through sharing ing attention to what your body is r experiences, the women in these doing, not looking for what it isn't ps have learned a lot about each r - - abbut their similarities,doing. r differences - - in terms of how Q: How do you deal with the fact that y relate to their own bodies and different people get turned on by difheir sexual partners. ferent things? hat impels most of them to come to Judy: In fact, this is what we try group in the first place? to emphasize in our groups: we are all Terry: It's a combination of unique. We need to explore, discover, and accept that which is uniquely ours. ngs, ranging from the most specific - - our bodies, our preferences, our ng, which is sexual dissatisfaction fantasies, even our orgasms. some sort, to difficulties in reionships. We do a screening inter- Terry: For example, towards the end of the group, we ask everyone to w before we run the groups in order bring in erotica, without defining what determine whether the focus of the that blem is a sexual one, or whether it is. (We do talk a bit later about what they feel is the difference betlly belongs somewhere else. We ask ther the woman is in a relationship, ween erotica and pornography.) if so, how are things going. Often That usually ranges from books to real problem is one between the pictures to feathers, to articles of ple, and not really a sexual issue clothing to whatever... Wonderful, all. Then we recommend that thedifferent things! And then, the following week, we ask the group to bring an and her partner seek counseling. in pornography, and we actually show stag films so that they can share THERN WOMAN page 6 their reactions with each other. It's really interesting to see the range of / what people define as erotic or port 9; ) nographic, and the range of what gives we look for are two different them pleasure or doesn't. exual One is the PDFproblems. compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked has had an orgasm at some Q: What are some of the techniques , hh evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �You Can't Hold Your Children by JOSIE WALLENIUS "In the event of a nucteat wan, there wLU be no chances; there wilt be no sutvivou--all wilt be obtitetated. Nucteat devastation is not science iiction--it is a matters oi iact. The wottd now stands on the btink oS the 6Znat abyss. Let us a.2 2. tesotve to take att possible ptacticat steps to ensure that we do not, through out own Sotty, go over the edge." Land Mountbatten Dear Mother: Sorry to be so long in writing, but as usual, it's been hectic. Anyhow, there's lots of news, and thanks for the dresses you made for Lyn and they can see things:-like a Trident submarine, in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. One submarine has enough warheads on it to destroy 408 Soviet cities. The U. S. navy has 17 submarines, and plans to have 30. There were 130,000 casualties in Hiroshima. If you want to try and understand Trident, try the following: In one second, try and comprehend Hiroshima. If you can do this, it would take 17 hours to comprehend Trident (if you can feel Hiroshima in one second). This is the navy. There is fierce competition between the navy, army and air force to see which can have "the best". Maggie. Maggie has been up to her usual tricks. If there's an accident going, she'll find it. She fell off the steps a couple of weeks ago, and I took her straight to Emergency, blood everywhere and her screaming like it was the end of the world. Anyhow, she only needed three stitches, so it wasn't too bad. Do you remember Mrs. Rhodes? She died a few weeks ago. What a long illness, poor soul. She was on morphine for the last few weeks, so Betty told me. I felt really badly, as she had no relatives left and the public trustee did the burial, which is always a shoddy affair. INNIMMI111111111111111 The U. S. Federal authorities have stockpiled 71,000 pounds of opium (morphine is a derivitive of opium) for critical civilian use, and have recently requested 59,000 additional pounds. The Pentagon has asked the National Funeral Directors' Association of the United States to prepare to handle mass burials; the president of the Association has asked for a training course in embalming radioactive corpses. One thing is certain--unburied, buried, incinerated or vapourized, the dead will continue to be radioactive--forever. "Aitet a couple of minutes,' I saw something coming up the /civet that looked tike a patade oS toast chickens. Some oi them were asking ion water. They wete att naked and they wete all skinned. The skins of theirs hands had been totn away at the wAists. It waz hanging Stom theit Singettips.just behind the naits, twined inside out tike a glove. In the dim tight, T saw many other chit&Len tying about the yard." 6ADM the book, We oS Nagasaki We had to wait for ages, though, for a doctor. There was a traffic accident, it seems, and a couple of people were badly burned. The B. C. Peace Movement is really strong. Perhaps it's because Mo., She had such a lousy life. Her husband was really up the twist. He Licked their daughter out because she was going out with an ex-Vietnam draft dodger. He called him a hippie pacifist and a disgrace to the name of humanity. In 1914, big billboards were erected in the towns and villages of by Joyce. Mix*. MembeAs of the Thunder Bay Coatition Sot Peace and Nucteat Disatmament protest the Cruise Missite testing in Canada, as pat oS a tatge Canadawide demonsttation July 16. England with the words, "Your King and Country Need You." Apple-cheeked lads from the farms and whitefaced boys from the slums, 16 pretending to be 18, and to be valiant and glorious--and dead. Slaughtered in thousands upon thousands. Headless, legless, buried in pieces in France. French boys, Canadian boys, German boys, English boys. Boys, not men. History showed W.W.I. to be a war about Africa, control of Africa, gold, minerals, and slave labour of Africa. For the few, not for the families of the dead innocents, the cannon fodder. Talking of pacifists, one of the women I work with belongs to the Thunder Bay Coalition for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament. She's O.K., I suppose, but a bit of a screwball. After all, does she really think she can change governments? (That mysterious, independent variable of political calculation, "public opinion"--universities, actual and ideal.) Anyhow, whatever it's all about, you can't trust the Russians, everybody knows that. "Who ate the demons who Si us with Seat? The 270 mittion people oS the U.S.S.R. ate not the warlike batbatian hordes pictuted in media caticatutes. They ate people and people who, quite untike people in the United States, have seen Sitsthand, in theit own country, the hOVIDA4 oS war, with the Nazi invasion oS Wottd Wat IT. Just think oS these iigutes which come 00M a book by Sidney Lens, entitled, The Fotging oi Ametican Empine. Considet these sta.tistics, and what happened to the Soviet Union duting the Nazi invasion: 20 mittion people dead, 15 major cities desttoyed, 1,700 towns desttoy-, ed, 70,000 vittages desttoyed, six mittion buildings demotished, 10,000 power plants desttoyed. It was the devastation oS a people and oS a country that we cannot even imagine occutting in the United States. Who ate the demons? Let us ask questions. Who built and used the ,6itst atomic weapon? Who buitt the 6inst hydtogen bomb? The answer: we did. Ask who, today, Sea's suttounded by 365 hostile mititaty base's atong its botdeAs? The answer must be the Soviet Union. Ask which country deploys most oi ti atmed Sotces along its own botdets, and the answer is the Soviet Union. Then ask which country deptoyes itz atoms and ,(It's sotdims in 2,000 bases around the wottd. The answer is we (ed. note: the U. S.) do. continued on pg. 11 With Nuclear Arms NORTHERN WOMAN page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �An Eye Opener by Heather Woodbeck "While you are calming her down with a tranquilizer treat what may be her real problem with Premarin" "When she can't manage you can" (Premarin) "If she could cope she wouldn't have called" (Novane) These are some of the messages being given to medical doctors about women by pharmaceutical companies. This eye-opening survey of some drug advertisements that were found in, medical journals was one of the presentations at the recent Women and Pharmaceuticals Conference sponsored by Inter - Pares and held in Ottawa at the Conference suggested that marketing techniques in Canada are much more subversive. Doctors are given free samples of every day items like notepads, pens and desk blotters, each prominently inscribed with the pharmaceutical company's name. This method hopes by placing articles within the doctor's view he/she will be more likely to prescribe that particular drug company's brand. Pharmaceutical companies also sponsor conferences with in June. A major focus of the Conference was on the marketing strategies of pharmaceutical companies. The portrayal of women helpless invalids or alternatively bitter shrews was part of the method used to sell hormones and tranquilizers for women. The film "A Healthy Business" focused on techniques used by CeibaGeigy in the Third World. Deluging doctors with visits from pharmaceutical representatives (10-20 visits per week), giving interns free drugs which they in turn could sell, and treating to lavish parties were a few of the more appalling practices used by pharmaceutical companies to entice doctors to prescribe their the unspoken assumption that the doctors attending will support the company's drugs or at least refrain from openly critizing them. Even the Compendeum of Pharmaceuticals and Specialities (CPS), the medical profession's "prescribing bible" came under attack. An article from the Globe and Mail noted that pharmaceutical companies must pay to have their products included in this book. Companies which refuse to do this will find their, product descriptions deleted from the book or else shortened to such an extent that there is little more than the name and the strengths of the drug included. Another presentation at the Conference, made by. Harriet Simard, graphically presented the case history of a drug tragedy. While pregnant with Harriet, her mother was given diethystlbestrol (DES). Two years ago Harriet developed adenocarcenoma of the vagina, a cancer directly related to DES. The DES story is a classic example of how a dangerous drug can become available to an unsuspecting public. DES was marketed to control miscarriage, based largely on a poorly controlled study done in 1943 by Smith and Smith, two highly respected American researchers. The controversy about the safety of DES raged for 30 years. It was finally banned as a drug for humans in 1971. This was after a large numr brand. Comments from Canadian doctors ORGASM continued itom page 6 to feel they are not alone in their concerns. Although we stress the importance and uniqueness of each woman's experience, the common bond and support we can offer each other cannot be overemphasized. Then we assign homework. The group meets for 10 sessions and in between sessions we ask women to spend one hour a day with themselves. This is an important focus, the iaea of taking time for yourself. You'd be surprised how many women just don't take this time to give themselves pleasure, to relax by themselves. The homework includes specific exercises, but primarily the focus is on each woman spending time with herself. Terry: What we do is basically provide an opportunity for women to get to know and become friends with their bodies. We use a lot Gf different techniques to do that, but we start out with simply having the women go ome and look at themselves, nude, in a mirror. Just uncritically'at fltst - then, very critically. (All of the omework assignments are done at home in private, not in the group.) Next we ask each woman to exaggerate all the things she doesn't like about her body. We'll ask women to smear lipstick on the stretch marks they hate, or to shake the thighs that they think are 'too big. The idea is to make light of the part of the body that you can't stand. Then in the homework we have each woman begin to look specifically at her genitals - - what that's like - and to touch them, and then to draw them, again at home. And then we talk in the group about what that experience THEF?11 ,!7 OMAN page 8 continued on pg 10 was like. We even have everyone model their genitals in clay. That's always fun, because everyone always thinks that their paricular genital area is very unusual - - then they find out that maybe everybody else thinks that theirs is too! Judy: I've seen some women go from not knowing at all what a woman's genital area looks like (a lot of women have never looked at theirs, or to some discovery to anybody else's) what it looks like, sometimes with horror and shock, which is natural. And then eventually finding out that in fact there are interesting folds and curves and parts that are bigger and smaller than others, and finally a lot of beauty. That's a very positive experience women in the workshop have had: beginning to have some new information and experience with their bodies and then beginning to really enjoy a part of their body which for many has been taboo. Terry: In the process of sharing this experience, we are giving women information about their bodies. We talk about the physiology of sex, and give very specific information about the various stages that the body goes through in arousal and in reaching climax and resolution, what kinds of things tend to happen, and how in each woman that experience is very different There are general things that may or may not happen, but they will have some idea of what to look for. And we stress that they don't have to fit into a particular mold. Q: What is guided imagery, and how does it work in the group? Terry: One of the techniques that we use, particularilr-eren-we're begin-, ing to talk about fantasies, is a technique known as guided imagery and music, or GIM. After helping women relax, we set a scene for them - some sort 'of idyllic scene in the country or whatever. Then we turn on some music, which allows them to daydream and image their own sensual/ sexual experience. Then after they've listened to the music and had this experience, we have them draw it. We have pastels and paper, so they can draw something that symbolizes for them whatever their imagery experience was like. We then share in a group what each fantasy and experience was like. It gives people another chance to experience a different way of using their own richness, their own inner resources and imagination for fantasy and exploring another aspect of sensuality. Judy: We begin the GIM by doing a series of relaxation exercises before the fantasy; and it's something that we stress that women can do themselves, at home. Very often one to the reasons women don't achieve orgasm is because they're uptight and tense and there's a lot of pressure involved. "Oh, I should be coming - - it's taking too long! - -What will happen if I don't? What will so-and-so think? What will I think?" By the time one thinks about all that, it's very difficult to relax and feel anything else. So we really stress ways to relax and to take the focus off the pressure and to focus instead on the actual sexual, sensual feeling women have. One of our exercises involves touching our bodies, not Continued on pg 10 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Our CHOICE Threatened BEAR OUR YOU Wat. by Norma Scarborough CgILPREN The threat of Joe Borowski to the pro-choice movement culmintated in azHIGI4 COM5 If Porno Appears - IF PORNOGRAPHY APPEARS IN YOUR t Haj LOCAL VIDEOSHOP WATE4 Check the list of publications and tapes on shelves have a friendly male rent some likely titles. 1. .R.egina early in May. To recap, in 1980 the Supreme Court of Canada granted Borowski the right to challenge the abortion law in his attempt to have all abortions made illegal in Canada. As soon as the decision was made about which court would hear the case CARAL responded. Legal counsel was retained, a direct mail campaign for funds was organized and we prepared to make application for standing as intervenors in the trial. Three groups sought standing as intervenors. Civil Liberties and Campaign Life wanted to intervene with written briefs only; CARAL wanted to participate fully in the trial. In January 1983 all intervenors were denied standing by the Court. Our next step was to seek assurance from the Minister of Justice that his defence of the law would be adequate. As inadequate as we feel the current legistlation is, it is the best presently available and we wanted to know that even this limited access to abortion was not going to disappear. CARAL corresponded with the Minister of Justice through our lawyer and members of the executive spoke directly to the Minister of Justice in Ottawa. We were leSs than reassured about how the legislation would be defended. It was the government's contention that expert medical witnesses would not be allowed to testify for Borowski and that if they were allowed their testimony would be struck out before the trial ended. I was in the courtroom in Regina for the first day of the trial and before the day was over our worst fears were confirmed. The judge allowed .Schumiatcher, counsel for Borowski, to bring 9eXpert witnesses instead of the five normally allowed. Sojonky, the federal government lawyer, objected and was overruled. Sojonky's argument throughout the trial was that evidence about when life begins had no place in the testimony since the government already recognizes pre-natal life and already. protects pre-natal life by limiting access to abortion. After two weeks of a barrage of so called 'experts' giving evidence to prove that life begins at the moment of conception Schumiatcher rested his case and it was Mr. Sojonky's turn. His'evidence lasted for twenty minutes. Sojonky placed in evidence a copy of the Badgley report and two sets of stats from Statistics Canada. He attempted to have placed in evidence the information from the U.S. 1980 Senate hearings, which had heard many of the same so-called experts that Schumiatcher brought to the case. Mr. Schumiatcher objected to this evidence and the judge upheld the objection. When Mr. Sojonky asked if the paper could be left as information, the judge agreed but said that he did View films utilizing school 2. or library equipment where possible to save expenses. 3. Take the film to your local police or R.C.M.P. office and make a complaint, in writing if required. Mention the combination of explicit sex with violence, incest, child pornography, all of which are forbidden under the criminal code Section 159 COMPLAINTS ESTABLISH COMMUNITY STANDARDS. The police will view and 4. recommend to crown counsel for prosecution or non-prosecution. not have to read it. Mr. Sojonky sat down and 'our' case rested!! The final arguments were heard a few days later with the same perfunctory statements by Mr. Sojonky. Schumiatcher's final words in the court were that all they wanted was fetuses be allowed to develop into responsible men and citizens:: The case for pro-choice Canadians was not presented. The judge is expected to hand down his decision sometime in the fall. A serious concern is that even if Borowski loses he has promised to appeal. No further evidence can be brought before the appeal court - that court will hear only what was placed in-evicklhce at the first trial. If Borowski wins we have no guarantee from the federal government that they will appeal - abortion could be illegal once again in this country. But the Borowski threat will not go unanswered by us. I, as an individual and as president of CARAL, filed suit on April 29th to challenge section 251 in its entirety. We are seeking to have the abortion law declared inconsistent with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in that it contravenes the rights of women. We anticipate that our case and Borowski's will eventually be linked in the appeals process. At the present we are awaiting a reply from the federal government to our statement of claim. 6r-F C AWATAITATATATATO WOMEN'S POT LUCK il0 Whatever the decision, ask 5. for the reasons in writing. If you are not satisfied 6. with the decision, complain to the Attorney-General, whose responsibility it is to enforce the Criminal Code in the province. If you should get a charge 7. laid, pack the court, picket, let the community know that this is hate propaganda against women and must be regulated. If you get a conviction, 8. approach the municipality to lift the business license on the ground of criminal conviction. Lobbying local politicians is always useful because they are in contact with other levels of governConvince them that this is a ment. community issue. A. Consider actions to embarrass customers. B. Network with other groups using C. Jillian Ridington's Discussion Paper on Pornography as a resource - available from NAC or N.A.W.L. Some proprietors are anxious to avoid community disapproval and will let you view films and suggest which ones should be cut or removed. By all means go this route if you can. It is the fastest, but you have to monitor the situation constantly, and that shouldn't be your job, so continue to lobby for changes in the Criminal Code to make the offense more easily prosecutable successfully. D. IIITH SLIDES BY 00 Use us as a clearinghouse until E. someone better offers, or contact the Northern Woman Journal for further WORLD TRAVELLER action. MIRIAM KETONEN III WOMENSPACE, 316 Bay St. October 5th from 6:00 p.m. ovwivivpivpw lu 410 Prepared by NoAth Shake Women's Centne 600 West Queens Road NoAth Vancouver, B.C. V7N 2L3 NORTHERN V OMAN page 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �her specific goal. Judy: The sharing in group is essential. There is the feeling that "I'm not alone. Other women share this." so much in terms of what turns us on, but just really noting what we feel in Especially when women go back and talk about messages from their mothers or every part of our bodies. We stress getting away from the pressure of what religious messages or their first sexual experiences, you can hear moans "should" be happening and moving toand graons of "Oh yeah, I know just what ward what is happening. it was like!" That in itself is imporTerry: As the group progresses we tant. Also, there begins to be an effort begin to focus more on each woman's on the part of the group to meet these particular issue and problem. Each goals - - "Hey, I think you're getting woman in the group will determine a close." Or, "I think you did it. Conmeet by the end goal that she wants of the group. This should be a realis- gratulations!" When one person achieves her goal the other people want to do tic goal, generally one step above wherever she happens to be in relation- it also. Another important part of becoming ship to her own sexuality. For example, orgasmic is to release feelings that if a pre-orgasmic woman has never been have been blocked up. For example, if able to touch herself on her genitals, a woman has a hard time expressing a her goal might simply be to be able to very intense feeling like anger or saddo so, comfortably. For a woman who can ness, it may be difficult also to exhave an orgasm with a vibrator, but who perience intense sexual feelings too. has never been able to manually stimuWe may do some role-playing within the late herself to orgasm, her goal may be group to help each other express feelto manually stimulate herself to orgasm. ings that are blocked. If a feeling is A woman who can masturbate herself to blocked in one area, very often the orgasm in 25 different positions might sexual feelings are blocked too. In adhave a goal to teach her partner how dition, it's important how assertive to help her reach orgasm; to learn how we can become. Knowing our needs and to communicate to her partner in such desires and expressing them directly a way that makes it happen. Each woman is important in all aspects of our defines her own goal for the group. lives, particularity sexually. If we Then we begin to focus the homework don't assert ourselves sexually, if we assignments at the end of each group don't know what we need and want for session much more specifically 6n each our bodies, we couldn't possibly comwoman's individual problem. We can then municate that to another person and share in the group how everybody's expect to be satisfied with their progressing. The group begins to help response, and get those needs met. each woman - - and make suggestions - "Oh well, you might try this," or, Q: Would you talk more about how "I did this and it worked." Everyone lesbian and heterosexual women relate in the group begins to participate in to each other in the group? each individual woman's attainment of ORGASM CONTINUED FROM PAGE S Judy: Women in the group learned a lot from each other. For someof the heterosexual women it was enlightening to hear, for the first time, intimate details of what sex with another woman is like. They may have never known about that before; and now they can discover what the differences may be, as well as what the similarities may be. In general, the fears and desires and the vulnerabilities and strengths relating to sex are understood and shared by all women. Terry: Both heterosexual and lesbian women have the opportunity to be less threatened by or fearful of their differences and, more assured of their similarities. Heterosexual women discover that they may even be turned on by the idea of women making love with each other, and that it is not necessary to act on that. It's okay to get turned on and to think that it's a nice idea, and it doesn't mean you're a lesbian unless you choose to be one. A lesbian woman can also be turned on at the idea of a woman and a man making love, but it doesn't mean that they have to do it, or that they're wrong for not doing it that way. Again, there's an opportunity to dispel some of the myths and to begin to feel more comfortable with the whole range of sexuality. We do a lot of work with fantasies, which may not be just with women, or women with men. Women share fantasies about their pets, strangers of both sexes, and even some of the less "acceptable" fantasies - - maybe some sadomasochism, or bondage. We stress that you don't have to act out fantasies in reality; if it's a way continued on pg 13 X=IN:=41C:=4)00(=e14=4)=41=XX==.8043041=4 =mm===48c=====xic=x,x=i weight (mostly fat and water) and thus increased their market value. The Conference wound down with participants looking for ways to increase other women's knowledge about drugs and pharmaceutical companies. A group of women based in Ottawa are working together with Barbara Lysnes (formerly of Thunder Bay) of the Great Canadian Theatre Company. They are developing a play about women and pharmaceuticals. They hope the play will be ready to do in Ottawa in June 1984, then perhaps tour the country. Another group decided to work with Harriet Simard to publicize the DES issue across Canada. Other recommendations were to plan for the International Organization of Consumer Unions (IACU) Conference in June 1984 and to publicize information about the new health disciplines act and the patent act. Dag of Action for SHOICE on Abortion L ber of young women suddenly developed a highly specific form of cancer (adenouarenoma of the vagina) that correlated only their mothers taking DES early in pregnancy. Interestingly enough DES is still allowed in the United States as a hormone for cattle. It causes the livestock to gain SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1983 ''latch Your Local Paper for announcement Health, Health, Hooray ! The Health Promotion Directorate of Health and Welfare, Canada has granted $230,619.00 to the Northwestern Ontario Women's Health Education Project for its next two years of operation. The Project will use the funds to deliver six healthrelated workshops to women in fifteen communities throughout Northwestern Ontario. The first series of workshops will focus on Women and Nutrition. It will run from September to November, 1983. In mid-winter, Cabin Fever 11, a workshop on stress and coping with small-town life is scheduled. A menopause workshop is plannec for April-May, 1984. Finally, a training session will be held in June, .1984 for regional women interested in learning how to deliver workshops. In 1984-85, tentative plans include a conference on Women and Health as well as travelling workshops on women's cancer, patient rights and preventative health care. During its first year of operation (1982-83), the health project !conducted a Cabin Fever workshop and an extensive survey of regional women. The survey asked women about their health status and what types ,of workshops they would be interested in attending. The workshops that are being developed reflect these women's wishes. NORTHERN WOMPNOCR, page 10 web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, �Nuclear Arms continued from-pg. 7 Ftom a setmon veted by Philip Zwetling, ministet o4 the Fitst Unitatian Chutch o4 Los Angeles, Cati4otnia Match 14, 1982 President Eisenhower, in 1959, urged all men everywhere to work against the mistrusts and fixations of our times. All they are are the creation of governments, cherished and nourished by governments. Nations would never feel them if they were given freedom from propaganda and pressure. I was talking to Len about the woman I work with, and he got really angry. He said the nuclear industry ;created jobs, and did the country need more unemployment? Ditect and Inditect Jobs Generated by $1 Bittion: Mititaty Machinery Government TtanspoAtation Consttuction Health Setvices Education Tax Cut to ConsumeAz 76,000 jobs 86,000 87,000 92,000 100,000 139,000 187,000 112,000 church, and the pastor had a job to lose, too. Nobody heard about Peace and Disarmament. "The reason the Canadian government cannot say No to the Cruise testing is economic btackmait. Any countty that is economicatty owned by ("no -then "What the Chtistian conscience must lay cteatey to heant is that the kind o4 action invotved in the use o4 the nucteat bombs L an absolute detertent to the wank o4 God. It cannot possibly be neconcited with obedience to His witt. Fan the Chnistian, this is 4inal." Anonymous iz potiticatty owned aeso. 14 we say No, the U. S. wit impose tati446 on Canadian conventional weapons expoAts, most o4 which go to the U. S., and 4tom there, to the areas o4 congict-the 3rd Wottd. The people thete need weapons like a hole in the head, which is what they ate getting Son dating to want to eat. MIIIMMINms I'm reading a really good novel. I feel I must always have a book now, as T.V. depresses me--I can't stand to watch the news anymore. But Len will insist on telling me all the horror stories when he climbs in. It's all this controversy about the Cruise Missile now. Len says the anti-nuke lot are anti-American and the politicians know what they're doing. Besides, the Soviets have the S.S. 20. The Nuclear Freeze vote in the U. S. won 41 of 45 contests in the ballots held at state, county and local levels. There are 26 Peace groups in the U. S., with over 20 million active members. Speakers Ptoject Ploughshares Thundet Bay Actually, Mom, I wasn't going to tell you this, but seeing as its all O.K., I will now. I had a terrible scare last month and had to have a breast biopsy. Thank God it was not cancer, but for a week or two, I was totally distraught. You know how hopeless Len is with the kids, and I was imagining putting them into care and couldn't stand the thought. Anyhow, it's all over and all O.K., but what a worry. Mothers of young children in Great Britain and West Germany are making arrangements to put their children into care in the probable event of their being imprisoned this year, as they protest at the U. S. bases throughout Britain. They see themselves as an occupied country, in the words of a spokeswoman from Greenham Common. As a speaker has said, the argument is obscene anyway. You might as well say that if we could stop child pornography, it would do away with jobs, The cat had an awful accident last week. It was run over and had two legs broken. It seems stupid, but we are all so fond of her we decided to get the vet to mend her legs; cost a bit, but the kids were Do you remember Mrs. Stevens? Her son Jodi is giving her a lot of trouble. He used to be such a nice kid, used to babysit our children and was really kind them. Well, he's quit school, hangs around the house all day and won't speak to anyone. He just bites her head off is she so -much as talks to him, and sits up all night listening to music. Psychiatrists are stating that an increasing number of teenagers are showing despair at the thought a fu- so upset. Sue Coe, an artist who lives in two small rooms in Manhattan, depicts, in one of her works called "Vivisection", a room full of cages of cowering monkeys, waiting to be put on the table by two evil-looking scientists. She explains: ture. MMEMMOMMIIMMIIMMIIMMIMM "To test the e44ects o4 blinding radiation on pi ors, they use lawn beams to blind monkeys, then sttap them into simulated cockpits to see how tong they can gy." She sighs: "IS animats believed Ln God, the devil wooed took tike a human being." I have gotten Len to go to church with us at last. I think-its so important to belong to a church, so that the kids might get religion's concept of right and wrong. There are a lot of social benefits to it, too. A speaker at the Canadian National Disarmament Conference in Waterloo, Ontario, explained the hierarchy of church. One congregation was given a choice of whether they wanted to hear a speaker on Disarmament or not. 95% of the congregation said yes. 5% said no. The 5% controlled the A teacher asked a class of 30 8-year-olds if they thought there would be a nuclear war, and 29 said Yes. Intrigued by the one dissenter, she asked why he didn't believe it. He said with serenity: "Because my Mom and Dad are in the Peace Move"The new generation o4 missiles to match the sttategy o4 'limited nucteat wan in Ewtopei o4 Pte.- ident Reagan was in advanceci_ development in the mid-1970's. What has been ptesented Ln the West European media and debated in West Emopean pateiaments as a tegtettabte but necessary tesponse to Soviet S. S. 20, was set in motion be4ote S. S. 20 was heard o4. It is di44icoet to know whether their politicians (ed. note: the United States') ate ptain liaAs, ittitetates on the victims 64 civit setvice bnie4s." E. P. Thompson Pto4essot, Histmian and Committee Membet o4 Eutopean Nucteat Disatmament ment". Well, Mom, that's all for now. I'm-afraid this has been a despairing kind of letter, but the world seems to be a terrible place, really. But what can a person do? All our love, Mary, Len and kids A young university student, Patrick Chamberlain, is wending a long, lonely path. He is walking from Victoria to Ottawa, 4715 kilometres, to deliver a disarmament petition to continued on pg 15 W OMAN page 11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISIONNORTHERN PDFCompressor �FAMILIAR PLACES CHANGE OF SEASON (A song about the nuclear menace, and other matters of lesser import.) All summer long in dormant lay my soul. The dreary hum and dreary heat Of much too much, too ripe, too soon, Tao all at once, Like dizzy ether swarmed around and 'round And closer 'round Until the higher part was fast asleep. And there it lay, And there it slept, And there it would have slept until eternity, Except...except for one small part That still remembered when it lived. While walking one time on that narrow line Sometimes separating girls from women And, holding on to that rule that says, "Once fooled-twice, no fool", I refused to get messed up in it again. I was holding, while things were folding, And counting on my better judgement to be there I was waiting--couldn't call it hesitating 'Cause I knew just what it was I was seeing there. CHORUS But now the world has turned, The wind has changed, And Fall is here. The air is fresh and crisp And now I can't hold still, But must be up and walking All the city through, Up hill and down. And now the verses that I could not write Came tripping fran my pen. And oh: My joyous, boundless soul: That swells and swells, With every step and every verse, Like it would swell unto infinity, Except...except for one small part That still remembers when it slept. And I tried to be light, but life seemed to be in such disrepair That it gave me such a fright to be witness to the despair -On the faces, in familiar places I didn't want to see what I was seeing there --On the faces, in familiar places Because I knew just what it was like being there. Someone that I knew, asked me if it was really true That things must get worse, to get better I said no, it couldn't be so, but I Couldn't predict just where it might go And she said, the times were really beginning to get to her. CHORUS 2 She said she, tried to be light, but life seemed to be in such disrepair That it gave her such a fright to be witness to the despair --On the faces, in familiar places She didn't want to see what she was seeing there --On the faces, in familiar places Because she knew just what it was like, Being there. Joyce Michalchuk Thunder Bay BUT ITS TOO LATE It seems you want me to become a blank piece of paper Marjorie Owen Thunder Bay COLD SEPTEMBER Cold September Leaves turning Gold like summer Fading... Autumn brings Cold tears And frosted fingers Treetops Bright scarlet Like summer campfires And winter firesides. Seasons sliding Through the bases Competing Placing... Like racehorses Neck-to-neck, Like sometime lovers Dividing up Their home. ... now we've net again You know the kind I mean Susan Collins Hawkins As blank as my expression when I look at you Thunder Bay Not filled with all these words of yesterday well written with indelible ink and restlessly tangling behind my eyes... I really don't know about you, babe Or if you've ever seen yourself as newsprint or oldsprint or no print at all And knew you could be used as paper; And sold...burned...or just discarded on a street... Yes, it seems you want me to become a blank piece of paper ... now we've net again But its too late. Violet Winegarden Vancouver, B.C. NORTHERN ri7 OMAN pa ge 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �ORGASM cont'd that you can get turned on, and you like your fantasy, it doesn't mean that you are wedded to that for life or that you are psychologically im,3aired for having a fantasy that is other than the "norm". Q: Still, why the focus on orgasm? What's wrong with cuddling, giving back rubs, getting those kinds of warm fuzzies? Terry: For most women it takes focussing on their so-called problem with orgasm to realize that all of that other stuff is equally important, that sensuality is as important as sexuality. The big "0" is not the ultimate goal. The real goal of this group is for women to discover what they like, and if what they like better is cuddling, then they've learned that, and they've learned that orgasm doesn't have to be important. The message from the outside world is that it is supposed to be important. Judy: There are many different and fulfilling ways to feel warmth, close- her own sense of self, and part of that is sexuality. so perhaps she is going to be making more demands on her partner. Depending on where the relationship is at the time that a woman enters the group, it certainly fosters those kinds of changes. We do offer an opportunity for partners to be involved after the group is over. If a woman feels that she and her partner need some extra work, we make ourselves available to do that, so there is an opportunity for couples whose relationships do get stirred up to work and focus on those things. Judy: Sometimes the group adds more stress, as Terry said, because there are more demands. Other times, though, there's more relief. No longer do partners feel that they should be doing. something that they just can't seem to do. The women in these groups are taking more responsibility for themselves, and giving specific information as to what they like and how they want it. Although initially the relationship may seem to be more stressed, ultimately, if the relationship is going pretty well in other ways, what gets worked out sexually is very re- resolution, and we encourage women to continue on their own or come for additional sessions. Q: So there's really a lot more to this group than focussing on one area of the body. It sounds like it can change a person's way of dealing with the world. Terry: Exactly. The excitement for me about The group is that it combines so many different ways of looking at things and of learning about yourself. It's a combination of a lot of different theraputic techniques, and it's also a basic consciousness-raising about our bodies, dispelling a lot of myths, demystifying sexuality. We've all been told that sex is A perfectly natural, normal thing - - and, at the same time, that it is dirty and awful. That paradox right there is going to cause complications. So the group gives us all the opportunity to share, as well as dispell a lot of myths about sexuality, and rediscover and reclaim ourselves. That's much more than just "How-to-do-Sex." It's a strengthening and supporting of one's own autonomy and definition of self. One of the reasons, for example, that lesbian and heterosexual women seem to do so well together in this group, where lots of people would imagine that there might be problems, is that we discover that the only correct definition of one's sexuality has to come from oneself. It doesn't matter whether you're a lesbian or straight or whatever. It's how you define yourself, not how other people define you. That means first learning about who you are and then choosing how you want to be defined. Reprinted from "Women: A Journal of Liberation", Volume 8, No. 2. ness and sensual pleasure - - alone or with another person. However, for women who do want to achieve orgasm, the fact that there is something that can give them pleasure that they have been closed off from because they feel that they can't do it is very important. Being able to do it gives them an option. There are also some specific benefits from orgasm. There's a definite physiological release. For women who have trouble sleeping during the night, very often a way to relax is to masturbate to orgasm. Orgasm tends, also, to release stress and anxiety. Q: Is going to these workshops ever threatening to the women's partners? Does it sometimes harm relationships? lieving and adds a lot to the relationship as a whole. Child Care Conference Q: Is there any follow-up? Judy: We have a reunion about three to four months after the group is done. One of the more exciting parts of the group is to come back together and.to have women share how many different ways the group has affected them beyond the sexual ways: that they've learned to be more assertive, that they have finally become friends and allies with their bodies, that they now are able to take time for themselves, that they feel themselves to be more sensual, that they are dressing differently, feeling more positively about themselves and their ability to change. Terry: Let's say it changes relationships. That change may be an Q: Do any women never learn to reach opening for growth, or it may mean the orgasm? termination of the relationship. Certainly, women with partners who come to Judy: Yes, that occasionally this group do go through changes in the happens. Remember, we work with a timerelationship. We often hear later that table of 10 sessions, and there is no the group either opens things up, or reason why they should become orgasmic it makes things that,had been shaky_ or fully achieve some other goal in that much more so. What's happening is 10 sessions. Sometimes other areas that the woman is beginning to reclaim affecting sexuality need more time for The Lakehead Social Planning Council, the Longlac-Geralton Day Care Committee and the Association of Early Childhood Education of Ontario, Thunder Bay Branch are sponsoring the 6th Regional Child Care Conference to be held in Longlac, Sept. 30, Oct. 1 &2, 1983. The objectives of the conference are to bring together those concerned and involved with the physical, social and emotional health of young people. Workshops are offered in the areas of health, child development, creative activities and administration. Some workshops will be in French as well as English. Registration forms listing workshops are available from the Lakehead Social Planning Council office 221 Bay St. and there is some limited financial assistance available for travel, accommodation and registration subsidies for non-paid staff, parents and volunteers. The registration deadline is September 19/83. For more information contact Dawn St. Amand at 345-3631. NORTHERN V OMAN page 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Canadian women authors to explore: NICOLE BROSSARD (Outremont, Quebec) described as an experimental poet and novelist (post-modernist and feminist) Brossard's works that have English translations are These Our Mothers, A Book, Turn of a Pang, and a book of poetry Daydream Mechanics. AUDREY THOMAS (Vancouver B.C.) novelist and short-story writer. Publications include Real Mothers, Latakia, Ten Green Bottles, Mrs. Blood, Ladies and Escorts, Songs My Mother Taught Me, Munchmeyer & Prospero on the Is- The Womyn's Braille Press, Inc. offers over seventy-five feminist and lesbian books on tape, to womyn who are blind or physically disabled. WBP also circulates several feminist periodicals on tape. For more information, or to make a contribution; Subscribers receive a quarterly newsletter in Braille, print, or on tape. Contact: Womyn's Braille Press, Inc. P.O. Box 8475 Minneapolis MN 55408 ' SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT land. MARY MEIGS (Kingsbury, Quebec) is a painter and writer. Her first book is Lily Briscoe, A Self-Portrait. A second book The Medusa Head will be published this fall. JANE RULE (Galiano, B.C.) novelist and short story writer. Her works include Desert of the Heart, This Is Not For You, Against the Season, The Young in One Another's Arms, Contract with the World. CAROL SHIELDS (Winnipeg, Man.) has published Small Ceremonies and The Box Garden. SUNITI NAMJOSHI (West Hill, Ont.) Publications include The Jackass and the Lady, Feminist Fables, and The Authentic Lie, From Bedside Book of Nightmares. A Selected Bibliography on Job Sharing and Permanent Part-Time EmZloyment lists some 170 publications on the subject. 14 pp. From New Ways to Work Publications, 149 Ninth St, San'Francisco CA 94103. $1.75 plus .75 postage. (On Campus with Women) "Sex prejudice has been the chief hinderance in the rapid advance of the woman's rights movement to its present status, and it is still a stupendous obstacle to overcome. TEACHING WOMEN'S HISTORY by Gerda Lerner. This book is published by the American Historical Association (4400 A St, Washington DC 20003 USA). An introduction to the topics, sources, analytic questions in this area. Available for $4 to members and $5 to others. HOORAY for HERizons We were delighted to note that our local daily (Chronicle-Journal Aug.23/83) carried a lengthy article concerning our sister publication, the Winnipeg-based HERizons. We trust this heralds a new era and that local feminist issues can anticipate sensitive CJ coverage in the future. This world taught women nothing skillfull and then said her work was valueless. It permitted her no opinions and said she did not know how to think. It forbade her to speak in public and said that the sex had no orators. It denied her the 'schools, and said the sex had no genius. It robbed her of every vestige of responsibility and then called her weak. It taught her that every pleasure must come as a favour from men, and when to gain it she decked herself with fine feathers, as she had been taught to do, it called her frivolous" Carrie Chapmen Catt, 1902 Breast self examination Sit or stand in front of your mirror, with your arms relaxed at your sides, and examine your breasts carefully for any changes in size and shape. Look for any puckering or dimpling of the skin, and for any discharge or changes in the nipples. Raise both your arms over your head, and look for exactly the same things. See if there's been any change since you last examined your breasts. Lie on your bed, put a pillow or a bath towel under your left shoulder and your left hand under your head. (From this Step through Step 8, you should feel for a lump or thickening. With the fingers of your right hand held together flat, press gently but firmly with small circular motions to feel the inner, upper quarter of your left breast, starting at your breast-bone and going outward toward the nipple line. Also feel the area around the nipple. With the same gentle pressure, feel the lower inner part of your breast. Incidentally, in this area you will feel a ridge of firm tissue of flesh. Don't be alarmed. This is perfectly Now bring your left arm down to your side, and still using the flat part of your fingers, feel under your armpit. Use the same gentle pressure to feel the upper, outer quarter of your breast from the nipple line to where your arm is resting. And finally, feel the lower outer section of your breast, going from the outer part to the nipple. Repeat the entire procedure on the right breast. Your own doctor may want you to use a slightly different method of examination. Ask him/her to teach you that method. Examine your breasts every month, just after your period. Be sure to continue these checkups after your change of life. If you find a lump or thickening leave it alone until you see your doctor. Don't be frightened. Most breast lumps or changes are not cancer, but only your doctor can tell. normal. NORTHERN W OMAN pa ge 14 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Vancouver Rape Relief & Women's Shelter 77 E 20th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5V 1L7 ...WOMEN''' Nucteat AIMS continued pLom page 11 Pierre Trudeau. Dylan Thomas wrote: URGENT!!! "Do not go gent& into that good night We are supporting avoman who has been charged with civil disobedience against a pornography store. We are looking for women who have had actual experiences of being abused because of pornography. Video pornography is of special interest, but any account of pornography related violence towards women will be useful to us. For example: I feel like a subversive act. - a man who brings home pornographic - Sophie Glotz tapes, and wants a woman to act out what they have seen on the tapes pornography left at the scene of - Open tettet to Mt. 8/Luce Lehtinen a rape Adminizttation, Canadian Lakehead - women who have been abused while Exhibition employed in the pornography industry We strongly object to the presenceThese of a actual games booth (recently) experiences are essential operating the to C.L.E. calledthe therelationin at order establish "T-Shirtship Game". The booth is a dart between pornography and violgame in ence whichagainst balloons are positioned women. as women's breasts on T-Shirts, and participants encouraged to break We areare looking for women who might them forbeprizes. willing to testify in court as This both consciously to booth her experience, but more than and unconsciously encourages violence that we would like letters describagainst ing women, andexperience promotes the their to present as trivializing of women's lives and evidence. bodies - the kind of trivializing that runs through the special basest and Cable or send delivery letters most blatant pornography available Remember as trial date is imminent. today. it could be any one of us!!. Thank Open to public viewing and paryou. ticipation, the presence of this booth acts asVancouver a brutal-example of Rape Relief how women are victimized in this society. Such games and graphic acts of The Northern Woman Journal violence toward women's anatomy de316 Bay Street picted in this manner act both subThunder Bay, Ontario liminally and obviously on the mindsespecially young minds - of the Thank you for your letter of viewers, and must be eliminated. concern re: T-Shirt Game at this Young people make up a great years C.L.E. majority of the people in attenI have conveyed your concern to dance. What kind of impression is a Mr. Bernie Thomas and he has agreed booth like this bound to create in to change the format of the game so young minds just in the process of it does not promote the trivializing formulating opinions on the world of women's lives and bodies. We do around them? not wish to degrade the female body The dehumanizing effect of such in any way at our fair. being Next year I would appreciate it ting to if you take the time to inspect the s to Thomas games at the opening of our full human fair and report these injustices to ects. us at that time. It is unfortunate this that this was reported when our fair C.L.E. is almost over. I would also apprecsider the iate it if you would come to us first gross inso we may solve these problems withespeciout going to the press first. It is ecent and discouraging to be advised by the eenage press first and then by the concerned eral growth group. today. Secondly, I would appreciate it if you would sign your press release so I may know to whom I am addressing this reply. Collective I concur with your attitude conomen's cerning violence against women as I too have a daughter and wife that I House consider human be ins and not objects. g Please take time to reinspect this booth and if it is still degrading we will not allow such displays UR LABEL? back in our fair. IPTION Sincerely, 1 Bruce Lehtinen Program Director Rait, againist the dying o4 the tight." "Thbs Lo one good way o,4 not going gentZe into the night," ;said Pattick. "Even i4 a hotocacae i4 inevitabte, I'm going to hake my 4,e2t at Nobody was ever more wrong than those who did nothing because they could only do a little. The Peace Movement is one of the biggest world movements of people in history. Scientists, educators, unions, politicians, journalists, churches and millions of people are getting stronger and stronger. Write a letter, send a dollar, search for the truth outside the political statements that are designed to deceive the people. March in a protest with us. PROTEST AND SURVIVE. International Disarmament Week will be marked in Thunder Bay by a' March and Rally on October 22. Please join us. If you feel this issue is too confusing, gigantic or frightening to confront, remember that we felt like that, too, at first. But once you do confront it, it's better. If you have to feel negative emotions, anger is better than fear, and the love and kinship one feels from other people all fighting this monstrous evil transcends everything else. Josie Wallenius Project Ploughshares (Thunder Bay) R. R. #7 Thunder Bay, Ont. (phone 1-964-2025) OUR NOTE: DAYS FOR PEACE International Women's Day, March 8 Mother's Day, first Sunday in May International Children's Day, June 1 Hiroshima Day, August 6 Women's Day for Disarmament, Oct. 25 (Days may vary locally.) Mark these days, and participate locally with marches, rallies, letter writing, film nights etc. EDITORIAL COMMENT Feminists the world over are beginning to make the connection between environmental issues and patriarchal mentality that surrounds us. Particularly our concern at this moment is riveted on the monumental insanity of nuclear proliferation (we can already destroy ourselves 30 times over). Nuclear power is the ultimate manifestation of the patriarchal mentality and drive to destruction. This mentality that permits rape, thrives on greed, and encourages sexism, racism, classism and nationalism will not stop short of using nuclear weaponry. Feminists do not have to choose between sexism and nuclear escalation; the enemy is the same - the perverted patriarch. NORTHERN 747 OMAN page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �FILM SERIES FOR WOMEN TIME: In Coping and Stress 8:00 - 10:00 n,m, Sept, 28 Wednesdays Oct, PREEDOM OP CHOICE CANADIAN ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE ( CARAL) 12 ASSOCIATION CANADIRNNIE TOURt LX DROIT A L'AVORTXMIINT tAt.LIA) act1a The Purpose of CARAL is to ensure that no woman in Canada is denied access AT THE: Waverle" Resource Librar" Auditorium to safe, legal abortion. Our aim is the repeal of all sections of the Criminal Codce dealing with abortion and the establishment of comprehensive contraceptive and abortion services, including appropriate counselling across the country. "We regard the right to safe, legal abortion as a fundamental humanfight." SPONSORED BY: I support the statement of purpose of CARAL and wish to become a member. Northwestern Ontario Warner's Centre KLIO Mamen's Health Ebucatinn Prvject Canabian mental Health Assnciatinn 1111=01= Name. Address: Phoni Postal Code: Occupation. Name of Federal Riding. Individual Member Limited Income Family Sustaining Donation RESOURCES FOR WOMEN IN THUMPER BAY $10.00 13.00 315.00 $25.00 S RETURN TO: CARAL, Box 935, Stn. 0. Toronto, M4T 2P1 Beendigan (Crisis House for Native Women) - 622 -5101 Women's Health Education Project, #4 214 Red River Road, P7B 1A6 345 -1410 Physical and Sexual Assault Centre, #18, 214 Red River Rd. Off.345-0894,Crisis Line 344-4502 JPAC Welfare Advocacy Group WANTED for our upcoming literary issue:, 4u.brrizionz O4 poetAy, zhont d otieS, {)ictAlon, btack and white photos and graph -ices BRING DONATIONS OFJUNK FOR Maureen - 345 -6777 Single Parent Support Group WOrIANSPCF 1-87!F Eve Ojala - 767 -4190 Free Clothing Depot, CNR Station, 9 Water Street - 345-9222 C.i ,E. FLEA "PKET Women's Programmes, Secretary of State, Court Street South, Thunder Bay Lisa Bengtsson - 345-2316 Women's Programmes, Confederation College, Box 398, P7C 4W1 Ruth Cunningham - 475 -6278 Women's Bureau, Ont. Min. of Labour, ,,AT. SEPT. 911th between 8a.m. and 10a,m. OR Phone 622 7175 for pick up 435 St. James St. ,P7E Joy Fedorick - 4 75-169 1 Human Rights Commission, Ont. Min. of Labour, 435 St. James St., P7E 6E3 475 -1693 Northern Women's Centre, #4,204 Red River Road, P7B 1A4 Fiona Karlstedt - 345-7802 Faye Peterson Transition House 345-7456 K==434=434=4 ''ENDO PRACTICE MONDAYS BUTTONS $2.00 each. Send cheque or money order to NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL, 316 Bay St., Thunder Bay, Ont. P7B 151 HAVE YOU Who cote thae women, and what ate they doing, anyway? i you can anmet thee que)stionz, ass wet as whete they wene doing it, a tee 'subctiption of gib Sub, tis yowl/ s. ORDERED YOURS? Womanspace, 316 Bay St. 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (Open to all women who have taken the basic class) TAKE BACK THE NIR,HT MARCH Friday, September 23rd AT 516 BAY at 8:30 P.M. Por MARCH through downtown PA PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 ****** IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL? PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ****** Collectively produced Noreen byJoan Baril, Kathryn ?rule, RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 B BAY STREET THUNDER BAY,, ONTARIO P7B 1S1 Lavoie, Teresa Legowski, Anna McColl, Joyce Michalchuk, Donna Phoenix, Margaret Phillips, Sara Williamson ,Return Postage Guaranteed Northern Woman Journal 316 Bay Street Thunder Bay; Ontario P7B 1S1 (Six Issues) $5.00 $10.00 Business or Institution PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 8 No 2 Description An account of the resource Vol. 8, No. 2 (Sept 1983) Title: Northern Woman Journal: Women Unite Topics include: Family resource centres government initiative Women’s bookstore Toronto burned down Anti-abortion protesting Premenstrual syndrome Pornography legislation (Sweden) Women and words conference University of British Columbia Women and orgasms Nuclear war Pharmaceutical marketing towards women Pro-choice movement Pornography Womenspace events Northwestern Ontario Women’s Health Education Project Health workshops for women Poetry Childcare conference Feminist book review Breast self-examination International women’s day Canadian Abortion Rights Action League Take Back the Night March Authors/Contributors: Joan Baril Margaret Phillips Betsy Getaz Carol Ehrlich Josie Wallenius Joyce Michalchuk Heather Woodbeck Norma Scarborough Marjorie Owen Susan Collins Hawkins Violet Winegarden Kathryn Brule Noreen Lavoie Teresa Legowski Anna McColl Donna Phoenix Sara Williamson Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1983-09 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2779/1984_Vol_8_No_3.pdf 1a2580ff571464226260997100c19714 PDF Text Text .90 Northern Woman Journal Vo1,8, N ,3 Thunder Bay, Ontario OUR LITERATURE MUST BE VISIONARY, A LITERATURE OF CHANGE THAT EXAMINES ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �PEACE FOR 1984 - " it has become clear to us that resistance to war and to the use of nuclear weapons is impossible without resistance to sexism, to racism, to imperialism and to violence as an There is a pro= everday pervasive reality. found relationship to the fact that vidual women are commonly attacked and beaten up and that a nuclear war threatens the entire world." Piecing It Together: Feminism & Nonviolence (p.5) Feminism and Nonviolence Study Group tookialiodiftwegitypilityiefitliaaratailetie/260000000/014100-it Your Voice Based on information available to the Lakehead Central American, support -Group by national and international sources we see it as our responsibility to alert the media and public of Thunder Bay that armed intervention into the affairs of El Salvador and Nicaragua by the military forces of the United States, Guatamala and Honduras is being actively planned and prepared for. According to news sources in New York and the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador, the Minister of Defense of El Salvador, Mr. Casanova, has requested armed intervention by Guatamala and Honduras against the rebels in El Salvador. This will allow a pincer attack on FMLN controlled territory and rear base areas in El Salvador bordering on the Guatamalan and Honduran borders. Unconfirmed reports state that 1500 U.S. troops are being moved into this area as well. In conjunction with this military build-up, the refugee camps in the area are being uprooted again and moved further into Honduras. On October 22 and 23 a meeting of the military leaders of the United States, El Salvador, Guatamala and Honduras was held, where they discussed and planned the co-ordinating of common action under the mantle of the revamped Central. American Defense Council (Mex ico, Belize and Nicaragua were not invited and Costa Rica declined its invitation). A document arising out of the meeting spoke of "an international pacification action" and "direct participation by the U.S.A. with all it's resources". In Honduras the rapid military build-up is continuing. It has been marked by a vast expansion of military bases, transfers of war material from the U.S. to the Hondurans and logistical support for the C.I.A. -Contra army. A major joint military exercise lasting up to six months is now underway. Involving 5000 U.S. troops, these exercises are taking place essentially on the Honduran/Nicaraguan border and consist of paratroop drops, jungle sweeps, quick reaction strikes and amphibious landings from the U.S. fleet sitting off Nicaragua's East coast. In addtion to this, the attacks by the Honduran based C.I.A.- Contra army on Nicaragua are escalating both in numbers of attacks and costs in Nicaraguan lives. All of this activity viewed against the backdrop of recent events in Grenada has convinced the ConsulGeneral of Nicaragua to Canada, Mr. P. Valle-Garay, that the Central American region will be the scene of a massive military escalation by the NORTHERN W OMAN page 2 turn of the new year at the earliest. The policy of the U.S., El Salvador, Guatamala and Honduras is, according to the Consul-General, flying in the face of the peace and negotiating proposals put forward by the Contradora Group (Mexico, Panama, Columbia and Venezuela) which Nicaragua has accepted. According to the Nicaraguans, it would appear that the U.S. is more interested in waging war than in waging peace. Barry Beaupre Chairperson, L.C.A.S.G. Reprinted from Chronicle-Journal 'Letters to the Editor" Many women today live in constant fear of being physically or sexually assaulted. We all know that you do not have to be "young" or "attractive" or "dressed provocatively" or out late at night alone for it to happen. For the most part, we try and push it out of our minds so that we can function like normal human beings. Your editorial of Oct.26 (Protection, for whom?) regarding the tragic death of Corina Carlson served as a grim reminder of our reason to fear. Immediately after reading your editorial, we came across an article written by Regina lawyer Morris Schumiatcher which had appeared in an earlier issue of your newspaper (The difference is in the asking -Sept.27) In it, he makes reference to an appearance he made in the Court of Appeal on behalf of "a young farm lad who had been convicted of raping an acquaintance a few years .younger than he". He then proceeds to expound on why, in an age of unprecedented permissiveness, complaints of rape should have become more numerous than in earlier years. No words can describe the chill and revulsion we felt reading it. Here is what learned counsel Schumiatcher had to say: "The difference between a sexual assault and a loving relationship is essentially a matter of manners... Most men have been charged and convicted of rape simply because they failed to say 'please' before they embarked upon their venture or because they failed to express a kindly human word or affection on parting. To be treated callously, as a mere thing, is an affront no woman will forget. Callousness is not a criminal offence, but it is a breach of manners that few women will forgive. A dictionary of words is not required. A few 'well chosen' phrases tastefully addressed to the object of one's passion may , prove sufficient... With the vast array of girls from which to choose and a million words in the English vocabulary to use, rape is for slobs and sexual assault for clods." In your editorial, you said that it was inconceivable that someone, somewhere, sometime during the investigation of the Bohatchuk matters did not see the pattern and suggest, recommend or order that he be separated from society and treated for his illness. We don't agree with you. It is quite conceivable if mindless attitudes such as those expressed by counsel Schumiatcher should prevail. Until physical and sexual assaults are dealt with as acts of violence and not as "interactions gone wrong" women cannot look to the courts for protection or to the wider community for support. Fiona Karlstedt, Margot Blight, Thunder Bay. ,,,orthern Woman Journal: Did you happen to hear that in the Finnish parlamentary election at the end of March 1983 62 'women were elected? With the total number of members being 200 it is still not a fair representation( =50% ),but it is about 30 %, a good step forward. In several previous elections the number of women has been around 40. In the Helsinki area majority of representatives are women. Maisa Martin Thunder Bay N-A#201044004-Alt-A POT LUCK SUPPER .411 Womanspace, 316 Bay St., Jan. 11/84 j followed by concert by JhNNIELR GARRETT VgliftelegbitegliM~PeCr PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Update by JOAN BARIL see The Toronto Women's Bookstore, which was destroyed by antiabortion arsonists this summer, is open again at 296 Brunswick Avenue, 2nd Floor, and will move to a new, permanent location at 73 Harbord St. (at Spadina) in February, 1984. The Bookstore has received thousands of dollars in donations from the women's community. They were much helped by a supportive article in the TORONTO STAR by columnist Michelle Landsburg. At present, they are operating with about a third of their normal stock It is the duty the judge at a prement held a Women and of Technology liminary hearing to if the eviworkshop NoveMber 5 and 6. decide They prodence is sufficient for a trial, not mised nirvana at the Valhalla. The to speculate on the verdict women participants were all invited The taboo against speaking about as "community leaders"; the general the gang-rapes on reserves in Northpublic, such as the interested, orwestern Ontario was broken by dinary Jill, couldn't get in. After Grassy Narrows Indian Reserve Chief Steve listening to the virtues of both Fobister at a meeting of the social technology and the Ontario government development committee of for quite a long time, the women the wereOntario legislature. Since his statement, asked to spend a couple of hours deFobister has on received all the criticiveloping strategies how women's sm usually heaped on people organizations could voluntarily im- who break plement silences. the government's programs. Wayne Spragge, counsellor at After talking it over, they avoluntaKenora's Centre, believes rily refused toMental do so Health o Ontario halfequal of all native are gangwomen want access to girls new jobs raped as a first sexual experience. but we will define our own solutions. According another informant, on one We insist on beingtoconsulted in the reserve the guys programs, band together to formation of government not "initiate" a overworked young girl and when she reachas volunteer clones, es puberty. underpaid, snapping into action to Christine a probation implement every program Strong, coming down officer at Grassy was quoted in the the pike "It sounds sick, but it's Times-News: This brings us to the government Almost everyResource weekend you hear proposalstrue. to build Family thisthe girl was for drunk and gang-raped by Centres and money running them. bunch of guys.The ButOntario no-one wants to Again, noa consultation. about and it."Crises GrassyHouses, has 600 resiAssoc. oftalk Interval which aredents. the women with all the experience -in the field, has not been Confederation College is offering consulted Apparently, some of the free courses to women interested in money is slated to be used for research careers in the trades or technology on family violence again. A great savfields. I,N.T.O. (Introduction to ing could be made here if the programNon-Traditional Occupations) starts mers would read the research on vioJanuary 2. A free W.I.T.T. course lence already published by their own (Women in Trades and Technology) government. And the federal government. And other provincial governments. And started November 28, For women without enough highscliool training, there the many books on battering, etc. are free upgrading courses 000 Women The B.C, or scientific who want high-tech education often worry about math. Women'smath Issues" and Collegetutionalizing Upgrading hasofpopular not a minute either. They classes running alltoo day soon, and evening. Both Fobister and Strong make it are also publishing "Impact of the If need be, a person can go back to clear that the purpose of raping is to Recession on Women work in Single Industry the basics. The students at shame the girl, to humiliate. "By Towns". Locally, Marita a summer their own speed. Women who are Maki, interraping, men make a fool out of her," student with thetheir Women's Bureau, has ested in refurbishing math said the chief. Being marked by shame a handbook decisionshould drafted phone the College for Upgrading makes it impossible for the women to makers on and Women Economic for a free test an and estimate on Developspeak up. "If I raised (the issue), ment e take to reach a how long it will my husband would be shamed and he Grade 12 level. The co-ordinator, would think it happened to me." Joan Baril, begs people not to leave Some observers linkthe high suithis until the last weeks in August cide rate of teenage girls to being and then hope for a quickie refreshraped. er, as sometimes happens "We can Edith McLeod, a native spokeswork miracles, but it takes time" woman, charges chiefs with being more concerned with "rice and land claims" Although major renovations are than sexual abuse. Fobister notes going on on the first floor of the that the gang-rapes are a subject of College, Ruth Cunningham, Director jokes in the Kenora area. When he of Women's Programs, reminds everytried to bring it up in council, people one that herThe office is still in bus- said that MacDonald Commission laughed. Priscilla Simard of the iness, the still in dialogue the samethey place buthad with best have Ontario Native Women's Association redecorated women so andfar with was a here different in Thunder Bay. mentions the other tragedies of resentryway. Fiona You Karlstedt enter the from office the Women's from Centre, erve life which destroy people: no the corridor Liz Poulin, on the Decade Balmoral Council Street and Ruth jobs (80% of Grassy residents are unside of Cunningham, the building Director o of Women's Progemployed), alcohol and solvent abuse, Film ramsseries at Confederation on violence College, are presenisolation and lack of recreation, being planned ted briefs. in the Theregion, brief by Kenora, the Women and do Sally Barnes, the Premier's Northshore Economic andDevelopment Geraldton Committee Prepar- of the hand-picked president of the Ontario ations Decade for a spring Councilconference noted how in economic Council on the Status of Women, got Dryden planning called "Women Transition" alwaysinmakes two assumptions the message from her constituency. are underway about women: s A note from Joy that they are dependent "Which side are you on, Sally?", the Fedorick, on men Women's and that Directorate, they are that in traditionwomen of Ontario,asked after she told the International Women's Cele- by the al marriages, being Day supported a legislature committee that the brationhusband. tommittee be only starting (Inwill fact, 12% of Canadpublic wasn't ready for equal pay for preparations ian women for are next'March in such 8marriages) moo 000 work of equal value--no, no, not even Joy has become a part of theVt. core In mid-October, Henry for a pilot project, said she. Ontario committee of the newly-formed local staffers Morgentaler and seven clinic women were angered. Several groups Human Rights/Civil commitwere sent trial after their prelimsuch to as Liberties NAC (National Action Committees einary She tee) has also helped organize hearing in Winnipeg. However, called for her resignation. Facthe December 5ththe Women in the Worksupporters were shocked to hear the ing music, Barnes performed the place meeting which focused on nonpresiding judge improperly comment that union workers Morgentaler The was Ontario "probably governguilty". CONT'D ON PAGE 4 o NORTHERN 'AT OMAN page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Update by JOAN BARIL Davis sidestep and announced a newfound commitment to the cause. In a letter to Robert Welsh (Minister responsible for women's issues), she stated her council to be fully supportive of efforts to test the concept. She added it would be "tremendously helpful if...the government would go on record as supporting the principle". ihich it has, so presumably the pilot project will begin, but when will we get equal pay? "It's the government of an iceberg," said NAC President Doris Anderson A B.C. woman walks into her neighbourhood store last November. She is wearing a Solidarity support button. Someone rushes up to her and the Holiday Inn gift shop. They carefully pulled each magazine apart and distributed the pages to about 300 conference participants. A spokeswoman began to list some of the things they ha! found in these magazines. When she began to describe a picture of young children tied to the four bedposts of a bed, she broke down in tears o The women assembled in front of the gift shop, held up their magazine sheets in the air and chanted, "No more porn". This action was deliberately held for the media; it was the women's way of making a public statement so At the registration desk, the Holiday Inn staff and customers exchanged amused smiles and little mock sighs. But as the chanting got louder, business ceased and there was a moment of apprehension. But then the demonstrators started a song and business resumed... We avoid looking at porn magazines in stores, we turn our backs or stay on the other side of the room. We don't even have a vocabulary to explain what hurts and disgusts and shocks us. But we must try to find the language in order to explain to others. This, from Susan Cole, workshop leader. toss The End of the Decade. Nairobi, Kenya will be the site of the 1985 United Nations World Conference on Women. This conference ends the U.N. spits in her face. The atmosphere it. Decade for Women proclaimed in 1975 B.C. has been extreme this autumn- in Mexico City. The theme has been right -wing people quivering with hate, Equality, Development and Peace. The government workers becoming the new 'Mexico conference and the one in pariahs, being described as parasites Copenhagen in 1980 were both marred and bums. The settlement of the strike by governments who used the women's saved the public sector unions from congress as a forum for their own virtual extinction but did nothing to propaganda and priorities--hence, Arabstop the cutbacks in services to the Israeli confrontations, or the specpopulation.' Many of the cutbacks were tacle of the Iranian delegate proclaimdeliberately aimed at women and chiling the equality of women in her coundren's services and educational protry at a time when feminists were grams. The layoffs and closings will being jailed, silenced or killed. On now begin so. Judge Stephen Borins both occasions, parallel conferences has done all women a service by ruling had to be set up to allow a women's forum free from government posing. on October 24 that sexually violent Considering that in the past 10 years, video tapes distributed by two comthe women of the world have not achpanies were obscene because they deieved equality, nor been improved by picted the violent treatment of women development, nor, in many instances, and because they indicated women exbeen blessed by peace, a preparatory perienced pleasure from pain. The conference meeting in Vienna has protapes ruled not obscene, although posed that a second U.N. Decade for graphically sexual, were generally free from violence. These truly diswomen be proclaimed toss Some quotes: "The Moral Majority gusting tapes will now disappear is what our ancestors came to this from Ontario shelves but can still continent to escape." so. "Rich people be ordered from outside the province plan for generations, poor people plan from, such places as Red Hot Video for Saturday night." so "Rich cultures of Kelowna B.C. which advertises navalue thin women. Poor cultures value tion wide, just phone in your Visa or Master Charge. so' Video machfat women. All cultures value weak ines are the new toys for the boys, women." 'so "Fantasy for depressed the fad in this year's Christmas wish feminists: an army of women taking book. Video porn watching is a male over Saudi Arabia." All quotes from bonding activity. A local woman descri- Gloria Steinham. Phyllis Chestler: bed how her husband threw beer and "We are at war. It was declared long video parties for his male friends. ago by nameless others." so. In order to prevent her children from Such good news--a feminist bookseeing the tape, she has to sit in the store in Thunder Bay at last. Margaret bedroom with them until the tape was Phillips and Anna McColl have taken over so. On Remembrance Day a group over the small, streetside office of of women attending the Women in Ther316 Bay Street and are engaged in its apy Conference in Toronto purchased transformation to bookshop. The store every porn magazine on the shelves of will be open three days a week--Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays--and carries feminist magazines, philosophy and fiction, "especially Canadian novels", says co-founder Margaret Phillips. The plan (carried out by press time) was to open quietly in December, or as soon as sufficient stock arrived; the official opening will be after Christmas soo The Women's Centre held an open house for the Welcome Wagon Club. In fact, this autumn, the Centre has been very active. Over 160 people attended the film series on mental health. Speakers spoke on CKPR, to the Girl Guides and to College, University and highschool classes on such topics as Women and the Law and Reproductive Rights toss The Women and Pensions Committee of Thunder Bay have received funding to publicize pension issues and to discuss with women the issues raised in the position paper which came out of the pensions conference and which was presented to the Taskforce on Pension Reform. The Committee will be travelling in the region. Their aim is to alert women to the chief hazards of aging- no money. They plan to contact the politicians, too( A conference on Family Violence was held at the Airlane November 1718 and mainly attended by social workers and workers in various agencies. Fiona Karlstedt of the Women's Centre presented a paper on Community Agency Responses to Family Violence. Under the topic of housing, she pointed out that Thunder Bay has the second worst housing problem in the nation with a vacancy rate of less than 1%; there is a waiting list of 400 for subsidized housing and only 60 spaces available in crisis housing for women and children--a pretty grim situation for a woman to face if she has no money and wants to clear out of a house where she is abused. NORTHERN W OMAN page 4 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Regional Routes Sudbury Homemakers Conference One of the activities that is tentatively scheduled for February 1984, is a Homemakers Conference. Anyone who is interested in organizing this event may call the Women's Centre in Sudbury. In the mean time, ideas and input on guest sneakers, activities, workshops, and resource people are requested. Caregivers Registry by Dale Mansfield The Caregivers Registry, which started up last month, is progressing well. Currently there are approximately twice as many caregivers as parents on file at the Women's Centre. This is probably due to the high unemployment situation in the area. Consequently women are staying at ,home with their children. There is hope that as time goes on, more parents will call. It seems that publicity is 'the ',Pule of the game. Once people register, a follow-up letter is sent stating the terms of the registry, as well as a notice of upcoming workshops of interest to the parents and caregivers. Louise Dulude's "The Pink Paper", the minutes of the National Action Committee's presentation to the Task Force and the CPP Advisory Committee's presentation to Monique Begin on homemaker participation in the CPP. As a second part of the pensions issue, SWAG prepared a joint brief along with six representatives from different women's groups in Sudbury. Despite some rather large differences in philosophy and outlook, SWAG found itself able to agree on a surprising number of points. Although most SWAG' members had to make some compromises they were pleased with the result. This particular brief was presented in Toronto in October. North Bay To Have and To H-ld On the last day of November, the North Bay Women's Centre presented the film "To Have and. To Hold", a film about men who batter women. The problem of wife abuse was examined through the man's experience of it. Marsha Greenfield presented a report on the Nipissing Transition House. As well, a discussion was hel' on solutions to wife battering in its next phase - help for the batterer. The Nipissing Transition House by Nancy Bishop Canada Pension Plan and SWAG by Andrea Levan The Sudbury Women's Action Group has recently presented a brief to the Task Force on -Pension Reform in Sudbury. Of particular assistance were It's now a reality: a roomy,four bedroom house has been rented at 547 John St. in North Bay. The house can accomodate nine residents: women "and children in need of safe refuge from violent situations. Three full time staff have been hired and the house is presently open from 9-5 week days, with an answering service after hours. Since a nunber of structural modifications still need to be com4Ppleted, counselling services are pre-, sently being ofered. Once these changes are complete, the house will be fully operational. Putting Happy Into Holiday For those who wanted this holiday to be better than the last, a workshor was held on December 2nd at the India/. Friendship Centre. Discussion groups talked about: making children's expectations more realistic; dealing with loneliness during the holiday season; decorating and gift giving fo/ pennies; the Xmas spirit and where to find it; booze and happiness don't mix; family expectations and avoiding conflict. The workshops were sponsored by the Women's Centre and a number of other community groups and services. Longlac Child Care by Diane Parise A total of 77 delegates attended the 6th Annual Northwestern Ontario Day Care Conference hosted by the Longlac Child. Care Centre. Participants enjoyed a choice of 18 workshops ranging in topics from developing a playground site, child abuse, separation and divorce to puppetry and exercise for children. ANNINSWINION0810110104MINdigastrawsmila day event new trends, goals of early childhood education and phil-,sophies were discussed. Dryden INFORMED CHOICES by Jeannie Mascotto Nakina VIDA and GOLIATH by the Women's Group of the Nakina Anti-Run-Through Committee ready to fall again. C.N. will not give its employees any reasons or answers to their In 1923, C.N. uprooted everyone in questions; in fact, will not even talk with them. The word is C.N. Grant, Ontario, moved them up the will save money; no one knows how line and literally plunked them, much and/or where it will save it. houses and all, in the bush! The One company official said that,afC.N. employees and their families picked up the pieces and with great ter all, it's only good business to determination set about making Nak- make progress. Is it good business to do so at the expense of its emina a habitable place to live. Evployees and their families? Where, erything in Nakina is a result-of and when, does the responsibility the start these pioneering families that C.N. brags about, start? made. These people made this town! There are numerous reasons why we They did it willingly and for the do not want C.N. to "run-through" most part happily. They made the Nakina. Some of which follow: best of the situation that C.N. 1. As women living in Nakina,many forced on them. of us have jobs locally. In view of Now,for the third time,C.N. wants to-day's economy, these jobs are to run-through Nakina. Once again vital to the financial stability of the railroaders must fight for our families. When C.N. forces our their existance. This is extremely men to move, we will lose our jobs. upsetting, frightening and devastats We won't be able to find other jobs ing; the axe hanging over everyone' in the new townsite due to the rate head for approximately 20 years is Dryden does it again! Plans are in 71111 swing for the Bicentennial Women's Conference '84, to be held April 6, 7 and 8 at the Dryden High School. The conference's theme is Women in It will offer educationa: Transition. opportunities to women to enable them to make informed decisions on emerging issues. The line up of workshops look this: family law - property and marriage contract; microtechnology - impact on women; effective parenting - how to teach your child with love and discipline; preparation for aging - the Process of aging and resources needed for preparation; coping with inflation - investments and insurance; changing roles in responsibilities - the rights and responsibilities of single parents. Two hundred women from Thunder Bay west to Winnipeg are expected to participate. For out-of-towners, accomodations will be available at the Best Western Motor Inn. As well, day care services will be arranged. For further information contact Jeannie Mascotto, Co-ordinator, Bicentennial Women's Conference '84, Box 531, Dryden, Ont., P8N 2Z2. NAKINA - CONT'D ON PAGE 12 NORTHERN OMAN page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 5 �REACTION by ROSALYN TAYLOR PERRE A report on the Women's Inter-_ Agency Committee Meeting, Oct.24/83 As I attended the Women's InterAgency Meeting, I found out I was in for quite a learning experience, not just in terms of content but in the tight, bureaucratically imposed process which unfortunately places ironclad walls around even the most well intentioned, aware women. The Women's Inter-Agency Meeting was born out of a, need for a support system and a sharing of information in the women's community. The format of these meetings consist of information exchange on programs, activities and women deserving special recognition for their contributions. Future hopes and plans are also shared. Various participants can then take news back to their own groups for planning purposes, political action and/or personal participation. As an eternal optomist, I prefer to begin with the good news... A Women Through Film Series is being planned by the women in Red Lake. The content remains undecided at present. There is discussion about a new women's group on the campus of Lakehead University. The Women and Economic Development Committee are working on a handbook for decision makers in Northwestern Ontario on 'Women's Role in Economic Development'. The Employment Development Branch is currently undergoing consolidation.,The four new programs are Job Corps, L.E.A.P. (Local Employment Assistance Program), Canada Works and Career Access. The focus - for L.E.A.P. is community based economic development. For more information call Sandra Steinhause or Julie Fels at 344-0815. There will be a spring conference in Dryden called Women in Transition. Proposed workshops focus on women's social and economic independence. More information will be forthcoming. The International Women's Day Celebration Committee is in the works and hopes to involve many women's groups. Confederation College has some exciting courses for women who wish to pursue non-traditional occupations. For more information see Joan Bath's 'Update' column. It is important to register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The remainder of this report looks at current concerns. Family Resource Centres are receiving a lot of attention these days. There is considerable concern about their impact on Northwestern Ontario. Funding for Family Resource Centres and Transition Homes has been very scanty. The per-diem rate is a very awkward way of ensuring that each woman at the home gets basic room and board. Transition Homes are more than room and board, they offer counselling service and child care. A larger problem arose when Family Resource Centres were given a floating perdiem rate, meaning, the daily cost is figured and divided by the number of women using it. This means that Family Resource Centres get a different per-diem rate from Transition Homes. This move seems calculated to split women into two opposing factions - those involved with Family Resource Centres and those involved with Transition Homes. It is vital to keep the main issue in perspective Battered women need to have their The re-support services legislated. cent lobby was intended to ensure that any gains would be in writing. Over the past two years, new mental health programs have begun in most district communities. Their approach is largely clinical and there is concern over this isolated method of dealing with clients who are mostly women. As most of the mental health workers are male, and from outside the community, it is unlikely they will be able to relate to problems women face. There is not a lot of choice for women with no where else Alternatives are being reto turn. searched. It is felt that women's problems should be regarded as social, not personal. There were questions regarding the Women's Employment Centre report. More details were requested concerning Project Next Step. Further information is required on the local situation with INTO (Introduction to Non-Traditional Occupations) and WITT (Women in Trades and Technology). Plans for the future were missing in the report. It is hoped that more information on this and other issues will be exchanged at the next meeting. The mood of the meeting was subdued and there was only partial attendance. Those present seemed to be feeling the strain of too many meetinf,9. The age-old problem of commit- ting energy to so many equally impo tant issues while being one step ahead of the'fickle fist' of bureaucracy can rake the most optomistic person feel over-burdened. Sometime the gains are microscopic and other times the larger gains feel like grains of sand as the tide rolls ou It is like scrambling for grains before they all go out to sea. Personally (despite my gloomy introduction) I hope these meetings continue in order to provide some check and balance on the 'system', and keep women well informed about current issues affecting them. Networking allevites the isolation that fragments us, removes the bar riers erected by misinformation or There are total lack of knowledge. however, some dangers when women b come too insular. Even with this opportunity for exchange, there is a tendency for womens' groups to look inward and develop a protective, bureaucratic language that alienates them from the women they work so hard to support. I attended this meeting, a rel tive newcomer to the forma th tiny political seeds just beginning to sprout. I came to listen but I also came to try to understand. I was amazed at the ease with which initials were tossed back and forth It was as though I was suddenly immersed in a large bowl of alphabet soup. It is easy to be intimidated by the sub-language of meetings (d signed presumably to maintain-order and efficiency) and almost lose sig of their purpose. One has to.,plung into this curious way of communicating in order to survive. I learned much more information after the me ing by talking to various cooperat women and asking for their thoughts and feelings. Perhaps the language can be simplified so that it is mor universally understood. Communicat should bring us together not set us -. apart. Northern Woman's BOOKSTORE §,tztligage copies of ) Please send me ( RISING @ $5.00 each. Enclosed is a cheque or money order for ( ), which includes postage, payable to: NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL, 316 Bay St., Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 1S1 316 BAY STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO 344-7979 ././2 sf, et. /;:c? and much more ! OPEN Thurs-Fri 11:30-7:3 Sat 11:30-4:3 NORTHERN W OMAN page 6 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �FRAGMENTS/BETRAYALS You took at me, and I know you see. I'm convinced brown eyes betray me, and I tAy to hide Hidden, the hunt una6iecting. OtheAz wilt not zee. I my to hide behind them Put glasses on them to shade me inom btindingty hot neatity which I conitonted (having /tun headlong) under which I paAtty buckled, somewhat stAong oven which I measuited a stunted tnwth, with an Ancient faith, untetigious but .integral, peAsonat and omnipresent Shattered, slammed, blown from bettayat to btundet Unp'wud but unashamed, adMittedty knuckted under. I wrap the ()toms and bruises in the womb of home and /Loom Re4ugee 6/tom a teatity too unteat Lon. me Eventuatty (as always) I tesume the plea F04 the peace AO cherished, so temoved, I grieve Winding me with barbed wine, they cannot and witt not Leave. I plead OA 4/Leedom, LOA Aetease But I cannot cry ion a Aightiut peace... Then, the teems 6o/tow Like OLagments oi iib/Legtass, itching and biting Angty and uncteanzing in eyes exhausted with fighting Eyes betAayed and betkaying Watching the could's, and the cutting Go on, deal the hand, but Lot now I'm folding Bone-cut with disittuzion, dissotution But hotding. A ONE NOTE CHORD I used the elect/tic d'LU. It didn't nun th/tough my feet and aftound My apartment. Not thiz time. My mind oven its matte/L. I put those ugly mugs away. I must Love het Less if I hate those blue mugs. I Love hen. It's those blue mugs I hate. I came home. Tined woman -chitd. I wanted my friend and my dinner, Now. Complete. Incomplete me completed dinner. Cried. Did the damn dishes. Survived. I went to bed. I touch my Seq. heel my Betio heat my Seti. I ALIA away. To AetuAn. Sometimes coming 6utthet with my Self. I sigh. I transcend. fact. touch. sptat. stumble. glide. want. speak. scream. dream. Aead, bang. white. I am tined. thAitted. stAong.atone. oteative. in pain. in the bath. in need. in sane. in tAoubte. indeed I am: An average exttaoAdinaty woman teaAning to Be. Sarson, Winnipeg NORTHERN WOMAN page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Annex Oheeth (Ton. Many) I dance beneath you, swaying in the A.hythm o4 out two -6tep, hipA hugging,-Zip4 touching, Tuaning Oheoth tuaning Round Round wing ciacteh Spinning hpiaagh Spinning /wand tegA- teaAing. Foitwand, and aound Round, and /onward And /wand In hpiaath Tempting hungry hand4 to hoatd an inch o4 geAh with a moment o6 man caught in a wand o4 woman, catching u4 both battered into wanton warmth, .Leaving uA timp and penAive with peace. Joyce Thierry Yellowknife, N.W.T. Time. hpent Staength gone Riding my nightmare /wand In hpiaath Wheel's Within whezeh: Whiaeing. Spinning wheel re/Vah wheel aheet o/ /oatune: Sanity?/Inhanity Wheats whiating I teanna See my. cast Vheoth Tuaning .stoke Love glow /east seek Round... Susan Collinh Hawkinh hies tickle open - Live/inAwA4mAL4wiegadir- witch I am caeatiag cahtiag 'spelling changeing my /aces LaL Sanoon Winnipeg meeting /oa gaenwyn Nomanhtoaieh when the Red chip o/ pothhead heed warm in youa palm 'spoke to you ah it hpeakh to me i knew we.had met at eaht when you haw the woman o/ the coeoRndo can h. a thousand untold htoitieh the kid's, the home, the meats menial ta'sk's to cloud the mind to coal( the gottee o/ wihdornh /oa hake 'stowage 'she's a good wile and a good mother too hen taaided haia heir won,' heatea!h handh The Poman 4eZOIL4C-eA to Le tapped hea wipe tined lace i knew we had /inalgy touched when you haw hen ah i do molding clay into htaiph and the htaiph into a gowe hunk deep into the ahheh 01 a hot pinyon /ire i knew you and i were ah one when you haw the pot gaoken Pay a naaaow running htaeam the ancient woman gone the valley hieent o/ heft voice i knew what we had heed togethea ma's o/ moman'h Love Aging Like a ceetea o/ home made wine Don't wait any Longest, I Leg you Don't tet het /eament much eongea On it may Le too Late She may eohe that geauti/ue gouquet She may Lecome Litter, tor, She has an expiry date. The gaave'h a great peace /oa ha/e-keeping But where the here doe's age the potential energy go? Don't Let hen take het 'stony to hen grave! lady Ileaatin Diane Stein PittAbutgh PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 8 �FOOLS BITTER SORROW Beloved together we ate outcasts cotouted a threat Beloved together we ate atone. I my to hide from so catted women Wends ieministz bighting each other - 4ighting mec, I tAy but I 6ai1 I want to embrace att. women. She weighs me down with het hatted She teats my eyes out so that perhaps I won't see 6ut I zee anyway I open my mouth to speak it She Aipa out my tongue, my teeth I bteed. Yet my heart stite opens with .Love (Such a 400t I am) She kittz me with vengence because T speak the unspeakabte I eat the inedibte I question She wants me dead, dizappeated I open out my hands palms up, no weapons but mysetli Myseti once again I must be myset4 (Such a painiut ioot) No tturt On'y those who are my beloved know me and know the bitten sottow. Beloved together we ate atone. Teresa legowski gRENADA BETRAYED caenadn eittte 444te4 I watch you as you teeed A woman .town and Eatteaed By a viotent heaat o, gAped. Litt& ziztea I murt match you Hetd down by ioteign need giants Ringed aaound Pith theia tomeaing phallic gazed. The 11.S. iz the 42ant With his zimpeaing gaotheaz zix They took a iLagite ziztea They eetaayed hen_ with all speed Canada and Cilia hea 4i steer and a Aiend Faiaweathea yeas But ztiet 1 hope 4 conzeience in the end. Reflections '. Rappea I take of my crapes. Remove mu wing. Pith my miaaoa, Ply .truth Naked. I touch my zet. Taace my pain. Kiss my eipz. Reaeing again. Phizpea.ing tongue. Tickeez my zout. Spn.ing 4ngeaz, Rememkea they know. 7ingee-ing with pteazuae. Ooze-ing with. We. Savouaing my See/.. Caaezzing to flight. Lae Swoon NORTHERNWOMAN page 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �MEMORABILIA...(as inspired by WCMANSPACE Rummage sale) Canto I (Allegro) Fancy, high-heeled shoes "Sexy", classy, and expensive, too $60-$100 a few years ago (Probably purchased at a "discount" though) Useless, uncomfortable "sexy" shoes ...something or other... IES DAVID embossed in gold How cruel I was then: How amazed I am now: (I took my warm, woolly work socks off to measure...) How did I ever put these broad, strong, sensitive feet into that pair of dainty little frames ?? and even with that task accomplished how to walk, to dance, to run??? The heels--3 3/4" from flesh to earthly contact point (probably 4" or so when they were younger when I was younger...) the left worn harder than the right (at least something's making sense: "Sexy" shoes? Token of payment dearly made for needing approval at the door once inside they were hidden under a table or kicked off on a dance floor Were their teeny little buckles made of gold? If I knew then what I know now... Well, I'd have bought hiking boots, of course: If I'd had another 100 or so I could've had a tent: (Reassuring at least that my Left made more tracks than my Right ever did - ever could!) (for metric conversion: (Andante) 10 cm "=" 4") Canto 11 I wonder now... How their factory-worker builders (knowing & imagining what's just been described) must have laughed & maybe cried inside wishing to be working/creating for themselves without someone else's crazy little rules crazy little frames.... Souls of sole builders (Bata and others) using other crazy little names Makers of uppers and lowers heels and toes straps and soles Somewhere in your world there's a wandering traveller looking for a pair of handmade soles so, 1 of you, at least, doesn't have to sell your soul! Judy McMartin Thunder Bay WOPTHERN WOMAN page 10 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Female. Frogs and Crumbs e-THE by TERESA LEGOWSKI s rn "Crumbs; we're all, scrambling after Crumbs. " ( Fiona Karlstedt ) It's easy enough to see the avenues for gaining power in the community for women are limited to about two, maybe three. It's easy enough to see that the structure for attaining power is imposed by the same patriarchal institutions which women are supposedly fighting. It's easy enough to see. It's called not biting the hand that feeds you. It's called funding. It's called money. All this is easy enough to see and analyze and get angry about. It's easy because it's intellect- Then - late one night - late autumn - 11:30 p.m. - the phone rang just as I was crawling into my lonely sheets. A voice I recognized. An occasional "fuck". He was miserable. I declined his invitation to join him at his place. With genuine sympathetic concern I suggested he come over ual. for coffee. So I'm a feminist. So I walked in-r to this community straight out of the bush with my skiis on my feet and my belongings on my back. I sure didn't see then what I see now. What idealistically I hoped would be an equal situation is in reality a hierarchy of some big female frogs in a little pond trying to out-croak each other. It's called empire building. I see these frogs getting read possessive about their particular lily pad. I see them real scared about any new frogs in"town. Once in a while a younger frog gets ousted by the old gang and decides to build her own new lily pad; a new little empire in thecfrog pond. Sometimes old frogs get the same idea when they realize that the younger upstarts are going to get them hopped. But all these new lily pads are kept floating by patriarchal funding, by crumbs from the bull frog Obscene Telephone Calls by GERALDINE VAN CRAM The bedside phone rang - eagerly I answered. Alas - only heavy breathing. "Disappointed" - again - I hung up. I tried not to wonder. I went downstairs to kitchen and put the espresso pot on. I had no idea what I was going to say to the guy - an American ex-G.I. in Canada working and looking =---BANG - through the backdoor. No nothing - just a very rough maul with the obvious intent of azfuck. He left after 10 minutes or so of my refusals. I was telephoning when he came in again. (I couldn't lock the door of my old house.) For the next one and a half hours I was subjected to tension of death-like terror and disgust. Vietnam visited upon me! During the ordeal I was ordered not to make any sounds. He held me by the throat as he attempted to get an ,erection. The entire event seemed to have something to do with an obsession with sounds. Rape of the body is equalled only by rape of the psyche. For the following year I attempted to lay charges. All the= procedures were followed. I went to City Hall. It is ironic that THE POLICE made the HIT Parade. There is MORE but details are now irrelevant - so if you get a "friendly fuck' watch out for obscene telephone calls. CASE HI pie. It doesn't matter who the female frogs are. It doesn't matter what empires they're building. None of that matters. The situation is universal. So what we have here is a pretty closed and stagnating pond. It's really sad to hear all the bickering and backstabbing and biting. It's really sad to see no room for new ideas or old ideas that have been suggested but never tried. It's really sad to realize there will be no improvement. There are the occassional croaks about who is the better feminist frog Who is the best feminist in this town? Who is the worst feminist? Who cares? These pointed questions are really saying, "I've got the best lily pad in town. So croak off!" After all, isn't the floating lily pad built on a foundation of feminism? Or is it? All it takes is the one and only patriarchal bull frog to pull the bucks and the little lily pad sinks. The truth is these little lily pads are built on dollars. Their purpose is not to achieve feminism, freedom, a new society, a new universal or der) a new religion, a new world, ribbit, ribbit,ribbit. Their purpose is to get ahead in a patriarchal ' . pond. And what about the actual female frog empire builders? Where do they see themselves in this pathetic scenario? I don't think they see themselves at all. They see red when their lily pad gets jostled or when their croak gets questioned& They're really good swimmers. But they don't seem to sit back, review the situation, analyze their actions and their behaviors, question their own conditioning and how it relates to the perpetuation of patriarchal bullfrogging. Instead they go home and hide in their slurpy, mud-bottomed bubbles. Who wouldn't? It's a frog-eat-frog pond. After all, once all the crumbs are gone, female frog legs for supper are the next best thinf. WOMEN AND PENSIONS After years of study on pension reform, the government is expected to act soon. Considerable concern exists, however, about whether the needs of women will be met by the proposed legislative changes. To encourage continued discussion and awareness of pension issues, the Women and Pensions Committee will visit a number of NWO communities during the next few months. Meetings will be sought with members of parliament to discuss the recommendations that deal with women's pension needs. Th pile a umentin respect the exp workers, dealing We feel women's forcefu improve man pers bate. If please w Committe tre, t der Bay, An is the r Continue women to If you m ful potl your Cha Jan, 11 Jennifer women wel PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Nakina THE 'COPING" COP-OUT by JOAN BARIL Notes based on a Workshop by Gerry Wine, O.I.S.E., at the Women and Therapy Conference, November 11/83 Toronto. Mental health workers are the new priests. Therapy cannot change history. Counselling cannot change economics. At best it can teach you to fight. At worst it can teach you to cope. "Cope" is a terrible bald word. Flat and defeatist. "Cope" means giving, in, capitulating in a war. It means you are colonized and oppressed from the moment of birth. The mental health system has two major lists of concerns to deal with. One' list is all the things it does badly and the second list is all tha things it does not do at all. Problems often not acknowledged by counsellors (or badly handled) include: 1. Women's low self esteem. Why don't mental health workers address themselves to the fact that many women have low self esteem? Is it because they are not convinced that women should have it? Is it because self esteem in a woman might cause problems for her husband? 2. Women suffer from a lack of intimacy. Husbands are often afraid of intimacy. The patriarchal family does not provide it. 3. Women's guilt and depression is not handled well, especially the guilt of mothers. They must constantly be on guard-against exterior threats to the child, poisons in the environment, unsuitable movies and TV, unhealthy food, poor education, trauma. They cannot veer from the accepted path of "good motherhood". They get tired. They feel guilty. 4. Sexual harassment of many . kinds. From a conference on Housework, part of a series of workshops on the international Human Rights of women as workers, sponsored by the International Education Centre, a bibliography on Housework has been published. The bibliography provides a comprehensive listing of articles and books dealing with various aspects of the issue of housework. Copies of the bibliography may be obtained free of charge from the International Education Centre, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, B3H 3C3 NORTHERN WOMAN page 12 5. The sexual deprivation of women is unacknowledged. Where are the houses of pleasure for her, the sensuous places with good books, conversation, massage, exercise, exquisite sex. 6. Once a woman is over 30 she comes to an age where she is no longer a possible sexual partner for a man. She fails all the cultural stan-. dards on beauty. Nobody looks at her, nobody sees her. To a degree she becomes a different human as if she mutated into something else. Things the mental health system doesn't deal with at all: 1. The obedience and conformity demanded of little girls who grow starts young and it is a serious mental health problem. 2. Lack of identification with women. Women's altruism and volunteer work is poured into men and into children and less often into other women. There is also the petty harassment of women by women. Feminists ignore this because they want to believe in the myth of sisterhood. 3. Inability to congratulate ourselves. Few women are able to take pleasure in their own achievements. 4. Women often lack compassion for themselves. They harass themselves. 5. Homophobia. 6. Racism and anti-semetism. 7. Women's inability to have a righteous rage against men. To say "I hate men" to the therapist or counsellor, to explain that this means I hate this male system and I hate what this male system has done to me. CONT'D FROM PAGE of unemployment. Our well-being,our standard of living, our economic security and independence will be destroyed. 2. Those of us women who own our own businesses in Nakina will be devastated. Who will be left to buy our commodities? Selling the business in a Northern Ontario community such as Nakina is impossible, in view of the economy, as well as the disruption of the C.N. "run-througl It will be a direct financial loss, absolutely unrecoverable. 3. Our children will lose the opportunity to grow up in a secure ark open community environment, as many of us did. 4. If the C.N. employees decide tc "pack-sack",which means we - the wives - live in Nakina while our husbands work elsewhere - the resul will be devastating to a stable f amily life: i)two living accomodations to keep up(ii)raising childrer on our own (iii)the burdens encountered of keeping the home front a alone (iv)where to turn should sick ness arise, as it will (v)the agony of being separated from our spouses (vi)will it lead to drinking proble (vii)will it lead to marriage break down (viii)lots of stress and its self-destructive'ramifications We refuse to adjust to being a "C.N. pack-sackers widow". The vice-president of C.N.,Mr.Var Water, is an example of the type of intelligence of the people running this company. He suggested_oommutir C.N. "gives a 2 hour call andit.wot take 4 hours to drive to HornepaynE The mathematics of this intrigues t ,Since there is no 4-lane, paved hig way from here to anywhere, this prc posal is totally ridiculous. The road is bad enough in summer, what with loose gravel and potholes. In the winter it is extremely treacher ous,with lots of snow,-30 C. weathE hard-packed glare ice the majority of the time. C,N. does not care that they are c stroying our livelihoods, our homes our marriages,our families and our community. Should C.N. have such cc trol over its employees and their families? It certainly owes us hum-. ane consideration. We are not robot Already we are going through unhe able anxieties and mental pressure; tie really do not know if we can endure any more heartache and stress. The thing that is keeping us sane .right now is anger and the need to fight this corporation. And fight will! Help us fight this giant! A poputaft. 6aying an Atdeuon went as 4ottowz: "They wotk u,o tike a houe, 4eed tike a biA.d, tteat u4 Zile a dte,s4 La -Eike a man - and then expect UZ to act tike a lady ". (nom the Atdeuon Stoty) PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �- GRENADA The Destruction of Hope by MARGARET PHILLIPS I am waking down the beach, the Might Cakibbean sun wakming my weary 4out. A young Gkenadian gikt puts het smart back hand in mine and we waltz togethet, joyiutty, in hakmony. It Lo Apkit,1981. I am marching through the streets of Thunder Bay, joining millions throughout the world who unite to demand the end of this nuclear madness that will destroy us all. We march and sing and shout NO MORE WARS. It is October,1983. Wendy Loofas dot me each a4tetnoon. Fot a kew minutes she teaves azide het motfz to visit and tett me o4 hen day. My day is btightet because a4 het welcome. We sit in silence in the Cathedral, each one of us maintaining our own vigil. Our lighted candles a flickering ray of hope for PEACE. While at that moment the Americans finalize their plans to invade Grenada. I come to Grenada exhausted - mind, body, spitit weany and wokn itom yeaA4 o4 iutite e44ott in my quest 4ot social justice in my city, my countty. Fok a 4ew weeks I am escaping my inability to countetact the in4titutionat viotence ditected against women, against pock people, against minotities in our ZOCiety. Fkom the moment I step o44 the smart LIAT ptane,a sense oi excitement 4,1-US me. Grenada is a country tike no other Cakibbean countky I have visited. Pethaps it is the quiet steady activity mo4t sttiking. And the sense o4 pkide, that 0,4 dignity o4 thepeopte. The cteantiness, the ondettine44, the absence o6 petty ckime, the absence oi pAostitution. The peopte oi Grenada ate peak, but they have hope, I come to Grenada when thein nevaution is just two yeak4 old. Grenada, most beauti4ut o4 att. the -Lands, yet one o4 the pootest countties in the would. Its histoAy one o4 4tavety, cotonization expZoitation, and in tecent yearns the despo:tic teadet- The media gives confused reports about Grenada... ., a coup .. a military takeover. Demonstrations supporting Bishop. Then the news - Maurice Bishop has been murdered. I visualize the panic, the despair the Grenadian people must feel. I exptote Grenada - what Lessons can this tiny, undekdevetoped countty pkovide? The 4ocus thA4 yeah tis on agkicuttuke - getting 4eAtite but Long -idle Land back into pkoduction - ensuting agticuttatat set4-su44iciency. So development stresses agticuttute, education, titekacy, health cake, co-op development, the new aitpott. They cektainty 4eem to have their pkiokitim ztkaight. Vet behind the hope and excitement is a constant sttain o4 4eat. Des abtization and invasion. It 4takted eakty with the te4usat 0,4 Ameticaneconomic aid, and when economic sabotage didn't wokk, the onset of phoicat viotenCe. It i4 commonly undeutood thtoughout the Ccv)ibbean that the tepeated attempts on Mautice Bishop's ti4e ate CIA inspited. The 1980 bomb exptosion, intended 4ot Bishop and his Cabinet membeko, but which instead ztat in people's kitted thtee young women, minds. The need to de4end theit tevotution ptompt4 the devetopment.o4 a stAong militia. With each achievement o4 the kevotution the thteat oi in- vasion gum 4tkongen. In an interview in 1981 Prime Minister Bishop replied to a question about the Reagan administration's outlook towards Grenada: "We are also concerned in fact about the increasing talk about 'linkage', that is to say linking developments in other parts of the world; let us sak in the Middle East, with what is happening in this region and direct threats that under this system of linkage some country in this region could be invaded as a result of what may be happening in a different part of the world" (Maurice Bishop, Caribbean Times, March 19,1981) zhip o4 Ekic Gave y. Grenada, the 4.ik.st Engtizh speaking Cakibbean nation to expetience-a 4ociatizt kevotution, Lead by Mautice Bishop and massivety zuppokted by ate sectou o4 the poputation. A tevotution o4 HOPE. "All the indicators are that it was to 'avenge' the Marines killed in Beirut that the American president decided to take the step [the invasion] and carry out plans that had been ready for a long time. But here again, the message is ambiguous as it is tantamount to an admission that the U.S. Our March for Peace is not allowed to assemble on City Hall property. City Council succqmbing to the Legion pressure. Do I really live in a city that believes it is subversive to protest nuclear war? "If peace fails; the plan is to run the Government of Canada from an aging underground bunker for about two weeks. The emergency planners, whose task it is to think about 'the continuity of government' during a nuclear nightmare, feel that after about two weeks the radioactivity levels would drop sufficiently so that the Governor-General, the can do nothing in Lebanon. As one U.S. senator put it on learning of the Grenada invasion 'You win the wars you can win'". (Manchester Guardian, Nov.6/83) I receive the news of the invasion of Grenada without emotion. Like the numbness one feels on the expected death of a friend. Several days later, war filming released, the agony fills me. Gunfire pounding the beach where I walked, bombs blasting the countryside I travelled. I scream. Prime Minister, a war Cabinet of at least three other ministers and the bunker support staff could emerge to see what was left and decide whether it was worth trying to carry on. For the first time I acknowledge the inevitability of nuclear war. The bunker Government would not have the niceties of parliamentary almost all isters and would have democracy. The leaders of the opposition parties, other MPs, senators, a majority of Cabinet minalmost all of the civilian population of Canada to fend for themselves on the outside, among the nuclear fireballs, flying debris, radioactive mushroom clouds and whatever other horrors the next war could bring." (Globe and Mail, Nov.18/83) The Leader o4 the nevotutionaky goveknment, Maukice Bishop, is enokmoustypoputak. I marvel as I heat the chems tesponding to Bishop's speech to a wotket's tatty. I ponder how it must fleet to have a potiticat teadek that inspites such Love and adMinationo "The U.S. Federal authorities have stockpiled 71,000 pounds of opium (morphine is a derivitive of opium) for critical civilian use, and have recently requested 59,000 additional pounds. The Pentagon has asked the National Funeral Directors' Association of the United States to prepare to handle mass burials; the president of the Association has asked for a training course in embalming radioactive corpses. One thing is certain -- unburied, buried, incinerated or vapourized, the dead will continue to be radioactive -- forever." (Wallenius, NWJ Sept./83) continued on page 14 NORTHERN ra OMAN pa ge 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �- Grenada continued nom page 13 "Perhaps the worst crime that Colonialism left our country, has indeed left all former colonies, is the Education System. This is so because that system was used to teach our people The Grenada peopee welcome me - as they welcome evetyone - be they tomists - mainly BAitish and Eutopean, on wonheAs - the U.N. oiSiciats, intetnationat aid people, and the Cuban wotkeu who have come to help build the new aitpott. And the 1000 Ametican mectLcaL students. Finding an Ameti7 can medical schoot in Gtenada a a shock - seAiouz young men ensconced on Lounge chants on the beach, a stack oi medical jouAnats beside them a an unusual pictute, but they soon become pant oi the landscape. I ask how many Gtenadians ate enAotted at St. GeoAge's Medical School ...someone thinks maybe two on there. an attitude of self-hate, to get them to abandon our history, our culture, our values. To get them to accept the principles of white superiority, to destroy our confidence, to stifle our creativity, to perpetuate in our society class privilege and class difference. The colonial masters recognized very early on that if they get a subject people to think like they do, to forget their own history and their own culture...then they have already won the job of keeping us in perpetual domination and exploitation" (Maurice Bishop, quoted in Grenada, The Peaceful Revolution, EPICA Task Force,1982) People taL(a iteety to me aboUt thein countty, -c-t4 idtute, and about theit peAsonat goats. The news analysis shifts. Criticism emerges of Reagan and the Pentagon. But not criticism of the invasion. Only criticism that journalists were denied access to-report the war first hand. A valid complaint, no doubt, but hardly the most basic issue. I'm pleasantly smoised at the openness. Most peopLe suppont the &evolution, although I meet sevetat ctitia - they miss the big U.S. to $. Reagan's mounted a huge ptopoganda campaign and scated okii the Ametican touAist.s. The legality of the invasion is moderately questioned. An occasional voice ponders the morality of the world's most powerful nation invading one of the smallest, poorest nations in the world. Not once, have I seen any analysis of the racism that underlies this invasion. The Peat point of the peopLe'4 optomism is the new international aiApoAt. Without exception Grenadians agree the new aitpoAt means iutute pAospetity. The aitpott a also the peas oS Reagan's patanoia... who confutes up a pictute oS a Soviet-Cuban mititaAy base. Obsessively, I read and watch reports about the invasion. I grow increasingly distressed about the inadequacy of the Canadian reporting of the GrenadiEln tragedy. Is it incompetence, ideological-fervor, laziness or fear that prompts Canadian journalists to simply regurgitate the political propoganda issued by Washington. If our journalists had deigned to visit Gtenada in the past four yeats they might have gained the insight needed to provide a thoughtful analysis. But war is news, while social development is not. So, in the first few days journalists are content to pass on the .distortion, the lies, the scare tactics, effectively manipulated by Washington. And some Canadians accept it as truth. Others know better, but they cannot, will not (understandably) think through to the real meaning of this atrocity. "While I was building neat castles in the sandbox, the hasty pits were filling with bulldozed corpses Each time I hit a key on my electric typewriter speaking of peaceful trees another village explodes" ********************************************* Heath cake, along with education was the Iiitst pAioAi-ty oS the Bishop goveAnment. I Leann about health carte advances since the nevotution: the estabtishment oS heath centres and dental ctinics in each paAish, the medical stations in each village. I think oS the yeaAz oS Sutiee eiSoAt we spent ttying to secute a community health centAz in our downtown cote. That aenada's poputation a 110,000'4.... - the same ass Thunder Bay's --a a iAony that does not escape me. T e ood and NutAition Council pAovides heath and nutAition education. TheiA program to encouAage new motheAs to breast Seed putts our Seebte eSSoAts oS a Nestles bouycott to shame. The initial rationale for the invasion -the safety of the American medical students gives way to Reagan's absurd assertions of saving Grenada from a Cuban take-over. After days of misinformation the U.S. military officials admit they exaggerated the number of Cubans in Grenada. They acknowledge the numbers provided by Cuban authorities were correct. (Margaret Atwood, The Animals In That Country, 1968) "The news seems vague and far off, not as if it were really happening. It sits on us like an ache. We are trying to ignore it lest the pain become unbearable" The only statistics on war casualities give the number of Cubans killed. No figures are provided about the Grenadian who died. Cuba seeks to return the Grenadians whose bodies the Americans shipped to Cuba. (Hundreds and Thousands, the journals of Emily Carr,1937) ******************************************** The beach a Wendy'4 woAkptace. VendbAs, oi att ages, daily mad set theit nags, thein pro duce, woAking ditigentey to meet that Samities needs. BeSone the tevotution Wendy and other 12 yea/ old (an even younger) chitdnen would be vending Suet-time. But now shealso goes to school. Ftee education, schoot Lunch oognams, mean the children Adam even the poorest Samities have a chance Son educa- A friend just back from Central America tells of the horror and tragedy she witnessed. The unbelievable violence in El Salvador, Guatemala, Hor duras. The desperate refugee situation. The increasing armed aggression of Nicaragua, the systematic destruction of the Nicaraguan economy. For Central Americans there is no doubt that GrE nada is only the first step. tion. Not only the children ate educated. The adult titeAacy campaign a one (IS the SiAst pAogAams of the Bishop govetnment. In one yeas adult ittitetacy a almost etiminated. Many analysts believe the U.S. will invade Nicar aqua before the end of the year. My friend talks about the fear. But also the determination. The courage. continued on page 15 NORTHERN W OMAN page 14 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �continued VLOM page 14 Women Step Fonwatd ... the biZZboatd on the outsk-i_Juts og St. George's inttiguez me. What's hap- The idea o4 braiding my ha-ijt 4dscinates Wendy, so one day I ,indulge het. I am newatded by the pening with women in Grenada? The National Women's 0Aganization L busy keeping women organize Local groups in vittagez ass wat as Zamet tawns. Day cane, school projects, tecteation, small economic gentle smaez oi the aZdet women on the beach who watch out puject with interest. I ignote the co -ops ate the pro jee to women otganize atound. Basic gitaiss tootz stu66. One especiatty hot day we wend out way to the ice cream stand, then Sind a shady spot to enjoy the cootLng tteat. We tdek about het Suture. "I want to be a nurse" Wendy tettz me. I learn about the ZegizZation aggecting women: equal pay, putection Strom sexual harassment, and a very ptogtessive matetnity .leave law. I visit the NatAona2 Women's Otganization oigce. I keep my 6eminism in check - recognizing that Caribbean women view ieminizm as a white, middeeceazs Amettican woman's luxury, But I'm anxious to discovet how they see women's tole. Despite the teatity that men dominate. the leadership, the women ate canvinced that they wilt. achieve qua.ity within the goats oi the revolution. My head tettz me it wiZZ never happen. My heant wishes it might be so. states (IS the other tourists, Huge military vehicles pound through the streets of St. George's, the American soldiers jeeringly brandish their powerful guns. The venom of their contempt seeps into me ... corrodes my very core. I think of the horrors forced on women in other wars. Women's bodies the victors reward. Prostitution inevitable for sheer survival. That rape occurs even more often in an occupation than in war. The U.S. military embark on a "witchhunt" in,Grenada, seeking out officials and supporters of the Bishop government. Grenadians are co-erced and bribed to inform on other Grenadians. Everyone with any association with the revolution is branded subversive, criminal - militia, development workers, co-op leaders - anyone. Kendrick Radix, the former Attorney-General is picked up without a warrant and detained in a 10 foot barbed wire and wooden crate. I think particularly of the American veteran's testimony at a forum on the atrocities witnessed and committed in Vietnam "It wasn't like they were humans.... they were a gook or a Commie and it was okay" (quoted in Against Our Will, Men, Women and Rape, Susan Brownmiller, 1975) The military is joined by U.S. AID who charts Grenada's. future. Health and education are to be re-structured. All education materials developed by Bishop's government to be destroyed. The director of the Food and Nutrition Council is I think of Wendy --- a young woman now. fired. Headlines of the Grenada invasion fade - to be replaced by more visible wars in other areas of our world. But war is only the most extreme form of organized violence. Just as insidious is the violence of poverty, of imperialism, of racism. The physical war in Grenada may be ending, but the U.S. invaders have ensured that the silent violence of imperialism will be Grenada's future. The Psychops (Psychological Operation Battalion) are in charge of "communications". The new airport is expected to become a permanent U.S. military base. The National Women's Organization, the National Youth Organization are eliminated. The Grenadian provisional council, sanctioned by the U.S. military has banned all public gatherings, all group meetings - except for the Rotary Club. ********************************************** ******************************************** U.S. "aid" to Grenada includes distribution of baby formula. The violence is just beginning. I Zook Sot Wendy to say good-bye. I encourage het to stay in school, putsue het goats. She asks me iS I wLU come and It tis my last day in Grenada. CUSO workers returned from Grenada hold a press conference. They attempt to focus on the social implications of the tragedy, as well as refute the distorted militarycontrolled information that has filled our visit again. I tetZ het Yes, yes, I veit# much want to come back to Grenada. media. They confirm my fear that the social developments of the past four years will all be stamped out. They also express their fears for the safety and freedom of the Grenada people with whom they worked:. the women who organized a food-making co-operative, women working in programs to upgrade education, to encourage non-traditional jobs. "We are concerned about those people because they will be identified as having associations with the revolution. We are really concerned, we are seriously concerned about this." Grenada, that tiny island that evokes in me such strong feeling. It is not likely that I will visit you again. But how grateful I'am for the privilege of being a welcomed visitor for a few brief weeks - to a country that tried against insurmountable odds - to build a social revolution. I cry - for a country that dared to dream of justice and equality. I cry - for a young girl who dared to dream that she might be a nurse. (Marlene Green, transcript of CUSO press conf.Oct.31/83) I cry. And I fear. The human and social consequences of the invasion that the CUSO workers describe receive little coverage from the mainstream Canadian media. NORTHERN WOMAN page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �THE CONFEDERATION COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY THUNDER BAY DISTRICT WOMEN'S PROGRAMS WINTER '84 In conjunction with Divizionz oi the CofJege, Women's P/Logums initiates, develops and Sacititatez subjectz, seminau and con6etences in response to changing needs in. education and in employment. Women's Pnogtams ptovides tesounces Son educators, students, individuals and community gtpups who tequite consultation about 6emini2 t -issues. Women's Programs Curriculae GENERAL ARTS AND SCIENCE DIPLOMA PROGRAM emphasizing seeking training for a future career through is designed to be of particular interest to women It offers subjects that develop an awareness of issues general study prior to career selection. field(s) relevant to women in the work force combined with the opportunity to explore career through additional subject selection. AVAILABLE POST-SECONDARY CREDIT SUBJECTS: GS GS GS GS GS GS 010 026 052 136 143 159 . PERSONAL FINANCIAL PLANNING ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING WOMEN, SOCIETY AND CHANGE WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT WOMEN & STRESS MANAGEMENT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION-EQUAL OPPORTUNITY For further information, contact the Program Co-ordinator at (807) 475-6390. BUSINESS DIVISION--EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (Pending Council of Regents Approval) will prepare the student to be a manager, emphasizing program analysis, development and coordination of Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity for women, ethnic and racial minority group members and for people with disabilities, in government and non-governmental organizations. Foe further information, contact the Program Co-ordinator at (807) 475-6140. SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS * TECHNICAL UPGRADING PROGRAM (T.U.P.) _ technical T.U.P. facilitates the entry of individuals, particularly women, into the workplace or -- Career Counselling provides a The program has two components: or trades training programs. technical or "training path" outlining the training necessary to enter the intended workplace or provides 8-40 weeks of upgrading in related -Academic Upgrading trades training program; certificate and diploma programs in technology or business programs as well as selected apprenticeable trades. Associate Registrar-Adult Training & Special Programs For further information, contact the at (807) 475-6302. INTRODUCTION TO NON-TRADITIONAL OCCUPATIONS (I .N.T.0,) I.N.T.O. is an 8-week program that helps women to Students study job search skills, goal setting and plot a career path. traditional jobs. Work placement gives women real job experience. Arts at (807) 475-6210. For further information, contact the Chairperson of Communication Win- (W.I.T.T,) WOMEN INTO TRADES ANDTECHNOLOGY practical trades W.I.T.T. is an 18-week program designed to expose women to all aspects of training and the world of High-Tech. the Chairperson of Industrial & Motive Power at (807) 475-6215. For further information, contact * ZW These programs are supported by the Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, under the Canada-Ontario training agreement of 1982. the Women's Employment TO REGISTER, contact your local Canada Employment 8 Immigration o66ice, on (Phone 807-623-2731). Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C IC7 Centre, 130 S. Syndicate Avenue, 036 TOMORROW'S WOMAN New conliidence .through seti-awareness and zeq-esteem wia be achieved .through the exetcisez, group discussions, and skits. Each individevelopment o6 this subject in peAzonat gAowth. dual witt acquire a ptoSite o6 ate/Lutz and goats, _a sense o6 new options and a ctati6ication oS values. DATE & TIME: START DATE: COMPLETED: INSTRUCTOR: FEE: $30.00 GS Wednesdays 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. January 18, 1984 March 21, 1984 Liz Poulin 362, Shuniah Building ROOM: 99 026 ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING Provides the student with the skit Ps necessary -to negotiate honestly dot the things 4/he wants - on the job, at home, in Assention is not to be contused with aggression. the community. Aszettion takes into account the nights and ieetings o6 othets. DATE & TIME: START DATE: COMPLETED: INSTRUCTOR: FEE: $30.00 ZA Mondays 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. January 9, 1984 March 12, 1984 Pat McInnis 342, Shuniah Building ROOM: 99 119 FIRST STEP - COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FOR WOMEN An intAoductoAy subject in computer iundamentatz designed to give women an understanding o6 the capabititiez and tun& notogy associated with computers. Upon.compZetion, students wilt be able to design some o6 theft own "BASIC" ptogumz Students such as budget on mortgage payment calculations. GS 99 136 WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT This subject wia. deal pAimanity with the totes otc women in management, and the patticutat shift's needed by women -to e6iectivety iut6itt manageniat 6unctionz under constraints which are 6nom within themselves, as wett as those imposed by the otganizatipnz. DATE & TIME: START DATE: COMPLETED: INSTRUCTOR: $45.00 FEE: GS Mondays 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. January 9, 1984 April 16, 1984 Betty Chalmers 265, Shuniah Building ROOM: 99 143 WOMEN & STRESS MANAGEMENT This subject is intended to examine situational stnezzez in out tivez - 6amiey, job, social tetationships, congict, change, developmental ctisez, etc.; as weLE as potential sources 06 stress they biting to every situation because ob theiA personality, theit own betie6 system, their hits rhythms, and theit style (16 problem A ti6estyZe and attitude approach to changing their stress solving: response will be developed by each individual. DATE & TIME START DATE: COMPLETED: INSTRUCTOR: FEE: $30.00 Wednesdays 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. January 11, 1984 March 14, 1984 Walter Martin 265, Shuniah Building ROOM: will have hands-on experience with computers. DATE & TIME: START DATE: COMPLETED: INSTRUCTOR: FEE: $45.00 Tuesdays 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. January 17, 1984 March 20, 1984 Marlene Walther 362, Shuniah Building ROOM: FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT ALIEN'S PROGRAMS (307) 475 -6232. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 ************************************* LABEL?? IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ************************************* Collectively produced RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 316 B BAY STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7B 1S1 byNoreen Lavoie, Teresa Legowski Michalchuk, Donna Anna McColl, Joyce Rosalyn Phoenix, Sara Williamson, Phillips Taylor Perrett, Margaret Return Postage Guaranteed Northern Woman Journal 316 Bay Street Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 1S1 (Six Issues) $5.00 Business or $10.00 Institution PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal Description An account of the resource Northern Woman Journal Published in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northern Woman Journal (originally called Northern Woman) started in 1973 following the first annual Northern Women’s Conference in order to keep the conference attendees connected. Initially serving as a newsletter of events, local issues, and women’s resources, the Northern Woman Journal quickly became a diverse publication reaching national and international readers. Not only did it serve as a newsletter to keep local women up to date on feminist issues in Northwestern Ontario, but also as a safe space to discuss women’s resources, law, politics, economics, health, racism, sexism, homophobia, feminist organizing and activism, transnational feminist issues, poetry, feminist reading, feminist art, and women’s diverse lived experiences.One of the longest-running feminist perodicals in North America, the Northern Woman Journal reached its end in 1995. Throughout its 22 years, the Northern Woman Journal was produced by its many collective members, with membership evolving year to year. For many years, the journal worked closely alongside and shared space with the Northern Women’s Centre and the Northern Women’s Bookstore. With the exception of a year-long government grant in the 1970s, the journal relied entirely on subscription fees and donations in order to maintain publishing, which presented challenges throughout its entire existence. As stated in an early version of the editorial policy, “only by a free and open exchange of views and opinions will we develop a basis for unity which can be used as a basis for action.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Northern Woman Journal, Vol 8 No 3 Description An account of the resource Vol. 8, No. 3 (1984) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Armed intervention by Guatemala, Honduras, and US against rebels in El Salvador Violence against women Reopening of Toronto women’s bookstore after fire Women & technology workshop Confederation College free courses for women entering the trades Dr. Henry Morgentaler Ontario Native Women’s Association Women and Pensions Committee Thunder Bay United Nations World Conference on Women, Nairobi Political cartoon Feminist book store opening Thunder Bay Sudbury Homemakers Conference Nipissing Transition House Daycare Conference Dryden women’s conference Women’s interagency meeting Poetry Women’s relationships & power Rape Women & pensions Womenspace events Women & Therapy Conference, Toronto Nuclear war Confederation College programs for women Authors/Contributors: Joan Baril Dale Mansfield Nancy Bishop Diane Parise Jeannie Mascotto Rosalyn Taylor Perrett Joyce Michalchuk Lal Sarson Joyce Thierry Susan Collins Hawkins Diane Stein Judy McMartin Teresa Legowski A. Rapper Geraldine Van Cram Margaret Phillips Noreen Lavoie Anna McColl Donna Phoenix Sara Williamson Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern Woman Journal Collective Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1984 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English