740 10 13267 https://digitalcollections.lakeheadu.ca/files/original/16/2794/1987_Vol_10_No_4.pdf 0aa077e2c1514edbfa2c8742af40173b PDF Text Text Northern Woman Journal October 1987 Vol. 10 No. 4 Thunder Bay, Ont. $1.50 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Dear Sisters: AFRICAN NATIONS AND AIDS POLITICS According to a report released in June 1987 by the Geneva based World Health Organization (WHO) about 50,000,000 Africans are supposed to be carrying AIDS and that the disease had reached epidemic proportions in Central, East and Southern Africa. Many African nations are often outraged and embarrassed when their countries are associated with AIDS and have sometimes refused to cooperate with Women's groups and organizations that make such revelation to Western sources. Zambia, for instance, has banned health authorities and women's organizations from sending any information on AIDS outside the country, and Zimbabwe has refused to assist with funding the projects or programs of all women's bodies or organizations that release the latest figures of AIDS carriers in the country to the outside world. Kenya, with 10,000 cases of AIDS has so far coninued to deny the existence of thatMagnitude of AIDS and has blamed Western media for gross exaggeration of figures. At the International AIDS Conference held in June 1987 at Washington D.C. USA, a revelation was made by Dr. Robert Gallo, an American AIDS specialist, that 10 Nigerians were identified with a special AIDS virus whom he called "Nigerian Red Virus". In the usual re-action of African governments over the association of AIDS with their countries, the leader of the Nigerian delegation at the Conference, Dr. E. Essien, became outraged with Dr. Gallo's revelation and emphatically denied the existence of the "Nigerian Red Virus". Uganda, which has the greatest share of AIDS victims in Africa has opined that "They saw no point in making people panic when there is no risk of an epidemic". Thus African nations continue daily to deny the threat of this disease to the citizens of their countries so that their so-called national image abroad may not be tarnished while the battle to fight AIDS is raging in Western countries. Indeed, the Refugee, Famine, and Drought problems are not of more threat to human lives in Africa than AIDS. An Italian source has revealed that an average AIDS patient runa hospital bills roughly $10,000 which could potentially bankrupt a country's :public health system if the number surges. What becomes the national economies of the already impoverished countries of Africa which develops a care free attitude to the existence of AIDS in their countries? NORTH ERN WOMAN_ loggg,;g., The USA budgetary allocation to AIDS has risen from $5.5 million to $411 million in the past five years. Britain has unleashed a media blitz to alert and enlighten the public on the killer disease. The anxiety is much the same throughout Europe and America, but in Africa the response has not by the least fraction matched the problem. The combined health care budget of all Central African countries afflicted amounted to a paltry sum of $1 million in 1982, and the figure for this year is hardly an improvement. Coupled with this is a general reluctance of governments to admit the enormity of the problem. In addition, it is the sexual aspects of AIDS that has riveted public attention over the disease and it is not without good cause. Sexual transmission is the most common route; some 65-75% of AIDS in Europe and America have occurred in homosexual men between 20-40 years and intravenous drug users who share dirty hypodermic needles. But the opposite is the case in Africa where heterosexual intercourse and female genital mutilation has been the major routes of AIDS. In Africa women are noted carriers. In a survey recently concluded in Uganda, of the 170 pregnant women tested 3/4 were found to have AIDS and half of those affected were sexually mutilated. In Equatorial Guinea, of the 100 women who were tested 78 of them carried AIDS and 65 of them were those whose genitals Aremto prove Prof. Uli Linke's research in the University of California, Berkeley, USA that female genital mutilation is one of the causes of the present widespread of AIDS in - Africa. We, of this centre, have decided not to fold our arms and wait for government action against the deadly disease. We have launched a massive campaign of education and persuasion against female genital mutilation and spread of AIDS by homevisiting countryside enlightenment tours where women are addressed in public places. Campaign by literature; newspapers, radio and television. But our problem is lack of funds to run the campaign and our services as a non-governmental voluntary organization with limited funds. We therefore through your magazine appeal to all feminists, womensfolk, women's groups and organizations to come to our _lid by donating to our campaign fund in the interest of international feminism; for as Virginia Wolf said "as a woman I have no country .... as a woman my own country is the whole world". We shall accept donations by cheque, bankdraft and currency notes in any currency. Send your donations, gifts and enquiries to: HANNA EDEMIKPONG, WOMEN"S CENTRE, BOX 185, EKET, CROSS RIVER STATE NIGERIA, W. AFRICA. I enclose my thoughts on th issue of abortion, which were pr mpted (finally) by the advertise ment in the September 5 C-J enti led, "Candidates on the Level", Campaign Life Northwestern Ontar I believe that due to the large amounts of money the pro-life mu ment seems to have (due to the n bers of ads and films and variou promotional materials put togeth, over the years), this movement h a distinct advantage over the pr, choice movement and/or women who believe it is their right to hay, access to abotions if they belie' it is necessary to their well -be: (Physically, emotionally or final cially). This is unfair. There are v, numbers of people who are confuse about the issue of abortion, or who are neutral (they haven't ma, up their mind about where they stand on it; some have expressed they don't know if they can take a stand, firmly, on one side or the other). All of this material - especially the more grotesque (such as colour pictures of aborted foetuses in trash cans) -and does corrupt. Much of it is blatant propaganda. I am thorougl ly opposed for reasons stated in this letter, to the pro-life move ment getting any more mileage oui of what has been often slimy and distorted tactics based on misinformation, which are now aimed al election. there is a very were in orderstrong opposing view to the prolife movement, but the pro -choice movement, I fear, is much less ai fluent. Many of us are students, single women and men in low-payir lobs, single parents and on sociz assistance or U.I. We do not have $20, $50 and $100 to donate to -CI Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, or any other organization supporting women's rights. For this reason, I am writin and will urge other women to writ to make our views known. We are n high profile, but we are there; however, a nation of letter write we are not, and I fear the worst: that we won't be heard. However, starting by writing to the following people and organizations I fe, should know this opposing viewpoi: The Chronicle/Journal/Times News (Editorial Department) Campaign Life Northwestern Ontari( Mr. Taras Kozyra Mr. Mickey Hennessy Mr. Don Smith Mr. Chris Southcott Ms. Evelyn Dodds Mr. John Maclennan Ms. Lyn McLeod Lakehead Living (Editorial Dept.) Northern Woman Journal The Argus Mr. lain Angus MP Mr. Ernie Epp MP The Canadian Abortion Rights Attic League In Sisterhood, HANNAH EDEMIKPONG (FOR WOMEN'S CENTRE). PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Pay Equity by Liz Poulin During the last several years the issue of Pay Equity has been a major topic of debate in Ontario. Often the emotional form of this debate seemed to obscure the basic principles of fairness and justice that women were seeking to have addressed. The new terms and language complicated the discussion and caused many to throw up their hands in frustration and wait for others to plough through the rhetoric and the misconceptions to the core issues. It cannot be stated strongly enough that it was the concerted and relentless work of feminists that finally brought legislations forward. It was these women who, firmly committed to the improvement of the status of all women, pushed pay equity to the top of the political agenda and, indeed, kept it there. The women of the women's movement are the real stars and their effort must be given full recognition. All this in spite of the enormous opposition from most segments of the business community. Pay Equity is not a new, untried idea. Both the federal government and Quebec have had legislation since the mid-1970's and Manitoba since 1985. The European Economic Community members, Australia, New Zealand and many state and municipal governments in the United States have also legislated various forms of the concept. Much can be learned from their experiences - we don't have to reinvent the wheel. We just have to make it run on our own soil. At this point we can only give an educated guess about how this legislation will affect us here in Northwestern Ontario. There are holes in it that will mean little to women in our small resource-based towns with a single industry. For example, the legislation will apply best to the populated cities and areas where large businesses, industries and governmental agencies locate. Establishments with less that 10 employees are not included in the legislation. Small communities have many under 10 employee businesses, and many of these provide the traditional work of women. This requires further legislation - these women can not be left out. So pay equity will serve many women but by no means all. What we will continue to lobby for will be employment equity which includes a broad range of initiatives that address discrimination against women in the workplace. One of the Pay Equity initiatives is a pay practice based primarily on the relative value of work performed whether the worker is male or female. It is simply another way to express equal pay for work of equal value. Two Bills were introduced in the Ontario Legislature in the past year. The first, Bill 105 was brought forward by Hon. W. Wrye, Minister of Labour. It covered the Ontario Public Service Employees and the second, Bill 154, introduced by Hon. Ian Scott, Minister responsible for Women's Issues, covered private sector firms with more than nine employees and the broader public sector such as employees in hospitals, municipalities, school-boards,s4iniveraities., town ity colleges and Crown agencies. Bill 105 was strongly. criticized and died in the committee stage and Bill 154 was amended in committee to include the Ontario Public Service employees. The purpose of the legislation is laid out in fairly straightforward language and I quote Section 4(1) "The purpose of this Act is to redress systemic gender discrimination in compensation for work performed by employees in female job classes", and Section 4(2) - -Systemic gender discrimination in compensation shall be identified by undertaking comparisons between each female job class in an establishment in terms of compensation and in terms of the value of work performed." The onus is on employers to develop plans and strategies to address discrimination that is gender based. If the establishment is unionized then employers and union representatives must work together to identify comparable jobs, review workers' salaries and identify any pay inequities in female dominated jobs. Employers will need to clarify the values of their organization. For example, what is most valuable to the firm - technical skills?, interpersonal skills?, Product knowledge? etc. Once a firm knows this then it can move to compare Female-dominated job classes, (i.e. there must be 60% or more females), are compared with male-dominated jobs classes which must be 70% or more males. These percentages are higher than womens' groups recommended and may well prove to be a stumbling block in some cases. Compensation (wages and benefits) of the higher paid job (read male!) cannot be lowered to meet the lawer paid job class (read female). Criticism from the business community revolves around the need to compare dissimilar job classes. They say it can not be done. However, it already is being done in many management and administrative areas. The Hay Job Evaluation System is an example which has been widely used for over 40 years. The Community Colleges use this method. The value of jobs is assessed by using the criteria of skill, effort, responsibility and conditions of work. Skill may include education, experience and special expertise. Effort encompasses physical and mental efResponsibility includes problem fort. solving, decision-making, and having responsibility for people, machinery or budgets. And finally, conditions of work concerns the work environment, both the physical and mental aspects of stress. These kinds of guidelines as well as experience in other jurisdictions will all enable employers to meet the legislative requirements. The legislation makes provision for four exceptions. They are: seniority, merit pay, temporary training as i Ekets es ii oy p differences in c..7-7,ensation are be- cause of one or more of these exceptions. Most women across Northwestern Ontario have always had difficulty accessing any kind of training opportunities so the temporary training assignment exception will not affect any great number. However, skill shortages will. Males have the best paid jobs in our resource dominated economy and women have made little headway in moving into them. There is a problem accessing skills training courses, surviving the training, finding jobs and maintaining the energy to be exceptional over a long period of time. The Equal Pay Coalition has this to say - "We strongly object to labour market shortages as a factor for exclusion .... Rather than avoiding the spirit of the legislation by paying high rates to attract the few men with the skills, we would like to see employers spend the money training women to do traditionally male work." The inclusion of this exception is not helpful to the women seeking non-traditional work. jobs. Unions can-play a vital role as they are in a prime position to have input into plans and to monitor the implementation process. Women will be depending on them for this. However, it needs to be noted that women in small Northwestern Ontario centres will not benefit greatly since many do not work in unionized establishments. page 3 NORTHERN WOMAN PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �PAY EQUITY (continued) An independent Commission with sufficient resources and a strong and clearly defined mandate was believed to be essential to the success of the legislation. As set up the Pay Equity Commission (two sections - the Pay Equity Hearings Tribunal and the Pay Equity Office) will be in charge of administering and monitoring the implementation of the legislation. It will provide specialized educational materials and consultative services, investigate employees' complaints, hold hearings if necessary and make the final decisions. it will have the power to order compliance with the legislation, The enforcement mechanisms will include fines, search of files, require answers and impose changes. One of the first assignments of the Commission is to conduct a study into sectors of the economy where employment has been predominantly female and where there are no appropriate male job classes for purposes of comparison, i.e. child care centres, social service agencies. This study is to be completed within one year. Since this has been a major concern because large groups of women working in these areas had been left out of the legislation, we can only applaud this amendment to the original bill. This report ought to help in the early addition of these groups. Keep your eye on this so we can all lobby as soon as possible. Concerted efforts of women are going to be need. ed again. The biggest critics of Pay Equity have attacked the Commission as expensive, a waste of tax dollars, another big bureaucracy, arbitrary and powerful. It has been called the "Pay Police". Women fervently hope it will be powerful and thorough in its work. Most of us would view an agency that will work hard on our behalf as long overdue. There is no doubt that the Commission is the key to how effective this legislation will be. Will sufficient resources be allocated to it? Monitor this as well. Two real disappointments in the legislation are its gradual implementation and the lack of coverage for those in very small (under ten employees) establishments. There is no question that both of these resulted from the heavy lobbying done by business organizations. Their argument stated that the very small business operations did not have either the staff, time or resouces to go through the exercise of job comparisons, job descriptions and so on. Thus, it was decided that the public sector and private sector businesses with 500 or more employees, large personnel offices and more sophisicated policies and systems would lead the way. The following is the schedule: Public sector and private sector employers of 500 or more employees - 2 years (from date the Act comes into effect). Private sector employers of at least 100 but fewer than 500 employees - 3 years Private sector employers of at least 50 but fewer than 100 employees - 4 years Private sector employers of at least 10 but fewer than 50 employees - 5 years. Private sector employers are required to set aside not more than 1% of their payroll per year to begin making the wage adjustments and public sector adjustments must be completed within five years of the implementation period. It might be seven years before all the inequities are addressed - a long ti -me indeed. With this legislation we are moving in the right direction. It cer-. tainly takes us many steps along the path to fair compensation for our work. On the one hand it has been called a "bold initiative" and on the other "highly interventionist". The debate is still going on and the monitoring by women will still be necessary. So take a deep breath and eat some high energy food because we'll be the real "Pay Police"::: BEST SELLERS A somewhatdifferent listing than you will find in Macleans. These are the best sellers at the Northern Woman's Bookstore since opened. If you like this best sel. column we'll do it on a regular bi NON-FICTION 1. 2/4 2/4 2/4 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. FICTION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. If the Government in Ottawa gets its way, The Great Depression; two world wars; a small, spread-out population; recessions; inflation; overwhelming competition from the U.S.-none of these could kill Canada's magazines... ...but the current Government in Ottawa just might. The Government is considering demolishing the delicate structure of postal, tariff and tax-related incentives that helps keep the Canadian magazine industry alive. If this happens, many Canadian magazines will die. Those that survive will cost more to readers and publishers and will be more vulnerable than ever to competition from foreign magazines that have the advantages of huge press-runs and lower per-copy costs. Those that survive will be less profitable and, therefore, more likely to succumb to adverse_ economic circumstances in the future. CANADA'S CANADIAN PERIODICAL. PUBLISHERS' ASSOCIATION, 2 STEWART STREET, TORONTO, ONTARIO M5V 106 NORTHERN, WOMAN, . page 4, , . 8/9 8/9 10. they may take this magazine right out of your hands MAGAZINES WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST by. Michele Landsberg STILL AIN'T SATISFIED edited Maureen Fitzgerald, Connie GI erman and Margie Wolfe NEW OUR BODIES, OURSELVES by the Boston Women's Health Bo( Collective VOICE FROM THE SHADOWS by Gw' eth Ferguson Matthews MOTHER WIT by Diane Mariechil HOW TO BECOME AN ASSERTIVE WOMAN by Jean Baer BATTERED WIVES by Del Martin WOMEN AND MALE VIOLENCE by Susan Schechter CHOICES: A TEEN WOMAN'S JOUR] WOMEN'S WORKBOOK by Patti Schom-Moffatt& Cynthia TeIfi THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Wa THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Marga Atwood WOMAN ON THE EDGE OF TIME by Marge Piercy MERIDIAN by Alice Walker DAUGHTERS OF COPPER WOMAN by Anne Cameron OBASAN by Joy Kogawa SARAH JANE OF SILVER ISLET b Elizabeth Kouhi DESERT OF THE HEART by Jane BLUEBEARD'S EGG by Margaret Atwood THE TATTOOED WOMAN by Marian Engel NWJ Subs The financial health of the Northern Woman Journal is dependen on subscriptions. If there is an asterisk on your label it means that your subscription is due for renewal. If there is a ** double asterisk on your label it means that your subscription is way past due and that this is the last comlementary copy you will receive. Now you don't want us to cut you off do you?? We'd be really pleased if you also decided to give all your friends a NWJ subscrition for Christen ...a voice of our own PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �As a result of the $100,000 grant from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, received earlier this year, WOMEN'S PLACE KENORA has purchased a house at 530 3rd St. N. There will be a celebration on October 17th to coincide with the Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council annual general meeting in Kenora. The official opening of the new centre will take place later in the fall. A high Court judge made British legal history when she told a 23-year old student he was not entitled to a court order preventing his girl friend from having an abortion. This landmark case represented the first time an expectant father had sought to prevent an abortion on the grounds that it would mean killing a child. The student argued that an 18-weekold fetus could be born alive. The judge ruled that evidence presented to the court did not allow her to say with certainty that the child would have been born alive at 18 weeks. A feminist political party held the balance of power in the Icelandic parliament in April after voters handed the ruling centre-right coalition a major political defeat. The Women's Alliance, which first sent feminists to parliament in 1983, doubled its vote to 10% and could find itself included in a new government. The two current ruling parties hold only 31 of the 63 seats in parliament. Pay Equity: A Cost Benefit Analysis.. Housing for Canadian Women: An Everyday Concern, Bill C-31: Equality or Disparity?-The Effects of the New Indian Act on Native Women Personal Autonomy and the Criminal Law: Emerging Issues for Women Women Entrepeneurs Briefs: Progress Toward Equality for Women in Canada Caring for our Children Booklets: Planning our Future: Do We Have to Be Poor? CACSW Annual Report 1985-86 Fine Balances: Equal Status for Women in the 1990's Newsletter "Inside Out", the CACSW'S Newsletter is mailed periodically, In it you will find the latest Council news, findings from major research and highlights from recent and forthcoming publications, Dr, Mavis Burke, formerly chairperson of the Social Assistance Review Board and chairperson, then president, of the the Ontario Advisory Council on Multi culturalism and Citizenship, has joined the Ontario Women's Directorate, as Special-A ble Minority Women, "I believe we must work towards a perception which recognizes and reveals a diversity of race and gender in Ontario's workplace for what it truly is--an asset, not not a liability to be borne by our visible minorities,, My entire career has reflected my concern for human rights, My work at the directorate is but a logical extension of this commitment,' . A new national action group wants to help the 95,000 Canadian women who missed filing a claim against the manufacturer of the Dalkon Shield, The American-made intrauterine birth-control device was linked to pelvic inflammatory disease, blood poisoning, infection, sterility, spontaneous abortion and death before it was removed from the market in 1976. Dalkon Shield Action Canada was launched after an attempt to get the April 30, 1986, deadline extended for Canadian women failed last summer, and it is trying to reach these women. The lawyer appealing that decision is optimistic that it will be reversed, especially in light of growing national membership in Dalkon Shield Action Canada. For further information, write Dalkon Shield Action Canada, c/o Vancouver Women's Health Collective, 888 Burrard St., Vancouver, B.C. V6Z 1X9, The following materials are available free, from the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 110 O'Connor St., 9th Fl. Box 1541, Stn.B, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5R5, Forthcoming Books: Battered But Not Beaten: Preventing Wife Battering in Canada. Growing Strong: Women in Agriculture. Background Papers: A Critique of Bill C-114 as Proposed Legislation on Pornography: Principles and Clause-by-Clause Analysis. Immigrant Women in Canada: Current Is sues, The Canadian Jobs Strategy: Current Issues for Women.. . Arja Lane is back from two months in Finland and will be in Thunder Bay for the Interweave Conference. She is presently working on a documentary about housing problems in Sudbury, The Ontario Government recently committed total annual funding of 12,5 million to prevent and reduce family violence in the province, The new funding of $7,1 million is in addition to the $5.4 million in family violence prevention programs announced by the two ministers last september (Attorney General Ian Scott, Minister Responsible for Women's Issues, and Com-munity and Social Services Minister, John Sweeney,) The continuing focus is on support services and protection for assaulted women, and on the criminilization of wife assault, For women working and training in the Trades, the group "WOMEN IN TRADES" is collecting data on women working in non-traditional fields. Their goals include speaker's lists, role models and personal links, and they are looking into the formation of regional groups. If you wish to contact them please write or phone: Mary Addison Women in Trades c/o Times Change Women's Employment Service 22 Davisville Ave., Toronto, Ontario M4S 1E8 Telephone: 416-487-1776 000 BOOK STORE NEWS 000 We want to tell you about Ragweed Press, a woman-owned publishing house in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Libby Oughton, the owner/publisher became involved with Ragweed in 1980, purchased it in 1981, and yearly publishes 10-12 books. Originally, titles included children's books, regional cook books, fiction and poetry. In 1986, Oughton decided to concentrate on feminist and lesbian prose and poetry, which she publishes under the Gynergy imprint. From what we understand Ragweed has been, not only a publishing house, but also a resource centre for Charlottetown women's and peace groups. Unfortunately in July of this year arson destroyed the building adjacent to Ragweed, causing extensive damage to Ragweed's books, manuscripts and office. The loss is only partially covered by insurance - about $60,000 is needed just to bring Ragweed's published books back into print. With Ough.ton's determination and the support of friends and colleagues across Canada, Ragweed is being rebuilt. Readers wishing to support this important women's press may send donMontreal, Confederation Court Mall, 107 Grafton St., Charlottetown, P.E.I. You can also support Ragweed's future by purchasing their fine publications. Ragweed books that are currently available at the Northerm Woman's Bookstore include: THE FAT WOMAN MEASURES UP by C.M. Donald. These poems tell of a woman's conflicting feelings about being fat. "Sometimes her fatness is defiantly celebrated - 'Fat women/Are not few./ When we rise,/ The earth will shake.' And sometimes it is miserably loated, as she asks her thin sisters for more compassion .... Donald writes with power, humour and emotion about a subject that has received far too little positive attention and understanding." This is perhaps Ragweed's best known publication (at least in the women's community) and has received excellent reviews. THE BOOK OF FEARS, by Susan Lerslake (who was nominated for the Governor General's Award in 1985). "In these stories, Kerslake interrogates fear; she pins it under her lights and questions it until it confesses that fear leads to vision,,that fear may need cooperation; that fear, finally, is a power vacuum, a surfeit of possibility, and a silence. Kerslake is a gifted writer, with an extraordinary imagination. OUT ON THE PLAIN, by Frankie Out on the Plain is "of four women who meet and come together not so much in the physical world we know, but out on the plain, a mysterious and unfamiliar landscape which at first appears unfocussed but takes on colour and clarity as the bonds strengthen between the women. Finn. Cont. on page 14 NORTHERN ,WOMAN page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Michigan Womyn's Music Festival by Rose Pittis The ferry pulled away from the Wisconsin shoreline as we headed for the deck, found chairs, and settled in for the long trip. Although we were still hours from our destination it took only seconds to realize that the majority of people on deck were womyn enroute also. Womyn in groups of all sizes, dressed in everything from shorts and summer tops to woolens and heavy jackets, carrying guitars, boo ks and food hampers. A womon came up to us and asked if this was our first time. When we said, 'Yes', she said "Ahhh, you're going to Paradise-. The 12th Michigan Womyn's Festival was indeed a paradise, though a somewhat wet one as it rained at least half of every day we were there. Weather aside, the energy emanating from 600 acres of land holding over 7000 womyn is difficult to describe. The feeling of womon-power, pride, and community simply becomes a tingling in the scalp and a sob in the throat and something which I will never forget. From the moment of entering the land it became evident that the organization of the event was near-perfect. Womyn directed us to a parking spot where we registered and unloaded our gear,on a long island of grass ready for the shuttle service. (No personal vehicles go beyond the main parking area) We were then directed along.-a road to coloUr-coded parking lots. After parking, we were directed to an orientation tent where an information video played continuously explaining the philosophy of the land and the collective spirit. We then moved to the work tent where everyone is asked to sign up for a four-hour workshift in transportation, daycare, security, kitchen etc. Up until this point I had been amazed by the number of experienced volunteers that the festival organizers had collected together. Now .I realized that everyone I had met directing me along the way was a participant like myself already doing her workshift. This collective spirit is one of the secrets to the organizational success of the festival. In no other way could 7500 people move onto the land, set up tents, eat communally, and move off the land in the space of five days with very few problems. In celebrating womyn, the festival not only promotes the collective spirit but honours our diversity. Camping areas are divided into general, quiet, chem-free, and 'loud and rowdy' to provide everyone for the type of atmosphere they want. Camping areas for disabled were also available close to the hub of the festival. Other serices consisted of 'the Wqmb', a firstaid area; the Oasis for emotional support; and the Sober Support Tent. The Community Center Complex had tents for Festival Information, Womyn of Colors, International Networking, Womyn over Forty, and lost and found. The craft market offered crafts and art of over 150 womyn as well as literature and music. The day stage and acoustic stage were active daily from Thursday to Sunday, offering a variety of workshops in voice, instrumental and dance. Highlights for me were Heather Bishop's Children's concert where fifteen little people managed to squeeze up on stage to help Heather with her show, and The Reel World String Band who got thousands of women up square dancing for the afternoon. Every evening the night stage program provided a diverse program to satisfy all tastes in music. Jasmine, a 3-piece jazz band, showed excellent musicianship and tight harmonies. The Maxine Howard Revue, a glossy 7-piece band, gave us a big band sound and a night club routine. Faith Nolan, from Halifax, sang some beautiful folk pieces, and Phranc, from New York, performed from her original repertoire with such songs as 'I Want to be an Amazon' and 'I Like Female Mud Wrestling'. The L: ian Allen Band was a collection o: some of Canada's finest musicians with Lorraine Segato weaving harm( and Sherry Shute playing haunting echoes of Lillian Allen's lilting ice. Of course Heather Bishop, Ho: Near, and Ronnie Gilbert were the: playing old favorites and new mat( al to thunderous applause. On the final night the secon( last act was Robin Flower Band. they were playing their fine blue the skies opened up and provided incredible light show of lightenii while everyone sat in awe. A few I utes later a gale whipped up, the poured down, and Robin Flower Ban( had to run off stage in- danger/Mqm electrocution and the huge stage opy collapsing on them in the win( Stage crew and audience alike rust to cover thousands of dollars wore of sound equipment from the storm, In the glow of the lightening one could see the bodies of the light] and sound crew scaling the fifty towers to secure and cover their E pment, This was certainly a grand ale to an incredible week. 1:)( A c 1 The next day, thousands of we silently packed up their sopping and splashed through the mud to tt shuttle service,preparing themsell emotionally and mentally for the N outside paradise, A sadness fell our group as we slowly drove off land, vowing to return next year. August See ou GI r?J ip NORTHERN WOMAN 1 'Sak ma w page 6 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Name Change by LYNN BEAK expensive process, since the perTo change their name on documents son had to hire a lawyer, and such the as S.I.N. cards and driver's Ontario Legal Aid Plan seldom licences, paid they would write to those for the legal costs. agencies requesting the forms to change their name, then notify banks and SHappily, the rules have now employers of the change. been changed regarding name changes. The power to change the name on birth certificates has been given to TO OBTAIN THE APPLICATION FOR A LEGAL the Office of the Registrar-General. NAME CHANGE An application form must be filled out by the person wanting to change Write to the Office of the Regtheir name - it is not simple - but istrar-General, Ministry of Consumer it also does not need a lawyer. and Commercial Relations, MacDonald There is a fee of $100.00 and an adBlock, Queens Park, Toronto, and exditional $15 for each child. plain the name change that you want Both of the women in the and ear-they will send the appropriate lier examples are now able to forms chan- to be completed for a legal ge their children's names. Anyname per-change. son of the age of 16 years can apply to change their name, and the PARENTS only RIGHTS REGARDING CHANGING THE general restriction is the requireSURNAMES OF THEIR CHILDREN ment that the person applying has lived in Ontario for a year prior If parents are sharing custody to their application. of their children, then both of them WHEN IS A LEGAL NAME CHANGE NOT NEEDED For many years the change of name rules in Ontario did not meet A legal name change is not everyone's needs. If a woman was a needed in some circumstances. If a single parent, unmarried when her woman wishes to use a nickname, but child was born and she and the not birth actually change her birth certifather have registered the child in ficate then a name change is not his surname, she could not change needed. Anyone may use a name that the child's name to her surmaneis withnotlegally yours (such as the out the consent of the birth father. surname of6your legal or common-law If he could not be located, or spouse) was as long as they are not dounwilling to agree to the change, ing so in order to defraud creditors, the child had to remain in his name. avoid police or for any other improAlso, if a woman was separated per purpose. and reverted to her birth name, she could not change the names of the Just as a person may change their children in,kierustody without her name to (or hypenate that of their spouse without needhusband's consent. ing a legal name change, so may they The old rules required everyone change their mind and revert to their who wished to legally change the birth name on their birth certificate (or name whenever they choose to do so, that'of their children) to apply to either during the marriage, separation or after divorce. the court for an order. It wasafter an - Writer in Residence GOOD NEWS: Veronica Ross has n appointed Writer-in-Residence the Thunder Bay Public Library. s will take up residence at the erley Resource Library from Oct. 1987 to June 3, 1988. She will be ticipating in the new Writers-Inraries Program sponsored by the istry of Citizenship and Culture. The program is designed to inase public awareness of Ontario's writers and Canadian literature and to provide professional assistance to emerging writers. During the eight months of her residency, Ross will take part in public workshops, critique manuscripts, and provide ongoing creative and marketing advice have to consent to the change of the children's surnames. This would occur when both parents are living with the children or have signed a joint custody agreement. However, if only one parent has custody after a separation or due to the fact that the other parent never lived with the child, then the consent of the non-custodial parent is not needed unless a separation agreement or court order states that the child's name will not be changed without their consent. If the non-custodial parent has visiting rights, the parent with custody must notify them of the fact that the child's name is going to be changed. FURTHER QUESTIONS If you have further questions about name changes, you may contact the Registrar-General's office, a lawyer or a legal clinic in your area. to writers. While in Thunder Bay she will be working on her new novel and hopes to do some work with older adults and students, as well as individual writers. Veronica Ross is the author of three collections of short stories: Goodbye Summer (Oberon, 1980), Dark Secrets (Oberon, 1983) and Homecoming recently published by Oberon. A novel, Fisherwoman, was published in 1984 by Pottersfield Press. Her stories have appeared in a wide variety of magazines - several stories have won national awards. A native of West Germany, she grew up in Montreal, lived many years in Nova Scotia and for the past three years has been living in Kitchener, Ontario. She has been involved in two previous writer -inresidence programs in Nova Scotia where she taught creative writing, and she is presently the associate editor of Antigonish Review. If you are interested in bringing a group to the library, or if you would like to schedule your own appointment with Veronica Ross, please call Barbara Koppenhaver, Co-ordinator of Community Services at 344-3585. NORTHERN WOMAN page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �No Pasaran by JOSIE WALLENIUS The World Congress of Women, held in Moscow in June was not only a political debate but a festival of culture, dancing and song. It started off for Canadian delegates in the Aeroflot Jet taking off from Montreal, with Arlene Mantle, singer songwriter from Toronto, leading us in some of her superb Women, class struggle songs. As one of her lines goes, "When you know that the Right is wrong, then all that's left is Left". Close to three thousand women from 154 countries gathered in Moscow to discuss Women's Issues. Peace and Disarmament, Women in Society, Women and Work, Women and Family, Women in National Liberation Struggles, Problems of Development for Women, Women in Education, Mass Media and Women, and the role of Women in the Forward Looking Strategies adopted in Nairobi in 1985. All this was convened by WIDF (Women's International Democratic Federation), an organization founded in 1945, which broadly speaking was meant to ensure that we would not bow to Fascism again, the political reality of Monopoly Capitalism gone criminal., I mention the reason for the founding of W.I.D.F. because fortytwo years later'in Moscow, in session after session and workshop after workship, women worldwide condemned our banks and our institutions as the root cause of their problems. Unless we women in the West stop playing the Sleeping Beauty, we will have betrayed not only our sisters but the planet itself. South African Women's Day Campaign As a priviledged woman who is literate and eats more than once a day, I went at first to the Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Sessions. I was initially disappointed, as I was looking for solutions, not a rehash of the problems. On the first morning I heard at least four Japanese women tell us again about Hiroshima, and there was an endless stream of women from countries in Liberation wars, bleeding from our Military Industrial Complex and the greed of our banks. Knowing of these things before I went, and being at the end of the speakers list I decided to leave and attend a workshop organized by U.S. activists, where Helen Caldicott was going to speak. I have always held Caldicott in high regard, and thought I could at least have my say in question time. However, after hearing Helen speak, I had lost the frustration I had felt, as she said the things so many of us had been waiting to hear. She started off by describing her experience with the Physicians for Social Responsibility. She had spearheaded this organization, done massive education work, only to find herself a -non person when the time came for the P.S.R. to receive the Nobel Peace prize. She returned to Australia, not only wounded, but aware that all of her vision and energy had been spent fighting shadows, and that the weapons and effects of war were not the only things we should be talking about. She spent the next two years studying the corporations, and is now talking about them. She said that the North American public is totally brainwashed, and the rich have orchestrated this brainwashing by T.V. She said that since World War 1 the corporations have spent billions of dollars in destroying our unions, and that the C.I.A. is as active in Australia as in Bolivia. She said that the U.S. is socialism for the corporations and capitalism for everybody else. NORTHERN WOMAN page 8 She agreed with an 85 year old won an who denounced the U.S. government as criminals and gangsters, E a few days later, when we spoke tc her in the dining room, she said i was now like the thirties, we have nothing to lose, we must confront Fascism. She actually used the wo/ revolution. This is Helen Caldicot speaking, not Angela Davis. I. thinksome libera.)._woW.a-faj to grasp the point. The ones who tumade a decision NOT to attend the sions run by Palestinian women, or those run by A.N.C. Women and Womer from the Frontline States, or who failed to seek out the Afghan womer to hear their story about the C.I..t orchestrated counter revolution in their country. To further illustrate this poi some women actually resisted what they saw with their own two eyes. C day some of us went to an automobi] plant where we were greeted by members of the Union, Women and Peace Committees. We ate, sang and dance( together, and then went to workers homes to talk more intimately. Abot common family troubles, sex, A.I.D. and anything we felt we wanted to. When we returned to the plant we the museum where cars were display dating from their first production. to the tanks of the war years, to modern cars of today, so that worki people can have pride in their history of accomplishments. t The plant had day care centres and medical centres at the site, an subsidised holidays on the Black Se resorts, yet some still were not im pressed. Perhaps one has to go with out holidays, or go hungry to pay a medical bill, before one is impress by Socialism. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Az a ItiorfAh I; -:AV. COUriTRY... MY CovnTR.Y dik* ATHC. WoRLD * .14 from Women and Environments A few days later, lazing on a seat on a pleasure boat on the Moscow River, watching families opening their picnic baskets, I wondered sadly if some thought secretly that the K.J.B. had organized this day for us. That they had ordered sections of the public to sunbathe on the river banks at a given time, that they had told the people to smile and the sun to shine. Another highlight for me was going to the indiginous Women's workshop. Seeing the Native Canadian women meeting the Indiginous Women from Australia and Paraguay, and finding out that they were going to unite and organize together. Feeling the strength of the Native Canadian women who have decided that spirituality is not enough to solve their problems. At the final Peace Rally, thousands and thousands of women gathered with Moscow citizens to walk hand in hand and arm in arm, with banners, balloons, clowns and colour, to Gorky Park. The last singer to perform was our own Arlene Mantle, and she sang, "We Shall Overcome", She sang it not with humility, as it is too often sung, but with full throated power, and we sang it back at her, and with her. She began to walk away, bending down to receive flowers from children, but the crowd did not move, so she sang again, this time the Central American Freedom song, with a Guatamalan woman singing at her side, Nicaragua is, after all, the Second Spain, As she finished, she raised her fist, and sang out, "NO PASERAN", the cry of resistance first shouted almost 50 years ago during the Spanish Civil War by the Spainards and the International volunteers, including Canadians, who fought to defend Madrid against the Fascist supported armies of Franco, A cry of Hope and Defiance meaning literally "They will not Pass", But fifty years ago they did pass, because the people in the West did not defy their governments who were supporting Fascism, pretending they did not know, as we pretend in Canada not to know of our governments support of the regime in El Salvador. I think Helen Caldicott has, like other women have started to do, made, not a marxist analysis, but a clinical assessment for this dying planet, and it remains to be seen what we do with it "If We Love This Planet". For myself, I know that there is a lone group of women on a picket line in our town. I don't know them, and probably if I asked them what Trident is, they would say it is chewing gum. I'm joining them on Monday, as a peace activist. While keeping the words "No Paseran" firmly in my head, I also remember reading the case of Suttons Hospital from 19th century Britain "The corporations cannot commit treason, nor be outlawed nor excommunicated, for they have no souls." ON HEALING I am a 'Loch s, quiet convictionz My Compa/mion Ent/Lenched with ofmtinacy Stnength unnoticed Waiting I am a pond LayeAz o6 Zi6e Peace in motion Unexpected depth Untimited Expto/Le my pond And you wit-E. (find The. /Lock I am a 6o/Lezt A banned-out oite.t that Rquzed to die Laughter pLom dapondence -ExpZoke my 6otezt my pond Within it Exptone my pond And you witt 6ind The 'Lock.. Suzan Cottin4 May 1987 page 9' NORTHERN WOMAN PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �In Search of a r.e.a.l. Womar by Teresa Mallam of Women's Place Kenora At Women's Place Kenora, we have come to the conclusion that R.E.A.L. women do not exist. We arrived at this conclusion after futile attempts to reach the aforementioned party through the telephone directory service - there was no listing for them. "I've looked under everything" said the harried Winnipeg operator "even under the heading WOMEN and there's nothing coming up on the screen." We thought so. We were just checking. Then we reached the same dead end from Kenora Information. "Never heard of them" said the operator. Then we phoned our good friends at Klinic-in Winnipeg and we were told R.E.A.L. women were not listed on their resource list. This did not surprise us given the fact that most employees of Klinic are of feminist orientation and R.E.A.L. women are above all else, anti-feminist. The group who call themselves R.E.A.L. women emerged in the domestic kitchens of its founder, Grace Petrasek, a homemaker from Etobicoke, Ontario. Rumour has it that.she was preparing the family meal - from scratch of course - when the idea struck Rer to mount a ,chalienge.to feminism - a group she felt only "thought they spoke for people like me" - but REALLY didn't. She then joined forces with Gwen Landott and together they set out to set the world upright again - or something to that effect. They began by denouncing prostitution, then homosexuality, then sex education, universal day care (based on want, not need) and no-fault divorces - or any kind of divorce for that matter. The group is also vehemently opposed to abortion, naturally, because many of their members sprang up from right-to-life groups. But R.E.A.L. women are still a mystery to our organization. The closest we have come to hearing the voice of R.E.A.L. women is on a Radio Noon Show from Toronto in which Grace remarks: "I really don't know why they (feminists) are so upset." Well, we are not really upset, just perplexed. WHO ARE THESE R.E.A.L. WOMEN? Do they, like their male counterparts - eat quiche? I mean some people have actually gone so far as to accuse us (feminists) of being jealous of their cleverly devised name. Harrumph. Even if we interpret R.E.A.L. as Real (and we do not), we can hardly be jealous given the word's real meaning. "Real" as defined by the Pocket Oxford Dictionary means "actually existing as a thing." Frankly, we would rather exist as people. We should also point out that "feminist" according to the same source is defined as "an influence of women, belief in or advocacy of ..." Columnist Doris Anderson unearthed some fascinating tidbits in her NORTHERN WOMAN _page. 10 1985 column "The Real Truth about Real Women" saying that "they are, not really women at all. They want to be dependent. And dependents by any 1985 (read 1987) definition are not adults. Dependents are children." Which brings us back to our original problem. If in fact R.E.A.L. women do exist, in whatever form things or children - (and that is interesting because neither Petrasek nor Landott will reveal her "real" age according to a Chatelaine article). I mean maybe they really are children dressed up in Mom's twinsets and pearls. Anyway, if they do exist, where are they? Part of our objective in finding them is that some of their platform (about 5% according to NAC president, Louise Delude) is the same as ours. 5% is_better than nothing. At least we have that much in common. For instance, the group is for the family unit. Well, what a coincidence so are we. They support homemaker's pensions. Funny, we thought we said that. They recognize the contribution of women in the home. Well, so do we. In fact, we were the first ones to say so. But the reason R.E.A.L. women are getting a lot of press lately and no, we aren't jealous of that either, even if Stan Graham, Tory M.P. does say their testimony is "like a breath of fresh air". So, who wants to be known as a group of airheads? But anyway, for three consecutive years they have been griping because they have not been given funding by Secretary of State Women's Programs. Now, you have to appreciate these programs are intended to further the cause for women. To promote advancement of women and to improve their status. Funding is not available to groups who wish to help with a movement backwards in time. But ... humor, maybe they should try another ministry, say Citizenshi and Culture. After all, no one can deny they are citizens. And funding for preserving old relics and ancien ways of life is certainly high on their list of priorities. We wish th real luck, we really do. P.S. If we ever succeed in finding this group, I have a'great recipe fc orange muffins.... maybe we could have a bake-off! Wanted AN INEXPENSI'IE LEGAL SIZE FILING CABINET IS URGENTLY NEEDED BY THE NORTHERN WOMEN'S BOOKSTORE. PLEASE CALL 344-7979. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �INTERWEAVE Sharing our common threads; strengthening our ties; designing the fabric of our future; INTERWEAVE is a conference for Ontario women's centre workers that will be held October 23, 24, 25, 1987. INTERWEAVE intends to examine issues of survival for women's centres; develop a provincial network among centres; and identify future needs and create action strategy for centres to deal with concerns such as the institutionalization of women's issues. INTERWEAVE believes that we must develop an analysis for change based on our own experience as women's cen tres. Workshop facilitators will draw on participants knowledge to create and implement strategy designed to ensure our future. All Ontario women's centres are invited to send delegates, and to be prepared to contribute their centre's unique experiences so that the result will be workable strategy for all centres. Workshop discussions will include an overview and analysis of organizational models/towaris the creation of a uniquely feminist model; funding possibilities and their implications; strategy to make positive change in a conservative world; why feminist issues are co-opted by non-feminist financial sponsors/developing strategy to reclaim and maintain our own issues; understanding lesbian visibiility/how internal conflict relates to homophobic and heterosexist reaction from without, and how that reaction is reinforced by the political and social climate; how women's centre workers find ways to satisfy and nurture themselves while working toward change/developing strategies to encourage a sense of ownership and involvement of new women, and target methods for renewing energy among seasoned members. INTERWEAVE will be held at Memory Lodge, which is located on the shores of Lake Superior, approzimately 40 miles southwest of Thunder Bay. Transportation from the Thunder Bay airport to the Conference site will be provided. Shuttles from town will also be arranged. Accommodation consists of shared cabins and rooms at the Lodge. All meals, entertainment and recreation for the weekend will be provided on site. For further information please call Northern Women's Centre (807) 345-7802 read any good books lately? NORTHERN WOMAN'S BOOKSTORE 184 Camelot St Thursday & Friday : 11.30-600 Saturday: 430-4 30 SpectAum Cotouted watts stide in and out pa termed tite4 and potished gtain some watts pretend to be tainbows tentacte4 cotoca teaising w with pnomtis es and dreams - -- Watts 6epakate cetts, /1.0001, people you and me btack shadow Watts s tatk_ white watts wtao astound me in an endtess 6og I took 6ot you Watts keep us waiting inside out isepatate cetts t/Lapped inside bodies that tage agai_nst hems elves aging gesh watts accommodate gtowing ptisons watts come ctoset to us cat tying tiie and death Shatt I paint myTh)atts with blood red gowets on golden dream-iitted takes? Sptinkte 0/Lange chat on gAey tty to pooh the waltz away? on play inside them tike a chitd ptanning 6/Leedom .. Rosatyn Taytot Pettett NORTHERN WOMAN page 1 1 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �- Abortion Access Reprinted from PRO-CHOICE NEWS Ontario residents will perhaps remember that during the provincial election in 1985 all three political parties agreed that access to abortion services was inadequate and needed improving. This was a remarkable admission and a significant one The poLiticians were no longer quibbling about whether abortions should be performed, but were in fact acknowledging that such a medical service belongs in the mainstream of medicine and provision of that service was now the issue. Perhaps they had finally begun to read the polls rather than only reading their antiabortion mail. Perhaps they had finally realized that pro-choice groups and virtually every women's organization in the province were speaking for the majority and were making sense. Perhaps, because they understood this they were more willing to display a little political courage. There was also the embarrassment of the Morgentaler clinic, a constant reminder that women in Ontario (and other parts of Canada) were not able to get abortions through the hospital system. The Liberals promised that if they were elected they would improve access, especially in Northern Ontario. The Liberals were elected and in June of 1986 (it only took a year) Dr. Marion Powell, who had been a member of the Federal Government's inquiry in 1977 into the operation of the abortion law (the Badgley Report) was asked to review access to therapeutic abortion services in Ontario. These were the terms of reference: (1) Review with those Ontario hospitals that provide therapeutic abortion services to: (a) identify the demand and availability of services by geographic area; (b) identify program components that women require and the means of achieving optimum provision of these components; (c) review the referral patterns and scheduling process; (d) review the operation of therapeutic abortion committees, and (e) encourage the development of this service as a total program. (2) To work with the public health units in Ontario to identify needs in their family planning programs and to examine ways in which the programs can be co-ordinated with those provided by hospitals. PDF (3) To work with local hospitals, public health units, and the like, to develop a regional or local referral system for birth control services. (4) To work The with firstconcerned phase of comthe study munity groups, e.g. Planned Parentwas undertaken in the summer and hood, to develop informational andmet with fall if 1986. Dr. Powell educational programs on family planservice providers throughout the proning. vince. Her report was released on (5) January To identify resources 27 ofthe this year. Its findrequired ings to assist and to expand as "damning" were characterized these services hospitals, health by the in media. Dr. Powell found the units, and so on. system rife with problems. Among the problems she identified were the following: (1) In over 50% of counties the majority of women obtaining abortions had the procedure outside their place of residence. (2) A minimum of 5000 Ontario women obtain in free-standcompression, OCR, abortions web optimization using ing clinics in Canada or the U.S. All the criticisms of the existing system of service delivery contained in Dr. Powell's report have been mode by provincial pro-choice and family planning personnel for years. All the critcisms of the existing system of service delivery contained in Dr. Powell's report have been made by provincial pro-choice groups and family planning personnel for years. For that reason Dr. Powell's report is a welcome and long overdue acknowledgement of the unacceptable delivery of service in the curarent watermarked evaluation hospital-based system. Itcopy is of also a credit to the provincial gov- CVISION PDFCompressor �RESPONSE OF ONTARIO GOVERNMENT TO POWELL REPORT In March, Health Minister Murray Elston announced his government's response to the Powell Report. The Province will spend up to $2.5 million to encourage hospitals to provide better service. In this way Elston hopes the need for the two free-standing clinics will be eliminated. The provincial government has hired Dr. Powell to begin implementing some of the recommendations of her report. In 1970 the late Dr. Elsie Gregory MacGill, member of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women and subsequent Honorary Director of CARAL, issued a separate statement to the Commission's Report. She said, in reference to section 251 of the Criminal Code (the section dealing with abortion), that if this law is not repealed immediately it "will linger on for a decade or two more to harass and punish women." Dr. MacGill's words were prophetic. We are in year 17 of that prophecy. The basis for the inequities and scandalous treatment of women seeking abor- tion care in this country is the abortion law itself. Despite protestations from some that access can be improved under the current legislation we have seen no evidence of this. In fact we have seen a constant and steady erosion of service across the land. It remains to be seen whether Ontario can honour its pledge to improve access, given the refusal to confront what everyone knows are unworkable and unnecessary constraints in the legislation, namely, the requirement that abortions be performed in hospitals and only upon approval by a therapeutic abortion committee. .************,.*****************.*40***********#*******.*****...***.*******.*..*.o.***.***.o.*****************.*********.** Women's feelings, needs and thouward right-and-far-right-wing conservatism, ghtsmanifested have consistently in reactionary been challengand right-wing governments ed on this issue. and organizations) of women's rights and freedoms (This issue is extremely complex. Theoretically, all of Canadian socI will forward a longer supplement iety's rights and freedoms are therewhich I have been moved to write, affore being eroded, but it is women ter all this time of trying to organwho are, and have been, paying the ize some personal response to all the price. members of the pro-life movement. Loewenberg and Dolgoff write: Many of these people, I think, are "A person can be said to be free well meaning, but in their zeal to only when all of the following condiprotect the "rights of the unborn", tions prevail: continued from p2 they forget those of us who've had 1. The environment provides a to live here for many years. However, set of options from which a person I am aware that many of the tactics can make choices. For reasons mentioned in the of the pro-life movement are very There Iisamnonot coercion attached 2. letter, signingon the destructive and uncaring of others- person from any source to choose a my name. I believe my thoughts rewitness firebombings and destruction given option. present those of many women, beof property -- and for this reason, 3. The person aware of all cause I have heard manyisexpress themI do not include my name, as I do not the available options. selves similarly to me. I am firmly wish to be harassed as a private cit4. in Thethe person hasthat accurate entrenched belief wom- inizen. I am not writing as a member about the cost conseen'sformation (and human) rights will and never of a party or organization.) quences to of become each option in order to be allowed a dead/nonI believe we must oppose-mnyabwillommm assess them realistically. issue, irrespective of the> prevailfurther suppression and denial of 5. The person has the capacity ing political climate. women's rights, as we should the denand/or initiative to make decision Suffice to say that I am awritial and suppression of the rights of theasbasis of this and assessment. ing on this a tax-payer voter, men to self-determination. Barring 6. The person a realistice and an L.U. student whohas works partminority males, men's autonomy and to I'm act writing on the basis timeopportunity at two jobs. this of self-determination have always been hisindividual, or her choice." as an and have not been regarded, historically, as a kind of this definition, women who coerced, By commissioned or otherwise sacred trust. are ordered an embryo cajoled to writetoitcarry by anyone otheror I firmly believe that if men foetus to full term, and give birth, than myself. Thanks for your time. could conceive and have babies, they are not free (the basic precept of would never have allowed the issue of our democratic society). Organizations Sincerely, of abortion, and of individual rights, such as Campaign Life (who ran the to deteriorate to its present state. latest advertisement in the Chronicle Make no mistake -- this is a women's Journal), if ever allowed to become issue. Men have a place in it, but the predominant activist organization TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: what ethical right do they have domon abortion, would see to it that inating it? I shudder at the conseabortions become illegal. This would I have always had a very hard quences of the potential acts of be a totalitarian, undemocratic act. unfeeling male decision-makers on time with hearing men predominate in I challenge the pro-life discussions about abortion, one ofmovethis issue. that to this: if you prove of the ment primary and true "issues" ourunder allThe circumstances, the pro-choice time. sad fact is that in prea pregnant say "As sentmovement Canadianwould society, it should not womabortion", then an,issue you must haveits an existence be an at all; argument, I will entire should be arefute basic this right, and a given. campaign. and wish been you success in your I have amazed and angered that this But youtoknow well as leaders, I listening maleaspro-life absolutemarchers nonsense. maleispro-life and organiof profact, (lately, the existence zers, andInindeed with the by groups confirms Babychoice "K" case), male ethicsdemocracy, profespro-life example, (and whereas thehaughtsorsthis consistently often fact of that it. The ily)movement discuss denies the various aspects pro-life movements exist is only abortion, including ethical/moral im- due the democratic to the good graces plications, attempts to of define life allowed country in which it is itself (something truly beyond the to the face operate, it including kicks it in grasp of mostyet, of us, theoundeby propounding an astoundingly logians and most learned professors), mocratic line. Thunder and what a woman -- And not in a man -- Bay, Messieurs Hennessy supshould or should not do and withKozyra her own Unbelievable, especially body.port More than not, when womitoften when Mr. Kozyra is such a staunch en are mentioned at all, it is as the of demoupholder of the principles villian, the vamp and/or the vessel. your OICE cracy: The crime of this entire issue is the gross erosion in present Canadian society (due primarily to the trend of the last several years to- NORTHERN WOMAN page 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �BOOK REVIEW: reviewed by MARGARET PHILLIPS The Myth of Women's Masochism, by Paula J. Caplan, Ph.D., Signet pb, 1985, $4.95 The myth of women's masochism is deeply entrenched in our society. That women contribute to our own misery; that women fear success, thus ensuring our own failures; that, some - if not all - women actually enjoy pain and suffering; are deeply held beliefs. The myth has frequently been "proven" by a variety of (usually male) "experts"; been embraced by the mental health profession; and has been widely accepted even by women. Feminists who have long been uncomfortable with the 'masochist' label will welcome the exposure of the myth that has been provided by Paula Caplan's important work The Myth of Women's Masochism. Caplan, a Canadian psychologist and educator, provides a solid analytical base to understand why women's behaviour has been mislabeled masochistic; the benefits that accrue a misogynist society to continue the myth; and the consequent difficulty in debunking the myth. It was only after some years of study and clinical practice that Caplan began to seriously question the accepted wisdom that women's behaviour is masochistic, leading to the development of theory that "the behaviour in women that has been called masochistic actually has other explanations" namely: " * the ability to delay gratifications, wait for rewards and pleasure, or attempt to earn happiness through effort. the capacity to put other people's needs ahead of one's own. * the belief, based on past experience, that what one has is about all one can expect to get, or * the effort to avoid punishment, rejection or guilt." Caplan believes women's unhappiness stems from our woman-hating society that creates attitudes, institutions and power relations that cause women much pain - a society that "uses the myth of women's masochism to blame the women themselves for their misery". When women are convinced their problems are pathological, we won't question "the social institutions that really are the primary cause of the trouble." It is the myth of womenls masochism that encourages depersonalization and sexual objectification of women, devalues womens traditional roles, and justifies verbal and physical abuse of women. No woman escapes the insidiousness of the myth. As Caplan says "The belief that females seek out pain and suffering, that we have an inate need for misery, poisons every aspect of women's lives." NORTHERN WOMAN page 14 Beginning with an examination of the theoretical assumptions that misname women as masochists, Caplan then leads us through an analysis of women as mothers; our relationships with men; attitudes towards women's bodies; women as victims of violence; women at work; and women in therapy. Through case studies, research, and analysis of other theories and assumptions, the contradictions that women face are thoroughly discussed. We're damned if we do, and we're damned if we don't. "If you don't become a selfsacrificing mother (or a mother at all) you seriously risk being punished and considered unnatural. If partly to avoid such punishment, you become a mother, then you are punished by being given enormous responsibility, little appreciation, and a great deal of potential blame." If you don't sacrifice your needs for those of your husband, you are not a good wife. If you do you are called masochistic. If you are competent at work you become threatening to male coworkers (a castrating woman!), if you suppress your competence to encourage co-worker acceptance you have "a fear of success." If your partner batters you, you must have done something to cause it. If you stay in a battering relationship - even when there is no alternative - you'll be labelled a masochist. I urge anyone who has casually, jokingly, or seriously used the term masochistic in reference to their own or other women's behaviour to read this book. I wager you will think twice before using the term again. Further, as Caplan advises, we must challenge others who glibly or professionally - are quick with the masochist label. Rather, we must promote or force discussion on the real causes of women's unhappiness - our lack of economic, social and political power. Only when we understand and challenge the misogynest society that benefits from and perpetuates women's so-called masochism will we demand the radical changes that we require. The powerful forces working to restrict such change must be continually analyzed. For me, the most disturbing aspect of Caplan's book is the Afterword, where she describes the struggle that she and other women have been obliged to mount within the American Psychiatric Association to prevent the APA from adopting "masochistic personality disoreder" as a new official category of mental disorders. Reading this Afterword is a chilling experience, as we realize the powerful misogyny of the APA, it's influence of the mental health profession, and the resultant effect this can have on women who may seek professional help. As well as trying to adopt "masochistic personality disorder" - later renamed "self-defeating personality disorder" - two other categories were proposed. "Premenstrual dysphoric disorder", which would make PMS a psychiatric disorder, and "paraphilic coercive disorder" to be applied to a person "who had repeatedly raped or been preoccupied with fantasies of sexual coersion for at least six months.' (An insanity plea for rapists!) It was only after enormous efj fort by Caplan, by Jean Baker Miller, the APA Committee on Women, and other feminist mental health professionals that a partial victory was obtained. "Paraphilic coercive disorder" was discarded totally. The proposals to categorize "selfdefeating personality disorder" and "premenstrual dysphoric disorder" in the APA manual were defeated. However, they are to be included in the manual's appendix, which may raise the problem of psychiatrists accepting these terms as official. And, as Caplan points out, attempts may be made to accept these categories for inclusion in the next APA manual, to be published in 1990. Caplan emphasizes that she and other mental health professionals cannot relax, but must be on guard to continually fight this battle. Women owe Caplan a debt of gratitude for making us aware of this disturbing situation, and feminist groups should offer all appropriate support as this struggle goeS forward. 3tjF is -ttif ft- Book Store News Cont.Emily Nasrallah's FLIGHT AGAINST TIME is a story about the immigrant experience. Nasrallah was born in Kfeir village, South Lebanon. She has published ten books, and won many awards for her writing and journalism. Her home (along with her unpublished manuscripts) was completely destroyed by the war in 1982. When asked why she stayed in such a strife-torn country, she replied that, as a writer, she felt compelled to document the devastating effects of constant war, and in particular the effect on women and children. Nasrallah has repeatedly spoken out in favour of the rights for women in Lebanon. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Matching Canadian women writers create memorable women. This month's quiz is to match the novel's major character with the author. To really test you, the next step is to match character, author and title of the novel. There's a prize, for the first reader to send NWJ the correct answers to this quiz. Character Author Character Author 1. Minn Burge (a) Margaret Atwood 2. Evelyn Hall (b) Marie-Claire Blais 3. Naomi Nakane (c) Anne Cameron 4. Rose (d) Beatrice Culleton 5. Isobel Cleary (e) Marian Engel 6. Chiclet Gomez (1) Janet Turner Hospital 7. Marian McAlpine (g) Joy Kogawa 8. Pauline Archange (h) Margaret Laurence 9. Felicity (1) Alice Munro 10. April Raintree (j) Dorothy O'Connell 11. Anne Gray (k) Jane Rule 12. Stacey McAindra (1) Audrey Thomas Novel 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 7 A15,13 Ni W 0 ./%" A r A. G. AD E 1 I EHN 1 S u B ri NU _1_ y 13 0 0 17 5 ET c o By 1 tn. m E3 E. r7 oBoE PERT E .5 A E. o0p AF E 5 1_ 5 -r RE.HEAF6E E. A !L 7 A NI R. uLE ID the answers to the Woman Words crossword our in last issue. P o,L O o N' S v4 A F L E c. ; 0 o 7.1 Our apologies for neglecting to include R.1 13 E- E6 ) X T a w 0' HEE A L. RoN LA51 0NE N aaT L._ A 0yA ViA,7 E 6 NORTHERN WOMAN page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �CASSETTES AVAILABLE AT THE NORTHERN WOMAN'S BOOKSTORE 184 CAMELOT STREET THUNDER BAY '=_II 11 fil LANIICCILICNIIII Of Films 1JedlIfig WIER INOMCITUS 1984 1985 1985 Delia spent years counselling women to confront their alcoholism and drug addiction while ignoring her own alcoholism. Fi- 12 min. Delia their sobriety is a renewed commitment to their Native Indian culture. sense of self-worth and helping to maintain addiction. A factor contributing to their Recovering alcoholics, two sisters talk about their battle to shake alcohol and drug 15 min Debby and Sharon Related to Turnaround: A Story of Recovery, this series of four films focusses on individual women who are recovering from drug or alcohol dependency. The Recovery Series Aurora House, a residential treatment centre in Vancouver, these women are learning to face painful truths. on alcohol, prescription medication, street drugs, or a combination of these. Living in Five women were brought together by a common illness - all had a dependence 47 min. Turnaround: A Story of Recovery 1985 Office national du film du Canada Well-DeIng 1985 Ontario, the film looks at providing 1985 the NFB office closest to you. March, 1987. For more information, contact also be available from NFB offices as of 16 mm from all National Film Board offices in Canada. Video rental, in VHS format, will These films are available for free loan in therapy for offenders are part of this city's attempt to break the cycle of violence. in London, Ontario. Services for victims and A co-ordinated effort by police, lawyers, doctors and social workers has resulted in an effective response to woman-battering 28 min. Moving On shelter and services for battered women in rural, northern, and native communities. in Filmed in Thompson and Portage La Prairie in Manitoba, and West Bay Reserve 28 min. A Safe Distance taining support and counselling. as a safe place for sharing experiences, ob- Sylvie recreates her experience as a battered woman seeking help at a Montreal transition house. This film emphasizes the importance of women speaking out and points out the role of the transition house 28 mm. Sylvie's1985 Story their lives. support services victims need to rebuild A series of three films that deal with the nature and scope of woman-battering and the The Next Step THE WOMEN'S BODY POLITIC 1985 D.E.S.: An Uncertain Legacy 55 min. in Between 1941 and 1971, a synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol or D.E.S., was prescribed to pregnant women to prevent miscarriages. This practice resulted numerous cases of reproductive and genital abnormalities. This film looks at the development, marketing and medical consequences of D.E.S. 1985 The Best Time of My Life: Portraits of Women in Mid-life 58 min. Reflecting a wide range of income levels, lifestyles, careers and backgrounds, ten women in their middle years share their experiences of menopause. 1986 Is It Hot In Here? A Film About Menopause 36 min. One of the least understood and most universal of women's experiences is menopause. This film is an informative and sometimes humorous look at contemporary social attitudes, symptoms and treatments relating to menopause. 1984 Abortion: Stories from North and South 55 min. treatment that enabled her to gradually build a new life for herself and her son. nally she quit her job and sought the Of the estimated 30 to 50 million induced abortions performed annually, more than half are illegal, and an estimated 84,000 of 1985 Lorri Ruth National Film Board of Canada joined Alcoholics Anonymous. prostitution, Ruth turned to alcohol and drugs. After 18 years of addiction she cape from painful memories of childhood physical, mental and sexual abuse, and At 14 years of age and in search of an es- 14 min. Humiliated by her inability to control her drinking, and feeling confused and suicidal, Lorri committed herself to a psychiatric ward of a hospital, where she recovered. 14 min. them result in death. Filmed in Ireland, Japan, Thailand, Peru, Colombia and Canada, this film is a survey of the realities of abortion. Spirit of the Kata 28 mm. 1985 Five women, all black belts of world-class calibre, discuss how an ancient martial art has transformed their lives. NFB Offices in Canada Halifax: (902) 426-6001 - Sydney: (902) 564-7770 - Saint John: (506) 648-4996 - Moncton: (506) 857-6101 - St. John's: (709) 772-5005 Corner Brook: (709) 637-4499 - Charlottetown: (902) 892-6612 - Montreal: (514) 283-4823 - Chicoutimi: (418) 543-0711 - Quebec: (418) 648-3176 Rimouski: (418) 722-3086 - Rouyn: (819) 762-6051 - Sherbrooke: (819) 565-4915 - Trois-Rivieres: (819) 375-5714 - Toronto: (416) 973-9093 Ottawa: (613) 996-4863 - Hamilton: (416) 572-2347 - Kingston: (613) 545-8056 - Kitchener: (519) 743-2771 - London: (519) 679-4120 North Bay: (705) 472-4740 - Thunder Bay: (807) 623-5224 - Winnipeg: (204) 949-4129 - Regina: (306) 780-5012 - Saskatoon: (306) 975-4246 Calgary: (403) 292-5338 - Edmonton: (403) 420-3010 - Vancouver: (604) 666-0718 - Prince George: (604) 564-5657 - Victoria: (604) 388-3869 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class MAL Registration No. 5697 MAIL TO: INSIDE THIS ISSUE: p2 YOUR VOICE p3 PAY EQUITY p5 UPDATE p6 MICHIGAN WOMYN'S FESTIVAL p7 LEGALLY YOURS/WRITER IN RESIDENCE p8 NO PASERAN RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN 184 CAMELOT STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7A 4A9 Return Postage Guaranteed Don't forget to renew your subscription! Here's my sub: p10 IN SEARCH OF A R.E.A.L. WOMAN Name Address pll INTERWEAVE p12 ABORTION ACCESS (postal mode) p14 BOOK REVIEW ladIvidaal $ 5 o lasdtettlooal $10 0 p15 QUIZ ************************************ * WORKERS THIS ISSUE: TANYA SHAW CAROLYN GREENWOOD MARY-ANN KLEYENDORST MARGARET PHILLIPS ROSEMARY PITTIS t *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL ? t PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION * * * * * t t*********************************** Northern Woman Journal 184 CAMELOT STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7A 4A9 (FOURISSUES) $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 10 No 4 Description An account of the resource Vol. 10, No. 4 (October 1987) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Pay Equity Feminist book list Women’s Place Kenora Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival Legal name change World Congress of Women, Moscow Poetry R.E.A.L. women Abortion access INTERWEAVE solidarity initiative Powell Report Book review of The Myth of Women’s Masochism by Paula J. Caplan Feminist film list Authors/Contributors: Liz Poulin Rose Pittis Lynn Beak Josie Wallenius Susan Collins Teresa Mallam Rosalyn Taylor Perrett Margaret Phillips Tanya Shaw Carolyn Greenwood Mary-ann Kleyendorst Rosemary Pittis 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 1987-10 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/16/2801/1987_Vol_11_No_1.pdf 6b80b6abebbd1557ffe94aee3e4fe79d PDF Text Text Northern Woman Journal December 1987 Vol. 11 No. Thunder Bay, Ont. 1 tf.,2_57 A- $1.50 (jet1 /.4e K PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �The Superior Art Collection Press Release You've heard of tailor-made suits, custom-made cars, personalized license plates and designer sheets... Now, some lucky person can get a valuable designer custom-made work of art in a novel fundraising effort announced by the Northern Women's Centre. It's called the Superior Art Collection and involves four local women artists. Three of the works were on display at the Meet-TheArtists Night in October. One was missing...because it hasn't been made yet. That's because fabric and tapestry artist SASHA MCINNES plans to go to the winner's home, inspect the room and its atmosphere, and then design a wall-hanging specifically for that room. McInnes started in the 60s studying weaving in a small village in Peru. Since then her work has been hung extensively in southern Ontario galleries and exhibits and even Premier David Peterson's office. Now a resident of Thunder Bay, she sits on the Ontario Arts Council and the advisory committee for the National Film Board of Canada. Over the years, she has donated over $25,000 worth of art to feminist organizations. However, this is only the second time the artist has donated a customdesigned piece. "I Aid this once before in London, Ontario and the idea really caught on," said McInnes. There will be three other winners in this raffle as well. Local visual artist LORI GILBERT, whose work focuses on portraits influenced by television and old movies, will be donating a portrait of Marlene Deitrich. Gilbert graduated from Lakehead University in 1985 with an honours bachelor of arts as a painting major and participated in many local exhibits including the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Native artist REBECCA BELMORE studied at the Ontario College of Art and won the 1984 Special Juror's Award from the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. She integrates the modern world and the native experience with wit in her art, evident in titles like "I'm a High Tech Tepee Trauma Mama." Belmore will be donating a drawing. The fourth local artist LYNN SHARMAN is currently displaying her work at the Definitely Superior Art Gallery. She will be donating a colour collage. The draw date for the Superior Art Collection is May 24th, taking place at 8 p.m. at the Women's Centre 184 Camelot Street. There will be a total of four winners-one work of art -h.,711"4 Ct v)4. By SASHA McINNES PVp0 talk. Dear Northern Women' A great wk-end with Noreen has put me in the mood to embrace you, if not physically at a distance. It was wonderful to share with her growing network of women in this area who, without too much effort on my part use me as a resource for woman each. The winner need not be in att4 dance. Tickets are $2 each and are available at: the Northern Women's Bookstore or from any Northern Womei Centre volunteer. This is the first major fundra: sing event of the reorganized Women Centre in an effort to broaden theirevenue base beyond government fund: and "get more involvement from the community," said Joan Baril, projec coordinator. The Northern Women's Centre, e! tablished 1973, is a lobbying and support organization for area women For further information contac Joan Baril at 475-6368 or 344-6708, or call Carol Rusak at 475-6382. This has come about entirely as result of the poetry and of course that very prestigious award. I find myself in the position of being taken for granted that I am (1) political, (2) Radical Feminist, which I affirm, (3) Having Crone sight for the spiritual. With all of this I have an interesting journey before me. Many avenues of personal growth in the old religion to explore and the part Dominion Over has played in our oppression. I write letters to the Editor under the pen name Minerva. I can tell both church and state to get their sticky fingers out of our reproductive organs with out getting stoned which could very well happen in this province. My spare bedroom is well used by sisters from out of ONC? c, town just starving for feminist con versation, my bookshelf is current, Sonia Johnsons, Going out of Our Mi and Dalys Pure Lust. As well as Mo er Wit and Starhawks wisdom. The Unitarian Church is very open to the new age they use my poetry for some services and I have a little space in their monthly newsletter. The poetry group I belong to no longer write moon june and flowers they are into justice and dominatio great stuff. Was happy you lost your funding, life is boring when it is predictable. all my love to the Northern Womb that born me Gert Beadl NORTHERN WOMAN page 2 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �EQUALITY AT RISK? THE MEECH LAKE ACCORD The following article has been provided by the Ad Hoc Committee on the Constitution. WHAT WOMEN'S GROUPS ARE SAYING Women's groups across the country have welcomed the Meech Lake Accord for explicitly recognizing Quebec in the Constitution and for acknowledging that Quebec is a distinct society in Canada. But women are insisting that our government clarify the Accord's language and remove any potential risks to our rights. WHAT HAPPENED AT MEECH LAKE? Our governments agreed how to recognize Quebec in the Constitution. They agreed in clause 1 of the Accord that Canada's English and French speaking cultures are a "fundamental characteristic" of Canada, that Quebec is a "distinct society" within Canada, and that federal and provincial governments have roles in maintaining these characteristics. Then, in response to concerns raised by multicultural and native groups, they agreed in clause 16 of of the Accord that future interpretations of these provisions must not affect the rights of these groups. SO HOW IS IT THAT WOMEN'S RIGHTS MAY BE AT RISK? After the Accord was signed on June 3, 1987 and after it was ratified by Quebec on June 23, two things happened that our governments didn't anticipate. First, some Constitutional experts became convinced that the Accord's language puts at risk rights in the Constitutional Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Because some Charter rights (native and multicultural) are given special attention in Clause 16 and others aren't, normal legal practice would mean that other rights as guaranteed in the Charter would not have to be applied to clause 1 with equal care. In fact it is argued that these rights just might not be applied - because elsewhere in the Accord, if the Charter is intended to apply, the Accord says so! (Some governments' advisors have said the rights protected in clause 16 are collective, cultural, and give direction on interpreting law in a cultural and linguistic context. This, they argue, makes them different from women's rights and that's why women's rights aren't mentioned in clause 16. Some experts disagree and also point out that the Courts make no such definitive distinctions - so why should the Accord?) Second, on June 27th, in "the Ontario Bill 30 case", the majority opinion of the Supreme Court of Canada said that sections of the 1867 Constitution Act which are part of the "fundamental compromise" of Confederation are "immune from review", or unaffected, by the Charter of Rights. This may mean any time any government is operating within such sections, including any activities added by clause 1 of the Meech Lake Accord, it might be able to affect Charterbased equality rights. CONCLUSION Women believe that the Accord may risk our rights. We cannot conceive of any reason why Canada's governments should wish Canadian women to bear any risk to our rights, no matter how small some may think this to be. OUR GOVERNMENTS HAVE A DUTY TO FIX THE ACCORD BY CLARIFYING ITS LANGUAGE TO ENSURE OUR RIGHTS. Editor's Note. We understand that the Ontario government will hold Hearings on the Accord early in 1988. Women's groups should prepare now to make presentations to the Hearings. For more information contact the Ad Hoc Committee of Women on the Constitution, 118 Spruce St., Toronto, M5A 2J5, phone Pat Hacker or Linda Nye (416) 960-8417. .#....*******t*****.,,.******,.*****.*******.*********.***#*,*****..*****.*********+*#*#*.o.*****#***************** Most Important Books II I II III III by MARGARET PHILLIPS People who are "readers" love to know what other "readers" are reading. The casual question "What have you read this month?" or "What is your favourite novel?" can promote hours of animated conversation. With this in mind I decided to do a small survey for the Journal. I called a number of readers I know and suggested the following scenario: "Imagine that your entire personal library has disappeared. However, two friends are going to start re-building your library by giving you books for Christmas. What two books will you choose? Why?" Here are the responses. (I do apologize to my friends who became panic-stricken at the thought of losing their libraries.) Joan Baril: MAN MADE LANGUAGE by Dale Spender "because it unlocks the mystery of exactly how men have oppressed women through language". and NOT IN GOD'S IMAGE by Julia O'Faolian, which "is the best analysis I have read ... has an excellent grasp ... a historical sweep." Donna Phoenix: DREAMING THE DARK by Starhawk, "an empowering book .. .. made me feel I can do anything", MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley, "..took me away... and changed history." Lisa Bengtsson: FEMINIST THEORISTS, edited by Dale Spender. "History unfolded. I keep going back to it." SALT AND YEAST by Gert Beadle ".. is symbolic, the spirit of the times, and the connections I made with women all over Northwestern Ontario." Teresa Legowski: MISTS OF AVALON by Marion Zimmer Bradley. "I just loved it .. it's so well written, well researched. It's MAGIC. It has everything I like about a book. THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK by Doris Lessing "is so powerful... very deep in exploring the psyche... fascinating from all aspects. Josie Wallenius: HOW THE OTHER HALF DIES by Susan George. "George wanted to understand for herself what was wrong with development, so she closeted herself and read and read, and she felt compelled to write a book about it. Everyone should read this." I, RIGOBERTA MENCHU "is a personal testimony of a Guatemalan woman about her life and the Indian people's struggle. It was hard to read this book but I'm glad I did. There is a message... and I heard the message." Helen Halet: MOTHERPEACE by Vicki Noble and THE GUIDE TO THE I CHING by Carol Anthony "because these are the tools I use and need on my journey down the path of life." Donna Gilhooly: BURGER'S DAUGHTER by Nadine Gordimer .."really awakened me to the issue of apartheid. Gordimer is one of the best writers alive.': THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS by Gertrude Stein, "gave me personal insight into the lives of writers and artists of a famous period ... and still has impact today in terms of painting I like and what I read." Prue Morton: THE STONE ANGEL by Margaret Laurence, "gives a wonderful picture - in relationship to their former lives - of the difficulty experienced by no longer being independent", and MIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot "is a truly wonderful book." Karen Maki: A SPY IN THE HOUSE OF LOVE by Anais Nin, " ..it's like an intellectual conversation with herself ... I was fascinated because when I re-read this I found it completely different from the first time I read it. Finally my own choices: THE GOLDEN NOTEBOOK by Doris Lessing, which caused me to begin to understand the universality of all women's lives, an analysis I keep trying to mature; and SURFACING by Margaret Atwood, for the same reason, and besides it is so wonderfully Canadian. NORTHERN WOMAN page 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Bill 7 :Real Protection for Lesbians? by Cindy Moriarty Reprinted from"breaking the silence" On December 18, 1986, after a year of discussion, debate, vicious attack and spirited support, the Human Rights Code of Ontario was amended to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. The new legislation guarantees homosexuals rights to housing, employment, services, contracts, and membership in vocational groups such as trade unions and professional associations. As a lesbian working in the office of the MPP who introduced the amendment Bill 7, to Ontario's Human Rights Code, I was privy to a unique view of the lobbying that occurred beforehand. Across Ontario, there were equal numbers of proponents and opponents. Since my boss, Evelyn Gigantes (NDP, Ottawa Centre) introduced Bill 7, her support was guaranteed. Those supporting the Bill wisely chose to direct their lobbying efforts elsewhere. The opponents, however, were another story. Our office was inundated with calls and mail voicing fear, hate, distortion and every once in a while, hostile civility. The lobby against the amendment was closely connected to the antifeminist movement. In the Ontario Legislature, Evelyn Gigantes said: "The sexual pecking order is intimately linked to the economic pecking order of our society. Any man who declares that he is not a fullblooded man of whatever macho notion is, simply, a traitor to the most important system. It is the ultimate act of treason to the system. The system is one which connects the notion of men's "ownership" rights and role in the family structure, with the rights and privileges of owners in the economy... women don't rate as traitors. They can be rebels against authority, but not traitors because it's not their system. ...There are 125 elected representatives in the Ontario Legislature; 10 are women. If the sexual numbers and the social powers were reversed, I believe the clauses of section 18 relating to sexual orientation might not even be necessary. ...It is the maleness of economic and social domination of our society that is threatened by this reform, not the womanness or the childness, but the maleness that so profits by its domination through being male."1 ...little thought to lesbians. Opponents saw homosexuality, at best, as unnatural; at worst, as the root of all evil, responsible for the destruction of society, and as the leading cause of child molestation. Among this homophobic insanity one thing was abundantly clear: people thought the bill concerned gays; they gave little thought to lesbians. Over the years I have learned, personally and politically, all about lesbian invisibility, but it has never been so clear to me as during the lobbying process. As a feminist, I've been speaking and educating and rabble-rousing for years. I've dealt with all sorts of confrontations and attacks for my beliefs, As my life has changed, I have gained the "privilege" of dealing with issues on a quasi-intellectual level. Reaction to the Bill eroded my intellectual armour and everything was brought down to gut-level emotions. I was exposed daily to raw hate and fear that bordered on panic. The ugliness and distortion often made it impossible to comprehend the limits of human tolerance. No knowledge, intellectual understanding or analysis hits home like knowledge of the heart. For me that knowledge came with identifying myself as a lesbian. Lesbians are women, and women have never been a big deal (except to other women). Men were the big deal. Gay Men. Depraved men assaulting young boys. Assaulting young girls and women has never been a big deal. closet, but'a lesbian has to be pretty much "out" to lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission.The woman whose personal security is threatened unless she keeps her lifestyle private, will not be able to walk into her office and ask that her lover be covered under the pension plan. Landlords and employers can always find other avenues of discrimination and other reasons for dismissal or eviction. The law does not protect us against exile and family outrage. Often, we will be on trial and we will still have to prove our "innocence." .. qualified optimism. EGALE (Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere) is a national lobbying group based in Ottawa that co-ordinated a tremendous campaign around Bill 7 and is continuing its efforts on the federal level. Debbie Hughes of EGALE expressed qualified optimism. She sees Bill 7 as helpful, but is not convinced it will change much without federal legislation. "You have to be out to use Bill 7 and in order to be out you have to be very vulnerable." Ironically, Hughes says homophobic hysteria might ultimately work in our favour. She explains that legislators who might not no have voted in favour of the Bill did so in reaction to the hatre and viciousness expressed by the opposition. The more hysterical and vindictive those lobbying against the Pill became, the more apparent it was to the fence sitters where logic lay. From R.EA.L. Women to religious and business coalitions, the opposition stormed Queen's Park, but like all storms their protest blew over and the skies cleared with the passing of the Bill. Does the new legislation mean protection for gays and lesbians under the Human Rights Code? I believe the legislation has provided us with a battle-ground and not necessarily a victory. The onus remains on us to complain against discrimination to the Human Rights Commission. While the Bill provides a signal to employers, service deliverers and legislators, it does not solve an age-old problem. Rather, it provides a starting point for discussion and reform. It brings the issue out of the And what impact will Bill 7 have on the Charter of Rights? Speculator wonder about past provincial cases and the implications of Bill 7 befor the federal courts. Federal government policy says that "sexual orientation is irrelevant to whether one can perform a job or use a service or facility." Further, "sexual orientation is not grounds for denial of security clearance, or basis for discrimination within federal jurisdiction"2 Discrimination continues in employment practices, particularly within the RCMP and armed services. Federal policy may not be law, but I would wager it's one of the few federal government policies that can be so blatantly ignored by its own ministries. continued on p15 NORTHERN WOMAN page 4 web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, OCR, �Swimming Up St r Keynote addka to the INTERWEAVE ConAekence had Octobek 1987, by Makiana Vatvekde The title of my talk tonight is Swimming Upstream: Women's Collectives and Class, Race and the State. I would like to begin by relating an anecdote, a common incident, and unpacking that to get at the larger problems of trying to organize women's collectives in a social system that encourages neither women nor collectives, much less the combination of both. A few years ago I went with a couple of other women from my group (the International Women's Day Committee in Toronto) to open a bank account. The clerk got out some forms for us to fill out. We were first asked if we were a business. "Not really" was the sheepish answer. "We're more like a non-profit organization, and we're not incorporated". She looked at us and said "Well, all right. Then I only need the signature of the president, vice-president and secretary." So we looked at each other, smiled, and quickly came to an artibrary decision about who would put her name to each of these alien categories. Thee clerk, needless to say, couldn't understand why we were amused. Two conclusions arise from this. First, the hank does not exist to serve customers like us. It is there to make profits by providing a service, primarily to other businesses and secondarily to individuals. With the remarkable flexibility of modern capitalism, it does allow for the existence of alternative forms among their customers, such as non-profit, nonincorporated groups; but it first has to symbolically destroy our collective structure and replace it by the hierarchial form which is the only valid one in its books. Secondly, the bank not only fails to recognize collectives, but, more importantly for the clerk, it is itself not a collective. One could go on to analyze our interaction with the bank to reveal other levels of anti-collective and anti-woman structures. For instance, we could find out how the government's agencies for financial institutions reinforce the bank's insistence on hierarchy through laws and regulations that define who the band can deal with and how. This would lead us into the terrain of "the state". Then, while standing around at the counter, we could note that not everyone at this bank does the same work or has the same authority - certain people sit at desks and have their own office and phone, while others stand all day and process papers according to what appear to be routine procedures rather than intelligent decisions. Having noticed the texture of class relations, we could go on to note the ethnicity and gender of the two main class groups in evidence, i.e. clerks vs managers, and begin to theorize the relationship between class on the one hand and ethnicity and gender on the other. In the incident I have described, gender was not the main dividing line. There were no men present (at this particular branch even the manager is a woman), and whether our group was mostly men or mostly women was not relevant - though of course it would be very relevant in other contexts. But the crucial contradiction here was not between women and patriarchy but rather between a highly sophisicated capitalist structure (the Canadian Imperialist Bank of Commerce, to be precise) and a small organization based on the rejection of both individualism and hierarchy, the twin organizing principles of capitalist social relations. It's important to realize that many of the problems we experience in trying to function according to "feminist" principles are not caused by our own failings as individuals or as groups, nor are they due to inadequacies in feminist theory. Rather, most of what we think of as "our" problems are inevitable results of the social structures of bourgeois society, which I would define as a society in which the economic and cultural values of the bourgeoisie appear to be everyone's values, universal values. Bourgeois society imposes serious limitations on our ability to organize. It does not do so (usually) by the use of brute force against groups like ours. (Although it must be noted that force is always there in the background - for instance, the leaders of CUPW recently faced going to jail for defying back-to-work legislation; and more relevant to my example of opening a bank account, the new legislation states that anyone defying it cannot hold union office for five years - a clear case of the government imposing a certain form of organization on a group.) But direct force is seldom used in our society; it doesn't have to be used. The structures of capitalist economic relations and bourgeois social relations are like the walls of the houses we live in, or like the design of streets and sidewalks - we are so used to them, and they are so cleverly disguised as aids to facilitate safety and order, that we forget that they confine us, that we forget to ask who put them there and for what purpose. It is by surrounding us with social structures that appear as natural and normal that the bourgeosie can continue to rule with the consent of the ruled - for who will rebel against what is natural and normal? This process of disguising what is good for business as what is good for everyone is what is known in Marxist theory as "hegemony" - the subtle process by which a ruling class generates consent rather than opposition Patriarchy too is most effective when it can rule through hegemony, rather than through the direct coercion of women. And in a capitalist patriarchal system as sophisticated as the one in which we live, it can take a great deal of effort to expose the mechanisms of hegemony - to give a small example, it took me a while to unpack the interaction that took place between the collective and the bank. There are some women, some feminists, who are not interested in challenging the mechanisms of hegemony. Many people would rather not question these allegedly neutral structures, which do indeed facilitate business transactions such as opening an account, and which even allow us to have a collective, as long as we don't question the structures of capital. Some feminists want to be allowed access to the system as it exists, to share the economic and social power now exercised primarily by men. But I, and I suspect most of us here, are more interested in changing both the SOURCES anti the STRUCTURES of power. And that will involve destroying the structures that have determined and limited our political work, and replacing them by truly democratic structures that empower people. Our goal is women's liberation (as opposed to women's access to the status quo, which is not liberation but merely participation). This goal necessarily involves not only modifying but revolutionizing the economic structure of our society. In our society human needs are only met if, and insofar as, meeting them happens to create a profit for corporations. The profit motive needs to be replaced by the only legitimate motive of economic life, i.e. meeting human needs. Once we determine our goal in economic policy, we can devise new structures that facilitate this goal. This does not mean that we all have to take Karl Marx for our Bible K or believe that the Soviet Union is paradise. Marx himself said that to be a socialist was "not to create recipes for the kitchens of the future" but rather to clearly oppose the inhuman aspects of capitalist society. Feminists may or may not be Marxists, may or may not think that so-called socialist societies have improved the condition of women: but any feminist who wants to change the structures of power as opposed to participating in them has to be anticapitalist. cont'd on pg. 13 NORTHERN WOMAN page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �By Joni Mace The Ministry of Community and Social Services announced recently that a new set of provincial guidelines have been set up, and are in effect as of November 1, 1987. The new provincial guidelines create a change in the implementation of welfare workers responsibilities, which included inspecting the homes of recipients for signs of live-in companions. Pre-Guideline rules forbade recipients from sharing residence as the live-in companion was assumed to be contributing to the welfare recipient's income. Any recipient found to be living with someone, immedietely had their welfare income cut. The guidelines change this in that it now allows the recipient to have a line -in companion as long as they reside together less than three years. After three years the relationship is considered common law, and the couple is legally obliged to share support. Ontario s the first province to enact the policy which has particular significance to women- rierze guidelines prevent inspectors from using a woman's sex live to determine her eligibility for welfare. A single woman can now be denied welfare-only,if she lives with someone who is legally obliged to support her or her children or provide a significant economic contribution to the household. About'50% of municipalities who administer welfare oppose the policy complaining that it will cause increased workloads and encourage "cheating", as it is possible for one person to be employed full-time with another in the same household collecting public assistance. The changes are expected to ell.-tend eligibility for benefits to 99000 sole-support parents in Ontario by spring of 1989. A new national action group wants to help 95,000 Canadian women who missed filing a claim against the manufacturer of the Dalkon Shield. Dalkon Shield Action Canada was begun after an unsuccessful attempt to have the filing date of April 30, 1986 extended. The group is trying to reach the women who missed the date. The lawyer appealing the decision is optimistic, and is supported by a growing national membership in Dalkon Shield Action Canada. For further information write Dalkon Shield Action Canada c/o Vancouver Women's Health Collective 888 Burrard St. Vancouver, BC V62 1X9. Thunder Bay resident Susan Collins whose work has appeared many times in Northern Woman Journal, has had a short story accepted for publication recently. The Labour, a piece that appeared in the Journal a few years ago was accepted by Fitzhenry and Whiteside for their Canadian Anthology titled Celebrating_ Canadian Women. We congratulate Susan, and wish her luck with future work. The National Organization for Women in its 20th anniversary year has produces a video cassette commemorating two decades of progress for women's rights, as well as a look to the future. The NOW news release describes th-l.s video, based on the December 1, 1986 show featuring more than 100 actors and entertainers, as'a serious, yet humorous look at women's lives over the past 20 years. The film features celebritInies describing landmark events. terspersed with historical film clips, two major film essays narrated by Marlo Thomas (one on the Vermont state ERA campaign and one on Title IX), a monologue by Lily Tomlin and an inspirational speech by NOW President Eleanor Smeal. Also in the video are five musical numbers-- "Miss Celie's Blues" performed by Marlette Hartley, "I am Woman" performed by Helen Reddy, and "Sisters are Doing It For Themselves" performed by Mara Getz and Alaina Reed, "All Girl Band" performed by Edie Adams, Alaina Reed and Jackee Harry, and "Together We Can Make the Dream Come True", a song written especially for the show by Melissa Manchester and Carol Bayer Sager, and performed by Ms. Manchester -all accompanied by a 31-piece orchestra conducted by Peter Matz, The show was written specifically to include historical glimpses of the whole period and many issues. of the women's rights movement. The videocassette itself is a part of living history -- suitable for classrooms, public events and individual entertainment. Inquiries may be directed to: Peg Yorkin Productions 8105 West Third St. Suite i1 Los Angeles, CA 90048 Every two years, since 1984, women involved in feminist publishing meet at an International Feminist Book Fair. The first fair was held in London in 1984, the second in Oslo in 1986, and the third is being planned for June 14-21, 1988 in Montreal. Bringing together editors of books, magazines and newspapers with writers, translators, distributors and booksellers from around the world, the International Feminist Book Fair provides a unique forum for feminists to network and discover each other's work at the same time as making feminist authors known to a wider audience. The event permits an exchange across continents, languages and discip- The two official language will be French and English but we hope to hold some events in Spanish We are committed to facilitating fruitful and thought-provoking exchanges amongst feminists and lesbians through the conferences, readings, and panels that will be held during the week. We wish to provid a forum in which a diversity of voices can be heard, especially those which are so often censored elsewhere. In order to organize this even the fair organizers are urgently in need of funds Your contribution can help send out press releases, make the necessary international contacts and pay the Xerox and Government grants phone bills are pending, but private funds will be vital to the success of the Book Fair. Needless to say, the sooner Contributors' names the better! will be published in the official program of the Fair unless requested otherwise. (Send donations to: International Feminist Book Fair, 420 est, rue Rachel, Montreal Quebec, H2J 2G7, or call (514) 844America. . 3277). (Broadside, Oct. 1987) The Gallerie Annual is a new women's publication devoted to women's art and women artists. Gallerie will be published once a year, with the first issue appearir, in June 1988. The magazine will feature approximately 40 women artists. Most of the publication will be filled with photographs of their work, alongside their own descriptions of their art and their philosophy. Gallerie will also include articles addressing issued of lesbian cultur and history, women's cultural organ izations, our autonomous culture an women in popular culture, the avent garde, and mass media. Gallerie will also publish ann ouncements and advertisements from women's presses, women's galleries, women's music distributors, and oth cultural organizations that promote and encourage the work of women artists. Gallerie is now calling for en tries from all women artists regardless of medium. Information on how to submit can be obtained from Gallerie Publications 2901 Panorama Dr. North Vancouver, BC V7G 2A4 lines. The third Fair remains committed to the international character of the previous fairs, reflecting the plurality of woman's experience from various cultural and economic backgrounds. As this is the first time it will be held on the American continent, a special invitation is extended to women from Latin Healthsharing Cont'd on pg. NORTHERN WOMAN page 6 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Ontario Women's Directorate With this issue, the Ontario Women's Directorate commences its sponsorship of this page in the Journal. We intend to provide news items on issues of interest to women in the north - and hope to receive help. If you have any information to go on this page, (or even a title for it) please call us collect at 475-1481. HAPPY READING - Lynn Beak, Rae Anne Honey and Judy Decicco itiriOriOriggiFriPriP710KIOKIPIPIPAPI CONGRATULATIONS WOMEN'S PLACE KENORA After working for years for women in the north, Women's Place finally has a PLACE - it's large warm and wonderful. Thanks for asking us to be part of the official opening. Congratulations to all who have worked so hard for so long. May you continue in the spirit of women. OWD COMMUNITY GRANTS COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM funds community-based activities which enrich the economic, legal and social equality of women. Priority issue projects such as employment, family violence, child care should target the needs of women - northern, native, low income, visible minority, immigrant, disabled and elderly women. This year funding has been provided to the following: Rural Women's Network - a conference attended by approximately 80 rural and urban women, was an information sharing and support system for a network of women in the Rainy River/Fort Francis district. Women's Centre Interweave conference of provincial women's centres focused on the future of RESOURCE CENTRE The Northern Office has an extensive collection of publications, articles, books and audiovisual materials. Items may be borrowed from the centre for a period of two weeks. The most recent publications are in boxes waiting for the move to our new space on Johnson Avenue. Some of the new additions are: Women and Mental Health in Canada: Strategies for Change. CMHA, April 1987. Proceedings of the National Consultation on Women and Drugs, Health and Welfare Canada, 1987. Economic Status of Native Women in Ontario Marriage as an Equal Partnership, A Guide to the Family Law Act, Ministry of the Attorney General, 1987 Support and Custody Enforcement Program, Ministry of the Attorney General, 1987. Where Do I Stand? A child's legal guide to separation and divorce, Ministry of the Attorney General, ................. 1987 UPCOMING EVENTS Women's Health Information Network2nd Annual Health Conference HEALTHY HERIZONS January 29, 30, 31, 1988 Ramada Inn Training seminar on PAY EQUITYco-sponsored by Ontario Women's Directorate, Lakehead University, City of Thunder Bay and the Industrial and Business Training Department of Confederation College January 22, 1988 Seminar Centre of Confederation College SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT UPDATE On November 30, 1987 women trying to locate spouses who have defaulted on alimony or child support will have access to federal government data banks to assist in locating the defaulter. The Support Enforcement office in Thunder Bay (1-800-465-6828) can obtain this information. Next year, women will be able to garnishee unemployment insurance payments, tax refunds, pension cheques and other federal benefits for unpaid support. NATIVE FAMILY VIOLENCE HELLO! WE NEED YOUR HELP. The Ontario Native Women's Association is currently conducting preliminary research into Native Family Violence. If you are aware of any research, material or conferences scheduled in the past, present, or for the future, please call us COLLECT at (807) 345-9821...Philip or Jessie. umm..amm..401...4111111110-4111111111414111. 1987 EMPLOYMENT EQUITY AWARDS The Directorate has been encouraging the planning, development and expansion of employment equity programs in Ontario's public and private sectors. The winners of the 1987 Employment Equity Awards have implemented employment equity programs that fit the needs of and benefit both employees and employer. They are: .WATERLOO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION .CITY OF OTTAWA .GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA LTD and THE CANADIAN AUTO WORKERS UNION .DUPONT CANADA INC. Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Forum 1988 February 5 and 6 Red Oak Inn centres. Les Elles du Nord-87 francophone women from Geraldton, Nakina and Longlac gathered to share information, experiences and provide encouragement in decisionmaking on women's issues. Sasha McInnes received funding to assist in the completion of her works to be on display at the London Regional Art Gallery and Ontario North. Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee Forum regional representatives met in Thunder Bay to strategize around the day care Family Law Workshop for Ethnic Women Saturday March 5 from 9:00-1:00 Shuniah Building, Confederation College Women in Unions: Participation, Power, Payoff District Conference March 11, 12 and 13 Valhalla Inn - Planned Spring conference of Northern Ontario Women - WATCH FOR TIME AND PLACE issue. Women and Disabilities conference held in April focused on identified concerns with workshop on assertiveness, communications and sexuality. The Cycle of Violence conference coordinated by the Interagency Education Organization was held in October to create greater awareness, understanding and sensitivity about the issue of family violence among the helping professions. Women's Health Information Network (WHIN) will be hosting Healthy Herizons in late January 1988. FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION The Directorate will again be awarding grants to community based groups to sponsor local events during FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION SUMMER EXPERIENCE 1988 The DireCtorate is hoping to have funding for Summer Experience student grants in 1988. In the past, we have funded a student who researched the needs of ex-residents for Faye Peterson House, a student who coordinated a conference for the Women's Health Information Network and three students who developed child care programs in the crisis centres for battered women in Atikokan, Dryden and Sioux'Lookout. If your organization is interested, contact our office for further information in March 1988. MONTH. Grants allow groups to continue to heighten awareness about wife assault and to mobilize support from the community in an effort to prevent this serious social problem. Last year funding was provided to projects ranging from panel discussions, advertisements in local media, production of brochures, to posters and videos. This page is sponsored by the Ontario Women's Directorate. The material contained on it may be photocopied and distributed without permission, but with credit to the original source or the Ontario Women's Directorate. NORTHERN WOMAN page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �HOME VIDEO equation(s) un dying Caresses are revolutionary. If there were three sexes I would be...triactual. I slip through the ice to caress your foot (counting the bones in my hand I lose sight of your other words). The opening grows and I am at your knees reaching up slowly to draw a breath I put on you. my tongue on your (breath) and begin to pull, back and forth, to be shouldered on an even flight above the surface of the thinly frozen water we divide. You ask me if I fished as a child and I look behind your eyes. The pike streaming its way across your lake bottom glows and fans a trail of ack-ack torpedoes (milk drops). We are fish on manoeuvre. Above the water line the two people look for condoms knowing the Shakesperian "to die" "to die in your arms" means I could die you could die. Dying to know who killed us Narcissus moves into fourth gear on all terrain. Your flight into my fancy has all the grace of a tank muffling the noise of its warring advance with chamois treads a pair of never-ending skin mukluks that rotate and grind the earth without a sound. I am lying here in the earth smelling the wind until you decipher the true meaning of the word camouflage. NORTHERN WOMAN page 8 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �I hide behind a rock disguise myself with grey stone face/ lattice lichen hair I hover while you advance onyour true course.. glancing at the control panel, turning what you think are the right knobs to the East to the West, a book lying open in your palm lap. I am earth. I have begun my descent to the bottom-most layer of my mother's crust. I will rise again and with my spirit eye my fingers will push forth green sprout buddings & raw red bleeding flowers will heal the snow. If you blast them with fire, flame-thrower, I will reach around the damp underside of a rotting log and place clots of decomposing wood on your eyes until you heal. You throw your voice. The lines you quote in dense support of your open book theory are the same ones that suffocated your mother, now at work, unseen. I ask simply that you place your hands on the outer edge of. a northern swamp make a triangle with your index fingers and thumbs and (facing North) consider your source. sharman (lynne) 11/28/87 0,4 0,-;0 NORTHERN )OMAN page 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �DAY CARE NEWS By MARGARET PHILLIPS After four years in the making, the federal government, on December 3rd, 1987, finally unveiled its new child care "policy". Sadly, it is not a policy that will in any way solve the day care crisis that Canadians are experiencing. In fact, the implementation of this policy could be a serious set-back to the development of the comprehensive, quality, child care system we have long been advocating. $5.4 billion dollars to be spent over seven years. Sounds like a lot of money doesn't it? But when we also hear that $54 billion will be spent on submarines the perspective becomes clearer. Even the $5.4 billion figure is misleading because when you subtract (a) the $1 billion already in the system, and (b) the $2.3 billion allocated to tax breaks, it leaves only $2.1 billion to be spent on day care. We're told that over seven years this will create 200,000 new licensed day care spaces .. i.e. 28,570 spaces per year. Yet, at this moment, over 2,000,000 Canadian children require non-parental care for at least part of each week. Considering that only 50% of families might choose licensed day care it still means that 1,000,000 new day care spaces are needed right now. And we are expected to be grateful for 28,570 spaces? It is clear that the government chose not to listen to the recommendations made by day care parents and advocates. Having attended the Special Committee on Child Care hearings both in Dryden and Thunder Bay, I know what Northwestern Ontario parents said. Consistently, NWO representations advocated a comprehensive, high-quality, non-profit day care system. A system that provides a range of services to meet the needs of children of all ages and abilities. A system that is accessible to all families irrespective of their eco- nomic status, employment status or geographic residence. A system that is sensitive to the cultural and linguistic diversity of our society. A system that values the work of child care staff and rewards staff with adequate wages and benefits, A system that ensures parental involvement. In short, Northwestern Ontario parents want a COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM. Not one Northwestern Ontario representation recommended tax breaks. Yet more new $ are going to tax deductions and credits than will go to a day care system. While the child care tax deduction may be a politically popular move it must be understood that this deduction does not reimburse the child care fee, it simply reduces the amount of taxable income. Consequently this deduction is of most benefit to high income earners; low income people will receive little, if any, benefit. Further, tax deductions only serve families who are presently using receipted care (in the main those using licensed services, as baby-sitters rarely give receipts). Thus it primarily helps families using existing day care services... it will do nothing ase the availability of licensed, quality care. Then there is the matter of the tax credits .. available to low income families who don't use day care or use unregulated care. Let me state clearly that I am not against tax reform. Nor am I opposed to mothers who work only in the home being monetarily compensated for their valuable - and long unrecognized work. Although $100 a year is such sheer tokenism that it can scarcely be considered recognition. (In fact this $100 merely gives back the money that was taken away when family allowances were de-ind- What does this new child care policy mean for Northwestern Ontario It means that we must again scramble for whichever of these piece-meal me sures might provide us a little help The most positive initiative announced is the federal contribution to capital costs .. to be shared 75 %25% with the provinces. Hopefully some Northwestern Ontario communitie can benefit from this program. An initiative has also been pro mised for rural, native, special needs, and shift work programs. However the $ allocation is insufficien to address this priority need and will do little more than provide a few "pilot projects". The impact of the new policy is somewhat unclear in respect to commercial day care, with the issue being placed in the hands of the provinces. Some analysts suggest that the doors have been opened wide for commercial expansion. Clearly, this situation must be monitored closely and the Ontario government pressured to prevent the problem of commercial care developing in our region. Because of the federal government's piece-meal non-solution to the day care crisis, NWO day care ad vocates must continue to be vigilant in pressing for day care reform and new initiatives that will meet our needs. The new federal policy (along with provincial and municipal concerns) will be the subject of discussion at the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Forum to be held in Thunder Bay in February. Readers interested in more information about the Forum should contact NWO R.D.C.0 Box 144, Thunder Bay, Ont. exed.) What I do object to is including tax breaks under the guise of day care initiatives. Tax reform is the jurisdiction of the Finance Minister. Child care is the jurisdiction of the Minister of Health and Welfare. They are separate concepts and must be viewed so. The result of lumping these concepts together is to pit at-home mothers against mothers in the labour force. Pitting women against women serves only the (male) politicians. It does not serve women. It certainly does not serve children. Listening to the public debate that is now flourishing about the federal policy I am struck by the focus of discussion on mothers/parents. How easily we ignore that what this is all about is children. a- e-rr NORTHERN WOMAN page 10 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �R eviews MUSIC Reviewed by JOAN BARIL. THE INTENTION, THE BLUE, by KIM ERICKSON Her voice is liquid crystal. The piano lines are as clear and spare as a northern winter night. Kim Erickson, in her first recording, uses that voice and piano to blend blues and New Age into something startling and unique. She mixes in nature sounds, African beats, and zen-like chimes into a minimalist accompaniment. Kim is one of the few Thunder Bay women musicians who have been independently produced. Previous to this disc which was originally recorded in Ottawa in 1982, Kim has worked with Sneezy Waters, Ian Tamblyn, Lois Garrity and Laurie Conger. Kim is a classically trained musician like her friend Laurie Conger, and she is a wearer of many hats singer, composer, performer, piano teacher, as well as wife and mother of daughter Reija, 21/2. At present she is studying with acclaimed voice teacher Annechien Menso in Holland, made possible by a Canada Council "Kim is more than a performer" says long-time friend Estella Howard. "Her music comes from the spirit, from a strong place within her. It's part of her study to go deeper to the centre. Her music comes from a strong centre but it's full of the spirit, full of heart." award. "The slow blues", Duke Ellington once said, "are the hardest thing of all." On the flip side of the disc, Kim sails through four traditional blues numbers with matchless phrasing and soul. The first side consists of her own compositions including the lovely instrumental, "The Intention". as well as her own arrangements of traditional tunes such as Corinna. The mixes of new and traditional beats, African and Zen, result in an almost mystical synthesis. BOOKS Reviewed by DIANA -MARIE KORBISSER STOLZ BEING PREGNANT CONVERSATIONS WITH WOMEN by Daphne Morrison I would not recommend this book to any pregnant woman. The idea, conversations with women on being pregnant, is good and the foreward by the author, Daphne Morrison, is warm and inviting. It is a moving account of fifteen women's experiences of pregnancy and childbirth but the overall tone is too sharp with unresolved sadness, tragedy and despair. All of these aspects and more may be a part of any pregnancy. I have heard too many fairy tales and am a strong advocate of dispelling myths but, at such a tenuous and vulnerable time in a woman's life, I think it is essential that truths be told constructively. We need support to help us overcome the shock of discovering that we have been lied to. This crucial element is missing, making the book too harsh and depressing as prenatal reading. I do recommend it for reading as a frank case study of women and pregnancy representative ent ages, cultures, ethnic backgrounds and social strata. The verbatim accounts are personal and powerful glimpses of the lives and struggles of women who have conceived, deliberately or unintentionally. You will be moved and struck by their honesty and courage. You will be stunned and outraged by some of their circumstances. Read it - well before or after your pregnancy. KWATCOMPAlit ANSWERS to MATCHING QUIZ Volume 10 #4 Character Author Novel Minn Burge Evelyn Hall Naomi Nakane Rose Isobel Cleary Chiclet Gomez Marian McAlpine Pauline Archange Felicity April Raintree Anne Gray Stacey McAindra Marian Engel Jane Rule Joy Kogawa Alice Munro Audrey Thomas Dorothy O'Connell Margaret Atwood Marie-Claire Blais Janet Turner Hospital Beatrice Culleton Anne Cameron Margaret Laurence The Honeyman Festival Desert of the Heart Obasan Who Do You Think You Are Songs My Mother Taught Me Chicket Gomez The Edible Woman The Manuscripts of Pauline Archange Borderline In Search of April Raintree The Journey The Fire Dwellers For the millions who can't read Give the gift of literacy More than four million adult Canadians can't read well enough to fill out a job application or understand the directions on a medicine bottle. You can help. Give money, volunteer with a literacy group, write to your MP, and read to your children. For more information, contact: Canadian Give the Gift of literacy Foundation 34 Ross St., Suite 200, Toronto, Ont. M5T 1Z9 (416) 595-9967 1,4 The Canadian Give the Gift of Literacy Campaign is a project of the book and periodical industry of Canada, in partnership with Telephone Pioneers of America, Regions- Canada. NORTHERN WOMAN page 11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �* UPDATE continued from p6 The task force on the implementation of midwifery in Ontario 7released a report recently that was enthusiastically received by feminists, midwives, parents and childbirth educators. Canada is currently the only industrialized western country that has no provisions for midwives. In early 1986, then health minister Murray Elston announced the government's intentions to establish midwifery as a recognized part of the provincial health care system. Thus, the task force was created to discover issues such as midwifery practice, means of education, guidelines for entrance, operating procedures, and midwife/doctor relationships. The resulting report outlines 70 recommentations and predicts the legalization of midwifery in the province by as early as 1990. The report has provided the government with an excellent tool with which to integrate midwives into the health care system with recommendations such as: direct-entry midwifery education, making midwifery a self-regulating profession, developing a system of thorough assesment, licensing and integration of currently practicing midwives, provisions for midwives to work in hospitals, birthing centres and in the community including home births. The association of Ontario mi wives is the current governing boc for all practising midwives. The recommendations will legitimize a association as well as set up a cc ege of midwives. The report sugge that midwifery education be at the university level, and that a cours be accessable to Northern Ontario residents by recognition of course credits obtained at other universi The legalization of the pract ice will make midwifery financiall feasible for everyone. Where the fees for midwife se/ 7Aces have bee as much as $1,200, the legalizatic will allow for coverage under O.H. Midwives will have more legitimate medical back-up both in hospital and home settings. THE WIFE WILL HAVE TO TAKE RETRAINING The Judgement See the petty gift. She says she is a dezented wiee. No one cooed possibty teave het. Theteeote, He must have had a good teason. See the pretty gitt. Anyone wowed want het. She cooed have had every guy in town, Theteeote, I ass4me she did. See the pnetty gint. She wants support eot hetsete, She wants suppott eot het chitd, She's bateey otd enough To be in the wotkeotce, And she want's to be pensioned oei! I wLU not gtant suppokt, Het husband hats deb-to to pay: He haZ td pay eotWU can He has to pay 04 his stereo He has to pay Sot his cotot T,V, Besides; It wowed onty come oee o4 her Weteate. Go home, Putty Gikt, your mat tiage was only a joke, And you eat eot it. Go home, Ptetty Gitt, So we can stop taughing Suzan Gait Cotti_m Whete ate you Odd Canadian Sisteks Now that I wowed settee eot good convetsation? Where ate you, whose vitgin sout has not been penetrated by men's phantasy? Whose kites oe passage were through the mine {feeds oe eeminism Ake you tost among the btue hair oe the ttaditionat gkandmeke Whose silence need nevet be bought. Ake you dying among the Savages who created ptanned obsotescence and the batbatic custom oe eunetat pkecessions? Have you gtound the essentiat YOU beneath the tubbish oe sociatization Has the acne in you spoken tebettion as the ptopet posture Sot Semates,, Shaft we ptan to meet in some meadow with etowets in out hair and wigs on out toes and tt1Ja about what we might have tad them -Le they had asked us? Gerd Beadle NORTHERN WOMAN page 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �SWIMMING UPSTREAM continued from p5 This is what I think 'the class were still written from a white question' in the women's movement is (Anglo) perspective. And I concluded fundamentally about. There has been that I too had been guilty of an unfortunate tendency to think of seeing women of colour as having particular class merely in personal terms; am experiences that could be narrated I middle-class? do I have privileges for "our" enlightenment. I because I live in a nice house? how learned that white experience is just as can I get along better with my workparticular, and should be analyzed as ing class sisters? etc. I am certainsuch: for instance, how did Adrienne's ly not denying that personal privilRich's whiteness affect her experiege is important -- for instance, if ence and therefore her analysis of women lawyers and academics are thoumotherhood? How did the whiteness of ght of as natural spokepersons, then Nellie McClung affect the Canadian class privilege is at work and must suffrage movement? These are the be challenged. However, much quesenergy tions I am now trying to can be wasted in excessive personalanswer. Women of colour have often been "includizing of issues such as class. When ed": but usually they have been we coined the slogan "the personal put in the role of inspiring "us", of is political" I don't think it was enlighteneing us about what it's like intended that the political should in far-off places. In general they be reduced to the personal. have been invited so as to add a Class is not a personal attritouch of colour. This kind of inclubute, even if it is linked to persion makes the brown and yellow sonal attributes; class is a strucand black women who make up the ture, a basic structure of our socivast majority of the world's women, into obety. It should furthermore be pointjects for the white feminist gaze. ed out that the obsessive personalizing of political issues is a particularly middle-class and North American pastime. An anti-capitalist women's movement is not one dedicated to the personal criticism of middleclass lifestyles, but rather one dedicated to building strong links with labour, with socialists, with antiimperialist groups here and in the Third World, with a view to creating a powerful coalition for the defeat of both capitalism and patriarchy. In this; - struggle women of colour are playing an increasingly key leadership role; E6M-ih Gaffada and elsewhere. This is a crucial difference between the movement of five years ago and that of today. As a movement, we have barely begun to inCIL tegrate an anti-racist perspective into our work, so I am going to speak more personally about what I have learned from listening to and working with people of colour. I first learned that racism cannot be reduced Some organizations are now, for to a side-effect of either capitalism the first time in the history of femor patriarchy: it has its own reality inism, consciously trying to change and its own dynamic, and the struggle this: women of colour are taking against it is not a subset of some their rightful place as subjects, not other struggle. Theoretically this objects, actively organizing the movecaused me problems: just as I was bement, defining the issues, and using ginning to glimpse how one might comtheir experience to draw some general bine a feminist analysis with a socconclusions about gender oppression. ialist one, I realized that there was And what some white feminists are a third term which could not be rebeginning to do is attempt to inteduced to the two I already had. It grate an anti-racist was at that point that I gave up my perspective not only into the more obvious issues pursuit of the perfect theory, and (e.g. the situation of Native women decided to undertake (in my scholarin Canada's North, women in South ly work) concrete analyses of the inAfrica) but into our work as a whole. terrelations between racism, sexism I personally have done some soul searand capitalism at particular points ching because I now realize that my in history. I want to see how they book on sexuality (published in 1985) actually interact in a specific condid not make a serious effort to text, rather than trying to freeze think through the relation between history in order to draw an abstract race and sexual identity. What I was map of the structural connections betprobably thinking when I wrote it was ween them. that the sexual experience and sexual In my political practice, I beconsciousness of women of colour is gan to see that the hitherto usual obviously intertwined with their expractice of "including" women of colperience of race and racism: but it our here and there was reinforcing did not dawn on me that whiteness is the ethnocentric and racist strucas much of a colour as brownness, and tures we were supposedly attacking. I that one's feelings about one's body I noticed women of colour being put -which underlie all sexual experiin the position of telling personal ence -- are to an important extent experiences, experiences which were determined by the social construction interpreted as the particular probof one's race. lems of women of colour - the general books on motherhood, sexuality, etc., In collective terms I am sure that many of you are currently going through turmoil around the question of whether white feminists and women of colour can or should work togethel and if so how -- so I certainly have no recipes, but as a historian of fen ininsm perhaps I can give you the con forting thought that what we are all trying to do, under the leadership of women of colour, is truly unique in the history of the women's movement. One thing that we have learned is that we cannot naively think that all women are potential members of all women's groups. Native women, black women, Asian women, disabled women, women in particular sectors of the economy will have certain interests in common and will want to use autonomous groups both to put forward their specific politic and to give their members a safe place to be, a circle of non-oppression. How these collectives or organizations will cooperate still remains largely a question mark: the mainstream women's organizations (egNAC) are certainly changing, but the heritage of racism and bourgeois hegemony weighs very heavily on our collective shoulders, and it will be years before we all think of 'the leadership of the oppressed' as the normal process to deal with class and race differences. The tokenistic approach is still the usual response, it is what somehow 'comes don't want to look bad, so we find visible -minority woman to speak white cast (which is assumed to be the normal outcome unless one specifically plans otherwise). We have to think hard about the organizational questions that are often dismissed as either boring or bureaucratic: an anti-capitalist perspective, an anti-racist perspective, will not flourish in the women's movement unless there are consciously designed structures to make it happen. We can't pretend that structures are neutral; otherwise we'll re-enact the interaction I had at the bank, by expecting all groups of women to fit into the apparently neutral forms of organization that were developed in the course of oppressing those very groups we now want to ally with. In trying to organize both small collectives and larger coalitions, we also have to be aware of how deeply the state structures our interactions. This does not happen only when direct funding is given for a particular project and the organizers 'naturally' make their work fit the categories of the funding proposal; it happens even before we ask for funding, even before we form a group. The state sets out the framework for social and political life. It divides society into competing "interest groups" all at the same level -- instead of oppressed and privileged groups. Labour is not seen as representing the claims of the working class as a whole against capital: it is seen as just another pressure group, on a par with R.E.A.L. women or with the National Citizens' Coalition. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Women too are not seen as the oppressed majority but as Iggrely an interest group, and not an especially powerful one at that. Women are further subdivided and set off against each other through a myriad of programs which claim to help us but, in the long run, divide us: mothers on family benefits are put in one department, Native women seeking Native rights are put under Indian Affairs, mothers needing day care are told to speak to this other ministry, and so on. It is as though the state fragmented us -- not just into different groups, but even fragmented the same person into bits -- and said, now, this piece of you needs to interact with this arm of the state, and so on. The state -- as I'm sure Carolyn Egan will tell you in her workshop -- is it not neutral: among other things disorganizes us right from the beginning, even while apparently giving us certain benefits. Let me now try to move toward what I hope will be an upbeat conclusion. The structures of racism, of patriarchy, and of bourgeois society make it extremely difficult to work non-competitively. If we spend eight hours a day in the imperialist bank, obeying orders or giving them, silently competing for scarce promotions and so on, we cannot leave all that at the door of our women's meeting. What we can do is recognize it and try to subvert it -- but a utopian, naive denial of the individualist and hierarchial structures within which we function during most of our , volcanic eruptions in our groups and in our psyches. It is true that there are some women who are as egocentric and obnoxious as the worst man; but in my experience, for every one such woman there are twenty who do not speak up when they should for fear of appearing to be egocentric. The ethic of politeness and self-sacrifice does not work in the long run: rather, it leads to burnout, which Is probably the most significant problem in the radical women's movement today. Let me end by giving a small practical suggestion to deal with these difficult questions of personal interactions in groups: I propose that we abolish "niceness" in the women's movement. Let me explain. When I moved to North America at the age of 12, my siblings and I were quite struck by the constant use of the term "nice" among North American adults, particularly ladies. We would mimic my mother's friends and neighbours, saying "isn't this niiiice?" whenever something unpleasant happened. We commented on the fact that the word nice did not seem to have any stable meaning, and it certainly could not be translated into Spanish. But after twenty years of life in North America I have finally figured out what "nice" means. It means: let us pretend we are all unselfish, while firmly supporting our husbands in their ruthless struggle to get our family ahead of the Joneses. flaa.-aiWibenalfdifmakt"0....04 __14:a;,ggAijjl.gresult in resentments, silent recriminations, feelings of disappointment and betrayal, and other problems which have plagued women's groups. We also need to face the difficulties we have, as women in a patriarchal society, in building solid relations of work and friendship -as Adrienne Rich has pointed out, men have had "a man's word", a man's honour, and gentlemen's agreements to help them bond with each other in business and in war; but women have been told that our only loyalties are based on our instincts as wives and mothers, instincts which supposedly create our bonds to men and children. We have not thus bonded with other women, we have not been used to making intelligent (as opposed to instinctual) commitments to work and to politics. The absence of traditions of female bonding, together with the lack of self-confidence in our work and our thought, can create an unreasonable desire to sweep all conflicts under the carpet; we fear that any expression of disagreement will lead to But I don't want you to go awe thinking I advocate nastiness as a replacement for niceness. My point that those two modes are not the of possibilities - in fact, niceness ruthless competition are the two s: of the same Anglosaxon bourgeois ci tural coin. I am suggesting that we look somewhere else for a new concept o how to interact. Where I personall: have found a very different, and t. ly useful, model of collective pol: tical and personal interaction is my visits to Nicaragua. The first I was there, I was struck by the c4 stant reference to "love". "affect. and "tenderness" (amor, carino, te nura). I was translating for a gro . of trade unionists, and I had to t them (in English, and in embarrass tones) that this important male tr union leader was actually saying t "solidarity is the tenderness of o people for another". The Canadian trade unionists, typically, did no make the slightest facial expressi But by the end of the trip, even t most hardened Anglo was giving imp mptu speeches ending in heartfelt shouts and even hugs and kisses. S idarity really had become the tend ness between peoples. This tendern this kindness, does not sweep conf under the rug as niceness does; bu it makes sure that the conflict is talked about with respect and love This process, this way of being an working with people, is absolutely essential in the struggle of the araguan people against an incredib It means: politeness is more important than truth or justice. It means: we don't care if false politeness makes for stilted interactions and destroys any possibility of working together, for after all, women don't really work together, we just chat. It means: let us never admit that we feel passionate about our politics, about our ideas, about our loves -- for passion is destructive and nasty; it's not nice. tenderness, for one another and fo oppressed people the world over, w ch keeps them joking even in the m st of death. It is this love and tenderness which helps them to sur vive the burn-out of eight years o constantly swimming upstream in th mighty river of imperialism. I hav learned a lot from Nicaraguans. I have learned how to work so that w are empowered in and by our strugg instead of being exhausted by it. so I am bringing you neither souve nor recipes: I am bringing these w -- love, tenderness, affection -hoping that you will be able to fe their meaning, and let it empower you in your struggle. ,77:4E SWIrnmEit" .***.*.***.*.*******.********** NORTHERN WOMAN page web 14 PDF compression, OCR, optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �40. Wrath WOMAN WORDS 21. Norse goddess of the 1. 6. 10. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 42. sea. ACROSS 22. 24. 26. 27. One who tips. Object of infatuation. Exclusive Bundle of wood used to burn witches in 15th & 16th century. convergence. 30. of Many Colours. 34. Dolly Parton tune 35. He caused the Trojan war by kidnapping Helen. 36. Arrangment (abr) 37. Maize 38. Fountains 39. Familiar northern fish. Women teachers: School Trendy Raced Expect Absent without leave. Lowest woman's voice. Belgian marble. A reigning Hindu woman. Gaze intently. "Extraordinary lie designed to make people unfree" (Angela Carter 1983) 43. rr 2. ,-. 7 .., ,4 is IT 19 10 3 lo ) H 11 15 1 fo 11 12 21 45. 46. food. 47. 48. 51. 52. And others. Central cores. Should be "ah-woman" The 27th U.S. constitutional Amendment. Pertaining to the mouth. To repair or patch. Cut into wedge-shaped pieces. One who is brutal & 55, 56. 58. 111 24 28 27 30 31 3f 34 48 ss, Lo III lull 39 42. 41 44 4-5" DOWN 2. 3. 4. 47 40> 52. 33 5I 41 II 540 ,1 ".F: F. 111111 BILL 7 65. Ceases activity. 1. 54 Woman teacher; see 1 accross At a distance. Declaim vehemently. Womyn's Music Festival. Saint (fem. abr.) 6, Proponent of choice. (acronym) 7. Monetary unit of South Korea. 5. 9. Centre of immature orgasm in women. 10. Poet of Lesbos. 11. To drop with a sound of something striking water. 12. To be. (Fr.) 13. One who does. 21. What Reagan talks. 23. A theory or doctrine. 25. Tiny round mark. 26. Group gathering for some common purpose. 27. External border. 28. Fruit of the oak. 29. Injured by bull. 30. Ends of the forearms. 31. Monetary unit of Nigeria. 32. One who irks. 33. Top of a wave, southern 35. Corn U.S. food. 38. Feast or holiday. 39. Rind 41. Past tense of wear. and the Cha42. Chris Williamnged: son album. 44. Moved on wheels. 45. Goddess personifying men's blind impulses, 47. Void 48. Zenith 49. Impel 50. Concern 51. Among 52. Son of Aphrodite, 53, The others. 54. Fruit drinks. 57. Woman's name. 59, Rock containing valuable substance. : Toothed leaf edge. Require "well adjusted" woman in a patriachal soci- 32. 3i0 39 a feared. Mine opening. 26 21 40 .61. 62. 63. 64. ety. 23 atom. : 60. I 8. Electrically charged Lill. Canadian playright "The Occupation of Heather Rose" Roman goddess of grain & harvest. Theme Bread for International Women's Day. Have Worthless scrap of 41. continued from p4 As the new legislation takes hold we can hope to gain true equality and a sense of freedom in the lives we lead. While the nature of the law will be muddy for some time, the passing of the Bill clearly signals an acknowledgement of and disagreement with homophobia, The phones in my office are still ringing. A woman calls, outraged, trying to instill some "sense" into my head and warning me of the dangers of homosexuality. "Would you want one of those people teaching your kids?" "Would you want one of those in your home?" "You bet!!!" CALL TO ACTION: To support EGALE, you can donate your time or money (or both). Write or phone your MP and encourage her/him to support an amendment to the constitution that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Call or write the Minister of Justice and the opposition critics to voice your support for the amendment. KEEP TRACK OF YOURSELF THIS YEAR WITH EVERYWOMEN'S ALMANAC For more information: EGALE P.O. Box 2891, Station D Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5W9 1Hansard, November 25, 1986 2Toward Equality Report, March4, 1986 Editors Note: This article appeared in 'breaking the silence' Summer 1987 prior to the Ontario election, when, unfortunately, Evelyn Gigantes was unsuccessful in her bid for re-election. Consequently some of the references are out of date, yet the message given is still very timely. Available at NORTHERN WOMAN BOOKSTORE 184 Camelot St. Thunder Bay 344-7979 NORTHERN WOMAN page 15 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �A NOTICE FROM THE NATIONAL ACTION COMMITTEE ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN WHY FREE TRADE WILL HARM WOMEN: It is vital that women speak out against free trade because we'll be most affected and can least afford bearing the "cost" of free trade adjustments. It will mean: 0.1..osV The reason women will lose more from free trade is because working women are concentrated in industries which will be most adversely aftected. In ri :Inufacturing most women work in textiles, clothing, food proc- ignoring health and safety, and fighting legislative protection which ensures equal rights for women. They will do this because their major competition under the agreement will be located in U.S. states with no minimum wage, poor labour legislation and very low levels of unionization. essing, electrical and electronic products, and other consumer industries. Even government studies admit that the jobs in these industries are most at risk. POORER -ACCE.Sp'iTO SOCIALFIROGRAMS In the service sector, where the majority of working women are con- The Canadian tradition of providing services to people through publicly supported facilities is jeopardized. centrated, jobs are threatened because many restrictions on the provision of services from outside the country will be removed. For example, in the case of data processing, there are many laws which require that data be processed and stored in Canada. When these are removed, many clerical jobs for women will be lost. The agreement says that U.S. firms must be given equal treatment and implies that they must be given equal access to LOWE 1NAGESRAND POORER WORKINgcoNOITIONS public funding. The result will be a great drain on our tax dollars and an increased tendency for certain services, such as health care and child care to be shifted to the private sector. Even in those places where women don't lose their jobs, increasing competition will force firms to reduce costs through cutting wages, When services are delivered through private means, they tend to be less accessible and more expensive. WHAT WOMEN CAN DO: It is important that everyone understand what free trade is about. You can help in many ways. distribute or post this where youopposition work andtoinfree your community tell your local M.P. or flyer M.P.P. of your trade give your support to activities in your community against free trade help NAC fight free trade through a financial contribution FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT FREE TRADE AND WHAT TO DO CONTACT: The National Action Committee on the Status of Women 344 Bloor St. West, Suite 505, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1W9 (416) 922-3246 (Toronto) (613) 234-7062 (Ottawa) The Coalition Against Free Trade (416) 534-3523 Your District Labour Council or Chapter of the Council of Canadians La Coalition quebecoise d'opposition au libre-echange (514) 598-2273 The Pro-Canada Network (613) 233-1764 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class *Ail Registration No. 5697 MAIL TO: INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Don't forget to renew your subscription! Here's my sub: p2 SUPERIOR ART COLLECTION p2 YOUR VOICE p3 EQUALITY AT RISK? p4 BILL 7 p5 SWIMMING UPSTREAM p6 UPDATE p7 ONTARIO WOMEN'S DIRECTORATE p8 POETRY p10 DAY CARE pll REVIEWS p15 WOMAN WORDS Name Address (postal code) individual $ 5 o institutional $ 10 Collectively produced MARGARET PHILLIPS - ROSEMARY PITTIS - CYNTHIA STOLZ MARY-ANN KLEYENDORST - JONI MACE RETURN TO: :*********************************** *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL ? t PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION * * ! : * * THE NORTHERN WOMAN 184 CAMELOT STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7A 4A9 * * tt*********************************** Return Postage Guaranteed Northern Woman Journal 184 CAMELOT STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7A 4A9 (FOUR-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 11 No 1 Description An account of the resource Vol. 11, No. 1 (December 1987) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Superior art collection Native artists Meech Lake Accord Feminist book list Bill 7 Human Rights Code of Ontario amendment Protection for lesbians INTERWEAVE Conference Women & class/race Welfare workers National Organization for Women Resources for Northern Women Women’s Place Kenora Native family violence Poetry Daycare access Music review Feminist book review Women against free trade Authors/Contributors: Margaret Phillips Cindy Moriarty Joni Mace Northern Women’s Directorate Sharman Lynne Joan Baril Diana-Marie Korbisser Susan Gail Collins Gert Beadle Rosemary Pittis Cynthia Stolz Mary-Ann Kleyendorst 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 1987-12 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/16/2802/1988_Vol_11_No_2.pdf 638edbe52ab92ef82d035633765201b9 PDF Text Text Northern Woman $1 5 0 ournal. May 1988 Volume 11 No. 2 Thunder Bay, Ont. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �U vv _r -147,x7crc.r.). :d7.,a may. 17' :4. - , 45- 6' .1!'bv? ON MARCH 15 A SHOT RANG OUT IN KENORA THAT ECHOED THROUGH THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE WOMEN OF ONTARIO, OUR DREAMS, OUR HOPES, AND THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE WERE SUCCEEDING, CRUMBLED. WE WEPT, WE RAGED, WE QUESTIONED. AGAINST THE TIDE OF MORE THAN A DECADE OF WORK BY WOMEN FOR THE PROTECTION OF WOMEN; A WOMAN DIED. THE VIOLENCE WHICH WE HAVE STOOD AGAINST, SHATTERED THE LIVES OF THE WOMEN OF KENORA AND TORE INTO THE BEING OF EVERY WOMAN COMMITTED TO THE SAFETY AND SUPPORT OF HER SISTERS. WOMEN WENT TO THE PLACE OF OUR INADEQUACIES AND WE STOOD NOT UNITED IN STRENGTH BUT STUNNED BY A PAIN THAT WE HAD ALWAYS KNOWN COULD COME. FACED WITH THE REALITY OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED, EACH OF US WAS SHAKEN BY THE SENSELESSNESS OF THE TRAGEDY. ELIZABETH WAS TO THE WOMEN OF KENORA, A FRIEND. TO OTHERS SHE WAS THE REASON FOR OUR WORK, OUR COMMITMENT, THE SHAPE OF OUR LIVES. MANY OF US DID NOT KNOW HER FACE BUT WE KNEW HER SOUL. OUR GRIEF HAD NO PATTERN TO FOLLOW. OUR HEARTS ACHED FOR HER CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY WHOM WE COULD NOT REACH. THE ISOLATION OF OUR DISTANCE OBSTRUCTED THE SUPPORT WE NEEDED TO GIVE THE RESIDENTS AND WORKERS OF THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE. THE CIRCUMSTANCES BLOCKED OUR NEED TO KNOW AND TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE REMAINED INVISIBLE, UNTOUCHED BY OUR ANGER. UNABLE TO KNOW, TO REACH, TO TOUCH, TO VENT OUR RAGE, WOMEN OF COLLECTIVE POWER WERE OVERWHELMED BY A POWERLESSNESS. WOMEN FELT FRIGHTENED. A FEAR THAT NEITHER LOCKED WINDOWS, SCREENED CALLS OR BARRED WINDOWS CAN EASE. IT IS A FEAR OF TRUST. A MOMENT OF TRUST HAD BETRAYED ELIZABETH. TRUST HAS BEEN AT TIMES BOTH OUR FRIEND AND OUR ENEMY. WE BECAME FEARFUL TO TRUST OTHERS, OURSELVES, OUR ACTIONS, OUR JUDGEMENTS. IT IS A FEAR WE NEED TO OVERCOME. TO FIND A BALANCE OF TRUST AND TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS WE HAVE NOT FOUND BEFORE THE TRAGIC EXPERIENCE OF ELIZABETH WILL FORCE US ALL TO EXAMINE OUR EVERY MOVE, OUR PHILOSOPHIES AND PRACTICES. AND MUST DO THIS IN AN EXACTING AND CONSTRUCTIVE WAY FOR PROTECTION OF WOMEN. WEIGHING THE RIGHTS OF EACH WOMAN, THE RIGHTS OF ALL WOMEN. WE NEED TO FIND OUR STRENGTH AGAIN. IT IS THE VOICES OF WOMEN THAT WILL HELP US. The Voice oS Them Feat "I was realty aSnaid one night." "I was aSnaid he'd kilt me id it got any worse." "I used to 'may that my husband would hit me, on do whatever he waz going to do to me. I Siguned the pain coutdn't be wonse than tiving in constant dean." The Voice oS Theirs Pain "Hitting, pounding, kicking, these things hunt yours body and that leaves some scans I never had a chance to do but mostty yam body heats." "What hunts even /none anything with my tiSe." "Bruises and bones heat but .this ache never goes away." The Voice oS Theik ConSusion "I was dtatteked by his jealousy at din-at - I thought it meant that he toyed me." "But he neatly needs me. I guess that's why t keep going back." "He makes me Sea important." The Voice oS Theis. Needs "I just don't know what to do sometimes, especially when you don't have any money." "I think od others people din zt alt the time. I'm the most .important person, but I Songet that." "I neatty want to go back -to school." "Every time I Looked Son a pace and said I was on sociat sent/ices, they said it was taken." The Voice oiS Theirs Pride "There .is 40 many things I thought I could do." "I can be what I want to be." "I don't have to live Sot somebody ase. I'm my own person - I can do what I want." "WhenVoices you come, they're always so g.tad -to see you. it makes you Sea good." Than About the Houses "The treason I think tkauitLon houses arse 40 .important is that they can be many things Son diddenent women. Fon one woman they can be a way to physicatty sunvive, Sot another they pnovide shoulders to cry on. Fon anothe,t they intnoduce hen to things she can do to make it on hex own. You can't Lump battened women and .theirs needs .together. You need just about as many sotutLoms as .there cute battened women. No answet .is night Sot everyone." And Finatty "Ws tike they atma6t give you stnength to go on." STRENGTH, OF AND WE WILL BE STRONG AND WE WILL GO ON. EACH OF US ACCORDING TO OUR INDIVIDUAL SOURCES OF ENERGY, OF SPIRITUALITY AND BELIEFS, WILL DRAW UPON THE COURAGE NEEDED TO MOVE AGAINST THE VIOLENCE WE CANNOT ACCEPT. POLICIES TOGETHER WE WILL START FROM THE STARTING POINT OF THE VISION, A VISION THAT HAS BEEN BLURRED BY DOLLARS. BY HAVE TO DIE. THE ANSWER TO THIS HOW ELIZABETH DIED, IS WHY DID ELIZABETH AND BY PROGRAMS. A FAR BIGGER QUESTION THAN QUESTION LIES IN THE VISION. MADNESS THAT ALLOWS TOGETHER WE WILL FEEL THE POWER TO SPEAK AGAIN, TO MARCH AGAIN, TO HOLD SOCIETY ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE WOMEN TO BE BEATEN, DEGRADED, HUMILIATED AND MURDERED. Against our witt, despite out stnength Opposed to att we .tided to be Watts and iniendz could not pnotect Elizabeth's stkuggte don dignity Asking only to connect A time od viotence, marked by teanz To build a Sutune, share the dreams OS tide without the pain and dean With women and chitdnen we canny on Less one we've Lost to death We vow to change., pkotect and cake Now, in the name od Elizabeth submitted by: THE VIOLENCE SUBCOMMITTEE of the NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO WOMEN'S DECADE COUNCIL e4 NORTHERN WOMAN page 2 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �The Story of Esmerelda BY JOSIE WALLENIUS Esmerelda was a white woman who lived in white land. One day she woke from a long sleep, and found her mother dying. Esmerelda loved her mother. In fact, she could not live without her, so she started to find out from what her mother was dying. Not long after she began this investigation, she came across a small truth, and spoke it. To her great surprise and dismay, she was called black for telling this truth. Not having a clue what black was, except it was black, she looked it up in the dictionary and found it described as rather white. With great curiousity she then looked up white, and it seemed to her very black, blacker than black, because amongst other things Esmerelda had been brought up in church. However, Esmerelda forgot about this for a while, as when you have been brought up to believe black is black and white is white, its pretty difficult to unbelieve it. Some time later, Esmerelda went to a great gathering of women, and met some new sisters that were brown and also daughters of her mother, and found out another surprising thing. These women were from whitelands too, but were trying to go black and were being resisted by the white. In fact her sisters were suffering the most frightful misfortunes in their struggle to change colour, and Esmerelda felt badly. She felt so badly in fact that she fainted clear away when she heard their stories. When Esmerelda got back from this gathering, she forgot about all this as the air in white land was very white indeed, and she was used to what came over it, which kept on saying white was white, and nobody had a problem in breathing it. For a while, Esmerelda felt quite well, just as well as ever, except her mother was still dying, and everybody was getting more and more unhappy and not looking into each others eyes anymore like they used to in days gone by. Then one day Esmerelda read a book, called "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee", and she found out that until very recently the white land she lived in had been owned and filled with Brown people, and it had been ancient black, and Esmerelda began to get breathless attacks as she read it because the story was dripping with red from the white, and what made her more breathless was she knew the white had not meant her to read it. However, Christmas was coming, and she began to feel better, as Esmerelda loved Christmas, and wanted to shop. So she went to a lovely shopping mall and began to get REALLY breathless as the air in the mall was white smog playing Silent Night in the white air, and she saw red running from earrings and skirts. In fact hard as she looked she could see nothing that wasn't red white. However, Esmerelda was no spring chicken, and put it all down to old age, and went her way, keeping out of malls and going down to the lake through the trees, where somehow or other, come rain or shine, the air seemed blac Of course it must be noted that Esmerelda was very privileged to be able to do this as she did not live in an urban squat. One day, as she was sitting on a bit of black, a rock, she got an idea to go to a country of brown people who had just gone black as she wanted to help. When she got there she did not get breathless at all, not even in a shop, and forgot all about her breathlessness till she came back, and landing at the airport began to choke. A kindly white man, who obviously at some time had breathed black air, helped her to a chair, where she recovered enough to get home in a taxi. However, after this experience Esmerelda did not seem able to recover and took to her bed, quite ill, gasping for air all the time. Ill as she was though, Esmerelda still worried terribly about her mother and went on listening to the white air waves, which made her nauseous as well as breathless, and one day heard over them that the dream of the country she had been to was quite deliberately being strangled by the white nightmare which had long experience in strangling dreams, and Esmerelda felt full of absolute DREAD. She took a gasp of breath and jumped out of her sickbed and ran through the trees where the air was blacker than black to the green blue black lake and sat on her raven rock. She looked up at the golden black sun, and waited for the silver black moon and stars to come out, and the only white thing she saw was a gull, and that was black white. So Esmerelda decided to go black too, as for her it was the only way to breathe any more, the only way to resist the white, the only way to be a sister to those women at the gathering, and the only way to heal her mother. The funny thing was, AND THIS IS seemed to change. She heard no drum roll and say no mountains topple, though she did just hear a flute begin to play. Nobody started ordering her around and nobody seemed to care. Esmerelda started to clear away some dead wood but the main thing was that she woke in the morning feeling better, and did not get so breathless in the STILL white air. Esmerelda knew now that the way the white nightmare kept people in white land white, was making them fear black, and that was the trouble. Yet Esmerelda believed in dreams and knew other people in the white did too. WRTWJJ qlpM4N ,Apage 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �MATCH greater benefit of women throughout by Cynthia King the world. MATCH has financed, with the sup MATCH is a Canadian-based women's port of committed Canadian women and organization, committed with our Third men, a wide variety of activities of World Sisters, to a feminist vision Third World women's groups each year of development. Such a vision requires income generation, health promotion, the eradication of all forms of injusagricultural production, occupational tice, particularly the exploitation training, awareness building and organd marginalization of women. anizational strengthening. In the This is the philosophy statement future, we will be expanding this fors of MATCH International Centre, the of support to include integrated first non-governmental organization programmes involving Third World and anywhere in the world, and the only Canadian women. MATCH programmes will one in,Canada, devoted exclusively to support a variety of activities such promoting the development efforts of as research, publication, training, women. exchanges and educational tours, and MATCH was established by two conferences/seminars. Canadian women, Norma Walmsley and Suzanne Johnson, following the United Each programme will be built Nations International Women's Year around a theme identified by the woconference in Mexico City in 1975. This men involved. The themes we are now conference provided a forum for Third considering for further development 6,coadiutti~LVonutv Ptt. I World women, especially from Latin are violence against women, women in America, to voice their concerns about the workforce, expecially domestic This is the challenge which faced the effects on women of the development workers and free trade zone workers, MATCH in the beginning and which conprogrammes being implemented by govthe sex trade, including prostitutio tinues to challenge the organization ernments and by non-governmental orgpornography and trade in women, woas it celebrates its Tenth Anniversary. anizations (NGOs). These efforts, men in agriculture and women in the During the past decade, it has which purported to raise the living media. We hope that this method of been very satisfying to see many other standards for communities as a whole, programme, development will increase non-governmental, governmental and were in fact bypassing women and their the impact of the work we support. international bodies allocating greaneeds. We want to approach proposed ter resources to programmes designed Women make up 50% of the world's programmes with a view to addressing to ensure that women participate in population and one third of the officwomen's strategic needs and not only and benefit from development progial labour force. Yet they do 2/3 of women's practical needs. Strategic rammes. The women's movement in Canthe world's work,'groy 1/2 of all foodneeds relate to the root causes of ada and overseas has changed during stuffs, darn only 1/10 Of the income this time as well, with the growing women's subordinate status in sociand own less than 1% of real property.realization that we all have much to ety - attitudes, laws and practices which discriminate against women. In the rural areas of the Third World gain by joining forces with our sisPractical needs result from this dis the picture is even more grim, 18 hourters in other countries-As MATCH'S crimination - poor health, illiterac work days are not uncommon. One result; environment changes, we too must poor working conditions, lack of pai almost 2/3 of the world's illiterates adapt and focus our resources for the employment. It is obviously importare women. ant to meet such practical needs. MATCH believes, however, that long term change for women can only be brought about if practical and strategic needs are linked in programmes NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO that will challenge the root causes STATUS OF WOMEN INITIATIVES of women's subordination. 1973-1987 MATCH has supported a number of "strategic" projects in the past. For example, in Nicaragua we assiste women in a trade union to identify their special needs. The women received training to prepare them to assume positions of responsibility within the union. In Peru and Mexic6 MATCH has supported domestic workers to organize to demand fair wages and working conditions. In Zambia, MATCH funds have helped a group of women to examine sex stereotyping in popular songs with a view to improving -the image of women. MATCH embarks upon its second decade knowing that there is still much to do. It is up to women to org anize themselves to bring about change - not to replace men and do as ORDER FORM they have done, but to achieve an NAME egalitarian society where all seek fairness and have an equal, recogniz ORGANIZATION role to play. POSTAL CODE $12.00 per copy plus $2.50 postage and handling where applicable AMOUNT NUMBER OF COPIES ENCLOSED $ REQUESTED Northwestern Ontario PLEASE MAKE CHEQUE OR MONEY ORDER PAYABLE TO: Women's Decade Council, 905 Tungsten Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario COST P7B 5Z3 PDF:40Rrtlti& compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor WOMAi �ROLE MODELING PROGRAMS 64.41.4 Ontario Women's Directorate UPCOMING EVENTS PAY EQUITY AND JOB EVALUATION One day workshop at Confederation College 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. May 27th To Register - Contact Patti Bain at 475-6494 NORTHERN ONTARIO WOMEN'S CONFERENCE Sault Ste Marie, Ontario Contacts-Elaine Switzman (705) 736-2324 -Gail Broad (705) 949-8912(evgs) Theme - Accepting One Another. A bilingual conference for Native and non-Native women to build a bridge between the three dominant cultures in Northern Ontario. NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION AGAINST FREE TRADE June 12th 1988 FAMILY LAW SEMINAR Date to be announced Kenora, Ontario For moreinformation contact Lynn Beak (807) 345-6084 FAMILY LAW SEMINAR DateAto be announced Sault Ste Marie, Ontario For more information contact Lynn Beak (807) 345-6084 FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION MONTH November 1988 For the fourth year, grants will be awarded to community groups sponsoring local public education/awareness events. Application forms will be sent to groups next month. If you do not receive an application or would like more information contact Rae Anne Honey, 345-6084 SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION MONTH November 1988 SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION MONTH June 1988 For the first time this year, funds have been set aside for organizations to provide public education/ awareness in their own community around this issue. Contact Rae Anne Honey at 345-6084 for more information. CONGRATULATIONS PATHMAKERS and OPEN DOORS are both innovative programs designed to counter sex role stereotyping and promote education equity. These programs work by example and provide information to interest high school girls in a wider range of career options. PATHMAKER role models are university and college women who are training in the sciences, trades or technology. OPEN DOORS roles are women already working in their chosen fields. For high school girls about to make crucial curriculum and career choices, role models offer important encouragement and can motivate female students to explore their options and make informed choices. Role models are available to speak to classes, at career events or participate on panel discussions. Thanks to a local working committee these programs are in both public and separate school systems. The Directorate has commissioned a video to encourage potential rote models and working committee members to participate in these programs. Next week the production company will be in Thunder Bay and the video should be available by -to Women's Health Information Network, Northwestern Ontario Regional Child Care Committee and Women's Committee and Thunder Bay District Labour Council. These organizations held conferences recently - all were filled with excellent information, enthusiastic participation and strategizing around the issues. -to RAE MERCIER and the first Career Counselling Course for Francophone Women graduating class at Confederation College. Thank you for the opportunity to attend the wonderful breakfast ceremony. summer. \'ei - \\5esCx ...°°.(0°Ztt 101e eZ .11". "amononuagoliouw9140"014o faNkCs:,44 OWD PUBLICATIONS 4~14,144,1447,44~N~14P CAREER SELECTORS are a L3k-LIZCE series of seven booklets listing career options with education requirements, probable salaries, etc. soon to be available in French JOB SEARCH is an excellent tool to work through an action plan for women who are planning to enter the workplace for the first time or return after an extended absence. (English and French) FREE TRADE AGREEMENT is the Directorate's publication stating the impact on the economic position of women in Ontario. FAMILY LAW INFORMATION KIT-This kit provides information on recent changes in family law. Available in Spanish, Portugese, Italian, Cantonese, Vietnamese, French and English WOMEN OF ACTION is OWD's new poster celebrating the significant contributions of some Ontario women over the past 140 years. (French and The Resourc for you! A desk research in this bright room. Mat rowed for a two w We spent an Northern Women's Margaret Phillip quired many books Family Violence, Abuse and Native the categories t editions. Other new ad Immigrant Women Perspective, CAC CENTRE Pension Facts fo Information Grou Spring 1987 Working Together Volumes) produce Help Network, Co Access to Trades Ontario, Abt Ass English) OWD COMMUNITY GRANTS This program continues for 1988/89. The Grants Review Committee meets April 27 to review the first group of applications received. If your organization has a special project in mind which will enrich the economic, legal and social equality of women in your community, please call Rae Anne Honey at 345-6084 for more information and/or an application. Beginning this year, grants of $5,000 or less will have a shortened review process which will allow funds to reach you sooner. CHANGE AGENT PROJECT REPORTS: Equity at Work Physical Testing Demands Women in Road Paving Union/Management Collaboration Employment Equity for Women; How Does Your Company Measure Up? Women into Construction: A Blueprint for Action Gender Equality Indicator. This page is spo Ontario Women's material contain photocopied and out permission, to the original Ontario Women's NO PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �SUICIDE You will not need to cut me. You think of yourself as a master Sculptor, chiselling a rough block of stone into the image of Perfect Woman. (Remember that the amateur cuts just as deeply, if not always as well.) I will not make you cut me. I will chisel away at my own personality, destroying that which fails to please you. When I bleed, you can think you are innocent. I will do anything to hold you, give up any part of myself, as long as there is enough left to go on breathing, to go through the motions. You will not achieve Perfection. You will achieve a miniature not in keeping with the stature of the stone, at best your own chosen image out of all possibilities, a reconstruction limiting the potential of the stone. Another hand might choose to polish and smooth, enhancing the stone's natural beauty. But you do not appreciate this form. Perfection is not found in nature. Perfection is Man-made. The rough stone is the vessel of my love. Each cut diminishes to size of the vessel, each cut threatens its strength, its very existence. As the pieces drop away, my love lies fragmented. Will you be angry then? It's not your fault. changes were mine. Your hands are empty. But remember as you walk away: The I did it all for you. Susan Collins EYE BALL TO EYE BALL TAPESTRY He knew her better than she knew herself was his standard weapon for control when her thought deviated from his norm. She could never convince him that stupidity in her was innate and her imagination so gross that she could have thoughts that offended his vision of her. You are good and kind he told her hopefully this is not a person I can love, this bitchy, selfish-malcontent is confused you have been talking to women again. Thus we conceal the person we are to fit the expectations of wishful thinking. Only the male has the legitimate right to be obnoxious within the frame of conversation, so the female can practice her role of forgiveness and understanding. He will have it no other way, the woman glaring at him is an aberration, a stranger to herself, she can't seriously mean to tell him to F... off. Gert Beadle . pap,web :6 NORTHERN WOMAN, PDF compression, OCR, optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �A Matter of Choice Abortion in Canada is legal. We intensely hope that by the time this Journal is in your hands this statement is still true: Two months have passed since the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada, which declared Canada's abortion law unconstitutional because it contravened the Canadian Charter of Rights. We have long known that the abortion law, enacted in 1969, was unjust. Politicians have also long known that the abortion law was unjust. Pro-choice representatives, and even the government's own study (the Badgley Report 1977) demonstrated clearly the inequity and injustice of Section 251 of the Criminal Code. But governments could not be moved to repeal the law. Instead they used the smokescreen that the law was a "compromise" between pro-choice and anti-abortion positions. (It is the perspective of this writer that the 1969 law had much more to do with population policy than with accommodating antagonistic positions - but that is the subject of another article.) Reasoned approaches through the political process failed. Thus, the abortion issue became a legal fight --- a seemingly endless legal fight --- propelled by the extraordinary determination of Dr. Henry Morgentaler, whose committed struggle has culminated in the historic Supreme Court ruling.' What was the basis of the ruling? Section 7 of the Charter of Rights say "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with principles of fundamental justice." The Supreme Court found that the law violated Section 7 of the Charter ... "Section 251 (of the Criminal Code) clearly interferes with a woman's physical and bodily integrity. Forcing a vo,nan by threat of criminal sanction, to carry a fetus to term unless she meets certain criteria unrelated to her own priorities and aspirations is a profound interference with a woman's body and thus an in,. fringement of security of the person." (Comments by Chief Justice Brian Dickson and Mr. Justice Antonio Lamer. These judges further stated "One of the basic tenets of our system of criminal justice is that, when Parliament creates a defence to a criminal charge, the defence should not be illusory or so difficult to attain as to be practically illusory. The procedures and restrictions stipulated in Section 251 for access to therapeutic abortions make the defence illusory resulting in a failure to comply with the principles of fundamental justice." It is instructive to note that only Madam Justice Bertha Wilson found that "The deprivation of the Section 7 right in this case offends freedom of conscience guaranteed in Section 2(a) of the Charter. The decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy is essentially a moral decision and in a free and democratic society the conscience of the individual must be paramount to that of the state." "section 251 (of the Criminal Code) clearly interferes with a woman's Physical and bodily integrity. Forcing a wurun by threat of criminal sanction, to carry a fetus to term unless she meets certain criteria... is a Profound interference with a woman's body and thus an infringement of security of the person" Chief Justice Brian Dickson We must not be lulled by a false hope that the January 28th ruling enshrines that a woman has a constitutional right to determine her reproductive future. It is important to understand that the abortion law was struck down not because the Court believes that the state does not have a right to interfere with women's right to choose whether to carry a fetus to term, but rather that the state's intervention must be equitable (which it was not under Section 251). Thus the headlines glaring in every major newspaper - WOMEN GET FREE CHOICE; THE BIGGEST STEP SINCE WOMEN WON THE RIGHT TO VOTE; RULING PLACES ISSUE BETWEEN A PATIENT AND HER DOCTOR have changed. Now we see HNATSHYN PROMISE NEW LAW; MOVE TO CURB SOME ABORTIONS MULRONEY SAYS and ABORTION: TALK ABOUT FREE VOTE. The euphoric and celebratory response with which we greeted the Supreme Court decision has given way to hard realism. The patriarchy will not tolerate the possibility of women really having CHOICE. And so the struggle moves again from the courts to the political arena. There is much to suggest that the federal government will move quickly to enact new legislation restricting abortion. The rationale for quick action is to try to make the issue "go away" before the expected fall election. It is not in the best interests of the politicians, we are told, to have women's reproductive rights clutter the election campaign. The new legislation will seek to be a "compromise". It may be decided by polls or pollsters. (The fact that poll results depend significantly on the way a question is asked can only add to the chaos.) The compromise that is speculated is a pregnancy stage restriction. (You are not a criminal if you abort at 10 weeks, you are a criminal if you abort at 14 weeks?) ABORTION IS NOT A CRIMINAL ACT. Our position must be clear and unequivocal. NO LAW is the only acceptable stand. The issue of choice has not been won. We must again embark on the distasteful process of lobbying our politicians. We must make clear to all politicians that a new abortion law is unnecessary and unacceptable. We must also demand that equitable access to abortion services must be available to all women. We must also continue to press for community-controlled women's health centres that provide comprehensive services. Finally, we must focus on an integration of reproductive rights within a total economic and social agenda for women. Rape, violence, economic insecurity, day care, employment equity, pensions, reproductive rights, are not separate issues, and we must not let politicians treat them as separate issues ... and in doing so divide us. The following pages provide a retrospective of the pro-choice movement as we perceive it has evolved.. Suggestions are also given for what each of us can do to ensure that freedom of choice becomes a reality for Canadian women. Abortion is surely the most personal and private decision a woman_ will ever have to make. How far we are from affording women that privacy. The lawyers, the doctors, the journalists, the politicians, the priests, the pollsters, are certainly having their say and threaten to drown out women's voices. So we must take whatever individual or collective action we can, for until all women are free, none of us are free. "In th,bs countky, accezz to abottion nequitez a t'taveY agent - and money." June Cattwood (Gtobe'S Mait Dec.3/86) "The taw haz trLeated women az though they weke chadken who had to be protected 6tom the in own ikkezponzibte imputzez - and then zuddenty noticed that they wee att 2/town up. Now, the judicial doors haz been pitied open wide enough to £e-t the keatity o6 women'z tivez enten..." Anne Cottin4 (Macteanz Feb.8/88) NORTHERNPDFCompressor WOMAN': PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION ti �Historical Perspective excerpted from an article in BROADSIDE Volume 2 #4, 1981 In all societies throughout history abortion has been part of women's experience. Women have always attempted to control their reproductive capacities regardless of societal controls or sanctions. Several factors determine the status of abortion in a particular culture at a given time: the definition of the beginning of life, the perception of ideal population size, and the influence of the medical profession. Until the late 19th century no society punished abortion in the early stages of pregnancy. The Greek city states and ancient Rome made abortion the basis of a well-ordered population policy. Christianity infused the fetus with a soul but debated for eighteen centuries exactly when the fetus became animated by the soul, thereby making abortion a serious crime. Early Christain theologians defined the beginning of life as 40 days after conception for a male fetus, and 90 days after conception for a female fetus, although no methods of sex determination were specified. By the 13th century abortion was tolerated as a less serious sin up until the time of "quickening", usually the fifth month when a woman could feel the fetus move. It wasn't until the mid 19th century that the Roman Catholic Church tightened up its official stand against abortion. Pope Leo XIII at that time declared life to begin at conception and as a result abortion became defined as murder. This decision was rationalized in a number of ways. First, a mid 19th century wave of humanitarianism pressed for abortion laws to protect women from infection and death at the hands of male medical practioners. Until antiseptic techniques became prevalent, an abortion in the first three months of pregnancy was 10 to 15 times more dangerous than delivery at full term (today legal abortions are oneeighth as dangerous as childbirth at full term). Second, biologists began to understand conception, and women were therefore able to practice more effective birth control - a good motive for tightening of abortion laws. This had ramifications for all countries where large families were essential to farming communities. Third, and much more subtle, English puritanism flourished in the 19th century and espoused the idea, still current today It woutd be great to cttebtate this ti6ting o6 an ancient cuAse two thousand yeaAz and mote without tecoukse to taw on pukse It woad be nice to say "it's -oven" Sat the deed was tkuty done when justice met intettigence democtacy Sot us was won BUT Th,lz L not about abottion as much as powet and the pte-eminence o6 mole seed oven nine months oi Serrate gestation It iz about tetigious 6ascism in out time and two thousand yearn o6 chAistain misogyny tooted in itz inteApAetation as sexual pteasute as itticit and wit. untess Lt keptenished the earth. It's about Aace and the ketucatance o6 white women to reproduce on command Son the 6atheas It's about owner hip and Dominion ova that ctumbting dynasty o6 church and state and the sepakation o6 these two monotiths And it .us oimatity about those who choose not to know the keatity as out tivez That dakk night o6 the sout with the tkauma o6 decision and the challenge o6 peAsonat tesponsibitity as 6tee women It is about the sad out haAnassing the had outs and the concealed angek ofi the 40,ed that sex for pleasure was bad, that pregnancy was a punishment for pleasure, and that fear of pregnancy wou reinforce degenerating modern morals It was in 1873 that a US federal law banned from the mails all literatur( medicine or article to do with contraception or abortion. The 20th cei tury has seen a series of movements directed toward the repeal of the 19th century laws prohibiting abortion. Access to abortion in any culture is directly related to its economic needs and therefore to its pe/ ception of an ideal population size. Historically, nomadic peoples have always limited their population whatever means available,yet in preindustrial agricultural societies large families were an economic asset and abortion more difficult to obtain. A major influence on access to abortion was the emergence of the male medical profession. Until the development of scientific medicine in the late 18th and 19th centuries a wide range of healers performed medical tasks. The female "witch healer" and midwife played important roles in the community. As European medicine became firmly established as a secular science, it was increasingly threatened by women healers, and the profession played an active role in the witch trials which spanned more than four centuries. By the 18th century male practftioners had a so made inroads into the last preserve of female healing - midwifery. The invention of forceps enabled mall professionals to claim that a surgical instrument must be used by experts. The job of the midwife - who had been, for most women, the only source of information on childbearin; contraception and abortion - was narrowed in scope, downgraded and confined to the women of the poor. Matters of reproduction among the middle and upper classes was transformed into a lucrative business and remains so today. 60t a choice they resisted that tesotts them to a noisy demonsttat ion o6 supetion mokatity and 6inatty it's about moving in the ditection 06 each othet Sot noutishment and bonding as 6tee women in common. from KINESIS SO It wowed be nice to cetebtate the Aizing consciousness oti the Supreme count Paying Homage to the 6emate input. Those who have not paid theist dues to innocence will continue to harass the coutt and kiss the shoe o6 theit oppkessou We have bettek things to do with out tives than tetutn the harassment o6 .ignorance we choose to turn the othet cheek. "The only time you're sum_ what abort on is is when you're ptegnant.' Mation Powell, Say Centke Sot Bitth Conttot wokket. Gent Bead& page 8 NORTHERN WOMAN PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �ProChoice Thunder Bay ce n the he nsipriith serrth t the se inree eneConsoure speeness" h con- nal "400 ain se hostic' to al." chapition sumtoric ading) that inics. e writpro- ion r Bay. Abore contum aborrganemal the stern eventmitted ThunGroup had ... l base... primarily with pro-choice supporters, but including a small, vocal group of anti-choice women and their "brothers" who persistently disrupted the meeting's agenda. Apparently frustrated by the pro-choice speakers calmness and logic, the anti-abortionists broke up the meeting with a vitriolic display of verbal abuse... which spilled out into the streets where deflammatory accusations of a personal nature nearly caused a riot. Totally stunned by this amazing experience the Abortion Caravan continued on to Ottawa apparently blanking out this experience as the Thunder Bay stop is omitted from all of the Caravan's historical accounts. Women's Liberation meanwhile matured their political sophistication. The value of the Birth Control Clinic cannot be overstated. For more than three years it provided a supportive and necessary service. But key organizers moved on and the Clinic phased out. Impetus for pro-choice activism surged again following the 1973 Northern Women's Conference. An unstructured pro-choice group met regularly from 1974 on, and became an official CARAL chapter in 1979, and have been involved in public education, political activism, as well as providing support to individual women. The Northern Woman Journal has also played a significant role. Since its birth in 1973, the Journal has been an on-going vehicle for up-todate information about the pro-choice movement locally and nationally. The mid/late 70s saw the beginning of a structured anti-choice movement in Thunder Bay, with local Right to Life, Birthright, and (later) Campaign Life groups organizing. It is instructive to note that while the early anti-choice activities were developed by women, recent leadership is predominantly male. "As far as our The early work of the anti-choice group focussed heavily on speaking to school groups, and on lobbying federal politicians. This lobby has been intensified since the Supreme Court ruling. (Anti-choicers seem to love to demonstrate. CARAL was able to counteract one rather nasty picket, when CARAL presented Iona Camponola, then president of the Liberal Party, with a bouquet of roses, thus defusing the pickets' unpleasantness to Camponola, who supports choice.) It is instructive to note that the more recent anti-choice focus is oppostion to a variety of women's services. (See article on Women's Centre, NWJ Vol. 10 #1) Feminism is now the target. This "anti-woman" movement must be clearly understood. Access to abortion for Northwestern Ontario women has always been restricted, and heavily dependent on geography and economic status. Only Thunder Bay and Kenora hospitals had therapeutic abortion committees,,leaving women hundreds of miles from an abortion service. The problems encountered in accessing service here have made it necessary for many NWO women to travel to Minneapolis or Duluth. While these free standing abortion clinics have provided excellent and supportive services, the cost has been prohibitive for some women. The lack of access, the T.A.C. hassles, the delays, and, in some cases, insensitive treatment of abortion patients, has been all too evident in Northwestern Ontario. Consequently, support increases, not only for de-criminalizing abortion, but for the provision of community-controlled women's health centres, including abortion services. Only with such centres will there be the assurance of the sensitive and supportive environment that women undergoing an abortion need. For more information about local pro-choice activities, write CARAL, Box 3134, Thunder Bay. responsibilities are concerned we intend to provide the leadership that Is required on this Issue." FederalJusbroWUWRamon Wmtenr.Fth2,191W Globe and mail. "We must support legislators who protect us from complicity in the moral crime of abortion." Archbishop James Carney Feb 11, 1988, Vancouver Sun. "There are any number of MAWS for abortion but in broad terms selfishness has a lot to do with L" I have been made aware by many Albertans that they resent having their taxes used to pay for abortions when these are done with contraception Irresponsibly being conceived in the Joy of sex. "We mourn for the unborn children of Canada... We promise to continue the battle with all our might." Wiliam Vander Zake,8.C. Premier, Feb 12,1988, Vancouver Sun James Huges, Campaign Life, Jan. 28,1988, Globe and Mail. Dr Roy le Riche, Aberta College of Physicians and Surgeons Registrar, Feb 12, Canadian Press. is e ts KJNESIS 7 page 9 NORTHERN WOMAN PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �The Law That Was CHILDBIRTH BY CHOICE Chiedbinth by choice means Oteedom o6 choice in ptanning one's 6ami2 y. It meant a woman zhoutd not be ptezzuted to beat a chid againzt het witt. It meant a woman zhoutd not be ptezzuted to have an abontion against het wilt. CARAL betievez that women zhoutd have the ineedom to chooze whethen on not to continue an unptanned, undezited pregnancy. Outs pozition -ins the one taken in the Un- ited Natibnz Human Rightz Dectanation oi 1968 (zigned by Canada): "Eveny couple and eveny individuat hat the tight to decide 6neety and nezponzibty whethet on not to have chitdnen ass welt at to detenmine theit numbers and zpacing, and to have inOtmation, education and meant to do to." Morgentaler's Struggle The 1969 Canadian abortion law The following is the relevant portion of Section 251 of the Criminal Code that was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada. 251(1) Everyone who, with intent to procure the miscarriage of a female person, whether or not she is pregnant, uses any means for the purpose of carrying out his intention is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for life. (2) Every female person who, being pregnant, with intent to procure her own miscarriage, uses any means or permits any means to be used for the purpose of carrying out her intention is guilty of an indictable offence and is liable to imprisonment for two years. (3) in this section "means" in- The federal Justice Minister orders a new trial on the (first) abortion charges. For a third time Morgentaler is acquitted by a Quebec 1976 jury. the Supreme Court of Canada. This culminates nearly twenty years of legal battles by Dr. Henry Morgentaler The chronology of this struggle is: 1968 Morgentaler performs his first illegal abortion in Montreal. 1969 Parliament amends the Criminal Code (which previously prohibited all abortions). Abortion remains illegal unless approved by a therapeutic abortion committee for an accredited or approved hospital. 1970 Charges of performing an illegal abortion are laid against Morgentaler at his Montreal clinic. 1973 A Quebec jury acquits Morgentaler on the 1970 charges. 1974 The Quebec Appeal Court overturns Morgentaler's acquittal and substitutes a conviction. He is sentenced to 18 months in prison, and serves 10 months. 1975 In a split decision the Supreme Court of Canada denies Morgentaler's appeal. 1975 (While in prison) Morgentaler is tried on a second charge in Quebec and is again acquitted by a The Quebec govern1976 (Dec.) ment decides the abortion law is not enforcable and drops all outstanding charges against Morgentaler. 1983 Morgentaler opens a Clinic in Winnipeg in May, which is closed after police raid the Clinic. Morgentaler and eight others are charged with"conspiring to procure a miscarriage of females." 1983 The Harbord St. Clinic opened in Toronto in June. In July Dr. Mortentaler, Dr. Robert Scott and Dr. Leslie Smoling are arrested and The Quebec Court of Appeal upholds Morgentaler's acquittal and accepts his use of the defense of necessity as a justification for terminating a pregnancy. 1976 Parliament makes it illegal for appeal courts to (in future) substitute a conviction for a jury acquittal. (Appeal Courts can only order a retrial, not reverse a jury de1976 cision. cal practitioner to use in an acct., dited or approved hospital any mew described in paragraph (a) for the purpose of carrying out her intent: to procure her own miscarriage, if before the use of those means, the therapeutic abortion committee for that accredited or approved hospit( by a majority of the members of the committee and at a meeting of the committee at which the case of suci cludes: female person was reviewed, (a) the administation of a drug (c) has by certificate in wrior other noxious thing ting stated that in its opinion the (b) the use of an instrument, and continuation of the pregnancy of si (c) manipulation of any kind. female person would or would be lit Exceptions (4) Subsections (1) ly to endanger her life or health, and (2) do not apply to and (d) has caused a copy of such (a) a qualified medical praccertificate to be given to the qua] titioner, other than a member of a ified medical practitioner, therapeutic abortion committee for has been - declared unconstitutional by jury. any hospital who in good faith use in an accredited or approved hospi tal any means for the purpose of carrying out his intention to procure the miscarriage of a female person, or (b) a female person who, bein, pregnant, permits a qualified medi 1984 The Ontario Supreme Court rejects the doctors contention that Canada's abortion law violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 1984 (Nov.) An Ontario jury a quits the doctors. (The Ontario gov ernment later appeals.) 1985 The Ontario Court of Appe orders a new trail. Morgentaler and colleagues appeal the order to the Supreme Court of Canada. 1986 (Oct.) The Supreme Cow concludes its hearings. The Supren 1988 (January 28) Court rules in favour of Morgentale/ declaring the Canadian abortion law unconstitutional. charged. PREEDOM OP alma CANADIAN ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE (CABAL) ASSOCIATION CANAIIIIINIIS TOON la M01? A WAVOSTIINUINT owsks) ac/la The Purpose of CARAT is to ensure that no woman In Canada is denied acces to safe, legal abortion. Our aim is the repeal of all sections of the Crimini Codes dealing with abortion and the establishment of comprehensive cof traceptive and abortion services, Including appropriate counselling across th country. We regard the right to safe, legal abortion as a fundamental human right I support the statement of purpose of GARAI. and wish to become a rawest. Oki. Address: Postal Code: Ooeupetlen: Name of Federal Riding: Individuel Member United Income " Funny' Sustaining Donation 1110.00 13.00 SIS.00 $25.00 RETURN TO:. CARAL, Box 3134, Thunder Bay,Ont. P7B 5G6 NoRTOEM WMAk: fct. web t 10 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, OCR, �The Case Against Criminal Sanctions obtaining an early termination: they set up phony clinics which delay a woman's search for abortion, they harass women at legitimate clinics, excetpt4 4tom a pozition papet pto&teed by the Canadian AboAtion Rights ALtion League, Manch 1988 and they de-insure the procedure under provincial medical schemes, thereby forcing women to search for money to pay for the abortion. Most importantly, however, a woman receives a late-term abortion because a pregnancy endangers her life or health or because severe fetal abnormality has been diagnosed. Conditions which are a threat to a woman's life include cancer, heart failure, hypertension, uncontrolled diabetes, suicidal depression, and AIDS. Amniocentesis, by which fetal abnormalities such as Down's Syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease and anencephaly are diagnosed, cannot be performed until the 16th week of pregnancy and it may take until the 19th week to make a diagnosis; then comes the search for access to the procedure, and more delay is introduced. The answer to later abortion is not further restrictions - the answer is access early on in the pregnancy. Sex education and birth control counselling reduce the need for abortion per se but also reduce the number of late abortions. Ready access to an abortion facility eliminates delay. And full insurance coverage means that women must not spend time looking for money to pay for the procedure. Thus, people who oppose these measures are, in fact, contributing to the incidence of later abortions. Finally, however, there will always be a need for later terminations if women's lives and health are to be protected and if a woman or a couple is to be allowed to choose whether or not to bear a handicapped child. And this is a decision that must be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor. Where a doctor is uncertain as to what constitutes the best medical practice under the circumstances, he or she will seek an opinion from another doctor - the usual practice for any medical procedure. There is no need to reinforce this practice with criminal sanc- ABORTION AND HEALTH The world over, modern thinking on abortion is moving away from focusing on criminality and towards focusing on the health of women and their families. Abortion is properly seen as a matter of health; no woman should face criminal charges for making a decision which furthers her physical or mental health.... Just as there is no legislation governing other medical procedures and the decision for medical care is based on good medical practice, the decision to have or not have an abortion should be left to a woman and her doctor .... We encourage people to take responsibility for their own health;' taking such initiative should not result in the laying of criminal charges. At all stages of pregnancy a woman's life or health must be protected above all else. Even under s.251 there was no gestational limits on the performing of abortions, and for good reason namely, that at all stages of pregnancy, a woman's life or health must be protected above all else. Nonetheless, some people. are under the impression that new legislation must be enacted in order to restrict abortions in the later stages of pregnancy. But, just as there were no limits under the old law, it is not necessary to have a new law prescribing limitations according to the length of the pregnancy. The huge percentage of abortions are performed within the first 12 weeks of gestation. Statistics Canada figures for 1985 indicate that only 0.2 percent of abortions are performed after 20 weeks. There is no reason to believe that these numbers would increase without a new criminal procedure. There are a number of reasons why abortions are sought after the first trimester. Lack of access to service may cost a woman valuable time; money may be a problem; young women do not know that they are pregnant. The anti-choice movement itself puts obstacles in the way of women tions. What You Can Do What can you do? You can write a letter, send a telegram, or telephone: Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney Prime Minister House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2 and Hon. Ray Hnatyshyn Minister of Justice Justice Building Kent & Wellington Sts. Ottawa, Ontario K1A OH8 and tell them that abortion is not a criminal act and that the government must not enact new criminal legislation on abortion. Make your views known now. Send a copy of your letter to your local MP. Remember that postage is not required on letters to the federal government. You can also join CABAL and work with them to ensure Canadian women do have freedom of choice. Send your membership to CABAL, Box 3134, Thunder Bay, P7B 5G6 ABORTION AND THE LAW Aftermath of the Supreme Court of Canada Decision It is not accurate to say that there is now no abortion law. The Criminal Code still retains s252, which prohibits the supplying of a drug, instrument, or other "noxious thing" to procure an abortion. This section can be used to prosecute back-alley abortionists. Provincial regulation also remains: all provinces have legislation which prohibits the practice of medicine by people who are not doctors and establishes good medical standards for doctors. (In Ontario this legislation is called the Health Disciplines Act.) There is no need for special legislative provisions governing abortion alone of all medical procedures, There is, therefore, no need for special legislative provisions governing abortion alone of all medical procedures. A doctor who is uncertain as to the proper practice in a given instance will consult another doctor for a second opinion. This is done routinely in medical practice; it is not necessary to mandate such consultation in the case of abortion. Finally, if section 251 were replaced, the provision would have all the same problems as s. 251 had: the standards would be vague and would vary from place to place; the system would inevitably cause delays; and juries may well again refuse to convict doctors who believe that this is a bad way to practice medicine. Moreover, the law would have to take account of exceptions - termination would still have to be allowed to protect the life or health of the woman. Such a law would, in the final analysis, only create delays for women and make abortions even later. Abortion and Health Care Insurance After the Supreme Court of Canada decision, some provinces used that decision as an excuse to limit coverage of abortion. ...The practice of deinsuring an important health care service must be stopped. Under the Canada Health Act, ehe federal government contributes money to the provincial health care insurance plans if these plans meet certain criteria, among them comprehensiveness, universality, and accessibility. Where a plan does not satisfy these criteria, Cabinet is empowered under the Act to withhold all or some of the contributions it makes into that plan. Clearly the federal government must use this power to withhold funds from provinces seeking to de-insure contaceptive and abortion services (as, indeed, they withheld funds from provinces which allowed doctors to extra-bill). Similarly, provincial politicians must be convinced that their mandate does not permit them to deny essential health care 05 its taxpayers. NORTHERN. WPMAN page ,11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �New Women's Resources The National Film Board of Canada is offering a workshop titled Transforming Myths; Using Film To See Ourselves in New Ways. This workshop is for those interested in Women's changing image and changing women's image. It offers an opportunity to view the sexist myths which film has historically reinforced and to re-write the script. Clips from 42 years on National Film Board films along with appropriate group exercises enable partcipants to experience how to transform limiting myths into positive images through the medium of film. The workshop which features a 27 minute film titled Images of Women in National Film Board Films 1945-1987, has earned high praise from educators, film/ video makers, and community groups. How to book the workshop! In the West Marion Dodds #4-31 West 11th St. Vancouver, BC V5Y 1S6 In the East Rosemany: Sullivan 1965 St. Armand Rd. Pigeon Hill, Que. JOJ 1TO Aids and Female Genital Mutilation Campaign-Annual Review. Hanna Edemkpong, Nigeria, West Africa Dear Sisters: The campaign we launched against Aids and the practice of female genital mutilation in November 1986 has reached one year of age. The cam-, paign was launched because of the staggering figure of Aids carriers in Africa, moreso, the overwhelming majority of western victims are male homosexuals and intravenous drug users who share dirty hypodermic needles, but the reverse is true in Africa where the majority are women. Moreover, recent research findings have confirmed that the practice of female genital mutilation opens genital sores and as a result of these operations as well as other sexual Practices by men that may result in lacerations and the flow of blood in the genital area an easy gateway is provided for Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted diseases to enter the bloodstream where they rapidly multiply among white cells, thus Aids has many opportunities to reach women in Africa. In addition, the campaign was prompted by our profound belief that while most or our African women are suffering under ignorance of traditional practices and dying of diseases is because of lack of practical information that could change their lives° Apart from raising the issues of female genital mutilation and Aids at Internation- al Conferences by some African women there has been very little of no local initiative to stop the practice and the widespread of Aids. As a self help, non-governmental women's organization with limited funds, our greatest problem has been lack of funds to run the campaign. Thus we had to make appeals to concerned women, feminist and women's bodies, groups and organizations to come to our urgent help. Although a majority or women who read our appeals failed to respond, few concerned women responded by way of donations. By this support, we were able to cover over 100,000 square kilometres of our countryside and had been able to meet with 5 million rural women whom we dissuaded to partake in the practice of femele genital mutilation and spread of Aids. All the women we met have shown penitence and willingness to refrain from the practice in order to safeguard themselves against Aids, We have also contacted 2 million women by radio and television and another 1 million by newspaper and litetatures. Arrangements have also been completed for the launching of the campaign in other African Countries in 1988 if we have enough financial support from our friends. I wish on behalf of myself and all our women to express our profound appreciation and gratefulness to all of you and all women who concerned themselves with out plight and contributed in cash and kind for the running ou our campaign through which we were able to make such tremendous progress. We have been very much encouraged by your support and solidarity in our uphill walk towards the emancipation of our women from ignorance and disease. We wish to appeal to all of you that our task is such that cannot be accomplished overnight therefore we hope that you will endeavour to give us more support in 1988 so that we may be able to cover our budgetory deficit of $25,000 in our 1988 budget proposals of our campaign programme. Once again, we thank all of you who contributed towards the success of our programme this past year in the interest of international feminism; for those who act to solve problems one small step will make the decade a success not those who spend their time planning and programming the sector. For sending of donations or inquiries write to: Hanna Edemikpong Women's Centre, Box 185, Eket, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, West Africa. In Sisterhood, Hanna Edemikpong National Women's Studies Association 1988 Annual Conference will be hosted by the University of Minnesota June 22-26, 1988, The NWSA con-, in Minneapolis. ference, "Leadership and Power: Women's Alliances for Social Change," will explore culturally diverse leadership models and empowerment among women, Over 1,500 women are expected to at- tend the 10th annual NWSA con ference and to celebrate the Association's 11th anniversar Three conferen ce plenary will highlight Amer ican Indian, in ternational an d lesbian issue "American Indian Women: Diverse Leader ship for Social Change," will feature America Indian women a uthors, a lawye and an activis t in Indian hea issues° "Alliances for Social Ch International Voices," will feature women from devel oping countries who will disc networks and issues common to many women in rural communiti "Lesbian Alliances: Com bating Heterosexism in the 80 will feature noted lesbian au thors, artists and activists who will discuss cultural, ec onomic, racial and sexual fac tors perpetuating heterosexis There will be 250 workshops and many cultural event scheduled for the conference including a book exhibit, intercultural exhibitions and entertainers. For further information conta ange: NWSA '88 Conference Office 237 Nolte Center 315 Pillsbury Drive S.E. Minneapolis, MN 55455-0139 (612)625-8803 WOMEN AND DEVELOPMENT - Quebe City, April 21, 1988. From November 13, 1988, some 500 women from all over Canada, t United-States, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa as we will gather in Quebec City to discuss on the theme "Women a Development". This event, or ganized by the GREMF (Groupe de recherche multidisciplinai fjministe) of Laval Universit will be in fact the 12th Symp osium of the Canadian Institu for Research on Women. Participants will be off ered the opportunity to discu about their lives as women as well as the different develop ment means at their disposal: equal employment opportunity, community programs, etc. Anyone interested in sub jects related to woman activi ies and their concerns, is in ited to attend the symposium which will constitute an inte esting platform for the benef and personal development of w men on the Canadian scene and beyond. On the other hand, t event will allow participants to set up new solidarity networks, whereas a program of cultural activities will favo the meeting of participants o an informal basis. French and English simul taneous translation will be available as various services to handicapped people. For registration, please contact: Service des communi ations, Faculte- des sciences sociales, bureau 3446, pavill Charles-De Koninch, Universit Laval, t61: (418)656-2832. PDF compression, OCR, pa web e. 12 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHEgH (''OMAN �International Feminist Book Fair The 3rd International Feminist Book Fair will be held in Montreal, June 14-19, 1988. This is the first time the Book Fair has been held in North Ameri^a. Two hundred of the world's finest writers will be gathering in Montreal this summer to read their work, debate the crucial feminist issues of the 1980's. A rare opportunity for the Canadian public to discover writers who are household names in their own country but largely unknown to North American readers the Third International Feminist Book Fair will feature: Miriam Tlali, South Africa's only published Black woman novelist, still living in Soweto; Angelica Gorodischer, prize-winning Argentinian author of fantasy and fiction; Nell McCafferty, a leading Irish journalist whose outspoken views have recently been muzzled under Ireland's state security laws. A biennial celebration of women's writing, the Feminist Book Fair was first held in London in 1984, then in Oslo two years later. The Montreal edition promises to repeat these two earlier outstanding successes with panels on: Writing as a dangerous profession; Eroticism; Feminism and Islam; Feminism in North American Native traditions; Pornography and Prostitution; Dreams, magic and symbolism in Latin American literature; Women confront the Medical Establishment; Mystery and Sci-Fi: Redefining Violence?; Censorship; Poetry is also a weapon; Writing in Exile. The Fair has also generated a series of parallel events including art exhibits, theatre, performance, music and other entertainment to add to the festivities. Combining commerce and culture, the Fair brings together publishers, writers, booksellers and related professionals with the aim of expanding the feminist book industry. For more information about the Fair contact the Northern Woman's Bookstore, 344-7979. Book Womb Travels to Fair Have books, will travel and Winnipeg's elusive wimmin's book service are both key phrases which describe THE BOOK. -WOMB. Since its con- ception in 1985 THE BOOK WOMB has grown and changed in ways that reflect the spirit of it's partners, Jahnet Hewsick and Shirley Walker. The values, interests and needs of the wimmin's community are reflected by our ever-increasing and diverse stock of feminist and lesbian writings. We also carry a selection of records, tapes, cards, buttons, postcards and crafts - all wommon-made. Mobility is a key asset and so is The Wombmobile. In June, THE BOOK WOMB will take to the open highway/ congested freeways as it travels to Montreal to be part of the 3rd International Feminist Book Fair. Jahnet will be taking her pretty silver mini-van (dubbed the Wombmobile) to seven eastern cities - Thunder Bay, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and Montreal. Each of these cities is home to a wimmin's bookstore which Jahnet will be visiting to promote the Book Fair. She will also be having a workshop at the Fair for those interested in the concept of going mobile with books. The BOOK WOMB herstory begins in 1984 with five wimmin meeting on a regular basis to talk about starting up a wimmin's bookstore in Winnipeg. The only other wimmin's bookstore in Winnipeg had been Brigid's Books. It had been housed in the Women's Building and when the Building closed its doors in 1983, feminist and lesbian literature became scarce again. The five of us were avid readers and book buyers. We liked to travel and to attend feminist conferences and when we went to such places as Toronto, Vancouver, Minneapolis and the Michigan Women's Music Festival we always "hit" the local wimmin's bookstore to stock up. For us and many other wimmin, the importance of feminist and lesbian literature that reflects and validates our lives, as well as challenging us to grow and change, is crucial to our lives. And we wanted to have access to this literature in Winnipeg. We didn't have much money but we were flush with ideas. So began the process of endless discussions around the issues of structure, philosophy, time and energy commitments... and of course how to get the financial resources to make this a reality. Because of other commitments three of the original five founding mothers withdrew from the BOOK WOMB. The first opportunity to display and sell books publicly came at the Canadian Women's Music and Cultural Festival in August of 1985. It was fun and exciting and the response by those who attended the Festival was very enthusiastic. Since then the BOOK WOMB has been present at many wimmin's conferences and special events. The original idea of having a store has more and more given way to the idea of a book service that travels around, making books available to wimmin who don't have regular access to a bookstore. THE BOOK WOMB has travelled to The Pas, Thompson, and Saskatoon. Travelling and meeting new and diverse wimmin are wonderful side benefits to the business of selling books. Sometime, somewhere, Jahnet envisages a permanent location. But for now, "the gypsy in my soul, gets to have her fun". Jahnet and THE BOOK WOMB will be visiting Thunder Bay in early June on their way to the International Feminist Book Fair. Contact the Northern Woman's Bookstore for more information,, Thr Women's Tress- Lesbian writers! Fiction Non-fiction Erotica Poetry Prose Experimental Work Women's Press is looking for manuscripts for a second anthology of writing by Lesbians about Lesbian experience Send to: Women's Press Lesbian Manuscript Group 229 College Street Toronto M5T 1R4 SUB LET An attnactive one-bed/Loom apaAtment available 4oA sub -tet Thom June 30 to mid August to a non-moking, cattoven. Contact Heten at 622-1212 page. 13 NORTHERN WOMAN PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �BOOK REVIEW: LIONHEART GAL by Sistren with Honor Ford Smith, The Women's Press (U.K.) wm-Sb with Honor reviewed by MARGARET PHILLIPS "We create our own material.. All me do is just look back in me life, focus on a lickle situation just paint di picture natural and pretty in words and movement. All life, me did haffi act in order tc survive. Di fantasies and ginnalsh were ways of coping wid di frustre tion. Now me can put dat pain on s and mek fun a di people who cause The book evolved from a plans documentation of the threatre coll tive to be introduced by testimoni from the Sistren. But the testimor "would not sit neatly into an intr ductory section. They refused to b come supporting evidence of predet mined factors... so we gave up try to silence them.." Consequently w have this book of remarkable stori As can be seen (from quotes al many of the women's stories are wr ten in Patwah, which initially mak difficult reading. It is worth the time it takes to study the glossar: become familiar with the terms. Al! you will soon find that the rhythm the writing helps you to transcend language difficulties. The importance of writing in Patwah is sensitively outlined by the editor. Ford-Smith explains that while Patwah is written for performance.."it is not written fo reflection ... yet we know ... tha reflection is part of the process of gaining control over one's own life." She goes on to say "... the language issue is a political issu because language is central to all power relations. It expresses the soul of a people. In our experienc the development of Patwah expresses the refusal of a people to imitate a coloniser, their insistence on creation, their movement from obed ence towards revolution." The stories flowed from each woman answering for herself three questions - "How did you first become aware of the fact that you we oppressed as a woman? How did that experience affect your life? How have you tried to change it? And we are given stories of childhood, of motherhood, of relation,thips, of families, of isolatic of migrating to the city for a 'bet ter' life, of disappointments, of perserverance, of learning, of grox, of strength. Although these stories are uni que, in a sense they are universal. For they are stories of women's cot riEn LIONHEART GAL "Without life, our lives must go on. Without hope, we're not hopeless. Without education, we shall be educated. Without food, we shall be fed. Without a home we shall be sheltered. Without a reality, we shall emerge from captivity. Without all we can stand tall, firm and strong in what we believe in." These few lines from a poem, 'Won't Go Without' by Barbara (p140) illustrate the spirit of LIONHEART GAL. The stories the Sistren tell are filled with courage, with strength, with wisdom, with dignity. I have been trying to review LIONHEART GAL for more than six months I opened the book and could not put it down. I start my review. I read.. .. I write .... I pause to reflect .. .. I re-read a story... I re-read the introductitin. I put my review aside ... come back to it again and again. I am so incredibly moved by this writing but I simply cannot find the words tit do it justice. LIONHEART GAL is compelling because we HEAR the voices of the women speaking. This is real. These are oral her-stories put to print, of fifteen Jamaican women sharing their experience --- their experience of exploitation, opression, isolation, poverty, -- of work, of health, of sexual initiation, of child bearing and rearing, of relationships, of violence. And of the evolving politicized collective awareness of these women. "(we) talk about woman and work and woman and politics. We discuss what is politics and how it affect woman. After we done talk ah get to feel dat di little day-to-day tings dat happen to we as women, is politics too. For instance, if yuh tek yuh pickney to hospital and it die in yuh hand - dat is politics.... If yuh man box yuh down, dat is politics. But plenty politicians don't tink dose tings have anything to do wid politics." (p253) from KINESIS In 1977 a group of workLig class women from an employment program came together and talked about doing a play ... "We want to do plays about how we suffer as women. We want to do plays about how men treat us bad"... So the Sistren collective was born, and has since gained international recognition for its use of theatre and popular education. While the introduction to the book describes the premise and process of the Sistren collective, the impact of Sistren comes clearest from the words of the women themselves. "When we form di group ah began to meet and talk wid odder women. Ah hear dem experience and ah hear dem view. We sit and talk we problem. We improvise and mek plays. After a time we start draw pictures too. After doing dese creative work, we always discuss. Dat is how ah come to find out how and why certain tings happen in me life, how ah can work on di problems and how ah can make it better." "We are planning to do a play... based on our experiences as women from the ghetto. We come together and talk our life story and put it in a lickle scene. The rehearsals make all of us think about our lives. Me did really pass through plenty. Dem should a have some process fi help girls to know what to expect when dem turn woman." ETWIFTWEET-'-e MAT'S NEW IN THE BOOKSTORE More and more wonderful women's literature pours off the presses, Here is just a small sampling. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Aboriginal Women Speak Out as told to Janet Silman ... "I think what really kept us going is our determination to seek what is rightfully ours....We were fighting for our BIRTHRIGHT." A PASSION FOR FRIENDS: Toward a Philosophy of Female Affection, by Janice G. Raymond... "A challenging new theory of female friendship as the basis for feminist purpose, passion and politics. It is a privilege to read this book. MAM DZWIL.7534:WOFsi MYTHS OF GENDER: Biological Theories About Women and Men, by Anne Fausto-Sterling ... "required reading for all who would understand the sexual politics of science". THE SECRET TRAUMA: Incest in the Lives of Girls and Women, by Diana E. Russell ... "will be invaluable in helping to combat the denial of incestuous abuse and remediate its effects". WOMEN AND SELF-ESTEEM: Understanding and Improving the Way We Think and Feel About Ourselves, by Linda Tschirhart Sanford and Mary Ellen Donovan, Lots of tiction for your leisurely summer reading as well. CHILD OF HER PEOPLE, by Anne Cameron. age. -____?)OrtaTTNY 11'41:0aR CROSSING THE MAINSTREAM: New tion by Women Writers, edited by 2 E. Laison and Carole A. Carr. THE MONARCHS ARE FLYING by Ma Foster (mystery). OF LQWE AND SHADOWS by Isabel Allende. SOMETIMES THEY SANG, by Helen Potrebenko. Everyone concerned about educ tion will be interested to read Fr Lynn Davies (South Gillies) analys SKIPPING SCHOOL IN EARNEST: Just C for Leaving a Mired System... "Mor than a book about education... val able for all who are concerned abo children and about the future.., a voice of sanity and common sense.. clear-sighted, refreshing, powerfu PDF compression, OCR, web VORTfIERN,WOMANpa0 14 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �1,19RD SEARCH TNEMPOLEVEDCANGER E SNASAKRASSERTIVE TEIIUSEOLPSRMNOOM ANSNMCYTIUQEYAPDC RAIRIAAEDNUSTANTO B E L E Amazon anger Arka assertive aware TSORMZRHKIEAELDN EHESIEEESNTRPNPS CDIGLEFTRTAREPAC OXREDNEGECKWRNHI basis caper care celebrate Ceres child care choice chord class clew code consciousness CEEVOLRADDEEAEOAO SNNWGHHALCWHRWZEU E HENORCIANIDOOAHS L LAODEHEPSOMEPMRN deaf Decade demands development CMDRDCPLSEMSEMAFE AIAGEQUALITYREAAS RACISMLENAIBSELLS dove empower energize equality era O NIPSCPHRNMODEERF feminist flame freedom Gaia gender goddess hag heal Hekate Isis left lesbian love maze moon racism Re Rhea saner Sappho see sexism share sisterhood spa spin spunk squint star tao unite use valid Odin oracle Wendo wommin pain pay equity peace Pele play WOM A N WOR DS Answers from last issue. MARrIS SPED Awol- ALTO A idev T RANcE RANI PoRE MYTH RAN T1 PPER Dol- PO FAGGol" HARMON/ie. AC0A-r PAR1 S ARR C R N r N T S P kE RE W E N DJ CERES CH I S 1 O C H / () t AND-RosEs AhEART oP,TS E T'AL NUCLEI ArviEn1 ER_A ORAL V gl ri P GoRE oGRE A DiT CRDSE D NE ED LA DY R E. s -r- t*********************************** t f *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL T PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION f t * * te****************************irk***** s COMMUNITY INFORMATION Do you have a problem and don't know where you can find help solving it? The Community Information and Referral Centre can tell you where you can find that help, and we take care to ensure confidentiality. Do you need to contact an organization and can't find the number in the telephone directory or can't remember the exact name? The Community Information and Referral Centre has extensive files and tries to keep them up to date. We can usually give you the answer within seconds. Do you need information on senior citizens services? The Community Information and Referral Centre keeps extra information on those services so that seniors can get the help they need promptly and appropriately. Our services are free and our purpose is to provide information to everyone. We also publish a directory of community services (which costs $12) and an interagency newsletter, and we host interagency meetings. We keep statistics and report gaps and inadequacies in services to appropriate organizations and government departments. We are a program of the Lakehead Social Planning Council and are located at 221 Bay St. phone 345-4009. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 15 �FROM THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA NEW FILMS AND VIDEOS ABOUT CANADIAN WOMEN DAUGHTERS OF THE COUNTRY THE IMPOSSIBLE TAKES A LITTLE LONGER TO A SAFER PLACE From the historic encounter between Indian and European in the Canadian northwest emerged a mixed-blood na- 45 minutes C 0186 513 Women with a range of physical disabilities demonstrate how they have overcome obstacles in their careers An inspiring account of how oni tion, the Wis. Here, in a four-part and their personal lives, and what dramatic series that spans two centuries, is their proud story, told from the services are still needed by the handicapped. Captioned for the hearing point of view of courageous impaired. A French version is also available: Le Vent dans les voiles. Metis women. Winner of three 1987 Gemini Awards: Best Pay TV DraBest Actress in a Mini-series. Lillian Gish Award for best mini-series, Women in Film Festival, Los Angeles; Blue Ribbon for Original Drama, 29th American Film Festival, New York; Best film, 1987 International Women's Film Festival, Montreal. DAUGHTERS OF THE COUNTRY 1 (IKWE and MISTRESS MADELEINE) C 0186 138 114 minutes 58 minutes woman has overcome the trauma o being a victim of incest. Now in he thirties, Shirley discusses childhoo( memories of sexual abuse and fam ily violence with her mother, brother; and sister. A film that encourages in cest survivors to break their silence the Third Medikanale Internationale Festival, Honorable matic Program, Best Writing, and Mention C 0187 067 at Parma, Italy. FIREWORDS half-hour segments, each profiling a leading Quebec feminist Three writer. Part 1 focusses on Louky Ber- sianik and her satirical use of language; Part 2 introduces Jovette Marchessault, who works to unearth the ideas of women that history has erased from our collective memory; Part 3 reveals the work of avant-garde poet and post-modern feminist writer, Nicole Brossard. Available on one reel or videocas- sette: C 0186 072, 84 minutes; separately, Part 1: C 0186 073; Part 2: C 0186 074; Part 3: C 0186 075; or in French under the title Les A FILM ABOUT MENOPAUSE Terribles vivantes: C 0286 072. 38 minutes C 0186 043 One of the least understood of women's experiences is menopause. This DOCTOR, LAWYER, INDIAN CHIEF 29 minutes Five native women who have successfully forged non-traditional careers share their experiences and reveal how they drew on the strength C 0186 532 DAUGHTERS OF THE COUNTRY 2 (PLACES NOT OUR OWN and THE WAKE) C 0186 139 115 minutes IS IT HOT IN HERE? is an informative, sometimes humorous, look at social attitudes, symptoms and treatments. THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE: PORTRAITS OF WOMEN of native Indian culture. A French IN MID-LIFE version is also available: L'Avenir est entre nos mains. C 0185 102 58 minutes Ten women from a variety of backgrounds and lifestyles share their ex- PRAIRIE WOMEN ENTERPRISING WOMEN 45 minutes C 0187 009 The little-known story of the vibrant social and political organizations C 0187 063 27 minutes The stories of five female entrepreneurs relay the pitfalls and the founded in the 1920s and '30s by Prairie farm women. Best Documentary over 30 minutes, 40th Yorkton joys of running a business. The women profiled head companies involved in pasta, lumber, fish, silk-screening, Short Film and Video Festival, 1987. and a business academy. periences of menopause and mid-life, describing how this turning point affected their lives and freed them to explore exciting new directions. National Film Board of Canada RENTAL VHS VIDEO ONLY $2/DA These and other NFB pro ductions are available in 11 mm and VHS video. Reset vations can be made in pet son, by phone or by mail. Note: The NFB will sem videocassettes by mail ti viewers located outside Nn distribution centers. All NEI productions can also be put chased in 16 mm and al video formats. Office national du film du Canada NFB Offices in Canada Halifax: (902) 426-6001 - Sydney (902) 564-7770 - Saint John: (506) 648-4996 - Moncton: (506) 857-6101 - St. John's: (709) 772-5005 Corner Brook (709) 637-4499 - Charlottetown (902) 368-4641 - Montreal (514) 283-4823 - Chicoutimi: (418) 543-0711 - Quebec (418) 648-317 Rimouski: (418) 722-3086 - Rouyn (819) 762-6051 - Sherbrooke: (819) 565-5500 - Trois-Rivieres (819) 372-4630 - Toronto: (416) 973-9093 Ottawa: (613) 996-4861 - Hamilton (416) 572-2347 - Kingston: (613) 545-8056 - Kitchener: (519) 743-4661 - London: (519) 679-4120 North Bay: (705) 472-4740 - Thunder Bay: (807) 623-5224 - Winnipeg: (204) 983-4131 - Saskatoon: (306) 975-4246 - Calgary: (403) 292-5414 Edmonton (403) 420-3010 - Vancouver (604) 666-0716 - Victoria: (604) 388-3868 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Heil Registration No. 5697 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: p2 TRIBUTE p3 THE STORY OF ESMERELDA p4 MATCH p5 ONTARIO WOMEN'S DIRECTORATE p6 POETRY p7 THE ISSUE IS CHOICE p12 UPDATE p13 THE BOOK WOMB p14 BOOK REVIEW p15 WWII) SEARCH MAIL TO: Don't forget to renew your subscription! Here's my sub: Name Address (postal cede) o liggieldoat $ 0 .5 lastitutleaal $ 10 Collectively produced CAROLYN GREENWOOD - MARY-ANN KLEYNENDORST JONI MACE - MARGARET PHILLIPS - ROSE PITTIS - CYNTHIA STOLZ :*********************************** I t 1 *IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOUR LABEL ? t PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION : RETURN TO: * * * t*********************************** THE NORTHERN WOMAN 184 CAMELOT STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7A 4A9 Return Postage Guaranteed Northern Woman Journal 184 CAMELOT STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7A 4A9 (FOUR.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 11 No 2 Description An account of the resource Vol. 11, No. 2. (May 1988) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Violence against women Women & race MATCH women’s organization Transnational feminism Pay equity Resources for northern women Family violence prevention month Family law seminar Sexual assault prevention month Poetry Abortion access History of abortion Childbirth by choice Dr. Henry Morgentaler Abortion & health care insurance Female genital mutilation, Nigeria Women & development International feminist book fair Book review of Lionheart Gal by Sistren with Honor Ford Smith Feminist film list Authors/Contributors: Violence Subcommittee of the Northwestern Ontario Women’s Decade Council Josie Wallenius Cynthia King Ontario Women’s Directorate Susan Collins Gert Beadle Hanna Edemkpong Cynthia Stolz Carolyn Greenwood Mary-Ann Kleyendorst Joni Mace Rose Pittis 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 1988-05 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/16/2803/1988_Vol_11_No_3.pdf c064bc5d77f3f0fedf7ce78e4ccd7ba3 PDF Text Text Volume 11 No.3 Thunder Bay, Ontario Northern Woman September 1988, Journal $1 . 5 0 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �the Canada Council that will allow me to travel across the country for interviews and research. If anyone is interested I can be contacted at the address given, and I will explain my project in greater detail and make arrangements for an interview. All information will be strictly confidential and no names will be printed. Thank You Dear Editor: What were you doing during the Vietnam War years? I am collectingpersonal experiences of all facets of Canadian involvement in the war for a book to be published by Harbour in the fall of 1989. Because war is such a male dominated subject, I have to go out of my way to locate women with stories to tell. I found the address of your group through Fem/Direct and am writing with the hope that I may find some women who were involved. For example: relatives of those who fought, medical personnel serving in Vietnam, anti-war activists, women who left the United States in reaction to the war. Would it be possible to put my query in your publication? Even posting my letter on your bulletin board would be helpful. So far there has been no popular overview of how Canadians were affected by this war and I feel very strongly that this is a story that must be told. I have joist received a grant from Jean DuGal 4876 Saskatchewan Ave. Powell River, B.C. V8A 3G4 Our Voice Letter sent to the Northern Women's Centre from the Northern Woman Journal Collective. To Northern Women's Centre Collective: This letter is intended to outline to Women's Centre members our decision to leave the collective space previously enjoyed by Northern Women's Centre, Northern Woman Journal, and Northern Woman's Bookstore. In order to ensure that our feelings are deal ly understood by the Northern Women': Centre Collective we ask that this letter be read into the minutes of the August 2, 1988 business meeting, posted at the Centre, and be includec in the next Centre newsletter. As a collective we feel that oux Ifirst priority is to provide a feminist press alternative for all women. In order to do this the collective requires a space with positive feminist energy. We feel that the Norther Women's Centre is presently unable to offer us a space with this feeling an indication of this is that the rel ationship between Northern Women's Centre and the Northern Woman Journal has deteriorated to the point where we no longer share collective space but exist as landlord and tenant. We had originally arranged to meet with the Northern Women's Centre. Collective after the potluck on July 19, 1988 in order to communicate our intentions face to face in a feminist way. However, we have been forced to deal with this in a patriarchal mat because we were not invited to address all of the Collective members present at the potluck. We hope that this letter and our move will encourage dialogue within the Centre towards regaining the positive energy of which feminists are capable. We see this as a positive step that will allow us to recreate the energy needed to continue publishing the Journal. 1 1 Kim Erickson Seeks iViembers For New Women's Choir YOMEN MUSICIANS WOMEN MUSIC WOMEN ART Women's Music and Art Kim Erickson is back in Thunder Bay after an intensive year of vocal study and composition in Holland. She is now in the process of forming an acapella (unaccompanied) women's choir. Repertoire would include Ukrainian and Balkan music, Kim's own compositions, and African-influenced pieces improvized with the help of the group, and requiring both movement and"body" percussion (hand claps and foot stamps) from the singers. The aim is to begin to uncover what is Women's music today, by building on the lost and dying traditions of our past, Major requirements for potential members are a love of music, singing and moving, and an openness to exploration in this area. It is also helpful to have a good ear and a sense of rhythm, as well as some music-reading skills. Both amateurs and professionals are welcome. Members must be willing to commit an evening of their time every week. A first meeting is currently being organized. If you are interested or require more information, please call Kim at 768-0934. (Don't be shy!) Prehistoric Egyptian terra, cotta figurine fashioned from Nile mud, circa 4000 a C. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �FREE TRADE : By: IS IT A WOMEN 'S ISSUE ? Peggy Smith I recently returned to Thunder Bay, my home town, to take up studies at Lakehead University in the School of Forestry. I have been active since 1985 in the fight against free trade in Citizens Concerned About Free Trade, an organization which originated in Saskatoon. I was dismayed to find almost no organized opposition in Thunder Bay to free trade and was somewhat surprised because Ontario is supposed to be the heart of opposition to this deal in 4' and to isolate groups opposed to the pending talks.... For special interest groups, the documents propose that in many cases the best tactic will be to 'divide and neutralize' groups that oppose the free-trade option.... Canada. Recently there has been a spate of publications about women and free trade and the formation of a new group, Women Against Free Trade. Facing the imminent implementation of the free trade agreement in January 1989, the urgent need for a united opposition to defeat the deal before its implementation by forcing the Conservative government to hold a general election, and this focus on women and free trade has prompted consideration of the question, "Is free trade a women's issue?" Through an examination of the women and free trade publications, an interview with a founding member of Women Against Free Trade, attendance at a Thunder Bay lecture billed "Women and Free Trade," and a brief examination of the practice of Citizens Concerned About Free Trade, I hope to demonstrate that free trade is not a women's issue, but an issue about the survival of our country which should be addressed as such by every Canadiaecitizen--women and men. To ensure we have control over the future direction of Canada, we must stand united against this deal and be aware of how the deal effects our national direction, rather than simply our individual directions, whether as women, workers, consumers, farmers, Native people, or business people. This is not to deny the importance of fully understanding the implications of the free trade deal for each Canadian or particular groups of Canadians, but to narrow the scope of the examination of the deal, or to fail to put an examination of the deal in a larger context, and, worse, to limit that questioning to a particular group will lead to ineffective opposition at a time when a strong, united grass roots movement among Canadian people will be the only action that will stop the giveaway of our country. ..ineffective opposition Knowing the Conservative government's strategy to sell free trade to Canadians reinforces my concern about how best to oppose the deal. In 1985 a secret Conservative government document outlining the government's strategy was leaked to the Toronto Star (Sept. 20/85): The program calls for Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to focus exclusively on the possible benefits of free trade, to avoid mentioning possible job losses, to discredit Liberal and New Democrat MPs who raise concerns about the free-trade negotiations 'Such an approach must take full account of the risks inherent in the issues while ensuring that a positive, confident tone is projected--a sense of real opportunity for Canadians in all regions to advance their own best interests.' the government has followed its strategy to the letter. The Tories have in place a wide-ranging publicity campaign to "sell" free trade, to the tune of millions of dollars of taxThis campaign payers' own money. includes the production of glossy pamphlets addressing particular groups, including one entitled "Canada's New Free Trade Agreement: How It Benefits Canadian Women." In it the government promises: Canadian women will share. in the growing economy that Free Trade will bring.... Free trade means: more and better job opportunities for women and men; lower consumer. prices and greater choice in goods and services; retention of our Canadian values,institutions, and social programs; higher family incomes; and wider economic opportunities for our children into the 21st century. Sleep comes no easier after reading more about the government's secret strategy: At the same time, a substantial majority of the public may be willing to leave the issue in the hands of the government and other interested groups if the government maintains communications control of the situation. Marjorie Cohen has made a tremendous contribution to the debate on free trade. An economist who has spoken publicly against free trade, written an essay "Women and Free Trade" in Duncan Cameron's The Free Trade Papers (James Lorimer, 1986), published her own book Free Trade and the Future of Women's Work (Garamend Press, 1987), made a submission to the Parliamentary Hearings on Free Trade on behalf of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women in 1987, she has pointed out how the free trade deal will affect women: It will increase women's unemployment; it will confine women's work to an even more narrow range of occupations than we already have; it will adversely affect women's ability to pursue better working conditions through unionization; it will accentuate the wage gap between males and females; and it will inhibit the effective use of social policies to correct labour market inequalities between males and females. Also, we think it will increase the privatization of social programs. She explains her interest in free trade and women thus: All problems should be of interest to women, particularly those related to the economy, because women more than men are liable to be Zong to the Zowincome group that has the most to lose through this initiative. (Address by the National Action Cttee to Parliamentary Hearings.on Free Trade, November 5, 1987) But it is just this narrowing of focus to how free trade will affect women that has led to shortcomings in her analysis and limited the audience she is able to reach. Her book Free Trade and the Future of Women's Work gives information about the Canadian economy that is general and should be read by all Canadians, but how many will pass it over because it deals with "women's work"? By narrowing the focus of the book to women's job losses in manufacturing and the service sectors, questions, distracts tne reaaer Irum drawing conclusions about overall job losses, national sovereignty, and the source of the free trade push: American multinationals with their Canadian subsidiaries and government supporters in both the U.S. and Canada. Describing the effects on the food processing industry, Cohen states: The Canadian Food Processors Association estimates that twenty plants will close and production will become more concentrated in a few large plants. This would mean an immediate loss of many product lines and about 3,000 full-time jobs. (p. 30) She gives one line to what I would consider the crux of the problem, Canada losing control over its food supply: In particular, Canada would cease to be self-sufficient in a number of fruit and vegetable commodities. Rather than examining the implications of Canada losing control over its food supply, a problem exacerbated by treaty terms covering many other food production areas, Cohen concludes: The loss of employment in the food processing sector would affect women in manufacturing across Canada because the industry is regionally dispersed with plants located in every province. After a thorough analysis of U.S. corporate interests in various service industries from health care to child care, and hinting at the potential of free -trade in services- If free trade in services is negotiated so that the right of national treatment and the right of establishment are guaranteed, we may well see more of our health care privatized and being carried out by American health groups. p 76)-con't on p13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN adge:3 �FEMINIST BOOK FAIR By: Margaret Phillips There were more books than any feminist could read in a lifetime. Thousands and thousands and thousands of books. There were 275 publishers and 212 authors from 55 countries. And hundreds more women - booksellers, translators, editors, artists, actors all gathered at the 3rd International Feminist Book Fair in Montreal June 14-18, 1988. And we read and we talked and we listened and we struggled and we laughed and we cried, as we celebrated the vision, the courage, the strength, the creativity, the passion of feminist writers. "Feminist consciousness stimulattansgtessive, and Vihtes subvetzive, tualy otigina/ thought in us. We ate constantly called upon to innovate, to invent strategies and novel positions, and to petceive new, appeating sounds. Like an opera o- desite, that each one (16 uz can syntonize in evety language, these sounds modulate out voices and send them resonating out oven teatity." SISTER VISION PRESS is a teAtection o4 OUA tives as non-white women in this country. It teptesentz QUA ongoing smuggle sot survival and visibitity in a society that is tac-1st, aeassist, sexist and homophobic. We cute pubtishing in a countty that stite denies that &tacks once existed as staves o6 white people hete. A country that whispeA that people o4 colour have no histoty here. A countty whete the powets that be think it is a waste (,4 time {yon stu- dents to teatn about the histoty o4 the Native people, the Japenese people, the Chinese people and the many other Thitd Wottd peoples who tive in Canada." (SISTER VISION PRESS) ARNAWALE 1.414.f.61110TE DWAU 19 AdIV 1968 tvIONTREAL (Nicole Btossatd) 'ONLYWOMEN, Btitain's sore lesbian tishets) whethet ditectey thkough toss o4 otdets PLUM Local tibtaties and {funded bookshops, ot inditectey through a process o4 set4-censotshi) 4tom bodies which don't 6cLet undet the ptovision o6 the new taws. OWL publishing venture chattengez these teatities and out Aeminism is the bl 6tom which we work. We betieve we can and do speak to a growing nor bet o4 women and we'te determined t( shout SHEBA 4tom the too4tops." (SHEBA - FEMINIST PUBLISHERS) But there were yet more publis hers to discover. I only regret tha being unilingual I was unable to fu ly appreciate the extensive Quebeco feminist literature or the Latin Am erican and European publishing. But I welcomed the chance to learn abou Kali for Women (India); Tana Press (Nigeria); New Women's Press (New Zealand); the University of West In dies Press --- and to meet writers publishers from the Phillipines, Zii babwe, the Caribbean and Central Am ica. The Fair was an amaging event. Superbly organized with the leadership of Ariane Brunet and Diana Bronson and the help of hundreds of volunteers. As a bookseller/reader the Trade Show was sufficient joy in'itself. (I found at least lop books I want to make available to Northwestern Ontario readers. rrIrhaV-e-IQG-old tteg-e-titIes in stock by the end of September and another 100 by November - I promise you.) The first two days of the Fair were closed to the "trade" with workshops specific to publishers, editors, booksellers, etc., and organized and spontaneous meetings of bookstores and periodicals. (There will be a Canadian Feminist Periodicals Conference in 1989!) There was time as well to bookbrowse and to talk to the publishers to meet the women from the small presses that make a feminist bookstore possible. Our Canadian feminist presses: Sister Vision, Women's Press, Press Gang, Gynergy/Ragweed, Lilith the new Native press Write-On, and Theytus - who along with Pemmican give us the opportunity to obtain Native women's writing. From the. U.S. were Firebrand, Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press, Spinsters/Aunt Lute, Cleis, Seal, Naiad, the Feminist Press, Chicory Blue. From the U.K. Women's Press, Virago, Onlywomen, Sheba, Feminist and Ireland's Attic Press. These are the presses that are the "heart" of women's bookstores. These are the presses that make women visible. "We (SISTER VISION PRESS) ate Canadian Aeminist pubtishets whose ptiotity iz pubtizhing books by Btack women, Asian women and Native women in Canada. We wanted to devetop a press that ... wowed date to take tusks, a press that wowed work with wtitetz in Canada, aftitets who _Ott they had nothing to say, but whose vow lives spoke volumes. We knew we didn't want to sepatate activism Atom wtiting Understanding that the "price one book equals one-tenth of one's monthly wage" (Donna, Stree lekha, India) makes you more aware of the challenge being met by Third World publishers. '60)t (14; eadit6.7o6 what u have done in the past {yew yeah, is contained not only in the books we have pubtished, but art in the acts vibes and debates we have patticipc ted in, the matetiaes we have devetc ed, and the links we have sttengthey ed with the movement. Thus 4ot us, the Autute o6 KALI does not only mec mote and mote books and subsequent-et, (hope6utey!) commetciat success ... it also means a steady, setiouz and growing potiticat commitment." (KALI FOR WOMEN, INDIA) We (SHEBA) want to be bad and put ounsetves on the intetnationat map, make mote connections actoss continents, get out books better known and say loud and cleat that 4eminist publishing can be both a successAut pa-Uticat and business project. SHEBA is at the centte 06 CUA working and potiticat lives and yet we ate ate 4otced to seek wotk etsewhete in otdet to survive. Such 416 the nature (16 smart publishing evetywhete Let us be cream: Btitain today suiAetz Ptom racism, otchesttated backlashes against lesbians and gays, and an incteased economic division between those who have money and powet and those who don't. Ctause 2g, which wowed ptevent Local authonities atom 'ptomoting homosexuatity', on suppotting 'ptetended Aamities', win aiAect pubtishing, (and especially Important and exciting as the trade days were the essence of an International Feminist Book Fair emploded in the final four "public" days, through workshops and panels on the themes of Memory, Power and Strategic of Feminist Consciousness. "Memoty is a theatte o4 the bod the Ainst stage in teptesentation. Whether we tike it on not, memory is always with us, just beneath the sot Aace (,4 the skin: prickly, embedded, tenacious as a sea etch in, OA Zustto tangoutouz supple as sick .... with the help o4 wotds and images, we jou ney .through the ptimotdiat landscape 06 memory: a (w)tite:o4 passage thto ugh ptivate and cottective tettitoty on which ate based QUA certitudes an out dreams. In memory we bind the se tet Aite that consumes out energy wh le simuttaneousty teptenishing its intensity." (Nicole Btossatd) con't on p12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor ANT tin& 'Wahl page 4 �RESOURCE CENTRE Ontario Women's Directorate SUMMER EXPERIENCE 1988 Summer is slowly coming to an end and so are the community Summer Experience programs sponsored by Ontario Women's Directorate and Ministry of Skills Development. Thanks to Decade Council, Faye Peterson Transition House, Atikokan Crisis Centre and Chadwic House, Wawa for providing excellent projects with positive working and learning experiences for young women. Periodicals - Soon to be available - Resources fc,r Feminist Research - Healthsharing - Breaking the Silence New Audio-Visuals - Doing It Ourselves: 20 minute VHS about rural women in Huron County, their concerns and self help groups formed during the project. New Books Taking Sex into Account: Policy Consequences of Sexist Research, CRIAW Best' wishes to Delene Devisscher, Barbara Grace, Cheryl Kitzel, Margaret Campbell and Catherine Pappas (OWD) as they wrap up their work, pack up their belongings and begin another year in university. UPCOMING EVENTS Laval University research group on women's issues 12th Annual Conference of Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) Date: November 11, 12 and 13, 1988 Theme is Women .1.1c1 Development: Women from Here and Elsewhere Telephone: 1-(418)-656-2832 Colloque 88,47 Conference in Longlac sponsored by Francophone Women of Geraldton, Nakina and Longlac. Date: September 16, 17 and 18 Employment Equity Workshop for employers - re: Women and Native people at Ramada Inn, Thunder Bay Sponsored by Ontario Women's Directorate Date: November 4,1988 Workshop for Parents, Teachers and other Professionals - TEENAGE DATING VIOLENCE Date: October 12, 1988, Valhalla Inn For further information call Charles Casselman, 623-2218 COVNUNITY CONSULTATIONS Women from Kapaskasing, Kenora and Thunder Bay met on August 10 to preview television ads produced by Ontario Women's Directorate to be aired during November 1988. These ads are part of the Directorate's campaign to encourage us all to realize that as a community we must take responsibility for the prevention of violence against women and that batterers must be held criminally accountable for their Women's Reality: An Emerging Female System in a White Male Society, A. Schaef Women and Poverty, University of Chicago Press Feminism in Canada from Pressure to Politics, Black Rose Books Ltd. NEW VIDEOS Here Today Where Tomorrow a 26 minute docudrama designed to assist young people, especially girls, with career preparation. The video is complemented by group discussions with teenagers commenting on school, relationships and the impor An excellent resource or guidance counsellors and teachers. A teacher guide is available. An Even Break - 22 minutes. This management training video speaks to the issues of disabled, visible minorities and non-traditional work for women in the workplace. A joint effort of the Directorate and the Oshawa Group, the video is aimed at private and public sector management levels where hiring decisions public. ,Thank you to the women who provided us with their special insight of this issue and their positive discussion and feedback. OWD received an overwhelming number of applications for grant funds from groups across Ontario to provide public education programs in their communities. Northern Ontario groups to receive funding are: Northwest Atikokan Crisis Centre Hoshizaki House, Dryden Rainy River District Committee on Family Violence, Fort Frances Geraldton Family Resource Centre Kenora Family Resource Centre Northshore Family Resource Centre, Marathon Women in Crisis, Sioux-Hudson North Beendigan, Thunder Bay Comite Contre La Violence Faites Aux Femmes, Thunder Bay Interagency Response to Wife Abuse/ Assault Group, Thunder Bay Decade Council/Faye Peterson Transition House Northeast Union Culturelle des FrancoOntariennes, Chapleau Elliot Lake Women's Crisis Centre Pavilion Family Resource Centre, Haileybury Habitat Interlude Family Resource Centre, Kapuskasing CMHA Family Resource Centre, Matheson Manitoulin Haven House Inc. Weechakewen Centre, Moosonee Nipissing Transition House/Family Life Centre, North Bay Esprit Place Resource Centre; Parry Sound Sturgeon Falls Family Resource C Violence, Sudbury Centre de Counselling Familial Timmins Inc La Federation des Femmes Canadiennes Francaises, Sudbury ' Good luck to all of you. Please call our office with any questions or concerns you might have and remember we have publications and a resource centre available,to you. are made. Women in Ontario - 12 minute video dealing with the expected life patterns of 100 teenage girls based on recent statistics regarding women in terms of marriage, child bearing, sole support parenting, the workforce, divorce, etc. h40-4.-6-49-9 NO T I CE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY March 8, 1989 The Ontario Women's Directorate, Northern Office has some funds available for International Women's Day activities in Northern Ontario. For further details contact 345-6084 actions. One ad is aimed at women; the other at men. Both will be available in French, and English. Brochures in Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese (Cantonese) will also be produced and available to the FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION MONTH - NOVEMBER This page is sponsored by the Ontario Women's Directorate. The material contained on it may be photocopied and distributed without permission, but with credit to the original source or the Ontario Women's Directorate. NEW FUNDING PROGRAMS Federal Childcare Initiatives Health and Welfare Canada will fund childcare projects and programs which assist in the development of new services and enhance existing ones. The focus is on unique needs and underserviced areas. Eg. native children, special needs children, part-time and shift work services, rural and flexible services, etc. $100 million is available over 7 years. For information and application forms contact: Childcare Initiatives Fund Health and Welfare Canada Brooke Claxton Building 6th Floor Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1B5 (613) 954-8255 Telephone (613) 957-0638 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy NORTHERN of CVISION WOMAN PDFCompressor )9w. �WOMYN'S MUSIC: By Jane Saunders and Keri Shephardson This year, Olivia Records celeThe brates its 15th Anniversary. incorporation of Olivia Records officially marked the start of the "Womyn's Music" recording industry. Prior to that time, in the late 1960's and early 170's, there was some activity in New York, led by Alix Dobkin, Kay Gardner and Maxine Feldman. Their pioneer efforts have long been recognized as important and it is only because of the early diligence of these and other women that music has become a significant component of the growing womyn's culture. Who are the people involved in womyn's music? After 20 years of womyn's music, we have 2 major rec ord labels (Redwood and Olivia), numerous smaller independant labels and many networks, large and small, throughout the United States and .Canada which help spread o'ir womyn's music and culture. There are many more people involved with womyn's music than just the artists themselves. There are producers and managers Evand promoters and distributors eryone involved in any capacity has helped the "womyn's music" industry grow to what it has become today. What are the elements which make womyn's music truly unique? (unique that is to say, a music not "popular", not supported by the public at large, not in the "mainstream ", not the dominant'style of music - an alternative form of music.) One need only turn on the radio or watch a music video to experience the derogation of women that is promoted by the popular music industry. The "good girl/ bad girl" dichotomy, the "metal queen" and the helpless lover/ victim are all negative stereotypes which are continuously reinforced in the mainstream. In contrast, womyn's music exposes the listener to real life, positive, healthy women of all ages, walks of life and character. I believe this to be the most appealing element of womyn's music. In addition to reinforcing positive role models, our inter-relations are celebrated, our struggles supported and our spirits set free to explore and expand. Our celebration of sisterhood is often the subject of song - "Every Woman", and Southern gospel-influenced Teresa Trull classic and Holly Near's "You Bet". Meg Christian's haunting "The Rock will Wear Away" explores our life cycles. Our caring and love for one another is expressed often and with great musical richness. Margie Adam's "Tender Lady", Holly Near's "Rock Me in Your Arms" and Cris Williamson's "Waiting" are only three of the gems from which to choose. Social concerns ranging from nuclear war to farming and prison to Vietnam highlight many women's songs as well. Works like "Fight Back" (Holly Near) and "Woman's Anger" (Heather Bishop) have become anthems in our struggle against daily oppression. Meg Christian's poignant "Rosalind" is a strong statement in interracial relations. Similarly, "Child" by Holly Near and "A Child's Voice" by Quebec native Lucie Blue Tremblay address the tragedy and horror of child abuse. While there has always been a mixing of styles from the past, a topic of more current interest (the last five years) is the influence of mainstream music, as seen in the albums "A Step Away" by Teresa Trull and "Don't Hold Back" by Holly Near° Although this potentially dangerous musical/political move may seem unfounded, the natural progression of certain artists to explore and accept the influences of more mainstream sounds is a healthy one. In order to grow, all artists must change and expand their musical horizons. In do soing, the resulting product of newer sounds within older styles is an exciting one. Musically, each singer/ songwriter has her own style. It is a joy for the avid listener of womyn's music to learn the distinguishing elements which make each artist unique. For example, Cris Williamson's earliest heartfelt albums. "Cris Williamson" and the classic "Changer and the Changed", present a musical style relying on emotion and'vocal power. Her progression from the mellow rock album "Blue Rider" to the present "Prairie Fire" and "Wolf Moon" albums clearly demonstrates her musical growth. While continually changing the sounds of her music, Cris williamson has retained the ability to 0 In many cases, womyn's music had become a vehicle for women to make known their political and social concerns for our world. Fundamentally, womyn's music has some musical ties to folk music. Like folk music, womyn's music grows as part of the tradition of a community or group. The reliance on aural transmission of the music, passing on "by word of mouth" so to speak, follows folk tradition as well. Musically, these two styles share a concern for melody, the expression of a story, feelings or characters through lyrics and comparatively simple music is an example of the similarities between womyn's music and folk music. However, each individual who has contributed to the development of womyn's music has brought her own style and musical influences. Musical elements from jazz, pop, rock, classical, gospel, country, blues, acoustic, Latic and ethnic styles are not only abundant but essential in any discussion of womyn's music. write songs in her original style, that of simple yet beautiful melody and innovative choral progressions. Meg Christian's melody writing truly magical. Her guitar accompani ments are sensitive and technically impressive. Most importantly, her musical observations of relationshi life and human nature, which she ex presses through song, are valuable ones. Meg's songs showcase her sens /f humour ("Ode to a Gym Teacher"), her sense of self recognition ("Tur ning it Over"), and her growing sense of spirituality PS heard in t ethereal"Darshan". Womyn's music fans anxiously await Meg Christian' return from her journey of selfdiscovery. While we wait, we have a wealth of songs to discover and fully appreciate. Holly Near - musician, poet, a tivist and dramatist - has done muc to bring womyn's music to the "outside" world. Her concerns for our world and our movement are reflecte with style and distinction in her a Musically, her choice of colourful chords, finely crafted melody lines and accompaniments and word paintin making the music sound like the wor musical onomatopeia so to speak. make her style ecclectic and progressive. From many of her earlier al. bums, Holly Near has given us some womyn's music classics. "Imagine My Surprise" and "Something About the Women", to name only two, are insightful poetic statements which gi, us strength and inspiration. One of the most powerful voice: in womyn's music today is our ox(/.4,,,, Heather Bishop of Woodmore, Matitob( With depth and insight, she sings of Canadian life and pride, as well as our environment, our land and our foremothers. Becauc2 The is influenced by many types of music, her style is a memorable and widely appealing one. Although these women are all vc successful, there is more to womyn's music than the individual success of each artist. The sense of community which evolves around the many artist serves as an inspiration to us all. On many of the early albums, artists combined their talents; Meg Christie "I Know You Know" and Holly Near's "Imagine My Surprise" are only two examples of the collective effort. This continues today as female producers, recording engineers, arrangers (Mary Watkins is one of the best and studio musicians combine their talents to produce the high quality recordings which we buy. Many women artists own and/or operate their owr recording lables: Heather Bishop (Mc they of Pearl Records), Alix Dobkin (Women's Wax Works), etc. The use of such alternatives to relying on the mainstream, heavily male-dominated recording industry ensures that womyn's music can be recorded and dist/ ibuted while maintaining its inherer integrity. The variety and, diversity of womyn's music is wonderful!! For those who have musical tastes which incluC any or all of jazz, rock, country, new-age, reggae, classical, gospel, traditional music, there are many female artists who perform in these styles. Jazz music fans will undoubt edly enjoy Rhiannon and Alive, who recently opened at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. con't PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NOFTH,ERN WOMAN pag e 6 �Women's Music (continued) o o763AYeko 0,samagx°_,Gvb_,A6v0.4"V 'k0 Deuce, a jazz-funk instrumental duo from New York, is one of my favourite acts at Michigan and on record. For those who enjoy the healing properties of music, Kay Gardner ushers in the New Age, as does Beth York. Cassleburry and Dupree is a fine reggae duo, mixing rhythm, social issues and politics in music. Of special mention is Canadian dub poet, Lillian Allen of Toronto, who is a vibrant performer and creator of musical/poetic art. Pianists/singers Margie Adam and Debbie Fier both blend jazz and acoustic styles into smooth, easy-going instrumental/vocal music. Sweet Honey in The Rock is an a capella group which combines the gospel style and social politics encased in lush harmonies. For easy listening, soft rock/pop vocalists, Lucie Blue Tremblay, Deidre McCalla, Hunter Davis and Jasmine are unbeatable! For those who prefer rock, Tret Fure and Sherry Shure (Cana dian) are both fine performers in this These are the lyrics to an original composition by Jane Saunders which was performed at the recent London Status of Women Action Group 10th Anniversary Celebration by the choir Womyn's Voice. OUR SISTER1100D FOA too Long, Out voice4 have been zitent, We were Living in the datk, We knew nothing oA out power, Then we iat the zpatk. area. Unfortunately, few written resources exist on the subject of womyn's music, Of those that do exist, many of the writings are contained in books which feature womyn's culture, including arts and literature. "Our Right to Love" is a genuine treasure chest of infor- The 6paniz butzt into Lame, The game grew into tight, And now we know That out voicez ate out tigh;('-.. ma tion. We witt We witt Fot out Fot out Possibly the best written resource is the "Lady slipper Catalogue and Resource Guide" - an annotated catalogue which lists musical and literary recordings by women. This publication profides advertising and an ordering service for mghy women-run alternative labels. Hot Wire, the Journal of Women's Music and Culture, is an excellent quarterly focusing on all aspects of womyn's Although only a few artists have been mentioned, countless women exist who are developing their own style of "womyn's music". Some of these women have recorded and distributed their music; some play in coffeehouses and at marches or rallies; some play only for themselves and friends. Wherever women are performing music - by, for and about women - womyn's music exists and will be passed on to entertain, inspire and enrich all who have the opportunity to experience it. zing out Loud, zing out proud, STRENGTH FREEDOM Fait out SISTERHOOD. NottThey 5peafz o6 Love, They zing of batttez we have And of 4ttuggtes yet to come, And they zing o6 ptide. OA ptide Sot what we ate, 0A ptide dot what we'LL be, Out 6eatz have kept us bound, Now out zpitit zetz uz 6tee. We witt. zing out Loud, Ne witt Fot out Fot out Fot out zing out proud, STRENGTH FREEDOM. SISTERHOOD. References: 1. Ladyslipper Catalogue, 1987 c. 1986 Ladyslipper Inc. 2. HotWire Volume 4 Number 3, July88 3, HotWire Volume 4 Number 2, March88 fATAO* Northern Woman'sBookstore CONGRATULATES Ruby Slipperjack ON THE PUBLICATION OF HER NOVEL HONOUR THE SUN PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN'. 'peccie.' �'Ike World needs the. love of a ree woman The world needs the Cove of a free woman not the love of a good woman there's already too much of that good woman's Cove waiting in the bantustans while her husband's soul is mined deep in South Africa. input* of the love of n. good. woman Jar in the dark my at a high small window Lying on a bed Ct131.419 in her steep not to disturb the others. The world needs the love of a free woman but early to the suburban gleam assisting the suds and cleansers at their chores to the woman whose dreams are dried and stacked on tininatufate shelves her mask now fixed for the trick the hoax the stench of tile's betrayat a curse without deftance. Poor bitch, gnawing at the bars of your penalty tour children know the love that cuts the heart of the holder tts dishevelled fogicat madness. The world has seen and seen dui one who keeps these things in her heart she kneels beholding the bleeding feet of her boy Messed ddrt Thou Among Women and never a nuisance. Me. world needs the love of a tree woman t4410 jOrtfltVeS nod. but. doesn't ask. him for an explanation for her brother's murder her daughter's rape her mother's unrepresented fife. She speaks loud naming ties she moves deartng the piercing forest of guns and crosses held aloft she works pfanttng the hopes mut jatilu.n9 fram. tha Ficarczan the thoughts of the free. women rising to mullions from this shantytown an Peacock Ciutstrhurch, batfiados PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 8 �What " you Were Both Too young' really tans 't was his cherished. doff, To dress up and show off 'lo all his frtetuts, fifteen at a sittuig-'lake some money.' he soul Buy a dress so 1. can take you to the bars." but 1. bought a dress for farriilii werldtruis And a matronly bathing suit That my mother's boyfruend nut& fun of. 't was his kitten An amusement for the bribil gunny and wild kitten aro-wing placid and fat. The kitten never knew its place And once '4 saved. its Itfe (from gun) When it took, one situ* bite from his barely-alive houseplants. 1. was the dancing chicken Scratching neat little ink treatises Ile couldn't read. 'it's good.' he'd say " but what does it mean?" fie was proud of me without Ever understanding he was afraid. of me, unable 'Jo rapture my thoughts. peturtratert nul soul, Thrusting fits sword Itn-tit 1. lay bleeding The depth of the wound It)as the measure of our love. Susan Gothns Life Ln the Valley 'The woman who rented my old apartment getttru3 married., she came there. a tsar a9o, haul.; with grief and tears. 't could tell by her dainty ttuncing walk and pampered skin it would not be long before some old soldier saw fits duty and gave her fragile helpless hands some mascuttrie support. A winter in her mobile home in Florida produced the reason for this giggling oldster who is now selling off every memory of her and. Papa, 1 bought her old eight tracks heavy with nostalgia. and Vera Lynn. fle is there beside her, Cooking good carrying out what she names the garbage. it's like. starting over she chirps and 1 can see that it is a new chapter in an old song, but the tune wilt be the. same. 'lakes me wonder what madness makes some of us see no virtue in fragile need when its so productive. aert Beadle PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN txtae 9 �Set Back For Day Care! By: Margaret Phillips On July 25, 1988, Bill C-144 (the Canada Child Care Act) was introduced in the House of Commons. At the time of writing this article (Sept. 5) tht Bill has passed second reading and is before Committee. It is expected to receive third (and final) reading in mid-September, and with the massive Conservative majority the Bill will undoubtedly pass. If this Bill is enacted it will set back the development of day care for decades. The hyperbole surrounding the introduction of this policy camoflagues the reality of its intent. This legislation will, in effect, restrict the expansion of day care. What it means is that this legislation is WORSE than no new legislation at all. While there are many aspects of this legislation that are flawed, the most serious problem for Northwestern Ontario day care is the restriction placed on the province concerning child care spending. The existing system, the Canada Assistance Plan, is an open-ended cost-sharing between the federal and provincial governments. Thus, the responsibility for day care expansion rested on the province. When the province expended day care services the federal government was required to contribute its 50% share. Under Bill C-144 ceilings are placed on what the provinces can spend. It is suggested that because of this restriction the modest expan sion plan of the Ontario government must be cut-back by 15%, and that Ontario's current planning presumes this restriction. The effects of this cut-back are already being felt. Limitations on subsidy-spaces have been imposed on many day care organizations including (for the first time in memory) the City of Thundey Bay. Across Northwestern Ontario existing day care services are experiencing extensive waiting lists. The demand for expanded services is obvious NOW ... a restriction on expansion will exacerbate the crisis. Bill C-144 has many other flaws. It fails to recognize or support the diversity of needs for high quality child care services across the country. Bill C-144 lacks national objecNational objectives and federal criteria for provincial participation in cost-sharing are essential features of other effective national social programs in Canada. Without the inclusion of strong guiding principles setting out a long-term vision for a national child care system, Bill144 will entrench the current fragtives. Decade Council The Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council will hold their Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 22, 1988 at the Airlane Hotel - Tiberio Room. Decade Council has undertaken a number of special projects. FREE TRADE AND PRIVITIZATION: A WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN will be available at the Decade office by the end of September. The package contains background information and discussion papers, a quiz, Fact Sheets, Quotes from politicians, publications, position papers and notable Canadians. The kits were developed through the summer with money made available from a SEED grant and Kirsty Barclay and Cathy Woodbeck were the principle authors. The project was undertaken to demystify the Free Trade agreement and to help women make an informed decision about this issue. The package/kits will be presented as a workshop at Decade's Annual meeting. MUNICIPAL/EDUCATION ELECTION BROCHURE "Ask Your Candidate": Through the summer Lynda Falvo worked on nreparing the issue sections of the election brochure for the upcoming municipal and board of education ele ctions. Background information and questions focus on: Economic Development, Women and Decision Making, Housing, Violence, Child Care and Employment Equity. The guide will assist women in assessing a candidate's position on women's issues and help her make an informed choice. This work Tins also made possible through a SEED grant. WOMEN IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DECISION MAKING: a report was researched and prepared by Barbara Grace to understand how effective women in decision making positions feel they are. Approximately 100 questionnaires were distribute to women on various economic decision making bodies across Northwestern Ontario.'Ques tions focused on how women felt about their involvement and participation in decision making. The results of the questionnaire were written up in narrative form, to make up the bulk of the report. The Economic Development Committee plan to study the report in the fall and make recommendations prior to publicly releasing the document. Funds were made available for this project through the Ontario Women's Directorate. BOARD. DEVELOPMENT Throii-,h fundirw from northern Development and mented approach to child care in Cana A further problem is that this r legislation appears to leave low income families vulnerable. Under the Canada Assistance Plan low income families were assisted with child car costs. Bill-144 provides no guarant( that such assistance will continue. The provision of public funding to for-profit (commercial) day care operations is of immeasurable concert to day care advocates. All research demonstrates that, on average, the quality of care in commercial centre! is inferior to that provided by nonprofit services. (Child ratios, staff training, staff turnover, health and safety, wages and working conditions are all quality factors.) Bill C-144' support for commercial day care, coul led with possible free trade scenarios, can see the infusion of large All erican day care chains, which will create serious problems for years to come. Also lacking from Bill C-144 is any provision for enhanced maternity leave, parental leave, family responsibility leave. These aspects must be addressed in an adequate day care policy. For the past four years day care parents, workers and advocates from across Northwestern Ontario have taken every opportunity to put forward our vision of a comprehansive, highquality, non-profit day care system that will meet the diverse needs of Northwestern Ontario children and fan It is obvious that the federE ilies. Conservative government have ignored our recommendations. Bill C-144 is a serious set-back to all who desire social policy that will ensure our The children receive quality care. enactment of Bill C-144 will clearly be a disaster. It is the well-being of our children that is at stake. Mines a video is being produced to b trAed as a board training tool for bo ards of Transition Houses and Family Resource Centres. The package will cover a history of the battered women's movement in Northwestern Ontaril and the issues of violence against women. SOCIO ECONOMIC PROJECT: the Economic Development Committee is under taking a seven month research projec that will guide Decade Council and tl Committee to address and adequately represent the issues and concerns of Northern women as they pertain to so cio-economic development. It is anticipated that this information will a so provide local, provincial and federal governments with a clear pictur of the identity of women residing in Northwestern Ontario and thus enable them to formulate and implement more appropriate and relevant policies. Copies of RUN TO WIN, a how to manual for women running for municipal office are available at the Decade office. For anyone who has not already purchases a copy of NORTHWESTERN ONT ARIO STATUS OF WOMEN INITIATIVES the are still available. They make wonde ful gifts and Christmas is not far away. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTOERWOOMMI.Page:10 �Book Review Reviewed by Kit Minor MisEducation: Women and Canadian Universities, Anne Innis Dagg and Patricia Thompson, OISE Press, 1988. MisEducation: Women and Canadian Universities is a much needed testimony of the plight, and struggles, as well as the cruel and horrendous treatment, of some of the most gifted scholars and students in Canada, who are women and particularly feminists. As one who has weathered years of academia as a student, and now five years as a professor, there is no doubt in my mind that this text is a powerful, and long overdue analysis of what does go on in the patriarchy of university institutions. Quite honestly, I could not put the book down; it validated a great deal for me, as to my own struggles as a student, and at Laurentian where I taught for four years, and was constantly battered by patriarchy, and misogyny. I am convinced this book will play a major role in collective action, by women academics, and students, in English speaking countries, to struggle against the patriarchy imposed upon us, in these institutions of higher learning. The objectives of the text are explicit, and well developed. The authors provide concrete research findings from a number of respected sources, to document the extent, and tragedy, of patriarchy and misogyny prevalent within Canadian Universities at all levels. They review the sciences and engineering citing numerous examples of inequality towards women. In biology where 50% of the students are women, women faculty comprise 8%. In engineering I was startled and saddened at the initiation rites still practiced in Canada's supposedly major universities, by the male students. Rites which are blatant examples of hatred towards women. The use of case studies adds power,. and undeniable truth to these testimonies, and this strength of delivery is used throughout the text. The text is well documented, and sound. In discussing the systems of patriarchy within schools of,Law the authors refer to the Sheila McIntyre case at Queen's University. McIntyre was hired as a Law professor in 1985. In her courses, she included women's concerns and encouraged women to participate in classroom discuss-4 ion, Her efforts were met with anger, lack of co-operation and disruptions by several men. This led to a heated confrontation and attempts to discredit the professor. As presented in both the analysis of Dagg and Thompson, and the CAUT Bulletin (Jan.1987), this whole scheme was based upon anger Council for $5000, it was turned down. The authors documented several university centres which in recent years have had to close due to lack of funding. They also document centres which have suffered harassment and were broken into and trashed, for example Carleton. Dagg and Thompson add some enlightening concerns over Child care and the delivery of this service, where, and when it is available. This service is one that can benefit all, both women and men. There are many women and men at university who participate in child towards the Feminist inclusion which care: faculty, staff and students. ThMcIntyre proposed, and grounded ere needs to be increased funding, more in fear and a loss of power by the male available spaces and flexible hours students involved. As a professor due to the irregularity of course times who does teach from a Feminist Perspand variation in the duration of courses. ective I find it astonishing that The authors chose to present the students who have been taught a pathorrors of sexism, sexual harassment riarchal perspective most, or all of and violence on campus through a numtheir lives would not welcome a new ber of short case studies. These approach, some new insights. Are these are frightening and powerful, and a not the halls of academia, or are women' s rude awakening to the truths of what concerns, thoughts, and writings to women must suffer to be within these be be dismissed as trivial, nonexistent. halls. Has it really changed that My present experience, having left much since Virginia Wolf, or is it Laurentian for a more welcoming and just more subtle; or, and this is more enthused group of academics in Social frightening, have we learned to just Work at Lakehead, is that I now find accept it? co-operation and excitement that a Feminist perspective is included as a teaching style in a core course. Mind you, some students battle the notion, or "put up with it" and these students are not exclusively men, nor by any means is the majority of male students included in this small group. This past year I have been told by numerous women and men that the Feminist perspective has had a major impact upon their lives, a good healthy impact towards awareness of self and others. However, as I read through MisEducation, I know that this acceptance and support are rare. In every area of academia, women are scapegoated and abused. The authors cite several examples from each discipline. Dagg and Thompson view three critical factors as progressive for women, both students and faculty, within university structures. These are the creation of a women's study program, a women's centre and provision of adequate, and flexible day care. They are clear that a women's study program must begin with a Feminint perspective and the hiring of full-time track, or tenured, Feminists within that program. It will do little good to create such a program, as has been done in some universities, where the professors are women, but not necessarily Feminists There seems to be at several universities this irrational fear that feminists will take over and seek a gull monopoly upon knowledge. The fact is that Feminists have studied women, and are the best to teach in that area of Further Dagg and Thompson exp erti4e. expose the lack of funding towards both university women's centres and Day Care. The University of Toronto received in 1919, a donation of $125,000 for wothen's sport and meeting facilities In 1986, this finally materialized. However despite the fine work done through this centre, when the members approached the Student Administration MisEducation: Women and Canadian Universities is not only an original testimony but a very brave, and honourable text. Academic women and students need to know that we are not alone; as well, the patriarchal forces which pervade our university systems must be held accountable for their abuse of women academics and students. There is no doubt in my mind that this testimony will result in much dialogue, and hopefully collective action amongst women. To quote Sasha McInnes "This book is a must for every professor, university administrator, and politician. Any woman who has had contact with a Canadian University will read her own untold story here." The text is powerful, as is. I believe also it will be meaningful, as well as personal, to most women academics and students. I congratulate the authors on their ability to put the personal into the political with such a charging, and dynamic force. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN e.11 �CIRCLING TO THE LEFT By: Josie Wallenius I am making notes sitting on a plane going to Dallas, Texas, because some things have happened in the last 24 hours which connect up with what I learned from the native writer and poet, Lee Maracle when she was in Thunder Bay a few weeks ago. Margaret Phillips had first met Lee at the feminist book fair in Montreal and had arranged for her to visit Thunder Bay on her way back to Vancouver, to talk to women here. Lee had' said in Montreal that she was going to spend her time with native women from now on, as it seemed as though women of colour in North America were wasting their time speaking to white women about racism. She said its a white institutionalised problem, and we must look to our own empowerment to change things, and above all, stop writing for, and about, native women. That means even Anne Cameron, who Lee has been dialoguing with for four years and who now agrees with Lee. On the first night Lee was here, we went with her to the native expressions night, where we were made welcome, and'heard her poetry reading, which was wonderful. She spoke a poem, to and about her husband, Dennis, who was in the audience with her two sons. In front of strangers she made herself vulnerable, and I was moved to tears. The next day Lee visited with native women, and spoke to two classes of native women in the afternoon, encouraging tlibm to write, and advising them about publishers. White women reading this may well ask why I am writing about Lee, if she is now only working with native women, so I will explain why I wanted to talk with her after I had read her book, I Am Woman. To overcome patriarchial capitalism and give birth to matriarchial socialism, we are going to need every morsal of advise, knowledge, guidance, and global communal empathy. I knew in my gut Lee knew more than I, I knew it after reading her book, so I wanted to learn more. For the next five weeks I put it all on a back burner, which was fueled by friends. "Can't white women be spiritual then?" "I wouldi use it Josie, if Lee said we shoul, not be writing about native women, we should not use their drum." "Di n't be silly, its just deerskin ani wood." My overt thoughts, "I need a drum, I love the sound of this co I bought it, and I have already usl it." My covert thoughts, "Why do feel the need to explain why I am using it each time I drum a story, why do I feel troubled if I tell al angry story with it, why am I worr' ing?" On top of all this, I had two very important questions for her from me. 1) Did she believe in a cosmic something?, and 2) What did she think of me using an Ojibwe drum for my story telling? The answer to my first question was an elaboration of her belief system described in her book, and affirmed my belief that something or other is on our side. The answer to the second question brings me to the reason I could not write about Lee 'till six weeks later, on the plane to Dallas. When I had asked Lee about using the Ojibwe drum which I had bought, her eyes told me something. For a moment she seemed to withdraw into herself, then she came back, and smiled, saying, "Well, if you know what you are doing, but if you don't I had felt before meeting Lee that native people have a confidence in making decisions that white people sometimes lack because native people believe in things coming full circle, so I felt that Lee was saying it wasn't her burden to give me advice, it was mine, and nobody can help you make sixth sense decisions. So six weeks later I am with good friends in Minneapolis the nig before going to Dallas. I have my drum, cymbals, bells, and tambourin in my case. Sherry, my native frie told me with a laugh that native pE ople are now calling white people w try to copy them, "The Wannaby Trib SuSu, my wicca friend who is a sham drummer, heard my story about tracing my own Gaelic roots, and whiske me off to a music shop the next mor ing and lent me the money to buy a drum made of strong plastic and cow hide. I live in plastic land, and my Grandmother came from Hereford. I put ribbons hanging from it, whic look like Maypole ribbons. Well they do to me. The Ojibwe drum. I have just met an elder white woman, who is ex perimenting with sounds and resonance, and she is a real whitehaired elder, and wiser than me. She will use it softly, make no mistakes. Meanwhile, Dallas, here I come good and angry, and at ease. Thanks Lee you cautioned me as a friend. We are all moving in circles, sparking and touching each other, but always in circles, and to the left. FEMINIST BOOK FAIR (continued) In all there were 52 workshops/ panels stimulated by the wisdom and vision of hundreds of women writers. Writers that we know and love - Dorothy Livesay, Audre Lorde, Marie-Claire Blais, Olga Broumas, Anne Cameron, Dale Spender, Mary Daly, Frances Duncan, Judy Grahn, Makeda Silvera, Betsy Warland, Donna Smyth. And writers, unknown to many of us, whose words it is essential we hear: Merle Hodge, Lee Maracle, Alicia Portnoy, Daysi Zamora, Janet Campbell Hale, Kumari Jayawardina, Ellen Kuzwayo, Sheila Jeffries, Gloria Joseph, Miriam Tlali, Nell Mc Cafferty. (This list is by no means inclusive ... there are hundreds more women writers we must hear/read.) It was the workshops that demonstrated that this was a feminist fair. A time to renew our feminist analysis. A time to challenge ourselves to confront and address our racism, our classim. A time to feel. A time to dream. A time to remember. The Fair held many memorable moments for me. The thrill of conversing with Dorothy Livesay; the awe of meeting Ellen Kuzwayo; the challenge of hearing Audre Lorde; the joy of renewing friendships with Women Writers colleagues - stimulating my renewed urgency to write. But the highlight of the Fair was the Native poetry reading, most particularly Alanis Obasiwin's BUSH LADY. This came at the end of the day and week. I went to the reading physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. I left the reading - restored. Alanis' BUSH LADY poster hangs for my easy view in the Bookstore. It stimulates my memory and gives me energy and hope. (The quotations in this article are taken from the official program of the 3rd International Book Fair) PDF compression, OCR,page web12optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor WORTHE71 NOW! �Free Trade (continued) Cohen focusses on women's job losses in the service sector. After predicting that Canadians may lose control over health care and child care services, she concludes: Free trade in services will cause job loss and downward pressures on wages and working conditions in many areas which have traditionally been growth areas for women's employment: data processing, transportation, and public service occupations. (p. 79) In both manufacturing and services, rather than concluding that women will lose jobs, isn't the more important conclusion the fact that we, as Canadians, will no longer be able to decide the future direction of our social programs, and that we are giving control of our food supply to a foreign power? This focus simply on job loss prevents an examination of the larger question of national sovereignty. It is similar to some labour organiza tions' contention that Canadian workers will oppose free trade only if it can be shown that it will hit them in the pocketbook. In response to a question from a panel member at the Ontario government hearings into free trade in Thunder Bay in November 1987, about whether workers in the lunchroom expressed concern about culture and sovereignty, a local labour spokesman rctplied: "Canadian workers don't care about culture or sovereignty, they only care about jobs.' Is it this same attitude that has given rise to the "women and free trade" approach, that women will only act out of self interest? self interest? Another result of limiting the debate to free trade and women is that many people are excluded from learning about the issue. This was demonstrated at a lecture given by Maude Barlow of the Pro Canada Network at Lakehead University on March 7, 1988. Her lecture was titled "Women and Free Trade' but its contents were not limited to that subject. She covered a history of the recent free trade initiative, the forces pushing for free trade, Canadian demands for secure access and a binding dispute settling mechanism that were never met, and an overview of the actual terms of the agreement. Only peripherally did she cover how women might be adversely affected. It was a speech that should have been heard by a large audience. The common response of most people in Thunder Bay, as it is across Canada, when it comes to free trade is that they do not know enough about it. This is no accident. Again, it has been the government's policy to keep Canadians in the dark. The leaked Toronto Star document stated: It is likely that the higher the profile the issue attains, the lower the degree of public approval will be.... The strategy should rely less on educating the general public than on getting across the message that the trade initiative is a good idea. In other words, a selling job. In the face of deliberate government secrecy and lies about the contents of the free trade deal, it is the wrong time for the opposition to be limiting its audience by aidressing the concerns of particular =roups. Less than twenty people attended the Barlow lecture; only one man was in attendance. How many people, both men and women, didn't attend because the lecture was titled "Women and Free Trade"? Another group, Women Against Free Trade, was recently formed in Toronto, initiated by the Ontario Federal of Labour's (OFL) and. NDP Women's Committees. In an interview in Thunder Bay in March, Carol Anne Sceviour of the OFL explained the reasons for setting up a group to address women and free trade issues. Women are disproportionately affected by the deal, she said. Women are the ones who use social services the most and will be most affected by changes to them. Women are better at grass roots organizing. And, finally, many women are "sick and tired of going up against the boys" in those organizations where they are fighting free trade together. But do these arguments not simply further isolate women from mainstream politics and encourage our limited involvement in questions that affect the country? Should we not be striving for equal participation with men on this issue that affects us all as citizens, rather than retreating to groups where we limit our questioning of the effect this deal will have on us as woman? The group's pamphlet, "Women Against Free Trade Manifesto," like Maude Barlow's lecture, gives an analysis of free trade that is not restricted to "women's issues." This begs the question: Why another group, saying similar things as other groups, formed by people who are already involved in anti free-trade groups (the OFL Free Trade Committee, the Ontario Coalition Against Free Trade, the Council of Canadians, the Pro Canada Network) that involves a further expenditure of energy and money? Their manifesto states: Our great-grandthothers set the example. Told they didn't understand politics, they were denied the vote. They organized, apparently against all odds, and they won 'personhoOd' and the vote. We have won the right to participate equally in the political life of Canada, and this is the time to exercise that right, when we're facing the most important issue we've ever faced as a nation. The time for women to organize separately is when it's time to fight for those issues that are truly "women's" issues, such as reproductive rights, not on issues affecting the future political and economic direction of the country. .. the right to participate equally. The National. Actioa Committee has published a poster entitled "Women are Against Free Trade" outlining job loss, lower wages and poorer working conditions and poorer access to social programs as ways women will be affected by free trade, and a pamphlet "Free Trade: A Bad Deal for Women." They qualify their opposition to free trade under the heading "Free trade is not just a women's issue": Free trade dramatizes the very different interests dividing ordinary people from the rich and powerful.... Employers with the most to gain are large international corporations. Employers with the most to Zose are producers who can expect increased outside competition in the Canadian market. In both cases workers, ordinary men and women, lose. One important issue for people in Canada is unemployment. Free trade won't solve that or oter social and economic problems that we face as a country. NAC limits its examination of the impact of free trade to job loss, never naming the problem of Canadians giving up the right to control their economic and political future. And, further, when it comes to "What Women Can Do" NAC advocates that women "organize a women's coalition against free trade in your area" (emphasis mine). Living in an area in Ontario where there is next to nothing in the way of organized opposition to free trade, and where most people in the area know little about the deal, advocating a "women's" coalition against free trade is misguided, to say the least. It is interesting to note how the proponents of free trade address the issue of women and free trade. 'Katie Macmillan is an economist who wrote one of three papers on free trade commissioned by the Advisory Council on the Status of Women and who has worked with the Economic Council of Canada, the Canada West Foundation and the C.D. Howe Institute. In an essay in the pro-free trade collection, Free Trade: The Real Story '(Gage, 1988), she writes that free trade promises women a rosy future: Free trade offers Canadian women the potential to improve their economic standing, both relatively and absolutely.... While some job.losses would occur, women have demonstrated capac a to adjust to, and even profit from, changes in the workplace. Labor mobility and upgrading programs can help women to adjust to the better opportunities that free trade will generate. Women can be winners from free trade by using the changes that it brings to permanently improve their economic status. (p. 125) It is this appeal to self interest that forms the basis of the govern-lent's strategy to sell free trade. Those opposed to it need not buy into this strategy, but should widen their examination of the deal to how it will affect the country as a whole,. To this end, Citizens Concerned About Free Trade provides an example of a successful strategy to fight PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �free trade. The organization, formed in 1985, is non-partisan with no ties to any political party or organization. It is supported financially by donations from members and the public. Within the context of Canadian sovereignty and by examining Canada's history as a nation trying to maintain independence in the face of constant pressure to develop closer economic and political ties with the U.S., the group has been educating people in Saskatchewan and across the country about the implications of free trade. Beginning with a small meeting in Saskatoon in 1985, CCAFT has grown to the point where it draws large crowds throughout Saskatchewan. Last December 1500 people attended a debate between the group's spokesman, David Orchard, a grain farmer, and the provincial trade minister, Bob Andrew. It was the largest meeting on free trade anywhere west of Toronto Through its commitment to public education, the organization has built a strong following in Saskatchewan and now has brances in all Western provinces. The leadership Of the group is shared by women and men, who have worked tirelessly to make sure that Canadian people have a say in whether they want economic and political union with the United States. A recent membership leaflet from the group encourages individuals to do what they can to end this deal: We can and must take an active role in putting an end to the most undemocratic phase in Canada's history, during which our country has been systematically weakened by the Meech Lake accord and fundamentally changed into a mere colony of. the U.S.A. through the free trade deal. As individuals we can do the following *inform ourselves fully about the_ meaning of this treaty for Canada's survival as a nation. *speak publicly against free trade whenever we have a chance, such as in governmental 'information' meetings on free trade, in political meetings of all sorts, in meetings by groups and organizations we belong to. *call in on open Zine radio programmes, locally and nationally. We must speak from our hearts and guts, because 'free trade' is not just a matter of Yacts', but is a question of whether we want to have a country or not. The openings for speaking out in our society are few, and we should seize each one that comes along. Every voice counts. *keep up the pressure on the federal and provincial opposition parties to do more to oppose free trade than they have done up to now. They must not only make good speeches, but must educate and mobilize Canadians against free trade.... We need to also realize that if there is no election before Congratulations To I DIVERSITY The Lesbian Rag From NWJ the agreement comes into effect, there is no guarantee that the opposition party in power would be able (or even willing) to cancel the treaty after the 1989 election. ALL OUR ENERGIES MUST GO INTO FORCING AN ELECTION BEFORE THIS TREATY COMES INTO EFFECT. The group warns: The free trade treaty comes into full effect on Jan. 1, 1989, and it is the government's plan to have it fully operational before the next election. MUlroney's own utterances that he will call an election, mean nothing more than that he wiZZ call it sometime in 1989! We must not allow ourselves to be lulled into thinking that this government will VOLUNTARILY' call an election in 1988. Instead, We must ceaselessly pressure that the election take place this year and we must use aZZ the means at our disposal to make sure that some semblance of-democracy will be restored in Canada! In conclusion, I would encourage individual women who have not considered the implications of the free trade deal to educate themselves about the meaning of the treaty. As well as reading the text of the agreement, a good place to start is with McLelland & Stewart's 1987 book, If You Love This Country. For those women who are in leadership positions in the political arena, I would encourage you to think serious': about your strategy in opposing free trade and caution against narrowing your organizing efforts to so-called "women's" issues only. In this case, such a focus does a disservice to Canadian women-who are full citizens of Canada who deserve to be treated as such, and to men in this country who will be just as affected by job loss, changes in working conditions and poorer access to social programs. Citizens Concerned About Free Trade has a wide range of information on free trade from audio tapes to video tapes to leaflets. Membership and information can be obtained by writing to CCAFT, P.O. Box 8052, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan SY' ',77. Don't Forget to Renew I your Subscription 1 1 1 I The AIDS Committee of Thunder Bi (ACT-B) is launching another voluntet recruitment drive. Volunteers are needed to staff the ACT-B AIDS Information phoneline ACT-B is particularly interested in finding volunteers who can give time during regular business hours. Volunteers will receive training which will include information about AIDS, its transmission and treatment. as well as on social issues related to AIDS such as homophobia, fear of sexuality and discrimination toward persons with AIDS. Opportunities for service in other ACT-B projects and programs will be outlined. For more information call 345-1516. 40.......,.....,..m,._,.. oefte SEE- RIGHT a ivx 8A" ° co4ek -----------t (.4.1044i This lc --"e6741- 5 rm. PI A PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor ',NORTHERN WOMAN paye.14 �WHAT'S NEW in the BOOKSTORE More than 100 new titles have been acquired by the Bookstore in the past few months. Here are a few WOMEN CONDIDOTES of them. CHARTING THE JOURNEY: Writing by Black and Third World Women, Sheba WOMEN'S FICTION FROM LATIN AMERICA, edited by Evelyn Picon Garfield, Wayne State University Press THIRD WORLD, SECOND SEX 2, compiled by Miranda Davies, ZED Press YOU CAN'T DROWN THE FIRE: Latin American Women Writing in Exile, edited by Alicia Partnoy, Cleis FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES: Philosophical Essays on Methodaricr:MuraIs, edited by Lorraine Codo, Sheila Mullett, Christine Overall, U of T Press EVERYDAY WORLD AS PROBLEMATIC: A Feminist Sociology, by Dorothy E. Smith, University of Toronto Press REFLECTING MEN AT TWICE THEIR NATURAL SIZE: Why Women Work at Making Men Feel Good, by Sally Cline & Dale Spender, Collins COMPETITION: A Feminist Taboo? edited by Valerie Miner and Helen E. Longino, The Feminist Press WORK IN PROGRESS, Building Feminist Culture, edited by Rhea Tregebov, Women's Press THE NEW DAY RECALLED: Lives of Girls and Women in English Canada 1919-1939, by Veronica Strong-Boag, Penguin I NEVER CALLED IT RAPE: The Ms. Report on Recognizing, Fighting and Surviving Date and Acquaintance Rape, by Robin Warshaw, THE COURAGE TO HEAL: A Guide for SurvivoT4s of Child Sexual Abuse, by Ellen Bass & Laura Davis, Harper & Row THE PERFECT MACHINE: TV in the Nuclear Age, by Joyce Nelson, Between the Lines MAKING IT: A'Woman's Guide to Sex in the Age of AIDS, by Cindy Patton & Janis Kelly, Firebrand 'HON TO WIN' All the information you need to successfully run for Municipal Council or Board of Education is contained in this practical, locally produced handbook. fluailable from: FIERCE ATTACHMENTS: A Memoir, by Vivian Gornick, Simon & Schuster THE BOX CLOSET, by Mary Meigs, Talon Books AND A VOICE TO SING WITH, by Joan Baez, New American Library A BURST OF LIGHT essays by Audre Lorde, Firebrand WIFE, bu Bharati Mukherjee, Penguin GONE TO SOLDIERS, by Marge Piercy, Fawcett SOMETHING SHADY by Sarah Dreher, Pandora BITTER MEDICINE, by Sara Paretsky, Ballantine The Bookstore would like to remind regional readers that we do have a mail order service. We no_longer publish a catalogue as it becomes outdated too quickly. Instead we regularly put out book lists by category. Current lists include Health, Violence Issues, A.C.O.A., and International. These lists may be obtained by writing us at _184 Camelot Street, Thunder Bay, P7A 4A9. Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council 905 Tungsten Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario. P7B 5Z3 Telepnne 18071 623-7556 Cost: $5.00 plus $2.50 for postage Citizens Concerned About Free Trade now has a Thunder Bay office. For information call 623-1120 or 344-6736. to ow').-solA146evomPgamtzoslowz-am*00 ,0: ,,t0A,,Nt.z,A3-k--totiott,w---)A.wowvonto 044,;;Npt A GUIDE TO FIGHTING WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT/ASSAULT has been published by Bonnie Robichaud. This is a stepby-step guide on fighting a sexual harassment complaint, how to recognize the barriers to proceeding with a complaint and how to overcome those barriers. Fighting and winning a complaint of sexual harassment is still far from easy and this booklet is intended to give women the tools to to improve the odds. The GUIDE is available from the Northern Woman's Bookstore, or by sending $2.95 per copy plus $1.00 postage and handling costs to Bonnie Robichaud, Box 149, Osgoode, Ontario, KOA 2W0. L73 .T.,141ca- NoRM 5ATISS/Es hics Le-fr-1.2Ala PARisiiiONEIts By HIRING A taotiA4 1A/STEA0 OF 4 fr/colosexuAi... 01>t<eM v704 ,_rgyy, 0 tt'O 7,,zgaw;_yo: r<gsv W.% t-OA PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page' 15 �ARTISTS Share your innovative and original expressions with al: of us --- same deal: hi -tech YES INDEED WE NEED TO KNOW YOU'RE OUT THRRE We haven't heard from some of you in a while. Many of our subscriptions have expired. Have you moved and we aren't reaching you? Do we no longer meet your needs? Complain and keep subscribing. 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Lubso iseek mate/tiat o6 pa/tticutan itetevance to Notthweistetn Ontaitio women. ALE mate/Liat etected son inctuzion wite be chosen by the conen6u/s of the catective. AIJ miginat hubmiz4sion4 ate reviewed. It iz 04e/tab2e that the authors do any content editing kequi/Led, but the cottective Name xi,et edit with the authon' peAmiz6ion. Pnoduc -Lng a nempapeft by votunteen tabours and without f c.mding i4 an en04MOWS tas!z. Femini6t newoaputis thAoughout Canada arse conztantey 4t/Euggting to 6UhViVe. The NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL ha's 6u/Lvived Zonge/t than Address many and with your 5uppott we wiZt continue to grow. Throe ate many ways that you can azisit the JOUR- Individual $5 Institutional $10 NAL. 0/Liginue a/tticeez, rev iews, paphic6 and titena/Ly contnibution6 a/te atway's we- ecomed. News item6 about diztAict women' concenn6 and 6e/tvice6, not othotwize widety pubticized cute impontant. Locating dbstAibutton point/5 tH A.egiOnat COMMUnitte6, and encouAaging 6ubiscitiption puitcha6a would /Leatty hap. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 MAIL TO: RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Return Postage Guaranteed Collectively produced CAROLYN GREENWOOD-MARY-ANN KLEYNENDORST p2 OUR VOICE/YOUR VOICE/WOMEN'S CHOIR. P3 FREE TRADE p4 FEMINIST BOOK FAIR ONTARIO WOMEN'S DIRECTORATE P65 WOMYN'S MUSIC A UEW NOTES p8 P('ETRY p10 SET BACK FOR DAY CARE/ DECADE COUNCIL NEWS Pll BOOK REVIEW p12 CIRCLING TO THE LEFT JONI MACE-KIT MINOR-LORETTA PAVAN- MARGARET PHILLIPS-ROSE PITTIS-CYNTHIA STOLZ : Northern Viroman Journal P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 (FOUR ISSUES) $50 $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 11 No 3 Description An account of the resource Vol. 11, No. 3 (September 1988) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Women’s choir Thunder Bay Women against free trade Feminist book fair Resources for northern women Family violence prevention month Federal childcare initiatives Womyn’s music festival Poetry Daycare access Daycare legislation Women in economic development & decision making Book review of MisEducation: Women and Canadian Universities by Anne Innis Dagg & Patricia Thompson Native women Women & race Comics Call for submissions Authors/Contributors: Peggy Smith Margaret Phillips Ontario Women’s Directorate Jane Saunders Keri Shephardson Nan Peacock Susan Collins Gert Beadle Kit Minor Josie Wallenius Carolyn Greenwood Mary-Ann Kleyendorst Joni Mace Loretta Pavan Rose Pittis Cynthia Stolz 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 1988-09 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/16/2804/1988_Vol_11_No_4.pdf 2cf6cb855355c5e9f64f847954243e88 PDF Text Text Volume 11 Thunder Bay, Ontario ON No.4 ) MAR-NA NANC\II Oro Glob 0, 01-1 1`1A9.\/ K ER I JE,.)Nv 9694V $1.50 AND FIND Northern Woman Journal December 1988, ON PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �As we emerge from the despair evoked by the federal election result it is important to understand that the election success of the Conservatives will have consequences immeasurably beyond just the disasterous effects of the free trade agreement. It is hard to think beyond the-trade deal implications. When the sovereignty, the identity, of the country that you love is given away - to appease the greed of the business elite - you may wonder what else matters. But the Americanization of Canada will be subtle, gradual - - and we may be lulled by the misinformation that will continue. If we love this Auntry it is incumbent upon us to support the grass roots movement against the trade deal and foster awareness of the true implications of the Mulroney-Reagan deal. (It will be a citizen movement, not political parties, that we must depend on.) We must, however, also mature our awareness and analysis of the full Conservative agenda - social policy, tax reform, trade - and determine what is in store for us in the next four years. Behind the mask of free trade lies a neo-conservative agenda (which would not on its own be risked) that will devastate the vulnerable in our society, will erode the modest gains that women have made, and will set back the cause of social justice and equality for a decade. ' It is a frightening picture. We can anticipate an intense and sustained backlash against women. Our energies will be spent protecting what little we have, and mitigating the hurt that will be inflicted on the most vulnerable of us. What lies ahead SOCIAL PROGRAMS The threat to social programs was a significant focus of the election campaign. Unfortunately, the opposition politicians failed to make clear to many voters the true ramifications of the trade deal in respect to social policy. The Conservatives and their business allies spent millions of dollars reassuring us that medicare, old age security, and other social programs are unaffected by the trade deal. It is instructive to note that immediately after the election this same business lobby are calling on Finance Minister Wilson to decrease the deficit by cutting social programs. Both the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council on National Issues advocate decreased social spending, while business reporter Peter Cook (Globe & Mail Nov. 23) states the government must "... r edUc e) willing to make unpopular cuts in programs that subsidize middle class Canadians." (emphasis added) There is no doubt that universal social programs are at risk. Not from the trade deal itself, perhaps, but from the mentality that says the market must prevail (and the people be damned). The Conservative ideology does not support the concept of universality. Universal social programs have not been implemented by a Conservative government, they were legislated by Liberal governments under pressure from the CCF/NDP. Medicare and pensions will not disappear overnight. Rather, they will be chipped away little by little. The business lobby has always opposed universality, has opposed any improvement of social benefits. The big business community (and their American owners/ counterparts) are the dominant influence on our present government, and will not be satisfied until social programs have been eroded beyor cognition. It is not as though our sc system was ideal. Many exising grams are inadequate. Other uni programs (eg dental care) are solute necessity. Remember the promise to implement pensions f homemakers? It seems to have ted. strugglE x-er..4.1,41,041a.t"4.4.4141, hope of improving social progrE comes a mere fantasy. PRIVATIZATION The flip side of the free coin is privatization. Privati2 is the transfer of ownership, c regulation, financing or decisi making from the government sect private hands. Privatization cz several different forms includi selling of crown corporations ernment agencies to the privatE tor; contracting out through bi agreements with employees beinE ced by contracted out work; de/ tion and removal of legal const franchising and commercial entE use of volunteers; and user feE mentation. continued or 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) - PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 2 �The sotistice is the outermost limit of the sun's rays upon universe. And, in these winter months it provides us Luny nights and chilling air. The spirits bless us with this very special tytne to gather fuel and Eight; And criticaay to give warmth to others, the deep warmth of women in friendship. This is not a dark, mysterious tyrne; ut rather it is a baLance. A tytne of neither lii3ht nor dark, but a blending twitight, Kolding the powerojaLL that has been and can be. U is naturels demand that we recognize her batance; And that we bLend into the twilight. A simple thought: to take tyme to cleanse; to renew; and to thank the spirits and Goddesses who guide us. And perhaps, just maybe, to thank the special, friends who keep us in care. May Mother Earth and The Spirits "Mess us tvery One" And Likewise. (for 114) km i, 1 0 Tbe from Porthrrn Doman Iournat page. 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN �Josie Wallenius Josie Wallenius has developed a repertoire of "stories" that she performs in artist-run centres and community gathering places. These stories are acoustically punctuated as she strikes on a six-foot crosscut bush saw with a piece of rusted iron...or a rock...or a wooden spoon. Her sound stories talk of racism, sexism, poverty, struggle and Peace. They relate to everyday life and speak to and for the people who have trouble surviving each day -- the ones who will make the change. She came to Thunder Bay from London, England in 1978...later giwing up her full-time job as a registered nurse to become a full-time unpaid peace worker. Josie is a grassroots activist in her own community, and in: Acoustic Storyteller 1985: Worked with the Greenham Women investigating microwave radiation of Peace Women 1984: Participated in the ten-day action at the Greenham Common Peace Camp in England that coincided with NATO's 'Operation Lionheart" An article written by Josie for W.I.L. P.F. (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom) in 1987 has now been translated into Italian, Danish, and German. December 1988: Frightened is it You Are Performed at Medicine Hat, Alberta, Peace and Justice Centre November 1988: Performed at Macalester University, St. Paul, Minnesota, Peace action Coalition Conference. October 1988: Performed'at Project Ploughshares Peace group, Salem, Ontario. August:-1988: Performed at the International Women's Peace Conference, Dallas, Texas June 1988: Performed at the Canadian Labour Congess School, Lakehead University. May 1988: Performed at the Women's Interfaith Network Spirituality Conference, Kitchener -Waterloo Opening performance at Project Ploughshares National Conference, Toronto Ontario Mother's Day Peace Demonstration, Wisconsin, Guest performance, "Speaking Out" ASpace/MAYWORKS, Toronto, Ontario Opening performance, "Souvinir from the Northern_Front, The Funnel, A-Space/MAYWORKS, Toronto, Ontario February 1988: Performance with Nipigon Nylons, Definitely Superior, Thunder Bay, Ontario 1987: Canadian delegate to the International Women's Conference, Moscow, USSR Canadian Delegate to the Libyan Peace Conference, Libya 1986: Worked at support camp at Big Mountain, Arizona during the Navaho Hopi struggle against re-location Worked with the Canadian Electrical Brigade in Nicaragua by Josie Wallenius Frightened is it you are with a bit of trouble with the police Frightened is it I am of Cruise Missiles Frightened is it you are of hurting someone's feelings Frightened is it I am of talking and saying nothing Frightened is it you are to say we are racist Frightened is it I am that Africa will no longer forgive us Frightened is it you are of communism Frightened is it I am that El Salvador will no longer forgive us Frightened is it you are of losing friends Frightened is it I am of burning children Frightened is it you are of a bit of trouble with the police Frightened is it I am of Cruise Missiles empowerment from marginalisation Josie Wallenius October 1988 Having experienced over the last year the power of storytelling and writing as a means of empowerment, both for myself and for other women, I will describe how I first experienced empowerment BECAUSE I was marginalized. I was, and still am, a global woman working for Peace. Three years ago I was asked to go with a male activist to a local meeting of citizens in our community to explain our position. I was a better speaker, and had more knowledge of the issues than the man. Imagine my surprise (I was very innocent) when I found out that there was only time for one of us to speak, and the man was chosen. I should not have been surprised or upset, because, of course, in a mixed audience especially, a man always has more credibility. The next week I spoke to a mixed group, and explained this phenomenon before I started. I asked the men to forget I was a woman, to see if they heard me more by forgetting this. This introduction worked. It turned out to be the most productive part of the debate afterwards. The tactic worked. I'm not interested in things that don't work anymore. I have a favorite picture ove . my desk-an old print by a Dutch ma, ter. It's a picture of two women s: tting at a table, leaning towards ch other, ENGROSSED in their talki] What they are talking about who kn4 ws. Perhaps their husbands or love an unwanted pregnancy, making ends meet to feed the children, what ca: go is coming in at Rotterdam, who ruling Holland. Who knows. All I ki ow they look a lot happier than woi en watching television. This is what I am doing with I storytelling and writing. Proving at our stories are more riveting tl an the soaps, our lives more import ant to the world than the lives of those that rule us, and our experi( nces as women the most likely to sz ve this earth from destruction, as long as we start telling them. I will do performances, but tt workshops will be participatory one empowering to the women who attend. The instruments (the drum, cymbals, tambourine, dulcimer, etc.) are the re for the people to use as they tell to the group, a story of their 1 : own. page 4web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN OCR, PDF compression, �UPCOMING EVENTS IMMIGRANT WOMEN'S CONFERENCE COUNTDOWN TO IMPLEMENrATION Conference employers, Ontario Women's Directorate for employees "MAKING CHANGES" and On December 25th & 26th, 1988 bargaining agents to learn more about the "had to" of pay equity the first Immigrant Women's Conference was held at Ramada Inn implementation. Valhalla Inn, Thunder Bay, Ontario February 9, 1989 Registration forms at Northern Hotel. Office BULLETIN opportunity of Ontario Women's Directorate THE GEORGE BROWN ASSAULTED WOMEN'S FROM WOMEN'S PLACE, KENORA AND CHILDREN'S ADVOCATE/COUNSELLOR PROGRAM AND REAL EYES: THE VISION RAPE CRISIS CENERE FUNDING CRISIS PRESENT Workshops with Sandra Butler Historically the SolicitorJanuary 17-23, 1989 General's office of Ontario has Tbronto, Ontario funded the operational costs of Rape Crisis Centres (R.C.C.'s). Although Healing the Healers - Jan. 17-18 they fund each centre differently, they will pay for rent, telephone Personal Disarmament - Jan. 19-20 lines, pagers and transportation. However they have refused to fund Wbmen, salaries or honoraria for RCC Sexual Terrorism and the State - Jan. 21 volunteers. In April 1988, the Ontario Search for the Mothers - The Coalition of RCC met with Our the Journey Home - Jan. 22-23 present Solicitor-General, Joan The theme of the conference was about the most important problems of immigrant women:- learning English and training and education programs to prepare women for entry into the workforce. The first workshop of the conference was the presentation and discussion of immigrant women's problems. At this time, many of the immigrant women presented their speeches prepared by themselves. They analysed causes and possible solutions. After this two interesting panels took place, one about E.S.L. programs. It was very important because in it was discussion about the possible deficiencies and problems of these programs. The other panel, about training and education programs for Smith requesting funds for staffing more information call costs, since many RCC's wereFor in (416) 654-2206 crisis operating without secure immigrants was the most important, because immigrant women questioned the policies of Canada Employment and Immigration regarding training staffing and with exhausted volunteers. Joan Smith established and FAMILY VIOLENCE PREVENTION an Ad Hoc committee to meet with the MONTH - ACTIVITIES coalition and in June 1988 the coalition submitted a proposal for 5 Several activities produced by year funding for RCC's. The meetings groups in Northern. Ontario who also resulted in emergency funding received funding from the for several shelters (including Directorate took place: Women's Place - Kenora) to cover Public Forums (Beendigen, staffing costs. Family Resource Centre, After several extensions,Northshore it Sioux son -North Women in Crisis)has been announced by the SolicitorComite Contre la Violence Faitr, General's office that emergency aux femmes presented the play "Marc funding will continue until March et Julie" followed by a discussion 1989, and that they will not let any period. more centres close until year end, education the development of that society. The conference also gave great moments that the participants enjoyed. The...program...-includeal--cultural activity that presented folklore music and dance of Central America. Childcare was provided for all who needed this participants group produced a respond to the funding proposal Assault/Abuse this brochure which has been distributed year hospital emergency departments If you are in support to of and adequate funding for RCC's pleaseclinics in Thunder Bay. service. \*, to your local MPP and Warren's Place, Box 687, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3X6. for improvement of their situation so that they can integrate into Canadian society and contribute to The although they will not be able to Interagency Response to Wife send a letter to: The SolicitorGeneral the Honourable Joan Smith, Grosvenor St., 10th 25 Floor, Toronto, Ontario M7A 1Y6 with copies programs immigrants and they discussed their reasons for change. Then the women worked in small groups to make recourendations for After the November conference immigrant women will continue to work together to improve the situation of all immigrant women of Thunder Bay. If you are an immigrant woman and want to be involved call Maria Albizurez at 345-6084 for more information. Maria Isabel de Albizurez CONGRATULATIONS 901 Decade Council New Executive OF: Co-Chairpersons Gloria Harris Brenda Cryderman Secretary Roseann Perron Treasurer Jan Owen 10 CA 0 .1f..°'.1*.°' 000 40° 0116 (31. NOTICE This page is sponsored by the Ontario Women's Directorate. The material contained on it may be photocopied and distributed without y of Northern Women's ions will be ready for tion by the end of Thanks to those groups permission, but with credit to the original source or the Ontario the time to answer our naire. You will be Women's Directorate. your complimentary copy you know of anyone who interested in receiving a se call 345-6084 collect. This month's graphic courtesy of 2$T- :0 at' lazIT :Or 10 010:0 :Or Cbncetta PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 5 �Update itro.44a4arworogovairoirowsrewee Arizona Gay Rodeo Association News January 13,14, & 15, Release: 1989 are the dates for the 4th annual Arizona Rodeo. The Arizona and the New Mexico Gay Rodeo Assocs. are woeking together to produce the ROAD RUNNER REGIONAL RODEO. This year the name is new and the rodeo arena is newly enlarged just for A.G.R.A. Visit and stay awhile: Make plans now to be in Phoenix this January for the fun of your life. Call or write: Rodeo Hotline. P.O. Box 16363, Phx., 85011, (602)938-3932. Az. PV4z4oJzpke044:04.0443+04,01=0(404-g40404:0 LESBIAN WRITERS! Women's Press is looking for manuscripts for a second anthology of writing by Lesbians about Lesbian experience. They welcome fiction, non-fiction, poetry. experimental work, erotica etc. Deadline is mid-January 1989. Contact Women's Press, Lesbian Manuscript Group, 229 College St., Toronto M5T 1R4 The National Association of Women and the taw (NAWL) has just come out with a new Publications List describing their excellent research papers and briefs in areas of feminist legal concern such ,aa abortion rights, affirmative action, reproductive technology, child care, prostitution, divorce, child custody, pensions, pornography, sexual aggression against women and children, and unemployment insurance. Most recent publications are on the Constitutional Accord, survivor's benefits under the Canada Pension Plan, and benefits for part-time workers. The NAWL Publications List is available through the NAWL National Office at #400 - 1 Nicholas St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 7B7, (613) 238-1544. t4c14,04e.oct.4o.treovsies4.044:>44:44:**A4:"-° A GUIDE TO FIGHTING SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE by Bonnie Robichaud is part of a major public education initiative by the Ontario Women's Directorate. Through her own successful case against the Department of National Defence, Robichaud has become a symbol to all who oppose discrimination in the workplace. Of benefit to victims and advocates, this informative booklet is available for $3.95 (postage included) from the Bonnie Robichaud Defence Committee, P.O. Box 149. Osgoode, Ontario, KOA 2W0; (613) Do contact the Bonnie 826-2150. Robichaud Defence Committee if you would like to receive their Newsletter or would like to make a donation to this precedent setting case. c:r4r3+434041:00.04.4,+oar4,40-Iteec*obecy4.040 New Video CREATING LESBIAN MEANING Excerpts: anglophone lesbians at The III International Feminist Book Fair. This video is available in a global four-hour version or a complete version of each specific theme: memory, power, feminist and lesbian political strategies. Among the women featured are Anne Cameron, Sheila Jeffreys, Sonia For more Johnson and Mary Daly. information contact Rgseau VideElle, 4013 des Erables, Montrgal, Qug., H2K 3V7. The Sports illustrated ` Swimsuit Issue may be changed to a "Women and Sport" issue if the members of Athletes for Equality have their The organization is working way. to obtain fair and equitable coverage for women in sports, according to President Beverly Smith. "We are concerned that there are many gifted and dedicated female athletes who are not getting the coverage they deserve", states Smith. "We are also concerned with the presentation of female athletes as sex objects, as we feel that this trivializes their accomplishments, and leads to many misconceptions about women in sports." These include the myths that women do not take athletics seriously, and that women are more concerned about their appearance than about their abilities, Athletes for Equexplained Smith. ality, which was founded by a group of female athletes at the University of Massachusetts, welcomes others with similar concerns. Athletes for Equality works as a clearinghouse for sexist sports articles. These are distributed to members, who are encouraged to write to the publishers and/or advertisers, One of Athletes for Equality's main targets is the magazine Sports Illustrated. From January to April 1987, this magazine allocated only 5% of its total sports coverage to In addition, for professwomen. ional tennis, collegiate basketball, track and field, swimming, golf, horse racing, and skating-sports with widespread female participation, only 13% of the magazine's coverage dealt with women. In addition, ex- plained Smith, when Sports Illustrated does publish a story on a f( male athlete, they often do so ofi ensively, either blatantly emphasizing her sex appeal, or trivializing her commitment to her sport. An obvious focus is the Swim: In 1987 it features 42 pz Issue. ges of models in provocative pose: and minimal-coverage swimsuits. "For serious female athletes who train long hours to excel at their sports to be upstaged in a sports magazine by models chosen for thei appearance (not their athletic ability) is an insult to women," stated Smith. "In addition, the context of the photographs in this issue may be considered pornograpl is in their depiction of power, with nearly naked women posed witt fully-dressed men." Smith also pointed out the captions accompanying the photos: "Kathy is the catch of the day" and "Kathy... makes the Dog course...look very inviting." "These give men the false message that women encourage and enjoy ogling and harrassment. These types of pictures in a sport magazine encourage men to look at female athletes as sex objects, by giving the impression that, for example, women who run marathons do so to be attractive and sexy." Sports Illustrated sold 5 mil] copies of its Swimsuit Issue last year, and flooded television with advertisements. As yet, the magazine has been unresponsiVe to requests to cancel the issue or char it to-a "Women's Sports" issue. Athletes for Equality is urging p( ple to write to Sports Illustrate( corporate sponsors, asking them t( stop supporting Sports Illustrate( Advertising provides approximatell 95% of Sports Illustrated's financial support. Some of the major dertisers include Ford, Chevrolet Nike, Wilson Sporting Goods, and Athletes for E Eastern Airlines. ality is also initiating a petiti drive directed at the magazine it Petitions and addresses ca self. be obtained from Beverly Smith, a 98 Spring St., Amherst MA 01002. icrt0+04040.040401.6.Cirtio4o C.C. A. F. T "We're not through yet" declal Peggy Smith, coordinator of Thunder Bay Citizens Concerned About Free de. The local group, along with the national organization headed by SaE atchewan farmer David Orchard, are commited to "building a grass rootE organization whose goal is Canadiar independence". The national organi2 tion plans to embark on a cross -cot- try tour to develop public awareneE of what the trade deal truly means, and to encourage the continuation c the fight to stop the deal. During the fall Smith has traN led in the Maritimes and eastern CE ada organizing Orchard's speaking t Smith, and other volunteers, left it jobs or studies and dedicated tt, months to spreading the message abc the trade deal. Her car has become continued on page PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTH :=RN WOMAN Tage.6 t �L. U. FIGHTS HARASSMENT by MYRNA HOLMAN On Tuesday October 25, 1988 Lakehead Unoversity was visited by Marilyn McKenzie, Sexual Harassment Investigator for the University of Manitoba. Ms. McKenzie was here to conduct two training sessions for employees who have been designated as contacts for people with complaints of harassment. A two hour information session for senior administrators was also completed. Ms. McKenzie dealt effectively with several myths surrounding the issue of harassment. She clearly indicated that releasing a policy and improving the profile of the policy will not result in a deluge of false People will however, complaints. be more comfortable coming forth with their concerns. She agreed with the Lakehead approach of instituting an informal process where people can talk about their experience without having to sign a complaint or "officially" deal with At the inthe alleged harasser. formal stage, the contact person dealing with complaint will be able to make suggestions, offer support and give direction. If the informal process does not produce a satisfactory result, the complainant will be encouraged to make the complaint formal. At this stage, an investigation into the complaint will be completed and the alleged harasser will be made aware that a complaint has been lodged. Ms. McKenzie's visit coincided with the release of a brochure outlining the Lakehead University Personal Harassment Policy which deals with all forms of harassment covered in the Ontario Human Rights Code. The Personal Harassment Brochure The bright orange is hard to miss. cover poses the question, "Who Can I Talk To?" Inside, there are examples of situations that might happen to staff, faculty or studThe brochure goes on to deents. fine harassment, outline suggestions for dealing with possible harassment scenarios, define the University stance on the issue and, identify three contact people who are trained to help. The contacts are, Myrna Holman, Human Resources Officer, Dave Parsons, Professor of English and, Joy Lawson, Director of Student Services. As well as releasing the brochure and providing training, several other initiatives are in the process of being implemented. A special project, funded by the Secretary of State has resulted in the hiring of project co-ordinator, Jane has recently Jane Livingston. designed a great poster which is prominently displayed throughout the campus indicating that harassment is offensive and unacceptable. She is also about to conduct a survey of staff, faculty and students to asses the incidence of harassment on campus. Jane will also be designing a career strategy project for female students. This project will start in January. Jane can be reached at 343-8022 and will welcome any suggestions or assistance you may have. Things are looking up at Lakeheadt C.C.A.F.T. cont'd. Stop The Deal Mobile, easily recognized with its bilingual signs of Save Canada - Stop Free Trade. "The response to our tour was incredible" Smith says. "All along the way new volunteers joined to help the tour. And we take credit for the dramatic drop in PC popularity in the OAITH Lobby by LENI UNTINEN On ,November- 28, .1988the,011tar440-- Association of Interval and Transition Houses carried out their annual lobby of members of the provincial government, on issues of concern to battered women and to shelters. Hopefully, political response to this action was more attentive than was the press. A prime concern of shelter boards and workers was the proposed funding formula for Transition Houses and Family Resource Centres. The inadequacy of the formula in terms of staff ratios, wages and definition of shelter services is a'major barrier to shelters being able to pro vide safe, accessible, quality services in keeping with the increasing demands. This, however, was not the only issue addressed. Press reports of the lobby could have better served battered women by covering other major issues such as the push by O.A.I.T.H. to force to parliamentary committee Bill 124 addressing access by non-custodial parents. Advocates for battered women have major concerns on the implication of this legislation for families where there is a history of violence. There must be an opportunity for public input and sending the bill to committee is the only avenue which allows this to take place. O.A.I.T.H. received commitment from opposition caucuses to such action. 'tatit Imes ." Sinittielfrettftt their (unfunded, volunteer) organization had had the time to travel the country the election results would have been quite different. She uses the election results in Saskatchewan as another example of the organization's effectiveness. CCAFT was founded in Saskatoon in 1983 and has been holding educational meetings and debates throughout the province in the last three years. The opposition vote in Saskatchewan was 62% and Ray Hynatyshyn, former Minister of Justice, and MP in Saskatoon, admitted his defeat was a result of the strength of the anti-free trade movement. CCAFT are extremely angry that the Liberals and the New Democratic Party appear to have given up the fi- Other issues addressed concerned services-for immigrant, Native and Francophone women; the threat to services for battered women by either free trade or for-profit privatization; inappropriate sentences afforded perpetrators of violence against women; and the demand for the release of a report compiled regarding the instances of police pressing charges in cases of wife/woman assault. The lobby organizers are to be ght against free trade. They point out commended for their efforts coordinthat 53% of voters chose the Liberals ating the focus of the 73 shelters and NDP, while only 43% voted Conseramd 6 organizations represented by vative; that over one million more O.A.I.T.H. as well as for their stroCanadians voted for the parties oppong demonstration of unmet needs, lack sed to free trade than for the trade of emergency beds and houses. Sheldeal Tories; that this election was ters were able to accommodate 8221 essentially a referendum on free trade women and their children in the past and the majority of Canadians clearly year, but unfortunately were forced voted against it. to turn away referBay elsewhere, The and Thunder group have alrea7594dy women, approximately one for met with MPs Lain Angus and Joe one. Comuzzi, The lobbyurging committee prepared the MPs to give leadhuge ership scrollsinwith the names of 7594 fighting against the trade womenagreement. and calledAsupon MPP's to ad- opposiwell as lobbying dresstion their responses to members these women. members, CCAFT are callWhile the earth did not be-them ing and writing Senators move to ask causetoof the lobby, the government did block the deal. not commitThunder to openBay either the public CCAFT will be meetminds purse, hearts their ing their regularly to or plan local activities the voices of advocates were heard, and cooperative action with the nationand the pain of women experiencing For more information al organization. violence at the hands of part- St. contact Peggy Smith, their 301 Cameron ners,Thunder was felt. Bay, P7C 2H1, phone 623-1120. 1, page NORTHERN WOMAN evaluation PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �8 WOMANPOWER (bon M/A) I toil along weighed down within my eatthey body, Tiled spitit searching sot the wett-wotn path and cti46 beyond. Some strength inside remains to push me even, upward Through the dense and hostile bush, Tit I can stop and test in that cleaning Mete Hope hangs warm and musky in the ait. (Az I climb, the Power grows gtaduatty sttongel) She us in the warmth oi the suntight that glides outside a cloud and tipples along my ctouching back. She is in the coot damp eatth that I gtasp beneath my sctambting hands. She titts het sweet siten sounds through the panting ofi my .labour, and {tom the ctiii above me. I zee het in the tich sag 6/towns oi Moth et Earth that suit/wand and encompass me. She ptay.6ut in the small-animat sounds that ctackte around me. (Az I teach the top, the Powet grows mote coniident, comes neaten) She inteteaus tightly with my ttembting .6ingetz. She is so6tty on my patted tips tike a gentle wind. She sweeps through my tired veins and gtowz strong and con4ident in the warm inside o6 me. Sift y, she cavort t6 on that ptateau and draws me taughing to the. na 4-tzP, (I beet the ptimat cart begin to gather deep within) I Anise my arms made strong high above me, Firm palms outzptead with welcome, To invite the body-seating joy to join and zttengthen me. Ftom deep inside and all around the primal Powet gatheAz iotth Hex drat buAzt. The hilts, the white-tight sq,the zpatkting emetatd Land gash with my enetgy my vatidity my competence my strength. sttong gowing, gather up my eaittht.Tpatp, down the path once mote. 1%4 Swe song upon my tips, sentry smite within' my thtOat, To goat above, and then to mesh with time Untit I need again the welt -warn path and eti44 beyond. Hea - ' . R.P. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �WORDS WE LIVED BY... The following is excerpted from the Ladies' Guide, a popular reference book of the 1890s. tal weakness and inactivity. Unnatural boldness in little girl. If she has previously been rea. The expression of the eyes. The dull, lusterless eye, surrounded by a dark ring, tells the tale of sin. EFFECTS OF SOLITARY VICE IN GIRLS served, this is just ground for the Palpitations of the heart, hys- suspicion of secret vice. teria, nervousness, St. -Vitus's The victim of this evil habit is cer- A forward or loose manner in company with little boys. Girls dance, epilog, and incontinence addicted to this habit are guilty of the most wanton conduct. Languor and lassitUde. In a girl who has possessed a marked de- bed. tain to suffer sooner or later the penalty which nature invariably inflicts upon those who transgress her laws. Every law of nature is enforced by an inexorable penalty. This is emphatically true respect- vvv and pains of which girls complain, dn....-. IN ....J..% HEALTH AND DISEASE, by no means easily ject slavery, the iron fetters of habit daily closing the prisoner more and more tightly in their grasp. The effect is to weaken the moral sense perhaps more rapidly than any other vice, until there is little left in the child's character to which an appeal can be made. load, iligdenhcol,- 1V1ifthood, which thousands of girls break down in health. The constitution, already weakened by a debilitating, debasing vice, is not prepared for the strain, and the poor victim drops into a premature grave. which when thoroughly estabterrible vice is held in the most ab- 4 LADIES' GUIDE worthlessness of girls originates in this cause alone. The period of puberty is one at The habit of self-pollution is one broken. The victim of this most us that a great many of the backaches, side-aches, and other aches are attributable to this injurious habit. Much of the nervousness, hysteria, neuralgia, and general HOW TO CURE VICIOUS HABITS lished, is ing the laws which relate to the sexual organs. Wide observation has convinced of urine, giving rise to wetting the kat eilac:i BY J. H KELLOGG M. D The mother should first carefully set before the child the .exceeding sinfulness of the habit, its loathsomeness and vileness, and the horrible consequences which gree of activity and energy, this should give rise to earnest solicitude on the part of the mother for the physical and moral condition follow in its wake. But in most cases, the evil is not so easily of her child. every moment of her waking alert to detect the first evidences of An unnatural appetite. Some- this vice in their daughters, since later nothing but almighty power times children will show an exces- hours. Care should he taken that the child dies not feign sleep for the purpose of gaining an opportunity to avoid observation. SIGNS OF SELF-ABUSE IN GIRLS Mothers should always be on the seems competent to loosen its grasp. The only positive evidence is detection of the child in the act. A suspected child should be watched under all circumstances with unceasing vigilance. [But ] aside from positive evidence, there are other signs which may lead to the discovery of positive evidence. A marked change in disposition. When a girl who has been truthful, happy, obliging, gentle, and confiding, becomes peevish, irritable. morose, and disobedient, she is under the influence of some foul blight. Loss of memory and loss of the love for study. The nervous forces -are weakened, giving place to men- sive fondness for mustard, pepper, vinegar, and spices. Little girls who are very fond of cloves are likely to be depraved in other respects. The presence of leukorrhoca. Self-abuse occasions a frequently recurring congestion of the parts, together with the mechanical irritation accompanying the habit. Ulceration about the roots of the nails. This especially affects one or both of the first two fingers of the hand, the irritation of the fingers being occasioned by the acrid vaginal discharge. mastered. The little girl should be kept under constant observation It is much more difficult to cure this soul-destroying vice in girls than in boys. They are seldom as ready to confess their guilt as are boys, and then are less easily influenced by a portrayal of its terrible consequences. Sleepless vigi- laqce must be coupled with the most persevering patience. In obstinate cases, severe means must be adopted. We were once obliged after every other measure had failed, to perform a surgiral operation [clitoridectomy] before Biting the fingernails. The irritation of the tigers, which gives rise to the habit of biting nails, grows out of the irritable condi- we were able to break the habit in tion ,of the nails mentioned above. degree. the case of a girl of eight or ten years who had become addicted to the vice to a most extraordinary szo PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISIONNORTHERN PDFCompressor WOMAN page 9 �continued from p2 The past four years of Tory rule has demonstrated an unprecedented move toward privatization, with the resulting loss of jobs in the public sector, and contracting out to nonunionized agents (where women workers earn barely the minimum wage). With the right of national treatment and the right of establishment provisions of the trade agreement, American pressure will reinforce the already odious privatization of the Tories. With increased privatization everyone suffers. We are not simply talking about selling Air Canada. We are talking about the privatization of services -- health care, social services, education, day care. Workers will suffer job loss, lower wages, decreased benefits, inadequate health and safety workplace conditions. Consumers will suffer because the quality of service will decrease. WORKING CONDITIONS Free trade is about "competition". To be competitive Canadian workers (women and men) will be under assault. Wages, working conditions, health and safety standards will all be eroded in the name of competition. On average, Canadian workers enjoy better employee benefits, more regulated health and safety standards, than do American workers. But as Ralph Nader said you never harmonize up, you only harmonize down. As with social programs, worker benefits and protection will be eroded. This erosion will affect non-unionized workers (the majority of women) first, but even organized workers will be pressured to give up hard-earned gains. EMPLOYMENT EQUITY/PAY EQUITY We will be lucky to retain the concept of 'equal pay for equal work' much less advance the concept of 'equal pay for work of equal value'. Pay/Employment Equity is not addressed in the trade agreement. It doesn't need to be. It will be the business lobby that will demand the government backtrack on its (inadequate) commitment to employment equity for the disabled and visible minorities, to pay equity for women. It will be too "expensive", just not "competivie" to ensure justice and dignity for disadvantaged Canadians. DAY CARE With a majority government the Tories doubtless will reintroduce TheearGAMTO'f Bill C-144, the JOBS Thousands of Canadian women will lose their jobs in services, manufacturing and agriculture because of the trade deal. The majority of women are employed in the service sector and their jobs will be threatened as restrictions on the provision of services from outside the country are removed. Just about every type of service can be traded internationally, including banking, data processing, telecommunications, computer servicesa and culture. In the manufacturing sector it is women's jobs that are most at risk eg textiles, clothing, food processing, electrical and electronic products, and other consumer goods. It is speculated that in Thunder Bay some 200 manufacturing jobs will quickly disappear -- jobs held primarily by immigrant women. disasterous Child Care Act, that died when the election was called. Two things should be kept in mind regarding this child care legislation. Firstly, the promotion of the Tory plan is a fine example of the newspeak the government is capable of, when declaring the proposed child care act "will encourage economic justice and development by giving many more mothers a chance to join the workforce" (CJ July/88). The legislation does no such thing. Rather this new bill will restrict the expansion of day care spaces. Remember that 1,000,000 new day care spaces are needed today to even approach the needs of Canadian families. Under the existing Canada Assistance Plan it is projected that 300,000 new spaces would be created in seven years, but under the new act a limit of 200,000 new spaces will be imposed. This is regressive legislation which will only worsen the day care crisis that already exists. The second thing to remember is the refusal of the government to consider the advice of child care experts (who unanimously condemn the plan). "Why should I listen.." Brian Mulroney arrogantly replied during the TV leaders debate. Since the Tories are not listening to the child care community, we must ask just who they are listening to. Consider the links to free trade. Bill C-144 would give unprecedented tax support to commercial day care operations. The doors will be open to American day care chains... with their history of exploitative wages and poor working conditions for staff, and lack of quality care for children (never mind the indoctrination of American culture on three year olds). Commercial day care has never been a problem in Northwestern Ontario... we must recognize that the influx of American day care chains could destroy the quality day care Northwestern Ontario communities now take pride in. ABORTION What will happen here is not so easy to read. There are, of course, significant numbers of anti-choice Tories and Liberals. The Conservative Cabinet yearns for a "compromise" solution, but given the abortion legislation exercise witnessed last summer, a simple compromise seems unlikely. One suspects that most Tory men would like strong anti-choice legislation, but their legal experts caution that such would not pass Supreme Court scrutiny. About the only safe presumptions are that (1) abortion legislation will not be introduced early in this government's term; (2) that anti-choice crusaders will increase their efforts to influence parliament, and (3) that the prochoice movement still has many years of hard work ahead. continued on p14 Comparable worth is just a disguised attack on our free enterprise system. It flies in the face of the values that made this country great? 1\( C.itrot4v.5imsev PDFNORTHERN compression, OCR, lo web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor WOMAN page �Book Review Reviewed by Kit Minor A Passion for Friends: Toward a Philosophy of Female Affection. Janice Raymond. Beacon Press, Boston, 1986. I found this one of the most moving texts that I have read in many months. It definitely should be on every Feminist bookshelf. The New York Times states that Raymond provides "an unsentimental, playful yet sobering look at female friendship through the ages." She begins the book with an intriguing and informative look at the origins of female friendship and the roles which they have played through the centuries. She develops terms such as Gyn/ affection for those tremendous bonds that bring women together. She is clear and well documented in her analysis of the myths that have been perpetuated concerning women and our role in hetero-relations, i.e. the wide range of effective, social,political and economic relations that are ordained between men and women by men. Music Review Raymond particularly attends to two groups of women, nuns and the Chinese marriage resisters, to emphasize the characteristics of female friendship and also points out clearly the struggles which these two groups have had to endure to retain the friendship and the chosen lifestyles. Although these two groups offered to women a community, Raymond is careful to point out that this does not necessarily mean a Feminist community. She cautions, "feminists can learn that when a movement or women's community becomes hardened into rhetorical positions, when the language of thought and cliches begins to prevail, there is no genuine feminist movement." (pg. 111) The obstacles to female friend" ship which Raymond introduces are indeed thought provoking and ,indeed, she does challenge some of the "gi- vens" within a feminist perspective. One of these areas is the "personal is political". To this Raymond asks do we really want to publicize our personal lives. She supports the need for private space and time while living in the world as opposed to dissociation from reality. She points out that if we are not in reality we may well become ignorant of the real conditions. The part of A Passion for Friends which had the greatest affect upon myself was that of victimism. "Women's primary female or feminist identity seems to be grounded in women's shared state of having been victimized by men" (pg.181). We then take on the traits of the victim and begin to centre our friendships along common lines of that victimism. Our friendships result out of how we feel as victims. The result is that we fall into the tyranny of therapist, where feminists feel that we are not completely whole unless we search deep into our souls and spirits and pull out every dark shadow. The real_ty here is that after we have done this we very often end up in worse shape than when we started. Raymond also challenges the tyranny of tolerance where we as feminists put up with incompetence among other women because we tolerate the situation and silently DITYMITT.7177711701NMETTMITTITCM #x7 , a a a a 1111 I, W nfth help, Ar mm "m;#, sense oi betonging, an otganization az needed ptace of equatz where att were we come middte point equally distant 4tom att sides ptace where ate sides were allowed thein iocu4 L/ , C/ A) by JANE SAUNDERS The women's music industry which has been in existence for 15 or more years, has evolved into a major facet of women's culture. The number of artists and the quality of production has greatly increased. Two recent albums from a couple of women's music regulars are Deidre McCalla's WITH A LITTLE LUCK (Olivia Records 1987), and Heather Bishop's A TASTE OF THE BLUES seniousness and 6tivotity teach out and allow to be /Leached the embtacing o6 .idea, oi spiALts a sense oi betonging, potiticat the need waz thete a sense o6 ziztethood AegaAdtess of potiticz my 6ocuz het limo Nth iOCU4 no tonget a community, a meeting peace no tango equatty distant atom alt side's (Iceber:;g Records 1987). Deidre McCalla has been on the women's music scene for many years, touring, and playing small clubs with mixed audiences. In the last few years she has really come into the limelight with her debut album DON'T DOUBT IT (Olivia Records 1985), WITH A LITTLE LUCK is very similar to DON'T DOUBT IT with its' dancable, energetic style. Both are very professionally produced by long-time women's music singer and songwriter Teresa Trull. WITH A LITTLE LUCK has all of the qualities which make women's music great. It is womanly, loving and reflective with strong personal and mildly political views. Deidre's voice weaves through the ballads TOO GOOD, MAMA'S LITTLE BABY GIRL, AND WAIT UNTIL MORNING. Then there is the 'hot' Teresa Trull duet WOULD YOU LIKE TO DANCE, and the punchy, upbeat blues tune THE CAT SONG (for those who have lived with other peoples cats). Also, there is the upbeat dancable pop style ALL DAY AL- 1114 11 114111 1212ZIMIZZ The album has a well-rounded variety of rock, blues and country/folk. It is a successful follow-up to her smash first album. Deidre McCalla is a very popular women's music entertainer who is energetic, personable and very professional (and woman produced and managed). HI sjiglizati INS 41 Heather Bishop's TASTE OF THE BLUES is a continuation of the stylish trends apparent in her previous album I LOVE WOMEN WHO LAUGH, and blends with her older music as well. This album contains rock influences, discusses lesbian/feminist politics and portrays women as strong builders and healers. Those women's music connoisseurs who know Heather will not be disappointed (and for those less fortunate, there is no better place to start). My personal favourite on this album is the cute, stylish and humourous SEDUCED. The new upbeat sound of ON THE RUN AGAIN is typical of Heather's new style trend. IF YOU LOVE FREEDOM is destined to become a political anthem, and the blues tune TELL ME MORE AND MORE must be heard. Heather also pulls out and revamps some 'oldies' PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN ( +/OMAN page 11 �Book Review continued from p.11 ranny of therapist, where feminists feel that we are not completely whole unless we search deep into our souls and spirits and pull out every dark shadow. The reality here is that after we have done this we very often end up in worse shape than when we started. Raymond also challenges the tyranny of tolerance where we as feminists put up with incompetence among other women because we tolerate the situation and silently accept it. It has become unfeminist to speak out against a woman, particularly a feminist, even when the woman is incompetent, manipulating and may well damage the movement. "The tyranny of tolerance deprives not only the individuals but also a political movement of its capacity for discernment. It gaps a moral passion and purpose from feminist politics" (pg.171). These obstacles, to female friendship (and these are lust a few of the many which Raymond points out) keep us from the true power and caring which happens when women come together. The obstacles hasten us towards heafero-relationism and silence within the world. And yet, as Raymond points out Gyn/ affection "has given us an understanding that a life of mere survival is insufficient for the spirit" (pg.200). In a vision of a female friendship Raymond points out that there is no magical formula, nor should it be taken for granted that women have a natural possession of virtue. "Rather it is anchored in the historical, cultural and material bonds that women have created for ourselves in spite of the 'State of Atrocity "'(pg.218). She encourages the reader to vision and to develop "thoughtful theory one that restores the thoughtfulness to thinking. Or better still, thinking is the theory, thoughtfulness Word Search Women Authors J YKSNELFRASERSSWD IAREVLISNOSTAWHL CULLETONSGIEMITAA N NAERCUNXONOSYORN E AWESTGIOMHEMMOVO RMUNROHGFTMSROFO D U KFBBUTALALLCRRRE AITKENONNIEONAANC L NNOCRNAPGNOTNBWT MARLATTPNNSWRNEDE W ILSONEEEIOUYIAWR B SBARRBLLOBSNEDAW G RSOJRLLDLPZRDLRR AEAAECALLAWSNEELR U BCNNNIFGESYNADAA L KGADDSEICONWAYNC TBEILTOGBROSSARDA Music Review continued from p.11 1 such as Joan Armatrading's TAKING MY BABY UPTOWN and a sultry version of Leslie Gore's YOU DON'T OWN ME. On the heavier side is the song DAD DY'S LITTLE GIRL; similar to Lucy Blue Tremblay's VOIX d'ENFANT (A CHILD'S VOICE) it decries the horro of incest. Rounding off the album is Heather's classic SPIRIT HEALER. A TASTE OF THE BLUES captured the vocal power of Heather Bishop's singing exactly as I heard it on he This alspring of '87 album tour. bum is a must for Heather Bishop fans. the practice" (pg.218). She encourages us to include passion within our friendships but points out that time is a critical factor. Friendship takes time, thoughtful passionate friendship takes more time, thought and caring, and commitment from both. Friendship is a togetherness journey. I obviously enjoyed this book immensely. In fact I read it twice. It is one book that I know I will reflect back upon and will want to reread every so often. At times the book is painfully truthful, and then Raymond has a wonderful gift of being able to see through the pain to a vision of truthful friendship; however somehow through the writing the reader begins to form her own idea of friendship. Raymond asks some hard questions, which most feminists are just too polite or silent to ask, but she asks so gently that the reader gets a sense of having gone through the struggle, feeling good about that struggle, and thinking a lot more about thoughtful, passionate, caring friendship with women, and taking the time for those friendships to grow. Aitken (Johan Lyall) Allison (Gay) Alley (Jennifer) Anderson (Doris) Atwood (Margaret) Barfoot (Joan) Barr (Elinor) Beadle (Gert) Bersianik (Louky) Bertell (Rosalie) Blais (Marie Claire) Brand (Dionne) Brossard (Nicole) Burnard (Bonnie) Butala (Sharon) Carr (Emily) Conn (Jan) Conway (Shelagh) Crean (Susan) Culleton (Beatrice) Danys (Milda) Decter (Ann) Donald (Christine) Engel (Marian) Finn (Geraldine) Finnigan (Joan) Fox (Bonnie) Fraser (Sylvia) Gadd (Maxine) Gault (Connie) Gotlieb (Phyllis) These albums and more will soon be available in the Northern Women's Bookstore. Watch for advertisement. in the Journal or contact Margaret Phillips at the Bookstore. Harvor (Elizabeth) Jiles (Paulette) APOLOGY Laurence (Margaret) Lenskyj (Helen) Marlatt (Daphne Meigs (Mary) Moran (Mary) Munro (Alice) THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURf APOLOGIZES ABJECTLY Naubert (Yvette) O'Connell (Dorothy) Oughton (Libby) TO Page (P.K.) Roy (Gabrielle) PHOTO ARTIST Sand (Cy-Thea) Silvera (Mikeda) Slipperjack (Ruby) Smyth (Donna) Swan (Susan) RUTHANN TUCKER OF TORONTO Thomas (Audrey) Wallace (Bronwen) Warland (Betsy) Warren (Dianne) Watson (Sheila) Weinzweig (Helen) West (Ann) Wilson (Ethel) Wiseman (Adele) Yanz (Lynda) FOR FAILING TO CREDIT HER WITH LAST ISSUE'S COVER PHOTO. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHEWJ WOMAN page 12 �From the National Film Board of Canada ALL ABOUT WO M EN WOMEN'S AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS HOME VIDEO VIEWERS PROFESSIONALS (NURSES, TEACHERS, AND SOCIAL WORKERS) PUBLIC LIBRARIANS, COMMUNITY WORKERS MUNICIPAL, PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Choose from our collection of short and long documentary, fiction and animated films and videos that inform, entertain, and promote discussion on a wide range of subjects. WOMEN WHO LED THE WAY HEALTH, WELL BEING AND FITNESS in sports, the arts, religion, Family violence, rape, incest Pregnancy Abortion Menopause Aging Disabilities War, peace, disarmament Working mothers, childcare Single mothers, divorce, women PMS politics and the feminist movement in rural and native communities, unions, the armed forces, business and non-traditional jobs in poverty RENT A VIDEO OR FILM! VIDEO: $2 EACH DAY 16 mm: $4-$8 service charge, valid for five days (excluding time in transit) Available for pick-up or by mail from all NFB libraries in Canada. Buy a video for as little as $29.95; film prices start at $72.80. Members of the NFB's Women's Market Development Group are located in NFB offices across Canada. They can help you select films and videos for your group or event. See "National Film Board" listed under the "Government of Canada" section in the blue pages of your telephone directory. r 7 I'd like to know more about NFB films for women . Please add my name to your mailing list announcing new releases and send me a copy of your video rental catalogue. Please send me your new catalogue of films for women (available in early 1989). Please send me the new publication Women Breaking Through, a 28-page audiovisual guide for secondary schools. MAIL TO: National Film Board of Canada, Women's Market Development Group, D-5, P.O. Box 6100, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3H5 NAME INSTITUTION POSITION ADDRESS PROVINCE CITY POSTAL CODE National Film Board of Canada Office national du film du Canada L NORTHERN WOMAN page 13 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �continued from n.,10 CANADIAN CULTURE FEMINIST LITERATURE Over the past decade the growth With good reason, Canadian wriof feminist literature - the heart, ters, artists, musicians, have been amongst the most passionate opponents head and soul of the feminist moveof the trade deal. This article canment - has been phenomenal. Hundreds of new Canadian women writers are pubnot begin to address the issues surlished each year, women's presses have rounding our cultural industries, developed, and feminist bookstores except to note that - despite government rhetoric - Canadians, indeed, have sprung up across the country. The contribution of this surge of wrishould be fearful for the future of our cultural industries. ting - both creative and theoretical is immeasurable. But if the ConservaWe need also to make a distinctives have their way this continued tion between cultural industries and growth of feminist (and alternative) culture. We must understand the threpublications will be hampered, perhaps at to Canadian culture, as expressed by Martin F. Katz in the November iskilled outright. sue of Quill and Quire. Katz states High on the Tory agenda is the "Culture is that bedrock of shared implementation of tax reform which beliefs and understandings that alwould replace the federal sales tax lows Canadians to exchange ideas, with a new broad-based, multi-stage Feelings, and priorities about busitax which would apply to books. (At ness and poverty and the role of the present books are not taxed.) It is military and social justice and the projected that this new sales tax woenvironment and gun control and equuld add a tax of between 17% - 20% on ality, for example. This bedrock of all reading materials. (Your $9.95 understanding - of common or similar Almanac will become $12, your $22.95 goals and principles - constitutes Our Bodies, Ourselves will be $27.50, the foundation of our culture... To even the least expensive paperback the extent that the trade deal will will increase $1 or more.) import into the Canadian cultural bedThe end result will be that many rock some of the basic and fundamentsmall Canadian presses (which, in the al economic principles of American main, are the publishers of new women life, it will subvert or alter the writers) will go bankrupt. Most of development of this culture. Once we the independent bookstores in Canada accept, for example, as we have in will close. Most Canadian women writhe trade deal, that regional deveters won't get published. Our words lopment programs distort "free trade" will not be heard. while military installations that Periodicals will be likewise afbrings jobs and prosperity to the comfected. And the "unfair subsidy" ismunities in which they are establishsue of the trade deal may come into ed do not, the way we think about govplay. Most Canadian literary and speernment spending', among other things, cial interest magazines now receive changes. This kind of 'change in our government subsidies, and their futthinking means that our culture will be ure is in jeopardy. The demise of HERaffected by the trade deal." izons and Newsmagazine for Alberta Women is fair warning of what happens NORTH ERN WOMAN'S BOOKSTORE 184 Camelot St Calendars when subsidies are withdrawn. (As th Northern Woman Journal does not acce government funding we may survive th fate of subsidy-dependent magazines. But we, like every periodical in Can ada, enjoy a postal subsidy, which most likely will disappear, thus the Journal may have to pass resulting cost increases onto our readers.) If we want to continue to have a choice beyond Cosmopolitan or Hust ler, we must all join the DON'T TAX READING campaign presently being organized by Canadian publishers and booksellers. It is particularly ironic that the government proclaims to be suppc tive of programs that address the pr blem of illiteracy, at the same time it plans to impose a tax on reading. Misinformation Campaign The federal election is over. The Conservatives waged (at taxpayer expense) a misinformation campaign about free trade, a misinformation campaign about their child care strz tegy. We can expect a similar misinformation campaign about tax reform and other new policy initiatives. The Conservatives do not have a mandate for their agenda (57% voted against the Conservatives, 43% for). They do, however, have the power to impose their agenda as they have the majority of parliamentary seats. The have the power to destroy the modest reforms the feminist movement create The power to destroy our culture, ou identity, our country. We must not let this happen. Now more than ever, we must advance a feminist agenda of the futur We do not have the financial resourc of government - of big business. But we have our commitment. It is our fu ure that is at stake. CHILDREN OF THE WORLD AFRO-CARIBBEAN CALENDAR MOON CALENDAR CARRY IT ON .. PEACE CALENDAR LET NICARAGUA LIVE AT LOVERS AGAINST THE BOMB CRYSTAL CALENDARS LUNAR CALENDAR DATE BOOKS PICTURE A WOMAN EVERYWOMAN'S ALMANAC CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS HERSTORY PEACE DATE BOOK WE'MOON ALMANAC 1 9 11 9 CALENDAR Thursday & Friday : 11.30 -600 WOMEN ARTISTS DATEBOOK WOMEN WRITERS Saturday :11.30 -4.31 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 14 �Ferron By Donna Koivisto "We love you Ferron:" a female voice cries out from a back row. There is some applause and a few whistles. Ferron puts her hands on her chest, lifts her eyebrows as if to say, "Who me?" Then she leans close to the mike and says softly, "I love you too." The intensity and poetic magic of Ferron's music has earned her It is in acclaim across the world. this spirit that Kamazon Productions is proud to present an evening with Ferron, tentatively scheduled for February 14, 1989. Originally from Vancouver, B.C., Ferron has progressed from coffee houses to sellout crowds in 2000 seat venues. Het two albums, Test imony and Shadows on a dime have sold more than 80,000 copies. However, despite success Ferron has maintained a low centre of gravity and an interview with her would more likely focus on the metaphysical, dreams or the mystery of songwriting than on tour schedules or record She is, in fact, an intimsales. idating figure to unenlightened "I'm a spirit who bereporters. came a person." She said in a recThis philosophy ent interview is not condusive to mainstream news reporting. Concert Planned But her substantial talent, wisdom and compassion have brought her above the need for media categorization, yielding fans who have remained unshakably loyal to the feminist/lesbian bard. Perhaps Ferron's hardest task was becoming the self-assured performer she is today. "When I was younger I was so afraid of the audience, because I needed their love so much," she says, "It took me a long time to realize they did love me." This bond of love between Ferron and her audience evolved because she is simply herself. Amid the stren strength of her poetic words the audience senses her vulnerability and honesty. "They honour me and I honour them." But I don't ionget about the iacto4y, I don't expect thi.z 'tide to aLway4 be, Can I give you what you want to zee? Can we do it one mate time? Tickets for Ferron will be available For more information phone soon. Kamazon Productions at 344-4811. Bookstore News Let's start with fiction this month. Heading the list of course is Margaret Atwood's new novel CAT'S EYE. (McClelland and Stewart) I've been saving it as my Christmas treat to myself, as I'm told once you start it you can't put it down. Of particular interest to Northwestern Ontario readers will be Ruby Slipperjack's HONOUR THE SUN (Pemmican), a first novel which gives us a glimpse of growing up in an isolated native community on the CNR line. From the eyes of a 10 year old girl we see the beauty, the pathos, the joy, the dispair of coming of age in an alienated community (so familiar to Northern Ontario). HONOUR THE SUN is not a gentle book, yet it is told in such a gentle voice, I'm left with a sense of awe. Several new titles from the small Saskatchewan publisher Coteau Books who in the past have given us such impressive books as Sharon Butula's QUEEN OF THE HEADACHES, and THE WEDNESDAY FLOWER MAN. This year they give us two short story collections that sound great: WOMEN OF INFLUENCE by Bonnie Burnard, and BEST KEPT SECRETS by Pat Krause. The most powerful indictment of violence against women I've ever read (and I've read many) comes from the novel WOMAN AT POINT ZERO (Zed Books) by Nawal el Saadawi, (translated from the Arabic by Dr. Sherif Hetata). el Saadawi is Egypt's foremost novelist. Her prose is magnificant but it is her passion that makes her books exceptional. We are very happy to find a number of great books back in print. Three of Margaret Laurance's early works - THE TOMORROW TAMER, THIS SIDE JORDAN, and THE PROPHET'S JMEL BELL. And finally I've had Lhe chance to read Marian Engel's THE GLASSY SEA - a very, very fine novel. Also PATIENCE AND SARAH by Isabel Miller, considered by many to be the best lesbian novel ever published. Turning to non-fiction, a title we mentioned last issue but one that bears greater description, THE COURAGE TO HEAL by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis (Harper and Row) is a guide book for women survivors of child sexual abuse. This is a practical and healing guide covering Recognizing, Coping, Breaking silence, Trusting Yourself, Grieving, Anger, Self-Esteem, Feelings and much more; as well as guides for supporters of THE COURAGE TO HEAL is survivors. proving to be a vital resource to survivors and counsellors. Two new books on date rape, both useful healing and prevention resources. I NEVER CALLED RAPE, the Ms. Report on Recognizing, Fighting, and Surviving Date and Acquaintence Rape by Robin Warshaw (Harper and Row), and WARNING: DATING MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH: by Claudette McShane (Mother Courage Press). _Following in the path of tne essential health book OUR BODIES, OURSELVES, comes an equally important resource for midlife and older women, OURSELVES, GROWING OLDER, by Paula Brown Doress and Diana Laskin Siegal and the Midlife and Older Woman Book Project (Simon and SchusThis is the only book I've ter). found that gave me useful information about a recent health concern, I'm sure this comprehensive book will be equally welcomed by other mature women. Another new health book is ALIVE AND WELL, a Lesbian Health ,Guide, by Cuca Hepburn, Ph.D. with Bonnie Gutierree, R.N., CPNA (Cross"...a well-informed, ing Press). loving guide to lesbian health, both mental and physical. Rather than to prescribe specific health care, the goal is to present a range of health care options for losbians to considet:" Finally, for last minute Christmas shoppers some gift ideas: Motherpeace Tarot Cards and/or Playbook; records/cassettes by Kim Erickson, Karen Howe, Cathy Miller, Heather Bishop; posters, or any of a wide variety of calendars and date books. Or, if your imagination falters, give a gift certificat to the Northern Woman's Bookstore. HAPPY ROPY ROLINYs' Mar Phillips PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN NOMAN oaae 15 �Share your innovative and original expressions with all of us -7- same deal! him-tech YES INDEED WE NEED TO KNOW YOU'RE OUT THRRE We can be Our subscripticn lists are now on computer. Please date with our mailings. more accurate and up to check your label to see if your address and expiration date is correct. We haven't heard from some of you in a while. Many of our subscriptions have expired. Have you moved and we aren't reaching you? Do we no longer meet your needs? Complain and keep subscribing. If you already have a subscription 7,introduce the NORTHERN WOMAN to a friend. THANKS. WE'VE MOPED WORDS WANTED Please send all articles, graphics and subscription requests to: REWARD NORTHERN P.O. THUNDER P7C For any unsolicited copy - original articles, stories - that we use you will be given a free one year subscription for yourself or a friend, WOMAN JOURNAL BOX 144 BAY, ONTARIO 4V5 I HERE'S MY SUB. The NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL 4.4 a vehicte to encoutage a 6eminizt awaune6s cr6 the zit-dation o6 women in out society and to ptovide an attetnative to the patA4.lachat media. We -peak to women 6ighting against 6eXi401, tacism, homophobia and hetetosexism. Sttiving-to be a cOmmunication tink between women in Notthvestm Ontatio. in addition to attictes oA gtobat and nattona -e concvm. 4e az°. 4eetz mate/tide o6 pa/Lticutak tetevance to Nonthwe6te4n Ontario women. AU matetiat setected son. inc tusion witt be cho6en by the consenmo of the cottective. AU otiginat submizsion6 ate teviewed. It is pte6etabte that the authors do any content editing tequited, but the cottective Name vitt editwith the author's peAmbmion. PtOducing a nempapen by votunteek tabout and without &inding 44 an enotmous ta4k. Feminizt newodpeu thtoughout Canada au con6tantty istitugUng to 6a4vive. Address Individual $5 Institutional $10 The NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL has isuAvived Pongee than many and with your 6uppott we wilt continue to gtow. There au many ways that you can aim-Lt the JOURNAL. Oniginat antictez, teviews, gtaphics and titetaty conttibutions au'atmay6 etcomed. News, items about disttict women's i66ue6, conceits/6 and 6e.kvice, not othetwise widety pubticzed ate impottant. Locating d44tti.button points to AegtonaZ communitt.e6, and encouAaging 61166ouption purchases wowed Aeatty hap. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 MAIL TO: RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL 7.0. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Return Postage Guaranteed p2 EDITORIAL - ELECTION RESULT p3 SOLSTICE THOUGHTS p4 JOSIE WALLENIUS: PERFORMANCE ARTIST p5 ONTARIO WOMEN'S DIRECTORATE p6 UPDATE p7 L.U. FIGHTS HARRASSMENT OAITH LOBBY JONI MACE-KIT MINOR-LORETTA PAVAN- p8 WOMANPOWER MARGARET PHILLIPS-ROSE PITTIS-CYNTHIA STOLZ p9 WORDS WE LIVED BY Collectively produced CAROLYN GREENWOOD-MARY-ANN KLEYNENDORST . . . pll BOOK AND MUSIC REVIEWS p12 WORD SEARCH Northern "%Vernon Journl P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 (POUVISSUES) WOO ULM 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 11 No 4 Description An account of the resource Vol. 11, No. 4 (December 1988) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Newly elected conservative government Threat to social programs Privatization Winter solstice Spoken word The power of storytelling Rape Crisis Centre funding crisis Family violence prevention month Immigrant women’s conference National Association of Women and the Law Sexual harassment in the workplace Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue Call for lesbian stories for Women’s Press Thunder Bay Citizens Concerned About Free Trade Lakehead University harassment prevention workshops Transition house lobbying Poetry Job availability Working conditions Pay equity Employment equity Daycare acces Abortion access Feminist book review of A Passion for Friends: Toward a Philosophy of Female Affection by Janice Raymond Music review National Film Board of Canada films for women Feminist literature Ferron concert Northern Woman’s Bookstore news Authors/Contributors: Josie Wallenius Ontario Women’s Directorate Myrna Holman Leni Untinen Kit Minor Jane Saunders Donna Koivisto Carolyn Greenwood Mary-Ann Kleyendorst Jonie Mace Loretta Pavan Margaret Phillips Rose Pittis Cynthia Stolz 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 1988-12 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/16/2818/1989_Vol_12_No_1.pdf 39521c7b0de218ef066f1cf1bdbc659a PDF Text Text PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �EDITORIAL In the NORTHERN WOMAN Vol.11 #4 we analyzed the election results and the free trade implications. At that time as said; "We must mature our awareness and analysis of the full Conservative agenda - social policy, tax reform, trade - and determine what is in store for us in the next four years. Behind the mask of free trade lies a neo-conservative agenda (which would not on its own be risked) that will devastate the vulnerable in our society, will erode the modest gains that women have made, and will set back the cause of social justice and equality for a decade." We now have the federal budget and our fear becomes reality. The propaganda about the deficit is, of course, a smokescreen. What the Wilson budget does is deliver the free trade agreement and begin the harmonization of our social and economic systems to the American model. And what is the American model? We need to understand that the United States, among industrialized nations, has: -the biggest gap between the rich and the poor -the highest per capita poverty rate -the most children living in poverty - the most people without health care -the most homeless -the highest rate of adult illiteracy -the poorest legislation governing working conditions. So we have the Wilson budget. A budget that begins the process of destroying our Unemployment Insurance system. And make no mistake, it is women that will be most seriously hurt by the U.I.C. changes. A budget that ignores child care...while the decade -long child care CRISIS escalates. A budget...that begins the erosion of universality. A budget that embraces privat zation...again most seriously harp ing women. A budget that reduces support for regional economic development and the development of Native communities. A budget that reduces transfe payments for health and post-secor dary education. A budget that cuts funding to women's, Native and multicultural organizations...Decade Council cut 15%, Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee cut 30-35%, Women's Place Kenora cut, etc., et If we are to avoid the erosior of our Canadian society until we a/ indistinguishable from the Americar we must act NOW. We must inform ourselves. Infc others. Protest. Organize. Keep Canada alive. BREAKING THE SOCIAL CONTRACT On June 9th, about 150 Thunder Bay people gathered at the CPR station- with petitions outlining QUI' In response to the federal budget, representatives of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, the Pro-Canada Network and the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Workers joined together to GET THE BUDGET BACK ON TRACK, travelling coast to coast protesting the budget and pointing out that: "Past and ptezent genetations of Canadians have developed a unique zociat conttact with theit govetnment. Thtough this sociat conttact, Canadians have ctaimed theit basic democtatic tights as citizens to a system o4 zociat programs designed to ensure decent emptoyment, education, eon- uMet ptotection, cuZtukat development, and 4ait taxation. The current 4edetat government La now bteaking that sociat conttact. The Free Trade Agreement has set the stage {got hatmonizing out economy and sociat programs with the economy and sociat programs o4 the United States. The recent Witzon budget zetvez to accetetate this process Tog ethet, these economic sttategiez past wL destroy the investment generations in out nationat and democtatic 4utute." . Northwestern Ontario concerns for the protesting travellers to take to Ottawa. The Northwestern Ontario protest centred on child care, Via Rail and postal service cuts, Air Canada privitization, regressive sales tax, U.I.C., Old Age Security, Family Allowances and cuts to the Secretary of State Women's Programs. Congratulations go to the Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council who spearheaded the Thunder Bay event, which was an energyzing rally, complete with protest songs led by the "Raging Grannies". A similar rally was organized in Kenora by Women's Place, Kenora. "I with to shake my betie4 abo, the ideotogicat peupective {j nom I think thiz government opetata. I believe that Mutitoney'4 Conzekvativ unlike any Canadian Conzetvative go etnment bepte them, wish to change the iundamentat bafance between pub tic good and ptivate gain that has chatactenized out history. They wiz to move Canada toward an economic m et in the image o4 Thatcheez BAita and Reagan'4 Ametica. They betieve that the unlettered (tee market La the bent alb -ton (14 oppottunity one that government shoutd disengage it set4 4tom the dizttibution o4 weatt They have been joined by Cotpo ate Canada (and I diztingui4h this sector ?nom smatt and medium sized businesses who create most o4 the jobs, and who ate 6u46eting under this government as wett), who have out grown Canada, and whose set intetezt cteatty no tongeA patattet outs nationat interest. Canada La be coming a cta)mic cotpotatist state, whete huge cotpotations ate the don inant in4titutows, and who pursue growth in wea -Pth and power as theL' singte ovettiding goat. National Autez ptomoting competition and Lin iting theist growth ate seen as an impediment. In 4cect, big business was seeking (nee ttade, not to tinh businesz to the nationat putpoe, but tathet to itee it {tom such a Aesponsibitity." Maude Battow Chaitpetson Council. o4 Canadiak PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 'NORTHERNWOMAN page 2 �RED FLAG BILL 124: An Act to Amend the Children's Law Act by LENT UNTINEN for: The Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council Sub-commitee on Violence We also challenged Section 24 (2c) in respect to custody and access: "The length of time the child has lived in a stable home environment" as a consideration. This clause does a disservice to battered women whose move from the home has been forced by fear and to the many shelters for battered women which have been established to provide stability for the women and their children in times of crisis. The Violence Sub-Committe of the Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council recently submitted a brief to the Standing Committee on Social Development. Sub-Committee members identified many concerns regarding the Bill 124 An Act to Amend the Children's Law Reform Act. Under this legislation access by a non-custodial parent is assumed to be "in the best interest of a child". Further, "encouraging and supporting the childls-continuing parent-child relationship with the other parent" assumably requires some co-operation. If co-operation were a factor in custody-access agreements a legislation of this type would be unnecessary and in fact is unnecessary in the majority of cases. Subsequently this legislation is designed for the minority of custody-access cases with implications for the majority and very serious implications for women and children ending a violent relationship. In reality shuffling a child back and forth, between parents 1) where there is a history of violence, or 2) where parents are in conflict, or 3) where one parent is,kin fear of the other, other, is is definitely not in the best interest of a child. Inclusion of this duty clause sets the stage for granting custody, weighing consideration of a parent's intention to co-operate in according access. This particular clause offers a dangerous choice of options for battered women: a) fight for custody, deny access and risk losing custody or b) agree to access and risk the safety of herself and her child. , Section 24 (2e) includes the "ability and willingness of each person seeking custody to provide ... the necessities of life and to meet the special needs of children". Clarification must be made in order to ensure that the lower average income levels of women (yet to be corrected by adequate Ontario Pay Equity legislation) does not penalize mothers and that custody and access are not "bought" by the higher income earner. Concerns were expressed regarding "reimbursing reasonable expenses" when access has been denied and the ability of women on limited income to comply with this order. Section 35 suggests "Appointing a mediator" and the possibility of court ordered mediation. Court ordered mediation between two persons where an equal negotiating status may not exist, particularly in circum- between the two may have either been controlling or violent is a very dangerous option. While the subcommittee supports the paragraphs listing the possibility of physical and emotional harm as reasons for denial of access, we are aware of many women leaving relationships after years of physical and emotional abuse and where "proof" of the violence has not been documented. The Ontario Government is well aware of the many reasons for this and through their literature have titled wife assault as "the silent crime ".. How- ever, we are not convinced of the judical system's sensitivity to this characteristic of family violence. This particular status leaves open the possibility that women who cannot prove past violence may be forced to agree to access in order to not appear uncooperative and risk losing custody, or, the possibility that women who have left violent relationships will not seek child support knowing that access may be a condition and possibility of further harassment may be realized. "Require Supervised" access as referred in section 35 a (6) (a) is not available throughout Northwestern Ontario. The region has, at best, minimal support services to deal with both family breakdown and family violence. Laws applicable to Ontario should consider the reality of all Ontario regions, in order, that courts do not order support systems which a community cannot provide. No clear data exists that access denial is a major problem. The lack of consultation with persons that will be most affected by the proposed legislation leads to speculation that Bill 124 is a political response to pressure groups reacting to The Supand Custod. Enforcement Act. Reof children require in depth study and consultation. Legislation presented to protect children must not be initiated as a political maneuver. Drafted pieces of legislation are always complicated documents. By their very format they tend to intimidate the average person. It requires time and hard work to absorb the meaning of clauses and to think through the implications. But legislation, policies or programs involving custody, access and mandatory mediation should be a red flag to women's organizations across the country. This is not a time to be apathetic to drafted legislation because of the complexity of the language. Study it, understand it, react to it. The future safety of thousands of women and children may depend on it. '774E S niEr PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN- WOMAN page 3 �LONG DISTANCE DELIVERY: A Guide to Travelling Away from Home to Give girth by HOLLY RUPERT Birthing is a special health issue for Northern women. The medical services women need during pregnancy, labour and delivery, are not always available in the small towns of Northwestern Ontario. That means women must travel, often to a large hospital in a distant city, to get the care they need. "When I got to the Thunder Bay hospital, I was alone. My husband was left behind, so were my three other boys. You're really lost and alone. I asked the nurse who went with me for a hug -- I really thought I was going to die, or that the baby would die. That's why I was willing to get a hug from anyone." If a woman is sent by ambulance to another hospital, often her partner or relative is not allowed to accompany her. The space in an ambulance is limited, especially if an air ambulance is used. If an incubator is needed for the baby, there may not be room for an extra passenger. Sometimes poor weather conditions mean more fuel is needed for the flight and that too, restricts the number of passengers who can be on board. For many of the women we spoke to, being separated from their partner or other relative was the most difficult aspect of an out-oftown birth. The Project on Out-of-Town Birth grew out of a concern about the impact birthing away from home has on women. We wanted to find a tangible way to help women in our region find positive ways to cope with the demands of this situation. We decided to research and write a booklet that would serve as a practical guide to out-of-town birth. The project, which began in December 1987 and will come to an end this summer, has been funded by Health Promotion Directorate, Health and Welfare Canada. It is co-sponsored by two women's groups - the Red Lake Women's InformatiOn Group and the Northwestern Ontario Women's Health Infoimation Network based in Thunder Bay. In the early stage of the project, we went to several small towns in NorOwes tern Ont4r,igt,t.st, hear T44941g44441,ftsmIewm-:could tell us about out-of-town birth. We travelled to Marathon, Terrace Bay, Manitouwadge, White River, Sioux Lookout, Ignace, Vermilion Bay, Dryden, Ear Falls and Red Lake. At an open meeting in each town, women talked about the problems they had faced. They suggested things that would have made the trip Often the things that worried away easier. women reflected the isolation and naThe women in towns like Ignace tural challenges that characterize and Vermilion Bay, which lack a hospilife in the bush. tal, told us about the many practical For instance, being stranded on details they had to plan for in addithe highway by poor weather was a contion to finding a doctor and thinking cern for women who must travel to hosabout the obstetrical care they would pital in their own car. We heard of prefer. For instance, they had to ara couple who, in their panic to get range for friends or neighbours to care to the hospital once labour had startfor their children and homes when they ed, hit a moose calf on the highway. left for hospital. One woman talked about her confusion "With my second pregnancy I had a when the whole town was evacuated girlfriend lined up" an Ignace woman just before her due date because of said. "If I went into labour during the a threatening forest fire. Some even night, she said she'd come and stay said they would try to avoid a spring with my daughter. She was basically on or fall delivery as the flying weathcall for my last month. And if she coer is notoriously fickle at those uldn't do it another woman would." times of the year. Some spoke of the tremendous fear The ideas, advice and stories we that took hold when things went wrong gathered during the community meetings during labour or delivery. In many comhave become the basis of the booklet munities, the local hospital is not eto be distributed this summer. As we quipped to handle emergencies and womlistened to women talk about their exen must be sent to another hospital by periences, we were moved by the loving air ambulance. When this happens, womcourage with which they face birth un7 en may feel they are being swallowed der these circumstances. up by events beyond their control. In the second stage of the proMany told us about the loneliness they ject, we asked health care workers felt giving birth in a hospital far what they felt women need to know abfrom family and friends. out out-of-town birth. We sent a sur"My husband stayed with me until vey to prenatal instructors who help they put me in the ambulance" said a to prepare women for birth. We asked woman from Marathon who was sent to doctors and nurses who care for women Thunder Bay by airplane. She had bein small and large hospitals for their gun to hemorrhage with her fourth baideas. And we surveyed public health by, now a healthy preschooler. nurses who visit women when they return home from the hospital. The res- ponses gave us a clearer picture o the medical reasons for out-of-tow birth. We learned about the proble in providing continuity of care fo women before and after their birth Why are women having to trave away to give birth? The most commo reason is the lack of local birthi services. In most places, the loca doctor provides prenatal care, but another doctor in a large city hos tal will assist at the delivery. I that hospital is far away, it may difficult to have prenatal visits with the doctor before the birth. This situation affects many Native women from reserve communit In our region, they represent the jority of those having out -of -tows births. The demands of travel and paration from family and friends E especially hard for Native women. They must make the trip out to hos tal about two weeks before their d date and wait for their baby's art val. They may feel lonely, displac and bored as they try to cope in a world so culturally different fron their own. In some places, such as Nipig the doctors haver-emmMitrvartr/tPINn ver babies although there is a loc hospital. In 1985, the Nipigon doc tors decided the number of babies they delivered the previous year about 25 -- was too low to ensure necessary competency level for obE etrical care. That is, the doctors weren't getting enough practice at delivering babies to feel that the could do it safely. When the Nipigon doctors ann( ced they would be sending women t( out-of-town doctors for labour an delivery, some community women wet angry. They did not want to lose familiar, personalized care they 1 known at the local hospital. Desp: lobbying efforts and community sui port for continued birthing servi( the doctors have stood firm. An informal survey of Nipigoi women, carried out in 1987 by the Northwestern Ontario Women's Heali Information Network, found that d re were at least 68 births that yo Even with this apparent increase, birthing services have not been r( instated. There has been a growing tree in the last decade, in Northweste. Ontario as in other parts of the try, to use a regional model in p viding birthing services. Within given region, hospitals provide b thing services based on their geo, phic location and the specialized people on their staff. In some ca smaller medical units may be clos to consolidate services. Women wi greater medical risks are sent to hospitals which can offer more sp cialized care. Those who support 1 . continued on pg 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 4 �*********************** * * * Ontario Women's Directorate * RESOURCE CENTRE * * *********************** A new TV and VCR for previewing videos in the office are two new resources available to the commmity. We now have an audio cassette of THE COURAGE PO HEAL: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Assault and a cassette of Elly Danica's Morningside interview. Elly Canica is the author of DON'T: A Woman's Word/ Four copies of each book are also available to borrow. WIFE ASSAULT PREVENTICN MONTH WOMEN AND POLITICS consists of six one-hour programs designed to help women achieve, exercise and hold on to political power. This video series presents highlights of a twoday conference held in November 1986 at Ryerson. Host Rosemary Brown introduces participants such as Chaviva Hosek, Michele Landsberg, Kay Sigurjonsson and Maude Barlow. A 48 page booklet comes with the NOVEMEiER 1989 series. November has again been chosen for the public education campaigns of Ontario Women's Directorate and public This community groups. education campaign ties in with November 25th - International Day EREADUNG FREE is a video recently purchased from the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women Disability Awareness Project. Disabled women present their Against Violence Against Women. experiences. Committees and groups active in area of wife assault prevention will have ,rpceived -information and grant to funding up for applications education a public for $1,500 project. that reflect must Projects "Wife Assault is a Crime" and that the community has a responsibility to address this issue. APPLICATIONS !CST BE violence prepared for and used in schools in London, Ontario also is available. Amazons and Military Maids: Women who Dressed as Men in Pursuit of Life, Liberty and Happiness, Julie Wheelwright Politics of Reproduction, Mary O'Brien northern organizations Story Behind Child custody, The Susan Crean Children's Story: Sexually Molested Children in Criminal Court, Judge Sandra Butler Smith (US). looking for this? Immigrants need to be part of the Ontario Community and contribute to economic and social development. Ontario has skills shortages and many of the immigrants that have came to Canada are skilled to work in many kinds of jobs. Immigrants need to improve their level of income and to be able to make enough money to cover their basic living and social needs. They don't want to stay on social assistance and be a burden to learn society. They need to English to qualify for professions, community by the selection committee to participate in the Sumer Experience '89 chosen to have the opportunity to finish their studies or to have specific training in order to get skilled program. The Directorate's Northern Office will have a student working on jobs. immigrants will have these opportunities, it will be easy for society to fill its skills shortage and together Canadians and newcomers can work for the development of Canada. Maria Albizurez If several projects this summer: - the development of an employment equity information mailing list - the cataloguing of written materials in the Resource Centre - the development of a catalogued video /film section of the Resource Centre, and - the updating of last years Directory of Women's Organizations in Northern Ontario The Thunder Bay Immigrant Women's Planning Committee is trying to open doors for immigrants to enter educational programs. Why are they its In the Name of the Fathers; Beendigan, Women in Crisis, SiouxHudson-North, Women's Place Kenora and Mattawa Family Resource Centre IMET.GRANT VEMEN IN TEENIER BAY SOME NEW BOOKS Seam Allowance, Industrial Home Sewing in Canada, Laura Johnson SUMMER EXPERIENCE 7171,7Wrl PS WE CARE, a K-13 school curriculum discussing the issue of family RECIll[VED BY AUGUST 4th are 1960 - Birth control pills go on sale. 1943 - Betty Frfedan's The Feminine Mystique becomes war cry of women's movement. 1967 - Ottawa appoints Royal Commission on Status of Women. 1969 - Criminal Code amended, making abortion legal if approved by a hospital's therapeutic abortion committee. 1970 - First women's studies course given at Uni versa./ of Toronto. 1971 - Robert Andras appointed first federal cabinet minister responsible for status of women. 1972 - NationalAction Committee on We Status of Women founded. 1973 - Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women established. 1962 - Bertha Wilson first woman appointed to Supreme Court of Canada. 1984 - Jeanne Sauve appointed first woman Gov. ernor General of Canada. 1984 - Ottawa passes Bill C-82, dealing with of action for women, visible minorities, disabled. 1957 - Coalition of women's groups protest Meech Lake constitutional accord. 1988 - Abortion law struck down by Supreme Court. Coordinating Shelters, REMINDER: Milestones for feminism This page is sponsored by the Ontario Women's Directorate. The material contained on it may be photocopied and distributed without permission, but with credit to the original source or the Ontario Women's Directorate. NORTHERN WOMAN page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �PAY EQUITY WHAT DO YOu WANT TO BE WHEN YOu C3ROw uP 7 GIRLS CAN BE ANYTHING THEY wAryT TO BE THESE DAYS BRAIN SURGEON. .COLLEGE PROCESSOR PRESIDENT ..YOu SHOULD DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM I by LYNN BEAK HOW ABOUT PAID EQUALLY? Pay Equity? What is it anyway? We've all heard the term and associated it with an increase in women's wages. But how and why? It seems that so much is still unclear. EQUAL PAY FOR WORK OF EQUAL VALUE Part of the confusion comes from the fact that pay equity is a recent term for an old concept - equal pay for work of equal value - an idea that has been debated and fought for by women throughout the world since the turn of the century. In the USA another term is used - comparable worth - for the same concept. So what does it mean? In its simplest form it is the idea that men and women should be paid the same level of wages for doing the work that they do in the paid labour force, even though men and women traditionally, and even now, have done different kinds of work. It is the idea that waitresses and truck drivers should have the same starting wage and should progress on the same kind of wage scale. Although trade unions and governments (including Canada) had endorsed the concept of equal pay for work of equal value since the early 1950's, little practical change occured in Canada until the mid 1970's. EQUAL PAX FOR EQUAL WORK DISTINGUISHED During this same period of time, women were also fighting for equal pay for equal work, so that when men and women did the same job they would receive the same pay. Until the 1950s it was very common for male and female account clerks (for example) to do the same job in the same company and be paid different wages. Teaching salaries were also significantly different for men and women. By 1951 Ontario and then other provinces had passed laws that required employers to pay men and women doing the same work the same wage. There were a few exceptions, seniority being one of them. Why were laws like this necessary? The reasons are complex, for an excellent discussion, see the early chapters of Just Give Us The Money: A Discussion of Wage Discrimination and Pay Equity, and its thorough bibliography. (Just Give Us the Money - Women's Re-search Centre, Ste. 101, 2245 Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6K 2E4, (604) 734-0485) In summary, some reasons are women's limited participation in trade unions; the belief that men should be'paid a "family wage" high enough to cover the needs of the family unit and that women therefore only needed enough to cover supplementary expenses (pin money); the fact that many women did the same work that was done, unpaid, in the home - cleaning, cooking, services, child care, etc.; and ultimately, the difference in wages was caused because employers could get away with it since not enough people objected strenuously. 9Du'vE 6OTTA BE REALISTIC.. Err" 1-tuLME Noss ...aim Swat -TV not without its flaws. Men's wages have not traditionally been based on a logical, rational assessment of their value to an employer. Men fought for an average industrial wage based on the cost of living and raising a family, not on the intrinsic "worth" of the work being performed. Many people also disagree with comparing the "value" of work... why should a garbage collector be be paid less than an accountant? What notion of value should be used - value to an employer, value to society as a whole? Also, at this time, neither employers or employees have experience "valuing" jobs. It requires an expert, a "job evaluation" consultant to train employers and perhaps also employees and union members to speak this new language. There are fears that there is sex bias built into the theory and language of job evaluation in the same way that sex bias is built into so many facets of our society already and that women will therefore be fighting the same battles after learning the rules of this new industry. Nevertheless, job evaluation within the parameters of the EPFEV concept has been endorsed and is now being implemented in Canada and many other countries. It will be a task for women to monitor this concept and determine if it has led to the achievement we fought for namely, reducing the wage gap between men and women. At present women earn 64c for every dollar that men earn when they both work full time. It has been calculated, in the Ontario Green Paper on Pay Equity, that wage discrimination accounts for approximately 10c to 12c of that wage gap and that in theory pay equity would therefore raise the wages of women overall by that amount. However, since some employers are excluded (private sector employers with less than 10 employees) and since many workplaces will not have male groups against which to compare their female employees (ie hospitals, day care centres), it is unlikely that the wage gap based on wage discrimination will be closed. THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE By the 1970s women's organizations had done the research to show how little women were paid for their full time work compared to men working full time. As the women's movement developed, a key component was fr4E f'. 7 increasing women's economic p increasing our wages. In 1977 the federal gover added an equal pay for work of value provision to the Canadia man Rights Code. Over the year ce, it has been infrequently a major factor has been that complaint-based system which r an individual woman to make a plaint against her employer an low through for a period of y while the complaint is investi and decided. Most successful c ints were made by unions since had the resources to do the re and the onus was not put on an vidual woman to expose hersel the possible harassment, lack motion and a great demand on that an individual complaint w bring. By the 1980's several Ame states had implemented_w4At t called "pay equity" which was same concept implemented in a ent form. An individual compl system assumes that violations the rarity and that most emplo are complying with the law. S know that this is not the case that most employers are not pa women equally, a different app is necessary. Minnesota devised a syste their state employees which as that all womens' jobs needed t looked at for pay discriminat This system was adopted by Man for their provincial employees some other sectors (hospitals, and then by Ontario for all t sectors: all provincial emplo all broader public sector (ho municipalities, school boards, leges and agencies fully funde the government); and private s employers who have more than 1 ployees. Ontario's decision to imp pay equity came following year active lobbying by the Equal Coalition, women's groups and unions. This is the first part of a 2 article on pay equity. The sec page, to be published next iss will focus on the Ontario legi and the impact that it is havi women's wages in the workplace Lynn Beak 416 a 6otmek membet o NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL catect and ha4 Jong been active in t women'is movement. EQUALNORTHERN.WOMAL..page-6 PAY FOR WORK OF EQUAL VALUE: THE CONCEPT, Although women's groups have supported and fought for implementation of equal pay for work of equal value (E.P.F.E.V.) systems, it is PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Long Distance Delivery: regional model believe it ensures higher quality care and fewer baby deaths. The unfortunate effect of the regional model is that it tends to centralize services in large urban hospitals. The result is that more women have to travel away from their home community to give birth, and that, as we learned from the women affected, is often a stressful experience. It means that women lose access to the more intimate, familycentred care offered in smaller hos- continued from pg 4 Such things as diabetes, a history of premature delivery, or the fact that she is carrying twins can put mother and baby at risk. In these cases, both would benefit from careful monitoring in a hospital where specialists can act quickly if problems arise. More than likely a woman in this situation would travel to the large hospital well before her due date. Whether or not she made the trip by ambulance would depend on her condition. Sometimes women choose to have out-of-town birth. They may prefer to have access to pain medication, like an epidural, which may not be available in small hospitals. Others feel more confident knowing they will give birth in a large hospital. This was the case for one woman from Red Lake. She had her second baby in Winnipeg because her first child needed an emergency transfer shortly after birth. "The doctors here are good, but they just don't have the equipment like they do in the city. My doctor and I agreed I would go to Winnipeg. If we ran into problems, the intensive care unit would be there. I was a lot more relaxed knowing an pitals. Groups such as the Advisory Committee on Reproductive Care appointed by the Ontario Ministry of Health, caution in their 1988 report "Reproductive Care: Towards the 1990s", that routinely sending women to large regional hospitals is creating an unrealistic load for specialists. The committee suggests that if appropriate supports are put in place -- such as opportunities for doctors and nurses to strengthen their birthing skills-- quality care can be provided in smaller hospitals. Not all community hospitals have withdrawn birthing services. In Red Lake for example, the doctors have a strong commitment to birth with as little intervention as possible. Women are able to labour and deliver in the local hospital. They are transferred only if there are medical reasons that would make it safer for them to be cared for in a larger hospital. They are usually sent to Winnipeg or Thunder Bay. 11 A A, In the booklet we discuss some of the common medical reasons for a transfer. We hope this will give women the information they need to be better prepared and to know what questions to ask if they face this situation. Before some obstetrical procedures can be done, there must be an operating room and adequate staff available for surgery if it is needed. This is true, for instance, if a woman chooses to have a VBAC -- vaginal birth after Cesearean -- where the possibility of a Cesearean is considered higher. It's also true if a woman has high blood pressure which cannot be controlled, leading to a condition called pre-eclampsia. Her labour may be induced. In both situations, safe obstetrical practice requires that a Cesearean section is planned for, just in case. If a small hospital cannot provide this surgical back-up, a woman would have to be sent to another hospital. A woman from Sioux Lookout told us, "Never in our wildest dreams did we think that after doing so well I would run into problems 24 hours into labour. It was arranged for me to be transferred to Thunder Bay. I remember feeling panic at first, but I quickly relaxed. I was to fly on Bandage Five (the Ministry of Health air ambulance). This was reassuring because I am familiar with how well equipped it is." the care of older children may affect where the birth takes place and how long she may stay in hospital. And an out-of-town birth can be expensive. There are costs for travel, accommodation, and long-distance telephone calls. "The doctor said make sure you take your Visa. Then we were on our own," recalled another Red Lake woman who was transferred for the premature birth of her first son. "My husband stayed at a hotel across from the hospital and he had to get meals. We had to pay for our own air fare home. If you don't want to sit in a car for five hours with a newborn, flying is the fastest way to get back. We figure it cost us between $600 and $800." 14, 61 iJ IJ ),./ Mw N w 1.4 N w MJ 4-0 tut 6,./ 16/ NJ 1.-1 4 LJ W 4J 11.1 161 4 L.1 iou M. that." Can an out-of-town birth be a positive experience? Many women say they are glad they chose to travel away, especially if they or their baby needed specialized care. But most admit it was by planning ahead that they were able to make their birth a positive event. For instance, it's not always necessary to go to the closest hosgive birth. Going "home" to pital the community where family and friends can offer support before and after the baby arrives may be a better choice. A Sioux Lookout woman planned a VBAC with her second baby this way. She went to Hamilton, where she had family. "I wanted to try a vaginal birth and they wouldn't give me a trial of labour here. I contacted a friend in Thunder Bay who is a midwife and she gave me the names of a couple of midwives in Hamilton. I went down when I was four or five months pregnant and found a midwife I really liked... It was worth it to me to go that far to have a vaginal birth. I didn't think VBACs were being done in Thunder Bay and didn't know any-. one I could stay with. The birth was just wonderful. Cameron was born and we went home three hours later." In planning an out-of-town birth, it's important for women to consider their needs. If others will be involved- a partner or relative and older children - what do they need? The plans a woman can make for 111 \I :VW' I) ) 3- ( In Northern Ontario, if medical care is not available locally, the cost of travel to obtain that care is partially covered by the Northern Health Travel Grant. The prosram is administered by the Min- stry o7ealt IrdarriTtOrtirfteglim."""' natal care and out-of-town birth. However, there are restrictions. The person claiming the grant must be a minimum of 250 kilometres away from the needed services. The grant doesn't cover a companion's travel costs, unless the patient is under 18 years of age. And the grant only applies if a patient sees a certified specialist. Some women have found they did not receive the grant if they went for prenatal visits with a general practitioner rather than an obstetrician. Through all the conversations we've had with regional women, we know that having an out-of-town birth places extra demands on a woman at a time when she needs things to be less stressful. It's more difficult to find a doctor and investigate choices for the birth when it will take place far from home. It's harder to find out about hospital policy for labour and delivery. Even planning where to stay before the delivery is an added worry. We've tried to address these concerns in the booklet with practical advice. We hope this will help to reduce the isolation women in out-lying areas feel as they plan for their birth. Women have told us how important it is to ask questions and be firm about what you want. They feel it can make a difference of a woman tells those caring for her that she's from outcontinued on pg 13 NORTHERN WOMAN page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �The Women's Movement and Struggles in the Philippines .The 6ottowing antic& is taken 6tom an adottess given by Netia Sancho to the zecond Women's Intetnationa, Saidakity Aailc in the Phitippines NeZia Sancho (WISAP) had in 1987. Lo National Secketaty Genekat, o6 GABRIELA. Whenever historians discuss the status of women in the Philippines prior to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers, they usually paint a more egalitarian picture. Pre-colonial Filipino women, it is said, occupied a high social position. They enjoyed a large measure of freedom which was unknown to women of other Oriental countries. As they were free, they were able to participate in social, economic and political activities to the advantage of both individual and society. They commanded the respect of men; they were protected by the native laws and they possessed civil and political rights. Except in the Islamic societies in southern Philippines, marriage was monogamous, and women retained their names after marriage. Divorce was by mutual consent. Women could inherit and dispose of property in their own right. In some instances, the position of chieftain could be passed on to the eldest daughter. Also,. many of the religious leaders of that day were women. Colonization by Spain and the subsequent imposition of Catholic Spanish culture, which was very patriarchal and oppressive to women changed all this. If indeed, women's oppression was not the norm in pre-colonial Philippines, it became a socially held ideal during the 300 years of Spanish rule. Under the Spanish Civil Code, the rights of married women became severely restricted. Divorce was not allowed; women had no right of disposal over property brought into their marriages, could not engage in any outside economic activity without the formal consent of their husbands, and could hold no public office except that of teacher. The almost wholehearted acceptance of the religion and culture of the Spanish moulded the values and attitudes of Filipino women, making it possible for them to internalize these values. Catholicism inculcated in them the notion of male superiority and endowed it with the strength of religious dogma. Relationships between males and females were regulated by an elaborate set of conventions, which effectively made the female the passive object of male. Women were segregated into the domestic sphere; although women of the peasantry still laboured by the side of males in the field, the dominant ethos was one in which they were economically non-active and socially non-initiating. It is not surprising therefore, to find that an organized women's movement in the Philippines first stirred to life only towards the end of the 19th century. Conceived in the womb of the anti-colonial struggle against Spain and the U.S., one of the first women's groups to emerge was composed of enlightened women of the intelligentia and other women of the upper classes. One of its leading members, Trinidad Tecson, was later to join the revolutionary war as a woman general. WOMEN'S PARTICIPATION IN ANTI COLONIAL STRUGGLES PAVED THE WAY FOR THE ARTICULATION OF WOMEN'S PROBLEMS AND ISSUES Many other women participated in the anti-colonial revolutionary war in various capacities -- some as guerillas directly engaging the enemy in battle, and others as members of auxilary groups. Still others, like Melchora Aquino or Tandang Sora, quietly gave aid and succor to wounded revolutionaries, even at great risk to their lives. Today, we remember these courageous women and salute them for their invaluable contributions to the anti-colonial struggle. Women's participation in these struggles also paved the way for the articulation of some women's problems and issues, such as their right to formal education. Later, but with the advent of the Fil-American War and the subsequent colonization of the Philippines by the U.S., free public education was extended to Filipino boys and girls as part of the general effort to quell the insurgency then being waged by Filipino revolutionary forces. While education succeeded in bringing women out of their homes, it did not lead women to question either their subordinate position within society and the family or the deeper roots of their and the people's oppression. This method of captivating the minds of Filipinos through colonial education had its corresponding impact on the emergent women's groups at the turn of the century. On the one hand, it lead to the creation in 1902 of the Liga Femenina de la Paz, which supported the U.S. forces "pacification drive" against Filipino insurgents. In reality, however, the "pacification drive" was a massive suppression campaign that led to the death and displacement of millions of Filipinos. The rise of such a woman's group signalled the beginning of a relatively long era of cooptation for the women's movement in the country. ADVANCE THE MILITANT WOMENS MOVEMENT Ii IN THE PHILIPPINES. HI 1 1 1 KJNESIS Subsequent women's organizations advocated the right of women's suffrage. This latter development saw the formation of a women's movement whose main concern was to advance the women's right to vote and to achieve legal equality so that they could fully participate in the electoral processes as defined within the framework of U.S. sponsored elite democracy. KJNESIS The women's groups that followed, which engaged in socio-civic won and which were mainly led by elite w( en, tended to follow this general pa tern of working within the existing social framework, with little or no effort to critically examine what HI at the root of women's oppression or of social ills. No genuine women's movement can be said to have existed during this period. What existed were aggrupations of women whose efforts were not specifically directed towan the advancement of women's particular issues or problems. Except for the ii volvement of some women guerillas an political activists in the Huk movement of the 50s, there were also no other systematic attempts to at least harness the participation of women on a massive scale for any significant social cause. IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING LOW CCFPENSATION FOR THEIR LABOR, WOMEN HAD TO CONTEND WITH SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION Meanwhile, women's oppression continued. As peasants, workers and poorly paid professionals, they frequently suffered even much more than the men of their own class. In addition to receiving low compensation for their labor, they had to contend with sexual harassment and discrimination. Since the vast majority of the unemployed and underemployed were woe en, this led to their economic and political marginalization and their treatment as second-class citizens. This situation in turn became fertile ground for the flourishing of dehumanizing and anti-women practices the commodification and sexual objectification of women in prostitution, pornography, mail-order brides and the trafficking of Filipinas. Within the family, women largely con. .tinned to be denied choices other than to perform the socially ascribed but limiting roles of wife, mother, or dutiful daughter. In many re spects, elite Filipino women achieved, through education, the legal or social appearance of freedom. But in essence, they remained subservient beings, especially within the family and continued to suffer from the prevailing system of patriarchy. It was in the late '60s and early '70s that a different kind of women's group emerged. The women's group, founded by political activist patriot and poet, Ma. Lorena Barros, was aptly named the Makabayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan (MAKIBAKA) or the New Women's Patriotic Movement. PDF compression, page 8web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN OCR, �The new groups's acronym, MAKIBAKA, which meant "struggle" was also an appropriate choice. For along with other national democratic or-. ganizations, this new group bannered the struggles of peasants, workers, the middle class intelligentsia and nationalist businessmen for a society free from the shackles of foreign domination, feudal oppression and state terrorism. MAKIBAKA sought to mobilize Filipino women in their millions to join the organized people's struggle for national sovereignty and genuine democracy. But more than this, MAKIBAKA also started to address the issue of women's distinct oppression and recog-, nized that the Filipino people's liberation can never be accomplished without the liberation of women. The Aquino government then proGABRIELA REGISTERS A NAME IN THE MINDS posed the ceasefire policy with all OF THE PUBLIC THROUGH ITS CONSISTENTLY armed groups engaged in insurgency. ACTIVE AND MILITANT PARTICIPATION IN It went NATIONAL STRUGGLES FOR JUSTICE AND into peace talks and negotiations. The people's organizations, inFOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS ISSUES cluding GABRIELA and other women's groups, GABRIELA has since grown, fromrejoiced then at what they thought an assembly that attracted mainly to be a sincere desire of the to solve the social causes middle class women, into a government national of the insurgency. The women's groups coalition of about 100 women's organshowed their support for the peace izations, which span across the difprocess by forming a Women's Peace ferent regions and represent a crossCommittee. GABRIELA also joined othsection of sectors and classes of er women in drawing up the "Women's Philippine society. Agenda for a Full and Lasting Peace" Ever since its birthingand in presented 1984, this to the government GABRIELA has registered a name in and the NDF peace panels. the minds of the general public throIn presenting this agenda the ugh its consistently active women's and mil-groups declared: "We believe itant participation in national that struthe roots of insurgency - the unggles for justice and for women's equal distribution of our resources rights issues. Immediately after its and foreign control of the country founding GABRIELA joined the foreare the very same conditions that blofront of the struggle of theckFilipino the economic and political progress people to topple the Marcos of dictatorFilipino women. Putting forward the ship. women's agenda, therefore. helps not Together with the revitalization only in attacking the roots of insurin late 1986 of the underground womgency, but also in seeking the broaden's group MAKIBAKA, the emergence of est participation and support of womGABRIELA represents the highest point en for just and basic social reforms to date in the development of a Philthat could lead then to a full and ippine women's movement. We lasting now have peace." a women's movement that, in the words of a sister in struggle, Maita Gomez "seeks to change a whole society, THE WCMEN'S AGENDA CALLS FOR A with a vision of the future where THAT GUARANTEES WOMEN feudalisn, imperialism, fascismSOCIETY and EQUAL RIGHTS WITHIN AND OUTSIDE inequality for women will have been THE FAMILY, AND ENSURES FREEDOM overcome". FROM ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ABUSE AND HARASSMENT The imposition of martial rule in 1972 nipped in the bud MAKIBAKA's attempt to develop a revolutionary women's movement. MAKIBAKA's cause, however, stayed alive with the continued participation of thousands of women who undertook revolutionary work in various capacities. In both countryside and urban areas, women engaged in organizing and propaganda work in the underground and in the legal sphere. Not a few took the option to fight alongside their male comrades as guerillas of the New People's Army. Throughout the dark days of martial rule, women gave their share in suffering and struggle. Among the women who became victims of repressive martial rule was MAKIBAKA founder Ma. Lorena Barros, who was killed in 1976 while leading The Women's Agenda calls for a self-reliant economy that undertakes a squad of uerillas in the mountains comprehensive land reform and a natIn 1978, a number of courageous women, some of them involved in the ionalist industrialization program, In-WOMAIrrfITCRrICAULTR'711111P1 , .4.especially bP4O411EPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM suffrage movement in the 1930s, grouas these pertain to adMIRRORS i4ER FugmT3o LIVE ped themselves together in their coldressing the issue of women's lack -TOTAt AN g FlittY lective disgust over the rampant fraof control of resources or access uds committed during the first parlito land and jobs which have led to amentary elections. The result is the their further marginalization and Concerned Women of the Philippines. sense of powerlessness. The agenda also called for the exercise of full But it was the Aquino assassin-P sovereignty and freedom from foreign ation in 1983 and the heightened polintervention and control and the conitical and economic crisis that folvening of a genuinely representative lowed which spurred a massive polit.people's government, which should inical awakening among millions of Filclude women's representation at all ipino men and women. Hitherto uninlevels. The women's agenda, too, volved members of the middle class calls for a society that guarantees joined those from grassroots organiwomen equal rights within and outzations who had long been taking to side the family, and ensures freedom the streets to demand basic changes. from all forms of violence, sexual Among the first to protest the Aquino abuse and harassment. It demands the Struggling to attain this visassassination were various women's women's basic right to have control ion has all the more become urgent groups, which held an all-women's over their own bodies, especially for the progressive women's movement march in October that mobilized in decisions related to the number today. 12000 women from all walks of life.Like everyone else who activeof children and use of contraception. supported the struggles against This historical all-women's ly march deUnder the new government,women's dictatorship, the Filipino woman was manded justice for Aquino and all vicgroups first sought to include these hopeful that the new government tims of military repression very and calldemands in the constitution that was installed ed for an end to the Marcos dictator- to power in February 1986 being drafted in 1986. But the prewould be able to effect the needed ship. dominantly elitist and male dominathat would alleviate the opA few months later, in changes March ted constitutional commission sucpressed 1984, politically active women from conditions of Filipino women ceeded in diluting or deliminating and men. the ranks of workers, peasants, urban these demands, retaining only a vaThe new government did lift the poor, professionals, and the business gue passage that refers to "recogon the press and on puband religious sectors gave arestrictions new dimnition of women's equality before assemblies, and freed the most ension to the celebration oflic Internathe law". prominent political prisoners from tional Women's Day by convening the detention. It dissolved the rubber General Assembly Binding Women for stamp parliament, formed a commission Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leaderto draft a new constitution, repealed ship, and Action or GABRIELA. Again, a number of decrees that were represthe choice of GABRIELA as an acronym sive to workers, and formally recogis a fitting tribute to the memory of nized the just causes of the armed a courageous woman, Gabriela Silang, struggle being waged by the New Peowho led one of the major uprisings ple's Army of the National Democratic against Spanish colonial rule in the Front. 18th century. cortinued on pg 10 ;4 1 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page �continued from pg 9 The same demands were presented during the peace negotiations. But the peace talks broke down. Despite the existence of a ceasefire agreement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines began to press the civilian government for a more thoroughgoing counterinsurgency program. During the ceasefire period, peasant marchers seeking land reform were shot, killing 19 rallyists. The AFP was allowed to continue with its military buildup. Military campaigns in the guise of keeping day to day peace and order, continued to be launched in the countryside. While it is true that prominent political prisoners were freed, hundreds still languished in jail. Among them is Miriam Dugay, a church social worker and community organizaer, who was arrested without warrant in mid 1986. She has been ordered freed by a civilian court, but the military authorities continue to hold her in defiance of the court order. Neither Mrs. Aquino nor any other high government official has intervened in her behalf, despite several appeals for her release.. MILITARIZATION IS VERY MUCH A WOMEN'S ISSUE With these recent developments, it has become more and more evident to people's .organizations and women's groups that the Aquino government lacks the political will to institute basic social reforms being demanded by the dAprived sectors'of the society. It was also becoming clear to the organized basic sectors that as the Aquino government moves to strengthen parliamentary processes in the country by having a new constitution ratified and calling for new legislative and local elections, it has veered more and more towards defining itself as a government for the elite with a plethora of unfulfilled promises for the Filipino people. OUR VISION OF A TRULY JUST, FREE AND EGALITARIAN SOCIETY WILL BE DIFFICULT TO ATTAIN SOLELY WITHIN THE FORMAL PARLIAMENTARY FRAMEWORK While women's groups have formed the Kababaihan para sa Inang Bayan or KAIBA, a women's political party, to enter electoral politics and maximize whatever advantages this has to offer, a pragmatic assessment of the situation reveals that the fulfillment of our vision of a truly just, free and egalitarian society will be difficult to attain solely within the formal parliamentary framework. For the progressive women's movement, this means reconvening the parliament of the streets, building up our own organized strength, particularly among grassroots women, securing step-by-step our demands as put forth in the Women's Agenda. Thus, it has to address vigorously, the need for equal rights in the political, economic, cultural and family spheres, and the demand of women workers, peasants and urban poor women for land, jobs, homes to live in and health to enjoy. The women's movement in the Philippines today see the resolution of these problems and demands as the cornerstone to create substantially women's development and empowerment. Despite the patina of liberalism and popularity possessed by Mrs. Aquino's form of rule, her government has been gradually showing itself open, ready and unhesitating to utilize as much brutal force as the past regime had done, to enforce its will on the people. On February 8, 1987, Mrs. Aquino has instructed "soldiers" to push through with its military offensives against the insurgents. Two days after, despite her admonition to the Armed Forces to conduct military operations with "respect for the human rights of civilians" the massacre of 17 civilians took place. Today, the progressive women's movement's capability to respond to the continued oppressive conditions of the women has to be developed. The women's keenness and sensitivit3 to their problems will inevitably lead women to expose and condemn ha/ assment, and other forms of militar3 abuse such as bombings, strafings, hamletting, forced evacuations, summary executions and arbitrary arrest Militarization is very much a women' issue, especially in the countryside because women feel its exacerbating effects to women's poor health and state of malnutrition, lack of contr and decision over her life, low and marginalized position both within th family and the larger society. THE PHILIPPINES WCMEN'S STRUGGLE IS TO CHALLENGE AS WELL AS CHANGE PREVAILING VALUE SYSTEMS THAT CONTINUE TO RELEGATE WOMEN AS PASSIVE, SUBORDINATE OR AS SEX OBJECTS AND COMMIDITION I have presented, in a nutshel] the historical development of our we en's movement and the full dimensioi of women's struggles in the Philipp: nes. It is a complex struggle again: foreign domination, feudal exploitation, fascist repression, and the ul equal, patriarchal social structure! that are oppressive to women. It is a struggle to expose the betrayal o our people by a seemingly liberal g( ernment that is in essence repressi, and unresponsive to the plight of d disadvantaged and marginalized sect including women. It is a struggle rise above these fetters and develo the necessary strength to achieve o goals. And it is a struggle to chal enge as well as to change prevailin value systems that continue to rele gate women as passive, subordinate or as sex objects and commodition. Books Feminist theory fiction health poetry spirituality peace international periodicals NORTHERN WOMAN'S BOOKSTORE 184 Camelot St, 344-7979 page 10 PDF compression, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN OCR, �The Red Maiden's Tale by JOSIE WALLENIUS Did that Harmonic Convergance really happen? What are we drifting towards? How much do our visions empower us, how much do they blind us to reality? I am frightened! There are things happening in the cosmos, I have no doubt of that, but at this critical moment of consciousness, I refuse to take my feet off the ground, and I crave an honest debate. I crave a debate between women who see the Patriarchy as the main root of oppression, and women like myself who see capitalism as the root. We are called "rads" and "reds" by some, including the Trading Godfathers who must be very happy about this division. Do the "rads" know that Ronald Reagan sent his daughter Maureen Reagan to the Nairobi conference at the end of the U.N. decade of women with instructions to keep the debate ON women, and OFF Peace and justice. The men who control that old fool know what they are doing. The debate between "rads" and "reds" surfaces and sinks, surfaces and sinks, but never sinks too far below the surface. We never do enough holding of hands to sink to the bottom together, tp explore the slime at the bottom, to examine the roots together, to ask of ourselves if we are half wrong about things, or both Victim. "Because I believed that the newspapers were lying." GASPS FROM EVERYBODY. Prosecutor. "You didn't believe the newspaper, I see. What did you believe?" Victim. "I am a huwoman, and I believed that I was watching the beginning of the North American Indian experiment in Africa. In 'Oil area 15 Africafreemerica' it was going to be done under the camouflage of anti terrorism, and in the South of the continent by the silence strategy. Prosecutor. I am not talking about the silence, I am talking about terrorism. You admit, I hope, that terrorism, once the greatest human crime has been eliminated by US. Prosecutor... "I see. I want to ask you if you condone what the leader of 'Oil area no. 15 Africafreeamerica' did in the seventies and eighties of the last century?" "You mean land distribution, education, social services and chucking out U.S. military bases?" Victim. Prosecutor. "I mean terrorist acts." SILENCE. Prosecutor. "I would remind you that you are on trial for treason, and I am asking you if you condone the wanton acts of terrorism, the blowing up of civilian planes and the loss of white Freemerican blood?" Victim. "And I am asking you about South Africa." SILENCE. Prosecutor. "You mean gold, uranium, platinum area no.3 africafreemerica?" 41 4itiv right. I remember a "rad", a good friend, who laughed at me once saying "If you had your socialism, men would still beat their wives". I remember reading Atwood's "Handmaid's Tale", her prophetic vision of the Patriarchy gone berserk. My hair stood on end when I read that. "Red" feminists have prophetic fears too though, and I want to write about them. In a strange kind of way I would almost rather want Atwood's tale to come true than mine, if either does, because if mine does, the Western Women's Movement gave birth to nothing, and I don't want to believe that. Prosecutor. Victim. "But in El Salvador...." Prosecutor. "Objection your honour, it is illegal to call the 'Coffee area no. 4 Freemerica' by its old name. Judge. The scene takes place in a courtroom in the year 2050 in the capital of Canadafreemerica, Ottowa. There is a woman on trial, on a charge of sedition against freedom, a treasonable offence. She is being questioned by a woman prosecuter, in front of a woman judge, in front of an all woman jury. The women have blond hair. She is the last huwoman to stand trial. All of the others have been tried before her, and found guilty of sedition against freedom. Do you admit that?" "Sustained." "Thank you my lady. Now Prosecutor. (turning to victim) are you aware, do you admit, that we, Freemerica, eliminated the crimes of terrorism that sprung from 'Oil area 15'. "To my knowledge, the first move towards the Native American Indian experiment in Africa started with the blaming of the bombing of the Berlin discotheque by a Western European group on Libya, they said it was Libya who.... Victim. Prosecutor. uage." Judge. Victim. Victim. . "yes." "At that time, yo,. remen- GASPS FROM EVERYBODY. ber, we were getting rid of that terrible phenomenum terrorism. Why did you go to that area?" Judge. "Objection." "Sustained." Prosecutor. "I insist on an answer about your attitude to the crime of terrorism, the crime we have now eliminated." "You know, I used to wonder what I would do if all my family was killed, and all my village bombed, and the only people who could stop it were the ones in America watching T.V. I mean to realize that you had to do something really terrible to get on T.V. I used to wonder in fact if there were a lot of potential huwomen watchVictim. ing T.V. Prosecutor. "It is obvious that you condoned terrorism." SILENCE. NODS. THE JUDGE NODS, THE JURY "Objection sustained. Thank you. (turns to vicProsecutor. tim) you said that 'Oil area no. 15 Africafreemerica' was not responsible?" ''rosecutor. Prosecutor. "Objection, illegal lang- Prcsecutor, "I want to take you back to 1989, when you made a second visit to our part of the world Oil area no.15 Africamerica." "yes". Victim. "No, I mean South Africa before the silence." Prosecutor. "Thank you, your silence speaks for you. Now I want you to explain to the jury why you visited 'Coffee Area n. 1 freemerica' in 1986?" Victim. "You mean Nicaragua?" Prosecutor. Judge. "Objection." "Sustained." continued pg 12 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 11 �The Red Maiden's Tale THE JURY FILE OUT HOLDING THEIR CRYSTALS, THE VICTIM TAKES OUT HER CRYSTAL AND HER BODHRAN DRUM, AND SHE STARTS TO STRUM AN OLD TUNE. "Very well, we will Prosecutor. move onto the next question, your attire. I see you have rags on?" "I have always refused to wear clothes from the Philippines." Victim. "Thank you my Lady. Prosecutor. (Turns to victim) Why did you go to that area?" Prosecutor. language." Judge. TEARS START TRICKLING DOWN SILENCE. VICTIM'S FACE. Prosecutor. Victim. dreams." "Why?" "Because I believed in "I am asking you if you Prosector. agree that it is better for all of us that we now have free Plantation Areas in Freemerica No. 1,2,3,4,5. Victim. THE JURY FILES BACK, AND BRINGS IN A VERDICT OF GUILTY OF SEDITION AGAINST FREEDOM. "Objection, illegal The National Anthem starts pla ing, the National Anthem is a song that became very popular in 1990. I is called "Towards a Kinder and Gen ler Freemerica" and the victim is led outside by two women jailers towards the fire and towards the stak, There are multitudes of people watt] ing, fair families, gentle kind families, women, men, and children. Th air was pure as they had learnt to sue for it, and they watched as the victim flung her crystal away, clue ched tight her old Bodhran drum, am walked into the flames to claim her husisters, the others who had gone "Objection sustained." "You refuse to wear Prosecutor. clothes from 'Garment Area No. 6 Asiafreemerica?" Victim. "Yes." "You know that that Prosecutor. area is the only source of clothing for our women, that there were no clothes made in Canadafreemerica afDo you deny our women the ter 1995. freedom to be clothed?" "No, I am a huwoman." before .her. SILENCE. "For the record, when Prosecutor. did you join the tribe of ' huwomen'. "When I woke up one morning Victim. and had a salty taste in my mouth, I thought at first my mouth had been bleeding." GASPS OF DISGUST FROM ALL PRESENT EXCEPT THE,'VICTIM. "Women, I have Prosecutor to jury. before me a woman who calls herself a huwoman who questions the fundamental right of Canadafreemerican women to decent food and clothing, a fundamental right and freedom gained after a century of free struggle. She stands accused of sedition against freedom, I ask you to take your crystals out and meditate." an au/Liz-tic &ton Jozie Watteniu4 tettek and a membet o6 the G.G.W.W. union (Gtabat GuevuLtta Women Wo-k I am told despair never completely spends itself in one generation, that a residue of collective despair nests in the subconscious for centuries. I sometimes feel its morbid tendrils in rooms raucous with the laughter of survivors a message written in invisible ink blinking off and on through the mascara. Some feeling that a tender word would shatter the mirror and expose more grief than anyone could bear, a loss of faith and face, a collective remorseless guilt for being less than we are by our own standards. I know this rage that lurks below the good manners and the careful rhetoric of the disappointed. It is a necessary part of our development the fuel of our new politic. Gert Beadle PDF compression, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor page 12 NORTHERN WOMAN OCR, �continued from pg 7 Long Distance Delivery: PATIENTS' RIGHTS GROUP of-town. The staff may not realize the effect the more impersonal atmosphere of a large hospital may have on people from small communities. And a woman may feel she has little support if family and friends aren't able to visit. In the booklet we stress the importance of asking for the care you need. However, we see our booklet as a beginning. There's lots more work to do--work that women can do in their own communities. For example, sharing what you know about out-of-town birth with local women, perhaps during prenatal classes, can help women to be better prepared. There is a need for more widely established support services for birthing women such as hostels for family members and coaches for women in labour. Write to your provincial member of parliament and the Minister of Health, stressing the need for these services. Letters, especially lots of letters, can make a difference. Women need to join the current discussion about health care options in Ontario. The Advisory Committee on Reproductive Care recommends examining the role of midwife in providing birthing services in isolated areas. Working with other members of the Midwifery Task Force - Ontario is one way to strengthen the call for more birthing options* Realistically, out-of-town birth is an issue that will stay with us. We know it shapes the birth experiences of many Northern women, indeed, women right across Canada. We are right to question its necessity. But we must also find positive ways to respond to its demands. We have taken as our motto a wise piece of advice from an Ignace woman. "Hope for the best, but plan for the worst." It's something every woman living in a small town might keep in mind as she plans for the birth of her child. The booklet on out-of-town birth will be distributed free of charge during the summer of 1989 to public health units, nursing stations, hospitals and clinics throughout Northwestern Ontario. Individuals may obtain the booklet for the cost of postage. The Midwifery Task Force-Ontario can be contacted at Postal Station 'T', Box 489, Toronto, Ontario M6B 5C2 Hotty Rape/it the Red Lake coo/Ldin- aton o6 the PtOject on Out-4-Town Bath. She hats wotked on the tokoject with the Thunder Bay coo' dinaton Dianne Lai. Both women have experienced out-o4 town bitth. To receive copies - fill out the coupon below and send along with a money order or alumna for $2.00 per booklet (to cover postage) made payable to 1.11.1.11. TO: nall20aiO5121NOLSIES c/o N.W.O. gammas' Health Information Network as B. Cumberland St. 817. Thunder Bay. Ontario or call (807)345-1410 P7A 4L1 4ew (days). The group has received encouragement from the Patients' Rights Association and hopes to become a formal chapter soon. The Association acts as a patient advocate by assisting patients to get their grievance heard; to advocate easier, simpler and more equitable complaint procedures; and to promote among the public an awareness of their health rights and responsibilities. The Thunder Bay Patients' Rights Group hopes to make information on patient rights widely known. Legal health care rights in Ontario include the right to treatment in an emergency, to refuse treatment, to voluntary informed consent, to an adequate standard of care, to choose one's own doctor, to treatment free from discrimination and to confidentiality. In addition, there are moral rights which are recognized by professional codes of ethics but which are not legally enforceable. The Patients' Rights Association publishes a hand book "Patients' Rights in Ontario" and the Thunder Bay Group hopes to assist people to become aware of complaint procedures. Anyone interested should contact the group. \% :;)/1 1. copy(ies) of LaggpiltaamadjayrnyLV-....,--N Pleas, send me A guide to Travelling Awav From Nome to Give Birth to cover postage. I have enclosed S The founding meeting of the Thunder Bay Patients' Rights Group was held March 31, 1989. Anyone interested should contact Prue Morton, 344-2997 (evenings) or 345-4009 G14- Gr4 ./4 GT4 GT4 fh. GI4 G -4Y4 RESOURCES SEXUAL ASSAULT: NEW INFORMATION 4 publications in a new series are now offered by the Victoria Women's Sexual Assault Centre. Titles SERIES. NAME 28.23I3PtESSZ Street Apartment Province Postal Code City Area Code i Phone Number tRA,A9M9PotkPe,AW WEN-DO CHALLENGED Wen-Do Women's Self Defence Corporation is fighting a complaint of sexual discrimination before the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The complaint was brought by a male black belt in judo who is a representative of a men's groups called "In Search of Justice". The Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) has agreed to assist Wen-Do in its response to this complaint. LEAF believes that Wen-Do's women-only policies are specifically designed to promote women's equality and therefore do not violate human rights legislation. If Wen-Do wins, they will have successfully protected their right to remain a women-only organization and will have strengthened the interpretation of the Ontario Human Rights Code as a protection of traditionally disadvantaged groups, such as women. If the Human Rights Commission rules against Wen-Do and allows woman-centred education and support groups to be forced to admit men, men may also gain access and rights to run women's shelters and rape crisis centres... where women go when they are most vulnerable and need the support of other women. include: Sexual Assault: Information for Adult Survivors Sexual Assault: Information for Families Sexual Assault: Information for Partners and Friends Child Sexual Assault: Information for Parents These innovative and unique booklets are packed with information specific to each target group. Areas of discussion include: misconceptions about sexual assault and child sexual abuse; common reactions of the survivor and their supporters, and how survivors can get the help they need - including medical, legal, and emotional support concerns. Written in a way that is nonthreatening and easy to understand, each booklet is useful for anyone who has experienced sexual assault or wishes to support someone who has. Professional and non-professional helpers alike will find these booklets a valuable resource to enhance the service they already provide. Individual copies are available at $1.00 each plus postage and handOrder from Victoria Women's ling. Sexual Assault Centre, 1945 Linden Avenue, Victoria, B.C. V8V 4H3 NORTHERN, WOMAN. page 11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �BOOK REVIEWS Reviewed by ALICE RIIVES-SABOURIN HONOUR THE SUN by Ruby Slipperjack, Pemmican Publications, Winnipeg, 1987 The story begins with innocence, simple living and rich day to day experiences of a young Native girl in 1962. The descriptive and often humourous escapades of snuff chewing, legend telling and ritualistic blueberry picking would ring a warm light of familiarity to anyone from that special time and place of Northern Ontario. As a reader I was touched and impressed with the portrayal of characters special in HONOUR THE SUN, people the author describes are very real and important figures to Native people. The delicate interplay of roles between herself, her sisters, cousins and aunt and especially her mother clearly articulates how and why 'The Owl' has a strong sense of who she is - unafraid, open and very much belonging to the world which she so anMnately enjoys. And then it happens. The confusing disparity between the steadfast relationships between 'The Owl' and her impiediate family and the almost benign hatred she comes to experience towards neighboring men who upon returning from work go on terrorizing night rampages during drunken stupors The killing of 'Rocky' followed by an almost fatal entrapment by a town bully marked the end of innocence for 'The Owl' who now knows the meaning of fear and powerlessness. reviewed by PRUE MORTON CHILDBIRTH: What You Need To Know And Your Doctor Won't Tell You by Rosemarie Tugwood Manitouwadge, Ontario: Great Spirit Writers, 1989 This book begins by telling of the positive birthing experiences Rosemarie Tugwood experienced herself, first in helping her mother to give birth to her fifth child in an air raid shelter in England, then in giving birth to her own first child with the help of a midwife, also in England, and lastly, in giving birth to her other three children with the The summer of '62 continues on despite the harsh exploits of the returned workers. As the chapters progress 'The Owl's' character is revealed as being very much in control over her reactions particularly in painfully antagonizing circumstances where she becomes embarrassed, threatened and challenged. I could feel myself getting angry at the 'jokes' played on her by her brother Wess, In each event 'The Owl's' mother does not attempt to intervene or reprimand her older son for his tricks. Survival and control are taught in ways that perhaps appear to be cruel and harsh. However, to protect and defend 'The Owl' would be unrealistic as in most communities such as this where children are often left to defend themselves, to run behind the skirt of her mother pleading victim would have been viewed as childish and weak. Respect is given to those capable of enduring, a prerequisite for surviving in the North. The silent link between 'The Owl' and her mother is maintained giving the reader a pleasant feeling in realizing the power of ability 'The Owl's' mother had as teacher, leader, provider, particularly as it is done with very little conflict. The children know their place and their responsibilities, they have trust in their mother knowing any task asked of them will be within the bounds of their ability. This confidence and conditioning for control is probably one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted characteristics of Native people. The toughness of 'The Owl' coupled with the respect and kindness shown to her family is what will see her through the diversions in lifestyle in later years come the infilteration of alcohol dependency in her community and within her own family. Ruby Slipperjack continually speaks of the advent of the 'Whiteman' including Christmas trees, skating, and linoleum flooring. Sometimes it hints of excitement and enthusiam of these inventions. What was evident throughout the journal was the economic disparity between the standard of living of that community as compared to modern day consumer oriente society that is very wealthy for som people. In living on a reserve and being familiar with the differences in culture I would venture to state that even with the coming of consumerism in our capitalistic society, Native communities remain separate from that realm of existence. The economic conditions of Native commun ities are not very good and Ruby Sli perjack notes very thoughtfully and without judgement these differences. What is lost in many Native families is the unity and leadership which wa: illustrated in 'The Owl's' life. Time passes with the seasons leaving her separated from her past security onl: to face the undefined future. The quiet deterioration of collectivity is marked by her mother's involvement to excess with alcohol. With silent strength 'The Owl' becom( increasingly detached from her commul ity and the once very loving bond bet ween her and her mother. The determit ation not to follow is not unfamiliar among Native people. The courage tWial continue to move forward is the most powerfully pronounced characteristic in 'The Owl' and perhaps in Ruby Slipperjack herself. Reading this boo reminds me and enlightens me of the strength of individuals who can foresee their vision despite circumstanc( beyond their control. The pain of her alcoholic community is softened by the love she has for her mother and the bitterness is perhaps prevailed by the nature of her surroundings. "Honour the Sun for shining on your face and pray it will acknowledge yoi and bless you each morning." (The Ow: mother to The Owl.) keice RiiveA-Sabou4n -ins a tiraditiona contempoAany Ojibway woman who enjoyz peopte, mcoic and w/uiting. help of a small town doctor who agreed with her determination to have her babies at home. The rest of the book is taken up with descriptions of the many medical practices, often unnecessary and counterproductive, to which doctors subject women and their babies during pregnancy and childbirth. The medical establishment, which isn't even well trained to assist what should be a normal natural process, have managed to transform it into an ordeal where the doctor is the only authority and the women's wishes are often considered unimportant. The book presents very clearly the many faults of the "medical model" but it is outside its scope to document scientific evidence to back PDF compression, OCR, webItoptimization up its arguments. would be well using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor worth reading by any pregnant woman �BOOK REVIEW Reviewed by KIT MINOR Many Tender Ties, Sylvia Van Kirk, Watson and Dwyer Publishing Co., 1986. ' I had very much looked forward to reviewing this book which traces the role of women in the fur trade from 1670 to 1870. While I found the text informative, I was disappointed that the author did not attempt a clear feminist perspective, nor did she include the perspective of Native Van Kirk relies on the journals women. and writings of the men who where involved in the trading. I would suggest that she may have added a great deal to the perspective of women in the book if she had personally interviewed some of the elder Indian, Dene and Metis women residing in the Northern provinces, and the Northwest Territories. My own experience in these areas and personal contacts with elder women, whose grandmothers and great grandmothers had passed on detailed information about their role in the fur trade, leads me to believe that such information would have added a wealth of insight and understanding from the perspective of the women and their involvement in the fur trade. Van Kirk does provide detailed analysis and information as to the activities of the early fur trade, and particularly focuses upon the Indian and Metis woten. She emphasizes their role in aiding in the survival of the traders and trappers. The women possessed a wealth of information in the surviva41 techniques of the land. A relationship .between anindialnikaman_ and a trader brought with it these knowledges and certain securities, for the trader, as it created a social bond between the trader and the kinship network of the Indian woman. This enhanced the traders security in securing furs from the group. Van Kirk states that initially the trader adapted to the customs and practices of the people. However, I don't believe that her analysis really reflects the patriarchal and capitalistic benefits which the trader enjoyed when he assumed these customs and practices and married la facon du pays. ThL role which the Indian women played in the fur trade is really quite incredible, but Van Kirk seems to glide over this. The women were the teachers of the language and customs of the Peoples. They had the skills of tanning, making moccasins, and lacing snowshoes, all arts which were essential to the survival of the trader; but that Van Kirk does not seem to give credit as to how detailed and fine these skills were. The women provided the essentials of nutrition, such as pemmican. And in times of starvation, it was the Indian women whose skills and knowledge of the land secured the food. The Indian women were strong and able to assist the trader during his journey. She was a trapper of small animals, such a as the valuable marmot and thus increased the wealth of the trader. She was also often interpreter and peacemaker. Van Kirk does provide some information about the Chipewyan woman Thanadelthui. This woman became very important as a guide, integrater and peacemaker between the Chipewyan, the Northern Cree and the Nor'Westers. lighter the skin colour, the more EurVan Kirk does emphasize the strength and gives us some clue as to the bri- opean the ways, the more attractive lliance of this woman, but she also the women of the Peoples became to provides an undercurrent that Thandel- these men. Could the Metis women who thur became arrogant and self-serving, grew up within there father's home, which detracts from the wisdom and who were "educated" and "Christianized", skills of Thanadelthur. return to the rich and wise customs of the Indian women who chose to remain Van Kirk states that "There can be no doubt that, on a material within the Indian groups? I guess the questions here are could they return, level, life in a fur-trade post offered an Indian woman an easier would they be wanted, and would they existence" (pg.80). However, this know the ways? Van Kirk cloaks the blatant racism statement is either from her own perand sexism, and seems to say it was spective or that of the traders, okay because they really were nice men whose journals she quotes. Perhaps, it was just different, and perhaps the who really loved their wives, and gained indignities that the Indian women had nothing more from the union than a devIt seems to me that the to suffer, particularly when they were oted family. abandoned for Metis women, who were traders took a wealth of information, later abandoned for the white women, including the customs, and language were far more difficult than tradof the Peoples from these women. In itional Indian life. The Indian short they were educated by these women, women were encouraged to take on a who I have no doubt cared for these Europian life style while at the furmen, for the most part. If the traders felt so devoted to the Metis wives, trade post. They mothered from eight why then, after they had been educated to twelve children, three to four by the women, and with the arrival of times as many as the Indian women white women, did they leave the Metis who remained with their tribes. With women for the European women? Grantthe birth of these children came the ed this was not the case in all the confusion of cultural upbringing, relationships, nor perhaps the majority and often the children, particularly the sons were sent away to be "civbut, it happened significantly; so that many Metis women suffered an inilized" and educated. Now they were The children of the union between credible displacement° neither Indian, nor white, and that Indian women and Euro-men became confusion must have been an incredthe mixed blood, or the Metis. Many ible, lonely burden to bear. Van of these Metis women were educated Kirk again skims over this. Van Kirk in the customs of the mother and the does give evidence of numerous bond"civilized fashion" of their fathers. That is they know the traditional ings which were wholesome and caring, cultural ways of the Peoples, but 4Dut she just doesn't seem to repthey could dress in the fashion resent the other side of the coin. which the traders wanted i.e. European And from my own contacts and experVan Kirk writes "the European dress. fences of living with Native groups, traders sought to outfit their women for most of my adult life, I know in civilized fashion and to inculcate there is another critical part to in them the precepts of Christianity this story, and basically that is and proper womanly behaviour" (p.102). the story of the Indian/Dene and The authors fails to analyze, from Metis women. either a feminist perspective or a In the final two chapters Van Indian/Metis/Dene perspective, the Kirk does begin to attend to the blatant racism and sexism contained racism and sexism put upon the Indian Further she does not analyze, herein. and Metis women. But she also seems the tragic racism when these traders to indicate, particularly in the finabandoned their Indian wives for the al chapter, the benefits to the Metis Metis women. She does however give some of acculturation, that is the benefits clue as to the patriarchal nature of of the Metis taking on all the cultural the relationship between the traders traits of the Europeans, thus losing and the Metis women° And then on the the richness of their Indian heritage. Having read this book, I was exfollowing page (p. 122), she states tremely disappointed in Van Kirk's "with the emergence of the mixed Euro-Canadian attitude towards blood wife, the trend was the formation very the traditional wisdoms, skills and of lasting and devoted marital relatabilities of the women of the Peoples. Again I remind the reader ionships". It just seems that she missed the pothat Van Kirk secured her information int, and the strengths of these women. from the journals and writings of the I would refer the reader to a more men. I really wonder what the women would have said, or the grand-daughters succinct version of some of the traumatic events which took place during the of those women, whom Van Kirk could fur trade. This can be found in Ron I don't mean to have interviewed. The Development_af napBourgeault: imply here that there were not healthy italism and the Subjugation of Native and "devoted marital relationships", amen in Northern Canada in AlterBut I really I am sure some were. Carleton nate Routes Vol. 6: 1983. do wonder what the women of the Peoples Bourgeault, writing from University. Van Kirk seems to have to say here. a pro-feminist perspective, exposes expend a great deal of energy, and the fur traders as capitalistic adpages, extolling the wonderful and He further provides an venturers. caring aspects of these traders towards excellent critique of the struggles She seems the Indian and Metis women. and trauma which confronted the women to forget that the traders trementhe most affected by the fur trade: dously benefitted from these unions, Indian and Metis women. nor does she adequately analyize what these benefits were, nor in what frame of reference these benefits were secKit Mincft o a membet of the The fact seems to be that the ured. NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL catective. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NORTHERN WOMAN page 15 �Books for Summer Reading by MARGARET PHILLIPS Summer reading tastes frequently turn to fiction and this issue we wish to introduce lesser known Canadian novelists and short story writers whose words deserve to be heard. JANICE KULYK KEEFER is receiving critical acclaim for her first novel, Constellations, which "demonstrates an abundant talent... bold, riveting and beautifully executed". JANET TURNER HOSPITAL's most recent publication, a short story collection, is Dislocations. Winner of the Seal Books First Novel Award (1982) for The Ivory Swing, Hospital is also author of the excellent Tiger in the Tiger Pit, and Borderline, which is one of the most moving and amazing novels I have read. Book titles intrigue me. The Late Great Human Road Show is Paulette Jiles most recent novel. Jiles, who is best known for her poetry, now resides in B.C. but at one time lived in Sioux Lookout. Two novels by Alberta writer SUSAN HALEY have received fine reviews. A Nest of Singing Birds is said to be "a highly polished piece of fiction, the kind of debut that make publishers and critics share a sense of discovery", while in Getting Married in Buffalo Jump "her characters breathe and glow inside their excited talk and eccentricities." DIONNE BRAND has a collection of short stories Sans Souci. Brand, born in the Caribbean and now living in Torconto has published a number of books of poetry and is presently working on an oral history of black working women in Ontario. DONNA E. SMYTH, a Nova Scotia peace and environment activist, has combined her writing talents and activism in the innovative novel Subversive Elements. Smyth has also published Quilt. CYNTHIA FLOOD of Vancouver has been active in the women's movement and left politics since 1970. Her story collection The Animals in Their Elements was published in 1987. Mystery fans will be delighted with the work of EVE ZAREMBA. Her latest book Beyond Hope, follows the highly acclaimed Work for a Million. Manitoba author CAROL SHIELDS (Various Miracles, Happenstance, A Fairly Conventional Woman) has also turned her talents to mystery with the publication of Swann. Winner of the W.H. Smith Books in Canada first novel award is MARION QUEDNAU for The Butterfly Chair... "so imaginative and informed as to be exceedingly rare in a first novel". Interest in women's writing has encouraged the reprinting of earlier works (e.g.) In Due Season by CHRISTINE VAN DER MARK ... "a classic and highly acclaimed 1947 novel about northern Alberta..." with a new intorduction by DOROTHY LIVESAY, while The Stairway by ALICE A. CHOWN, first published in 1921 has been re-issued. There are many exciting Quebec women writers whose work is beginning to be made available in English. JOVETTE MARCHESSAULT's Lesbian Triptych has been translated by YVONNE M. KLEIN. Many Saskatchewan writers are emerging. BONNIE BURNARD's Women of Influence won the Saskatchewan Writers Guild major award for fiction in 1986, and SHARON BUTALA was a 1985 Governor General's Literary Award nominee for Queen of the Headaches. Fantasy devotees will be deligh ed to discover BARBARA SMITH's Renew The Prophecy of Manu and Renewal: Teonis Giveaway Book Two. Another Seal Books First Novel Award winner (1986) is JOANNE WILLIA BENNETT for Downfall People. Other short story collections t look for include: Mohawk Trail by BETH BRANT; If Only We Could Drive Like This Forever, by ELISABETH HARVOR; and Stories by Canadian Women and More Stories by Canadian Women edited by ROSEMARY SULLIVAN. The growth of Canadian women's writing is so wonderful to experience In case you have missed them, we will also mention a few of the works of some of our established writers. JOAN BARFOOT: Abra, Duet for Three. ANNE CAMERON: Daughters of Copper Woman, Dzelarons, Child of Her People, The Journey. MARIAN ENGEL: The Glassy Sea, Bear, The Honeyman Festival. MAVIS GALLANT: (newest work) In Transit. KATHERINE GOVIER: Fables of. Brunswick Avenue, Random Descent. ALICE MUNRO: Progress of Love, Dance of the Happy Shades. JANE RULE: Desert of the Heart, Outlander, Theme for Diverse Instr ments, Memory Board. AUDREY THOMAS: Goodbye Harold, Goodluck, Real Mothers, Intertidal Life. ADELE WISEMAN: Crackpot. MatgaAet Phittio 4.4 a member o4 the NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL cottective and owner o4 the No' thekn Woman'6 Boolvsto,te READERS PLEASE NOTE Rising production costs necessitates a rise in JOURNAL rates. Effective this issue the NORTHERN WOMAN .JOURNAL subscriptions are $6 for 4 issues for individuals, $12 for inThe stitutions, single copy $1.75. JOURNAL survives on subscriptions, please renew yours promptly and encourage others to become a regular reader of the NORTHERN WOMAN. S -M PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 MAIL TO: INSIDE: Don't forget to renew your SUBSCRIPTION p2 EDITORIAL p3 RED FLAG: Bill 124 p4 LONG DISTANCE DELIVERY P5 ONTARIO WOMEN'S DIRECTORATE p6 PAY EQUITY p8 THE WOMEN'S MOVEMENT & STRUGGLES IN THE PHILIPPINES pll THE RED MAIDEN'S TALE p14 BOOK REVIEWS p16 BOOKS FOR SUMMER READING NAME ADDRESS POSTAL CODE Coven, De6ign by Peggy Hamet $ 6.00 Institutional $12.00 Individual RETURN TO: NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL PO Box 144 Thunder Bay Ontario P7C 4V5 THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 Return Postage Guaranteed Northern Woman Journal FOUR ISSUES $ 6.00 $12.00 Business or Institution' lo 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 12 No 1 Description An account of the resource Vol. 12, No. 1 (July 1989) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Free trade Children’s Law Act amendment Child custody Natal care access Travelling to give birth Thunder Bay Immigrant Women’s Planning Committee Pay Equity Women’s movement in the Philllipines Transnational solidarity Radical feminism Anti-capitalism Poetry Thunder Bay Patient’s Rights Group Wen-do Feminist book review of Honour the Sun by Ruby Slipperjack Feminist book review of Many Tender Ties by Sylvia Van Kirk Feminist book list Authors/Contributors: Maude Barlow Leni Untinen Holly Rupert Ontario Women’s Directorate Lynn Beak Josie Wallenius Gert Beadle Alice Riives-Sabourin Kit Minor Margaret Phillips Peggy Harper 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 1989-07 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/16/2819/1989_Vol_12_No_2.pdf 4b721e40a8a2ca452a3a44a8a717b801 PDF Text Text $1.75 Northern Woman Journal Nover ber 1980 Volume 12 No. Thum'er Bay, Ontario PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �E DITORIAL We must not be deluded for one moment about why abortion legislation 60 Years a Person - a rallying cheer - as Canadian women celebrated the anniversary of the Persons Case-. Yes. it was 60 years ago on October 16, 1929 that Privy Council determined women to be persons. Yet on November 3, 1989 the federal Conservative government introduced legislation that will again deny women our personhood. The Conservatives intend to re-criminalize abortion. If this bill is passed a woman's right to determine her own destiny, to make her own decision will again be denied. -within the Criminal Code 15 deemed necessary It is not about compromise as the Conservatives and some media lead us to believe It is not about fetal rights. It is not about father s rights. It is about CONTROL. The highly publicized court cases this past summer - for example the Daigle-Tremblay case - were stunning illustrations of this matter of control.i The abortion issue is not. as frequently declared, a complex issue. It is really a simple issue. The issue of control - men's control of women. By introducing this abortion bill the Conservative government has demonstrated it s intention to control women. to ensure a subserviant position for women in Canadian society. The abortion iegisiation is merely a first step to reverse the modest gains the feminist movement has won this past decade If the abortion legislation successfully passes, it will provide the impetus for other restrictive policies tc ensure women are controlled. That we live in a misogynist society Is a reality we must never forget. ZIZZZIZZZIZZIZZIZZIIIIZZliiiii CELEBRATING 60 YEARS AS PERSONS Despite the fact that by 1920 most Canadian women had complete suffrage, under British Common Law, they were "not persons in matters of rights and privileges", but were "persons in matters of pains and penalties" only. They were classed along with children, criminals and idiots. The famous Persons Case battle began in Alberta in 1916 when the authority of the first woman police judge, Emily Murphy, was challenged as she heard her second case. The defence lawyer argued that since the judge wasn't ever a person, any decision she might make concerning his client would not be legally binding. Although Judge Murphy's authority was backed up by the provincial government, she decided to test the federal interpre- tation of the law, Her platform was the eligibility of women to sit in the Senate, because only persons could legally be Senators. For 11 years she wrote hundreds of letters, made speeches and circulated petitions to women's institutions. By 1927Judge Murphy realized that a bolder, more direct presentation of the question was needed. Since any five persons could petition Parliament for an interpretation of any part of the British North American Act, Murphy decided to request reassessment of Section 24, which deals with the appointment of Senators. Irene Parlby, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir' Edwards and Louise McKinny joined her in the appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada took five weeks to deliberate the question. On April 24, 1928, it was declared that women were not qualified for the Senate and were not, therefore, legally persons, As shocking and disheartening as the decision was, the women pushed their appeal to the Privy Council in England - their last hope. The Privy Council based its decision on the wording of the Act itself: "In some sections the word male persons are expressly used when it is desired to confine that matter an issue to males". In Section 24, however, the Act stated that 'the Governor General shall from time to time summon qualified persons to the Senate" without mention of gender. The Privy Council decision of October 16, 1929 legitimized what women already knew, that women are indeed persons! Feminist Publications of Ottawa - 1979 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 4t 4 A4 ,f 4 Nor fhpr'n tlifilTiriti Pane �ABORTION RE-CRIMINALIZED Once again legislation has been put forward by the federal government to, re-criminalize abortion. The proposed legislation establishes that -Every person who induces an abortion on a female person is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years. unless the abortion is induced by or under the direction of a medical practitioner who is of the opinion that, if the abortion were not induced, the health or life of the female person would be likely to he threatened it this legislation passes what will be the outcome? *Women will be denied freedom of choice. Legislators and doctors. not the woman herself, will control a woman's reproductive destiny. *The unequal access to abortion services that now exist in Canada will be exacerbated. i At present, women in P.E.I.. much of Newfoundland, and most of rural and isolated areas across the country do not have access to abortion services.) The federal government is disclaiming responsibility for ensuring equal access for all Canadian women, leaving the access question to provinces. 'omen will have to play the Bailie" required by the doctor(s) of their communiry-. Having to convince a doctor your health is endangered incurs a stress that will certainly be unhealthy. It is preposterous that women be subjected to this abuse. *An increase in litigation. Legal experts believe that litigation could occur on a number of fronts. The constitutionality of the legislation could be challenged. The legislation does not prevent court challenges by third parties (ex-boy friends, evenstrangers). Doctors performing abortions could face court challenges. 'Decreased availability of abortion services. There is the potential that many doctors will choose to not perform abortions if they are concerned that they may face criminal charges. (We may spend the rest of our lives raising money for Henry Morgentaler's defense fund.) *Intensified anti-choice activity, not only through litigation, but also through increased harassment of doctors and abortion patients. 'A significant diversity of practice and policy throughout the country. The bill does nothing to ensure the appropriate provincial funding of abortion services. There is no need to criminalize abortion. Abortion is a health matter not a criminal matter. The government must strengthen the Canada Health Act to ensure that every province provides universal access to this necessary health service. K. a f N# 3 K 4..X 4 f. t till 44 A .4 144411* 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Canadian Abortion Rigid* action Longue Abortion information - Lobbying - Pro-Choice 3.457.0303 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (GST) Niar.-.1--..0 17: I-, ! I ; .ks a bookseller as a member of a periodical publishing collective, but most particuiari as a reader and as a Canadian. I am outraged that the federal Conselyat.rv'e government seems bent on destroying a Canadian cultural industry. For destruction is precisely what will happen to the Canadian book and magazine publishing industry it the 'Tories Goods and services Tax is implemented. disaster :pus in mato, --;,.-aYs. It will impact women most seriThe G. )usly see acimpair,-.ing article). It pro:-_!uce chaos for small business people la concern that has been reabV mainstream onabiy The devastation that the 6ST will coilSv Canadian literature ha not, how e tier. been adequately addressed in media discussion of the tax. Every ..1:ne who loves books should he seriously concerned. the past 111teen years has seen an amazingly rich outpouring of writing by Canadian women. Through creative and theoretical writing. our herstory has been discovered. the feminist movement nourished. and our culture enriched Continually new voices are being heard - voices necessary to our understanding of ourselves - as women as Canadians. The imposition of the GST would silence our voices. At the present time books are not taxed. The GST imposes a 9% tax. If the provinces are coerced into integrating into this scheme we could see a 17% tax. Research demonstrates that an increase of one percent is met with a decrease in demand or selling rate of 1.0 - 2.5 for books (thus a 9% - 23% decrease in demand). This price elasticity, as it is called, is even more dramatic for magazines, The Don t Tax Reading Coalition points out, The proposed Goods and Services Tax but Canadian magamay be only zines cannot just pass this increase along to their readers. Its been estimated that a 9% price increase could cut sales of some magazines by as much as one thirds Nor can Canadian publishers absorb the increased cost themselves: the industrys pretax profits amount to less than 4% - and most publishers have no profits at all.'So some magazines may have to shut down. Those that survive may have to either charge their readers more or reduce costs by cutting pages, publishing less frequently, scrimping on printing or paper quality, or paying their contributors less."Either way, Canada's already fragile magazine industry will be more vulnerable than ever to the foreign publications that already take 60% of the Canadian market, and more than of newstand sales.continued Pg 13 Northern Woman Page 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �HERSTORY - CANADA'S FIRST WOMEN'S CALENDAR CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF SUCCESS The Saskatoon Women's Collective is celebrating the 15th anniversary of HERSTORY with the 1990 edition of their acclaimed appointment calendar. Highlighting Canadian Women, HERSTORY was Canada's first calendar of its type, started in May of 1973 by a group of Saskatoon women who wished to provide a and inspiring outline of the struggles and achievements of Canadian women". HERSTORY has created many friends and established a strong readership and respect for its scholarship. HERSTORY was published contin- uously from 1974 to 1982. Two years of publications were missed in 1983 and 1984. The manuscript was finished and had been with the publisher for some months when he announced that the 1983 edition could not be produced "due to-lack of money". For 18 months the collectie struggled unsuccessfully to find another publisher, Many companies were neither sympathetic to, nor interested in women's publications and especially not interested in working with a collective. Coteau Books (Thunder Creek Publishing Co- operative. Limited) based in Moose law and Regina finally showed interest in time for the 1983 edition. They agreed to work with the group of women and have published five successful calendars with sales growing every year. Naturally, they look forward to another exciting year with the 1990 anniversary edition. The collective members have changed many times from the original five - June Bantjes, Beth Foster, Gwen Gray, Collen Pollreis and Erin Shoemaker to the eight who worked on the 1990 edition (Shirley Martin, Myrna Lamontagne, Gail McConnell, Patty Williams, Nancy Cochrane, Anna Marie Boquist, Mary Gilliland and Dianna Brydon). Work has already begun for the 1991 calendar and although they are saddened to see old friends leave they are pleased to have new members. Over the years, there has been anywhere from 5 to 11 members on the collective, making a 47-kfitoo total of 44 women who have worked on HERSTORY. Even more amazing is the fact that everyone is a volunteer. The circle of people who contribute is, of course, much wider because they are always looking for suggestions from women across Canada. One of the original statements of purpose was to to take "Jay groundwork for others up the challenge of continuing the much needed research on the history who came before. In HERSTORY, we'r, creating our own "story" as we go anc though experiences and strengths are quite different, we discover how muc we share, now and across the generations. And I am delighted and inspire by what I learn about myself and about the women I meet through the pages of HERSTORY." Catiadi'an women': Certainly HERSTORY has been a part of the consciousness and expanding interest in the herstory of Canadian women as well as a beautiful way to record our personal histories. The calendar is moderately priced and available in an increasing number of outlets from Coles and Classics to the Northern Woman Bookstore. I-IEQ6TOQY 1°9°9°0 It is exciting for the women in the collective to receive letters from the subjects explaining how being included in HERSTORY has helped to empower and delight them. In the words of Shirley Turcotte (1990, pg. 92) "Still even as I sit here typing, I can barely see the keys through my tears, when I think what it means to receive probably one of the most significant honours in my lifetime. One that will be felt by many survivours across the nation and even the world." The comments from readers are E CA-N-AD I A454,----7r WOMEN'S CALENDAR 0 >00000000< equally reassuring: "HERSTORY was a great reading experience for one so far from home! (Leslie Daoudi, Annaba, Algeria.) "The women from the past show us how far we have come, but the women of the present give us role models and show us what we can be." (Ellen Pettigrew, Tantalloon, Nova Scotia) HERSTORY creates a special experience for those women who are able to work together to produce the manuscripts. "In the excitement of sharing our pages with one another, we have discovered how powerful it is to remember together the great things women have done. We also feel akin to them through the solidarity we experience in our own collective." It is as much a joy as it is hard work,. best summed up by Marty Gilliland, a member since 1984. "It's exciting to work together on a project like this to gain a sense of community both present and past in learning more about each other and about women T :Tur...Fcript * cheri.; your label :7 .i.1; :;ee cnr-,c'r s 1.5 tssue. tje rI,T.T'VC see a 3 d ue ne vc,:i are are. Itencw-your >< >< PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �The Faye Peterson Transition House in Thunder Bay received $1709.00 for a billboard sign : "Wife Assault is a crime in Thunder Bay" Ontario Women's Directorate The Immigrant Women's Planning Committee in Thunder Bay received their written resources to OWD's Northern Office Resource Centre. Spanish, Vietnamese and Polish to focus on wife assault. With to develop a safety brochure for women and children. New Starts for Women in Red Lake received $1,500.00 to raise community awareness through radio for wife assault. Nipissing Transition House in North Bay received $1,500.00 to design and install a billboard for one month on wife assault being a crime. the help of two summer students, Diana Milton (OWD) and Cathy Pappas (Decade), boxes of publications, reports and conference materials were transported, sorted and catalogued and are now available to the community of women, students and others interested in women's at Ontario Women' s Directorate, 107C Johnson Avenue. issues Please feel free to cone inbrowse, borrow and/or research - at your convenience. Office hours are 9:00 to 5:00. Call to make sure the office is staffed. 345-6084. The C.M.H.A. Family Resource Centre The following organizations in Ontario have received Northern Ontario Women Directorate funding for Wife Assault in November. in Matheson received $1,500.00 to hold a film presentation and discussion to raise public 000000000000000000 awareness. Thanks for your participation. 00000000000000 Manitoulin Haven House in Mindemoya received $1,000.00 for a display unit for public education. Chadwick Home of Wawa received to purchase resource $3,500.00 material to make joint presentations with other agencies on the Manitoulin Interagency Committee Against Family Violence in Mindemoya received $1,700.00 for a one-day workshop on wife assault. issue of wife assault. The Rainy River District on Family Violence in Rainy River received to produce $1,455.00 slides, and photo albums for pmrValets Omushkegiskew House in Moosonee received $1,500.00 to produce and distribute wallet-size "action cards" in Cree and English. RESOURCE CENTRE public speaking. 1 Because of cuts in Secretary of State funding in administration, Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council has graciously given much of $1,500.00 to hold three workshops in The Atikokan Crisis Centre in Fort Frances received $1,450.00 WIFE ASSAULT PREVENTION MONTH NOVEMBER 1 9 8 9 RESOURCES COORDINATION 4 0 O O 0 O O The 1989 updated version of "The Northern Ontario Women's Organizations" directory is now available free of charge. Phone (collect) or write, if you would like a copy. 000000 000 00 0 0 O O O O O 00 .04444440400 44440.4004.444.4.4440/444+ Ojibway Family Resource Centre in The NWO Women's Decade Council of Thunder Bay received $3,000.00 SOME NEW BOOKSto North Bay received $5,000.00 to produce a 30-second TV ad conveying produce and distribute brochures wife assault as a crime for the in Social and pamphlets Oji-Cree Policy:andA feminist North analysis. Bay, Mattawa and Sturgeon Frendh. Falls communities. Blood at the Root: Motherhood, The Thunder Baysexuality Coordinating and male dominance. Pavilion Family Resource Centre on Committee Family Violence received $1,599.00 The to Birth run ads and Partner: in Haileybury received $1,500.00 Everything to print andyou distribute a newshold a public education television need to know to help aletter woman to through make school presentations series on Thunderchildbirth. Bay agencies and to advertise local services. serving assaulted women. Equal or Different Women's politics The Esprit Place Resource Centre 'Beendigen of Thunder Bay received in 1800 - 1914 in Parry Sound received $1,500.00 to a $1,380.00 have one-day to print and distribute pamphlets. conference to educate thethings nativeDone Women's views Getting on family community members of their involvement in political violence. The ACFO Regionale de Timmins in Timmins received $5,000.00 for two life. theatre performances and community Women in Crisis inSharing Sioux Power Lookout Women in Politics. A advertising. received (Oji-cree) ads. to run skills radio handbook. $1,500.00 political and newspaper (English) Northshore Family Resource Centre in Marathon received $1,500.00 to hold a one-day workshop in Marathon. Hoshizaki House in Dryden received $1,503.51 to purchase videos, tapes, booklets for wife assault month. 9 9 9 9 9 9 The Kenora Family Resource Centre received $1,500.00 to have a oneday symposium on wife assault. The Kenora Family Violence received $1500.00 to hold a conference in Dryden for police, Crown Attorneys, shelter workers to raise and awareness on Wife Assault. is This page sponsored by the The Ontario Women's Directorate. material contained on it may be photocopied and distributed without permission, but with credit to the source original or the Ontario Women's Directorate. Northern Woman Page 5 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Because this is an important story, it has three titles, even four, but if that worries you, I can make it one. In fact I will make it one. ENEMIES ARE A LUXURY WE CAN NO LONGER AFFORD, SO WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES AND DON'T LET THE FEARSOME HAVE YOU FEARED ABOUT OTHERS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT THE WHITE, WHITE OCCIDENT AND THEY ARE NOT THE DARE, DARK ORIENT For the life of me I can't figure out why people get all feared up when you go to places in far off lands where the real fear- some fear you going, because really, the only way to fear the fearsome back is to go where they don't want you to go. Take the Soviet Union. Up to a few years ago, if you even so much as went for a pleasant cruise on the Volga, people acted as though you were a spy when you came back, when of course the fearsome just didn't want you to know that the sun shined there. When I showed children in the school down the road my pictures, they were very surprised at seeing the sun. Two years ago, 'when,I came back from Libya, which was four years after the fearsome started making that place fearful, anybody would think I had bombs in my pocket when I walked down the high street.It was very strange, I can tell you, Well, this month, January 1989, I heard from a friend on the Prairies, who tunes in to Radio Havana of an evening to while away some dullness, that the U.S. fleet was on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, which of course is a long way from the Atlantic where it is supposed to stay. When I heard that I felt quite feared myself, even cowed, like a battered woman, so when I got a phone call from my friends in the U.S. to go again to Libya, of course I said yes. Hands up who likes to be cowed anyhow and one finger up to the Pentagon, or is it two fingers, and maybe, just maybe, no strike on the infamous chemical pharmaceutical plant if we went. You all know, don't you, how the Pentagon mourns pure North American white blood when shed, though admittedly, ratio to population, it seemed more black and native brown Americans had wanted to go: They seemed to have more of a problem with the North American Indian experiment in Africa than the white people, which is a shame, isn't it? But this story is not about that, we all really know about that, it's about this strange thing of people being afraid of other people going to the feared places, Well, as soon as I got the invitation, I nipped into town to get some film and a smart dress, just in case we were introduced to you know who, and I bumped into a woman I know and told her where I was going. I also told her I was very worried about this habit of bombing dastardly chemical places, because we have one in Suffield, Medicine Hat, which of course would have been bombed if we'd all said "No" to the Trade Deal. I had to tell her that because that is what my friend on the Prairies is doing, nagging Jo Cluck about Suffield and he just does not seem to care at all. So as I said, I told this woman, and I swear she aged in front of my eyes. This depressed me, that this woman was so feared she aged, and I had to go home and have a hard think about it. The U.S. fleet was fearing me, why should she fear me? So then I remembered something that had happened to me a long time ago in England. I was working in a canteen. It was a great big canteen, with a lot of leftovers. So I took home the leftovers to feed the children and that left wages for rent. Then something happened that feared me more than the fleets, I wasn't going to need any rent because I warn t going to have a home. I went to the doctor and he saw how feared I was about not having to pay rent, so he sent a letter to the "Housing" and it must have been a wonderful letter because they put me at the top of the list. Well, I waited day after day with clutched breath for a place to pay rent for, and then one day at work I got a phone call from the "housing". A man said to go that day and get some keys. I got on my bike in my half hour lunch break and went over. I walked in the room and he put some keys on the desk and said, "Here are the keys of 32 Waddon New Road. Goodbye." Very happy, I took the keys and went back to finish my work as now everything was alright, the streets were receeding, though I had thought of a tent on the common. As I walked into the canteen, two of my friends came up and asked me where the house was. "Waddon New Rd." "What number?" "32." "You can't live there." "Why not?" "Because it's next door to the Grice Family." "Who the heck is the Grice family." My women friends, who had lived in Croydon much much much longer than I then told me about this Grice family. They were terrible. The father wa; in and out of prison, so were some of the sons. The mother took in men. There were always fights, the street was always getting petitions up to get them out, and I COULD NOT LIVE THERE, I COULD NOT, IT WASN'T FAIR TO MY CHILDREN. Of course, feared I was, maybe the streets or a tent was better, so I went back to the housing after work because sometimes the housing gave you choices. Well I walked into the same room with the same man and put the keys back on the desk. I think this man was used to a lot of things. I could not I told him I could live in this place and he looked at me straight and asked me if I wanted a home or not. I picked up the keys again and went to pick up the childre from school and we went to see the house together. It was a little house i] a road of big and middling and little houses, and on one side was another little house with an elderly couple and on the other side was a rambling great brick house with a broken front door and a front yard overgrown wit] dandelions. The sun shone on these dandelions something fierce. It was the Grice House. The next day, after work, a friend moved us and our chip pan and so on in his van to our house. I made some tea, then I put the children to bed on their matresses and then I went out I the back garden. There were a lot of fierce dandelions in my garden too. 0 one side there was a posh fence between my dandelions and the elderly couple and on the other no fence and more dandelions. I sat on the step. I didn't think. I walked through the dandelions to the back door of the Grice house and knocked on it. What do you want?" "I'm your new neighbour and I thought I would come and have a chat." centtnued pg PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page �WHAT IS PAY EQUITY "inancialhayst Soctai,Worker Skill 68 Effort Pay equity is the new term for equal pay for work of equal value It involves comparing jobs done by men to jobs done by women. when the jobs !ere om one another An anaiogy is comparing apples and oranges. Skill 68 Effort 20 70 ResponsinIMY 76 Responsibility Working Conditions 10 Wortting Conditions 5 175 163 Pt'Cii LI:4e ir e I(t)5 are dissimilar. Uctoeii;:-ay eqUalv. edtoa Skill 18 25 Effort 15. Effort 13 Responsibility 28 Responsibility 32 Working Conditions 15 -zeeretar, Lan be compar- Skill 01- an x-ra-v techril- ,:i'an, and i painter or an accountant. Pay Equity dif',tinguished from our normal ideas of c=:nparing y.)bs because the as Working Conditions ,ioeF not ,70mpare jobs on 01 how much one is paid to do tIle tri but aCC0101i1 73 i_<) all assessment of the skill, effort, responsibility and not be any positions to compare lie, a working conditions under which the child care centre). job is performed. SKILL includes education, f'7!7 per tence or special abilities to perform a job. EFFORT includes physical or mental RESPONSIBILITY includes decisional:41in*, i-esponsibility for people. inachinery budgets, WORKING CONDJTIONS includes physical aspects of a job !dirt, noise. rlsk and iTliatal stress., 3s ?fail t to 111 awe Most workplaces, however, have male and female dominated jobs. The Act defines male jobs as a job category in whictl Th. 01 the workers are male' and a female iob categor' in which 60% of the workers are female. All uh lesser percentages of men and -1/4/oinen emplo.,--ees form sex neutral categories. If you are working in a company and want to know when the pay equity process will be unoertaken: the schedule is as follows- -.,ur Lc:J.L is alue ,f our I 4.4 1./ 1,2... L idea behind pav if: to r:.zs ib av 7. S .eork has bezel -alued. criteria other th.,n the r te IF ne:,---feri \, I ;_na.t larger employers, who must com- '-,41,,r !an i:100 an 1 1900 Em Fliox-erc mete their evaluation first. would he 'ai.de to pro,..ide advice and assistance to the smaller ones, AN EXERCISE IN VALUING WORK 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) welder sales clerk accountant public school teacher child care worker skidder operator List from the the above 6 jobs in order highest paid to the Lowest- ,pai,.11s_.----e./w4gWlgrzet, personal experience and knowledge to determine what each job is paid. *** The answer is not simple, but according to Employment Canada and StatsCan, the rank from highest to lowest is probably 6,4,1,3,2,5. list the 6 jobs again, this time on the basis of what you think they are worth to our Now, I thai ;resent system has historically undervaiued tnose !ohs 1.1.111v) are recioininath, done bv women. then the society in general. 1990. Jan 1. 199 Ian *** You have just completed a simple analysis of jobs based on criteria other than what our society presently pays for the work. If your ranking differed nut not be the tool by which we rank ;ohs. Going back to the apple/orange analogy will help to make this clearer. Private ,ector How would one compare apples and oranges - by vitamin content, price, ;--Trriniover i fibre content. availability: etcetera and iohs are compared too; we know they from the one based on wages, you lan I 1 jan I, 1992 understand equity. will why we need pay PAY EQUITY AND UNIONS The Pa..\-VitV Act has different rules for unionized and non-unionized workplaces. If you are a member of a union, then the union must be actively involved in the pay equity evaluation it will be negotiated between the employer and the union. Specifically. fk 1 (I RAti- i z /1 the method used ti) compare job classes, the definition of male and female job in classes: and the rate and time frame for bro. pioYt.,es wage adjustments are issues that are negotiable. The Pay Equity Commission, disappointing for many which was established to oversee this A omen when They realit.e how long it process: has recommended that will take for 1-,,aY equity payment: to be employees and unions should set up maJc in their vorkptace. The reason for joint union-management committees to the delay is to allow smaller employers undertake the pay equity process and time to learn how to conduct a pay continued pg 15 41quitv evlitiallnil It was anticipated Pr iv a must.be - because they are paid diflerent amounts What pay equity is trying Sector l-mploYe; to do is provide a w av of comparing jobs when they are done d4ferent Fexes, to see if they have been paid on that basis. THE ONTARIO SCHEME The Pay Equity Act which iv as passed 11) Ontario in J7 is based on the Stem aIreau llnpiemented '.',Iinnesota and Manitoba. It 1-t_lt.lifels employers over a period of year:- to corn - pare jobs done inside their establishment. and to determine if jobs done predominately by women are paid less than men s jobs Each emplOyer need only compare internally and U the company or community group has only jobs dominated b; one se N then there will an ; Ian 1. 1993 rf L f.) - Northern Woman Page 7, PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �SEXUAL TERRORISM MALE TERRORISTS By Melanie Randall Reprinted from Broadside August/September 1989 As activists in the women's movement have long pointed out, we live in a world where men's acts of violence against women and children, both real and symbolicare epidemic. In fact, the very scale of the problem contirr ties to stagger the imaginatioh,. Even though most feminists acknowledge violence against women to be a problem of sexual oppression, and in spite of what appears to be increasing public awareness, most of us cannot adequately grasp the extent, nature and impact of the fact that virtually every woman in our society has confronted some experience of sexual coercion, harassment, abuse, assault or violence in her lifetime. Moreover, almost all women are aware of living with some kind of Tear and caution about this violence. What does it really mean, for example, to point out that roughly one out of every two women (44 per cent) has been the victim of rape or attempted rape? Or to point out that 54 per cent of all adult women have had some experience of sexual abuse in childhood'? Or to suggest that as many expressions of sexual coercion, dom- ness, or to experience the elaborate forms of accomodation, as well as resistance, which women employ to curie with and negotiate the many forms of men's sexual intrusion. ination and intimidation, and is jarring in its forceful exposure of the sexual abuses and violations of worn en which remain largely unseen even though they surround all of us. It is precisely because the proble is one of /7761).5 sexual violence against women that the -issues have been so difficult for' feminists to address, both theoretically and strategically. We are, for example, u against what is a concerted effort Of the part of main -stream social institutions, and particularily the state, to reframe and obscure the issues in gender-neutral and ideological terns like "family" or "domestic" violence, "Spousal assaul and "victims of violence": Feminists, of course, use terms like "violence against women" in order to name bot the crime and the gender of those wr are routinely victimized. But even- feminists are sometimes reluctant t identify and draw attention to the agents of the violence, that is, to make quite explicit that what we ar really talking about is /7767.5 violenc against women and children. This reluctance arises becauSe a radically feminist critcqUe eqendt--"' into the core of gender relations, as one in four won -en has been physi: cally context of a hetereosexual marital relationship? Or to reveal that in Diana Russell's large-scale random.survey research only 7 per cent of. women did not disclose any experience of sexual aggression against them - the other 93 per cent of women respondents in the study all reported some kind of sexual abuse or violence. These statistics give us an-important indication of the dimensions and prevalence of rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, wife assault in our society and give us a picture of the total scale of men's sexual abuse of women. But they do not give us the images of what the abuse really looks - like, what it really feels like, what it really does to a woman's sense of herself and the world around her. They cannot reveal or convey the impact and trauma of the brutalization sexual, physical and emotional which so many women endure at the - hands of men. Statistics do not bring home the immediacy and presence (however invisible it is deliberately kept) of this violence and its impact in all of The figures cannot graphically remind us that whenever we are with other women - at work, in our families, walking on the street, or riding a bus - we should think about the fact that nearly all of us are survivors of some kind of sexual abuse. Or that in our daily lives we are often brought into contact with and. must relate to men, many of whom are perpetrators of some form of violence against women or children what would it really mean for us if we had to know about and confront all those-men with whom we are acouaiiited who are sexual. abusers, rapists, wife beaters or sexual opens for scrutiny our daily interactions and touches nerves for a grey many people. The consciousness raising process, which remains the vital core of feminism, always demands that we make difficult and significant personal change in both our thinking and practices. The resis. tance so many people have to radical feminism is in large.part because it problematizes the most sacred and secret sphere of our 'private' worlds including the family, the nature of love, the nature of sexual relations, the nature (*gender, and sexuality itself We need to know much more aboui the construction, experience and con . harassers. Some feminists speak of women tent of sexuality as it is lived and bcaticed in our society, it used to be common for feminists to argue that under conditions of sexual 7erroic_n in our society. Zfils way of eyr)ressino 1t perhaps comes ClOSeSt . tt captutino women s social situation, tt. the Pluntness of these. 0,fords. teiyor7sin - aft rents the many levels of denial and distancing which most of us use as a coping strategy in our everyday lives, The expression can appear to he too strong, too strident, too exaggerated to those who work to our lives. They cannot provide us with the images of sexual brutalization, of men's terrifying and utter disregard for the 'other'. Nor can they force us keep their denial intact. It is a term to feel the often acute intimidation, the fear, the humiliation, the numb- which blasts.--; through the taken-forgranted and unseen nature of most - rape was not about sex, it was about violence, domination and control. But this analysis attempts to salvage a notion of "healthy" sexuality decontexuatized from gender relations as they .are constructed and lived by us. And ever iris "the sex" from "the violertoe" in r:1-ibe or child sexual abuse. for eXample, miss under5.--.tandlnd what it is about the practic iln-hratic?n, Intrusion ?rig control 11-r:_fr cl spyLi:j! 4.r:if:II-inc.! tar cs,n min;, Northern Woman Page B optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, OCR, web �men what passes as 'normal" and "good" heterosexual sex itself needs to be scrutinized, as do the myriad other physical and emotional practices which make up heterosexual girl? How do ore account for a man's ability even to get an erection in the relations A very great deal of what feminists identify as sexual violence, intrusion or coercion is, in fact, the stuff of "everyday" and "normal" images of women hound, gagged, hung from trees, or raped, as these are presented in pornography and popular culture? Why do men feel so entitled to access to women's bodies? Why do heterosexual relations, This means that we cannot possibly hope to challenge and eradicate the massive problem of sexual and physical violence against women without also men assume that they are free to press comment on women's "attraciveness" or sexual desirability to them? What is it about masculine sexuality in our society which so -often inextricably fuses men's sexual desire with conquering, aggression, domination, control and violence. These are not popular questions. In confronting sexuality, and particularly heterosexuality - both its ideology and its practice. Furtherniore, the sense of male entitlerne.nt and power expressed in the various forms of men's sexual aggression against women is also expressed in a great many typical interactions between men and women as these take place iri tree context of family, iri other relationships, in the workplace, on the streets and everywhere else. And so addressing the problem and causes of men's violence against women always involves intruding into what is typically viewed as the intensely "personal" stuff or "private" life, In analyzing an exposing the problem, feminists over the years have done an exceptional- job of documenting worries experiences = both, of men's violence, control and intrusion in our lives, sexual and otherwise. While this work is far from complete, it is also now imperative that we begin more systematically to examine the other side of the picture, that we move from examining effect to examining cause. That is, we need to shift some of our focus away from simply documenting and emphasizing the damaging and traumatizing effect of violence on women's lives as our primary strategy of raising awareness about the issue, towards insistently raising fundamental and farreaching questions about what it is about men, masculinity, and the social, economic and political conditions in which we live which creates and allows for the massive scale of men's many forms of sexual abuse of women and children. We need persistency to pose. and begin answering, these questions in our own lives, in our writing, in our activism and in our community education efforts. Why, in fact, u men rape? Why do men physically and sexually assault their wives and girlfriends? What is going on when a man is sexually in site of ) a wornan.s aroused by resistance, fear or ambivalence? How, to take a graphic ex.ample can a two hundred pound, six foot tall adult Mari 1 ()tie erect Denis into the small noutn of a terrif led four year old face of a little girl's terror and vulnerability? How can we explain men's employment and sexual titilation at fact, in our radically liberal social c!imate. it has become entirely taboo to De critical of men at all. It is much easier to address abstractions like society", "the system", "alienation", C.r "capitalist /'patriarchy" than it is to raise questions about what men - as individuals, as well as men as a group - actually in everyday life, about rvenAi they behaVe, what they think, how they express male entitlement, take up space, are overbearing in conversations, arid generally wield power, dominate and assert their presence in and control over women in their immediate and everyday worlds. It is vitally important that we reradicalize feminism, especially heCauSeW6-are Struggling in the con- text of a right wing ideological, political and economic backlash. We cannot allow this new conservatism to modify our agenda, limit our demands or confine the scope of our analysis and critique. Feminists have long recognized the male dominate nature of the institution of marriage, for example, as well as its role in institutionalizing heterosexual relations In envisioning and politically organizing for feminist goals, we are looking for something more than "equality" between men and women, although this in itself appears to be an overwhelming goal in terms of the scope of change it would require, We are also demanding a-radical dismantling and reconstructuring of what we currently recognize as "masculinity", "femininity", the "family " (le, the heterosexual nuclear family), sexuality and heterosexuality, as well as of all the other structures which construct and maintain the social relations of, gender. Feminists are also learning that in neither our analysis nor our politics can we abstract the social and sexual relations of gender from other relations of domination and oppression in our society, namely, those of class and race. While it is imperative that we keep the struggle to end women's oppression central in all progressive social movements, we cannot assume homogeneity in women's experience of sexual inequality, for our location in class or race structures of inequality in our society also profoundly determines our experience of ourselves and the world around us. This means that in our struggle to achieve women's- liberation we must be vigilant in paying attention to cultural and class issues, as well as work to eliminate racism and class divisions. The implication of this kind of analysis for feminist organizing ciarticularly but not only around the issue of sexual violence - are always significant but are not always immediately clear. How do we organize effectively, for example, for an end to compulsory heterosexuality? How do we attack. the ideology and practices of gender and sexuality when our lives, our consciousness and our while subordinating or denying all others, mainly lesbian and gay Yet in the 1980s there appears to be no serious feminist organizing around the issue of heterosexual marriage. And women who identify themselves unconsciousness, are profoundly shaped by these? How do we act to encl men's violence against women and as feminists are still getting married (even if they do not always capitulate to practices like taking the last name short-term reforms? While efforts like the "Safe City" of the man as their own), and thereby continue - personally, politically and socially to support, legitimize and perpetuate one of the most powerful institutions of a male dominated, heterosexist and homophobic society. the state's complicity in it without being consumed entirely by the struggle for moderate and limited campaign in Toronto, to take a current and local example, are extremely important, we must recognize that they hardly begin to address the core issues of men s violence against women. This campaign is the work of a committee made up of various local government departments and community groups and is intended to make the city "safe" for women through such measures as improved - public transit, better lighting, increased "community participation" in "crime prevention", urban design and planning which addresses women's safety needs, and greater access to parking for women, among other things. Northern Woman Page 9 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �It is not a coincidence that it has been possible to mobilize some state support (at the municipal level, in this case) or this kind of work because as long as we are concerted only with making women safe from attack from "strangers" - through more lighting and more adequate public transportation systems - we are not addressing the vastly higher prevalence of attacks perpetrated by men on women with whom they are in some Kind of relationship. Moreover, strategies such as these cannot only unwittingly serve to reinforce many of the most popular misconceptions about the threat of sexual assault from "strange" men, they also provide the state with the opportunity to put resources into the safest and most limited approach to the problem of men's violence against women, ignoring the more fundamental and complex issues, and consuming the time and energy of community groups which makes up much of what we recognize as "normal" relations between men and women. This is also where the greatest complexities and difficulties lie for feminist strategies I.0 eng sexual violence and; uitimately, :sexual oppression. Violence awinst woffleh has peen the focus of much feminist organizind and analysis over the past ten or to learn from both our successes a failures over the past two decades feminist thinking and practice and deprive ourselves of the opportunil of engaging critically with each ot on quesions that are urgent for the goals of feminist politics and soci networkof support and advocacy services for women who've. suffered men's abuse and sexual violence, have organized and lobbied for legislative change. have attacked the criminal its complete inability to respond to crimes of change. violence against women and to hold Melanie Randall is currently conducting Cane research based on Diana Russell's major find ings. She is also a co-editor of Resources for Feminist Research lustice system for for them, have exposed the socio-economic condimen accountable tions and ideology Which allow for it, nave undertaken community educat ion. and have worked to develop our understanding and analysis of government inaction. women's experiences of men's violence. In spite of these concerted And this really is the heart of the reappraisal we run the riskof fail fifteen year,,, we nave developed a while deflecting criticism about problem. The fact that women are subjected to random sexual and physical attacks perpetrated by men who are unknown to them pales in comparison sto the sexual aggression, corriolex: it is importarit, then; told we take the time to Pool our col tive energy and experience to reevaluate both our strategies of political organizing to end violenc against women, as well as to deve our theoretical understanding of tt issues and the interconnections between them Without such a c.rit coercion, intrusion, intimidation efforts, the problems to confront 1.15 which continue in working to eradicate _men's sexual violence and abuse of women and children remain nude and women in the work force continue: grow. By 199$. almost 50 percent WOMEN AND THE SKILLED TRADES the u vrk force ri:711 Pe women. So government is saving why not encc age women into the skilled trades.1 way government is supporting woo tv Marian Mac pay well and Ever thought of a skilled trade as a viable career option for yourself, your sister, your daughter/ There are many myths which discourage women from entering the trades but let me give you a few good reasons why you ought to consider the trades 'Money: 'Job Satisfaction: If you like what you do. you'll be satisfied with the western Thejustjobto trades) and chefsOntario. and cooks, product ot your ettorts In trades and technologies vou can tind work with a challenge: creative These 'iohs to enter the trades is by tunding your reflects projects year usually advancement ca. demonstration experienceWomen's Access to Apprenti In Northwestern ship Training. Ontario we have a iconora wein call mining our pro shortage of Intradespeople WomenS machining Apprenticeship hard rock and soft rock [VAR!. automotive (general ( maintenance. There aretalltwomechanical projects in Not welding. mechanics of th projects to helpare women get into name-a few. Theseiscareers apprenskilled andyourself to increase feu ticable trades. Youtrades commit to a%k aretle-_;S ;Lit women. on-the-job and schoolaretraining forwork a and is ..ides. number of years depending on the each t tell specific trade.Lana As an ',Sleven:.; apprentice isyou the get Pro Thunder Bay 14 in the paid a percentage Coordinator of what qualified 4 1would 9 and tradesperson earn.Marion MacA dam kenora/Drvden In the Coordinator province of for Ontario today. not can apprena coordinator Why female 69s i 000 there are only aboutinyouNorthwestern and a trades car tices, nottalkmany *On the Job Training: In many today% ontarto and lever still as non-traditional skilled tradespeople The pro-- 'Work Variety: When your skills are developed, you can journey to any place. situation, environment or setting. There are many choices within trades there is the opportunity to train and work at the same time. Earn while you learnt *Careers with a Future: The future ot many other traditional jobs for women are at risk. Trades and technoiogies are working for tomorrow and are eApandink; vincial government wants to increase the number of female apprentices in Ontario by 5,000 by 1992. The cooperative effort is being made because of the skills shortage and the changing demographics of the workplace The number of young people coming into the work force is shrinking of and the percentage 10PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �"What the Eff for?" "Well, I just thought I would," The door opened, a child opened it and I went in, into the kitchen. A woman sat there in front of a fire. She was nursing a child and another child sat at the table with a colouring book and crayons. We began to talk and I'm telling you I have never heard a story like it. I've never heard of anybody surviving what she had to survive. We had about a packet of smokes and ten cups of tea and I just listened. When it was dark I went back through the dandelions and went right off to sleep on my mattress happy. The next day I went to work still all happy. I was excited about telling my friends I was happy, and why. I walked up to them at the counter where they were cutting onions for the salads and began to talk. They began to move away from me, not with their bodies. but something else. They sort of looked feared. When it was dinner time I sat down and they went and sat at another table. It was very strange, as I thought I was going to make them happy too. RAGING GRANNIES SNUBBED BY LOCAL TV STATION Our local Raging Grannies have been described as --funny. clever and best of all (they) tell it like it is by the Duluth Peace and justice corn- munity. Last week (October 23-.29) was United Nations Disarmament Week. The Raging Grannies were scheduled to sing on CLPR as part of the introduction to guest speaker Dr. Michael Parenti. who spoke at the Waverly Resource Library on October 28th. About four days before the scheduled taping.. the Grannies were called off. According to the program host and program chair, the subject cat United Nations Week for Disarmament was too controversial- . There had been an error in communications on the part of the station ' ....dreadfully sorry but we) have already scheduled someone in your place on that Wednes day, and unfortunately there is no room betore Disarmament. Week We don t like to see communication problems in our station, but the reason you were cancelled was that there were too many people and our policy of numbers couldn't permit all of you. Sorry: The Grannies have taped at Maclean Hunter Community Television - watch for airing on Cable 7, The Grannies performed at the Peace Walk and Rally on October 28th. Let us continue to support our RAGING GRANNIES OF THUNDER BAY as they work for PEACE josie Wallenius + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++ + + + + + + + + + ++ + + + + + ++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++ Our Wombs Are Not For Sale For those of us who thought we had it made in this debate We were shocked to learn that our wombs are now the vehicle of the state Public opinion has swung to the right in an issue that should never have been a fight our wombs are not our own they belong to Jealous boyfriends who take private issues to public courts who are great for recriminations but not for support Our wombs are not for sale for barter or for trade this decision is ours alone based on our judgement at the time not on the whim of a Jilted male. Rosalyn Taylor PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 11 �Behind Clinic Harassment: Fly-In Pickets of the Christian Right Reprinted from Pro-Choice Nerv, Summer 1989 The last year has seen the spread of the tactics of "Operation Rescue" (as anti-choice activists call it), across the border into Canada. In cities in Canada and the United States, those opposed to women's right to choose have conducted a concerted and organized campaign to obstruct access to abortion services by physically barricading clinics and harassing and intimidating patients and staff. Court injunctions have been obtained in B.C. and in Ontario against the trespass of anti-choice campaigners on the premises of clinics in both cities. The slow action of police in clearing anti-choicers who were blocking access to the Everywoman's Health Centre in Vancouver in January forced the centre into court twice, to be in a position to be able to keep the clinic open and functioning. In May, the Toronto Morgantaler Clinic won an injunction banning pickets within five hundred feet of the clinic. Dr. Morgantaler stated he was "happy that his patients will not be suffering from harassment and putinsults". But Reverend Ken Campbell, who has been operating The Way Inn, an anti-choice hang-out which had rented premises next door n order to maintain constant pickets, said "Well go where we have to go-. The group moved its premises to a Baptist church, right across the street from the Scott Clinic in Toronto. Undeterred and seemingly unmindful of injunctions against their actions, anti-choicers return time and again to harass and block access at clinics all over the continent. They claim they are following in the progressive traditions of civil disobedience. whose tactics they have shaped to their own means. Through their constancy they have raised the mirage of a large constituency opposed to choice. Yet Canadian polls show consistently that over seventy per cent of Canadians support choice. What. then, is really going on An American journal quoted reports from The Wanderer, a right-wing Catholic newspaper, of a "rapid deployment force" developed by a Father Norm Weslin in conjunction with Joan Andrews and Randall Terry, organizers of "Operation Rescue" in the U.S. This is a special group of anti-choice activists that will fly to any part of the United States on short notice to participate in an "Operation Rescue". According to the journal, Father Weslin has said he will call this "force" the Victim Souls for the Unborn Christchild, and the "force will include people from all faiths. Similar tactics have been used in Ontario. Once the injunction was granted against picketing the Morgentaler Clinic in Toronto, members of the Toronto based group temporarily moved their activities to Montreal. Police arrested sixty-two protesters outside the Morgentaler Clinic in Montreal. Forty of them were from Toronto. A spokeswoman for the Toronto "Operation Rescue group said they had rented a bus and driven overnight to Montreal. The antichoicers managed to block access to the clinic for five hours. The financing of the group's actions has recently been under scrutiny. The group has been denied status in the U.; as a charitable organization. because of its political stance. Organizer Barbara Magera has no complaints. "We are what is considered a business,- she saic Founder Randall Terry, who has not filed an income tax return for 1987 or 1988, is paid $600 a week. The organization raised over $300,000 U.S. in 1988, with donations from such places as fundamentalist churches, $20,000 coming from the Moral Majority's Jerry Falwell and another $50,000 from the owner of Domino's Pizzeria franchise. "Operation Rescue" has tried time an again to claim that its actions are in the tradition of civil disobedience to unconscionable laws. Members frequently compare themselves to such honorable figures as Dr. Martin Luther King. But American civil rights leaders see no such connection. Keep YOUR beliefs out of MY body Speaking in Edmonton in May, antichoice doctor Bernard Nathanson advised Canadians to go beyond political and court action. even if' that means breaking the law. Americans have been arrested in 'operations' at Canadian clinics. Ann Baker of the pro-choice U.S. 80% Majority Campaign has studied the activities of what she calls Operation Bully, and she talked about her research at the May CARAL Annual General Meeting, By keeping a computer list of all the people who have been arrested in various 'actions . around the U.S. she has discerned that there are a number of peope who have been arrested two, three; or more times in different U.S. cities. In 3,782 arrests she turned up. only 885 were one-time arrests of individual people. Six hundred and fifteen people accounted for 2,897 arrests, or seventy-seven percent of the arrests in -Operation Rescue efforts. This is the effect of the so called rapid deployment force tactic. A statement issued in January 1989, signed by such long time civil rights activists as Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond, Andrew Young and Dorothy Haight of the National Council of Negro Women, attacked "Operation Resuce's" claims to the moral imperative of the civil rights movement. The statement points out that the civil rights movement "sought to extend constitutional rights to all Americans, while Operation Rescue protests (are attempting) to deny American women their constitutional right to reproductive freedom". The statement also takes note of the fact that the harassing and obstructionist actions of Operation Bully bear more resemblance to the acts of white segregationists than to those of the civil rights movement. The images of those in the civil rights movement were positive images of continued pg 13. PDF compression, OCR, Northern Woman Pageweb 12 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �GST THANKS, BROADSIDE Earlier this summer the final issue of BROADSIDE was published. While understanding the many reasons for BROADSIDE's closing - not the least of which was being plain tired out - we feel a deep sadness that we have lost this important feminist resource. For ten years BROADSIDE published an insightful, provocative meaningful feminist newspaper inspiring its readers (and other feminist journals) to expand our analysis. and motivating our continuing activism. Although collectively produced in Toronto, BROADSIDE was seen as a Canadian paper. We suggest that it is women from small and isolated communities across the country who value - and will miss - BROADSIDE most. (Our own experience confirms that the NWJ has more importance to the lives of rural rather than urban women.) We will miss you BROADSIDE. We hope that existing and emerging feminist journals will fill the void. We know that the commitment of the individual BROADSIDE members will be directed to other feminist endeavours. We wish each of you continued from pg 3 (Interestingly another phenomena appears. It is probable that U.S. and other foreign hooks and magazines that are individually imported into Canada will escape the tax. This would place Canadian publishers and distributors at a competitive disadvantage.) The average book buyer has a limited amount to spend on books. Say you intend to spend $25. Betore GST ou will purchase three hooks. after GsT you will purchase two books. Think the effect this will have on lishers are small operations. With the f7S1 all Canadian publishers will sutler Invariably it is the small presses ) the presses most vulnerable to the CST) that publish new writers. In response to the need for women s feminist presses have evolved. losses the small publishers will not he able to absorb serious losses We could \X- omen s Press. Press Gang, Ragweed/ rynergy Sister V tston Women of Colour publi:thers. The majority of Canadian pub- to lose of our Canadian publishers. Glancing through the Northern Woman s Bookstore shelves I determine that the vast majority of the Canadian authored hooks stocked are published by the small presses. Included in this to name just a few are category leannete Armstrong. Sharon Butula, Anne Cameron. Susan Cole. Susan Crean. Beatrice Culleton, Dionne Brand: Bonnie Burnard, Ell': Danica, :`-:joie Brossard. legan Ellis. Connie Gault. Cynthia FloOd. helen Potrehenko. veronica Ross lane !,1 i 1 1 We thank you for the cooperation BROADSIDE has extended to the Makeda Silvera, Donna Smk-th. Laremna norrht Press, Aminita. There are other small Canadian presses that have an impressive record of publishing new women writers Coteau. NeWest, Oberon, Polestar. New Star....to name but a few. The publishers of Native writers...Pemmican and Theytus must also be mentioned. "With the publication of our wonderful women writers, feminist bookstores have sprouted across the country to ensure access to this fine literature. The GST will place all feminist all small publishers/booksellers in jeopardy. publishers/booksellers The GST must be stopped. NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL over these past ten years. We especially thank vou for the tremendous contribution BROADSIDE has made to WOMEN AND THE GOODS AND SERVICES TAX - the Canadian feminist movement. Taxes on everything women buy: 120000Ef00001Nyoomffi The GS'I will apply to hydro. heating oil, diaphragms, condoms, children s clothes. diaperS. haircuts. telephone, stamps and postal services, plumbing and home repairs. boots and shoes, hooks, movie tickets, kids meals at illcDonalds., and much. much more. continutA from pg people marching. singing and sitting in for their rights. The images of "Operation Rescue" bear no similarity. They are images of people waving plastic fetuses at women who are seeking assistance, or people trying to physically block and intimidate those who are excercising their lawful rights. The courageous images of -women trying to enter the clinic. of volunteers who are trying to escort them through the mob. The leaders of the civil rights movement maintain that a woman s right to choose is a civil right one that the pro-choice movement has struggled to establish in Canada and the United States, and that the majority in both countries support. Coercive and intimidating civil disobedience does not conjure an image of the struggle for human rights. Helping a woman who wants to terminate a pregnancy through a crowd determined to keep her from exercising her rights. does. A tax on mothers who work out side the home: Prepared food for tale " out will he taxed. Government is ae fin punishing women who must work outside the home to make ends meet and who dun t have the time to cook Lneais from scfatch every day. Not only is the Conservative government reneging on child care. which places an added 1-.)urden on mothers working outside the home,. Put now wants to tax them to .ti at ri Literally to death 'the new tax \\.111 even appiv to curl ins and tunerais.. A soecial tat for women..Sanitark ari;.:1 tampons will be taxed. Apnot thc Worse for women in economically depressed regions: The 94:: federal try I,: in addition To existing provincial taxes This means Newfoundland will pat a total tax on many goods. What can you do about the tax: Let the government know that you won't stand for it. Organize or participate in rallies. Write to Finance Minister Michael Wilson postage-free at the house 01 Commons 't alk to your friends and family about the importance of defeating this lay,. Organizations can present a brief to the hearings. Women in japan recently mounted a national campaign against a proposed ,3% sales tax and won, The women of Canada can do the same for a 9% tax. A +f8 4 44 4 A A AA A4 4 A A 4 A 4' 4 AA. A 4 4 4. 4: *4 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor ticg4 13 �By Jane Saunders Perhaps the best way that I can describe Heather gishops latest album Walk Thai Edge is undecided. This album, released by Heather's own Mother of Pearl label, is a sound representative of her two-track style which blends old and new. These two musical forces are not necessarily opposites, they just seem not to mix very well, While trying to retain the "old" style - powerful vocals and meaningful lyrics - Heather seems to have given in a bit too much to the attractive elements of the "new" style - punchy beat, synthesized sounds and danceability. The musical result is an album whose character is undecided, It has elements both old and new and all points in between, It leaves this listener rather "undecided". I like both styles. I am not sure whether or not I like their combination on this album. I have been a fan of Heather Bishop for many years. Each of the five times I have seen her, I have been moved, challenged, saddened and overjoyed all the things that I feel make a complete musical performance. When listening to her earlier albums, Grandmother's Song (1979) and Celebration (1981). I experience all those same feelings. The raw power of her voice "Do I Move You". the simple songs with only piano or guitar accompaniment "Our Silence" which cut straight to the point, the social message 'Holocaust", the Canadian content "Northlands" and the personal politics "There Comes a Time that have marked her style are all there. Beginning with the 1982 release._ Love Women, Heather moved into the newer sounds which also affected other womyn singer/songwriters during this time. Synthesizers, the electric guitar and a punctuating beat appear on the I Love Women and create a more rock-oriented sound. This trend continued on A Taste of the Blues (1987), although this album contained some nostalgia - the Billie Holiday blues classic "Tell Me More and More" and the social-anthem "If You Love Freedom" With Walk That Edge Heather mixes the old and new styles. The overall tone of the album is rock-oriented, characterized by three upbeat tunes with punchy drum lines and electric sounds. Both "Given for Free" and "Annamae" are rock songs with a message. "I'm Not the One" is a catchy tune with a great electric guitar solo for those who like such sounds. The melodic lines in these three songs are short and choppy with a narrow range; typical of rock songs. This listener prefers the intensity of those long, smooth, pliable melodic lines that have become a forum for the full power of Heather's voice, "Lay Me Down provides such an opportunity, The melody curves and bends under her voice. The piano is the mainstay of the accompaniment along with the full back-up vocals which prevade the entire album. A harmonica is added later, a sample of the colourful range of sounds available to the ear on this Love, a thematic thread on the album, provides the basis for a cour of pleasant, listenable soft ballads, Call You to Sail" and "Blanket of My Love" are the less demanding tunes be heard. Heather's musical playfulness and sense of humour is shown the 1950s sounding "Let Them Talk' and "Break My Heart". Strong back--1 vocals, the rhythmic piano and the slow blues beat make these two son fun for the listener. Another of the album's highlights is the title song "Walk That Edge ". This tune is catch' Its overall tone is slightly funky an very danceable with a touch of lightheartedness. This album is yet another fine example of Heather's musical flexibility and musical progress. Perhap am stuck in the groove of the 1970s Heather - folk and acoustic music fo: the demanding listener, Walk That Edge is an enjoyable listen, It may n be what I expected from Heather 15'i hop. That thought in itself may bl sign of her musical progress and my musical preference. 0000000000000000000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000 SSUSSUSSUSSS canadian woman studies les cahiers de la femme,- CWS/y album, SSMSSSSMSSMS SSSSMSSMSSSSS Feminist Quarterly 100-page beautifully illustrated forum for education, advocacy and change articles on current issues, theory and action each issue examines a topic specific to women's experiences and concerns Please enclose money-order or cheque CHILDREN'S HELP LINE Canada's first national toll free help line for children was set up in May by the Canadian Children's Foundation (CCF). KID'S HELP PHONE will be open 24 hours a day and staffed with twenty bilingual professional counsellors assesses The Help Phone was set up in response to a 1986 survey that indicated at least one in eight children in Canada are abused. KID'S HELP LINE will offer counselling to kids who witness violence in the home, are depressed, abused and those who suffer from loneliness, school problems and neglect. for $22 payable to Canadian Woman Studies for a yearly subscription (4 issues). For faster service call our office (416)736-5356. Outside Canada, add $6. Name Address City Postal Code Province Country Canadian Woman Studies 212 Founders College, York University 4700 Keele St., Downsview, Ont. M3J 1P3 KID'S HELP LINE can be contacted toll free and anonymously at 1-800-668-6868. #44 At########################### Northern Woman Page 14 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, OCR, web �continued from pg many such committees have been developed. PAY EQUITY AND NON-UNION WORKPLACES For Women working in a non-unionized conipan-. the aet provides no guaranteed access to the process of deciding vehich inbs are male or lec ale. how they will be compared and how payout will be made. The only information that is guaranteed is access to the final decaston which may he appealed to the Pay Equity Commission anonymously if you feel that the pay equity plan posted does not accurately reflect the legislation. WILL PAY EQUITY APPLY TO ALL WOMEN The Pay Equity Act will not apply to women working for federally-regulated employers Canadian Human Rights Code has an equal pay for work of equal value section which may he usejut t to women working in private co111panics with less than 10 employees: and to women working in jobs defined as mons jobs. It does apply to women and men who are working in female dominated jobs but they will only receive a pay raise it a higher-paid but equaliv valued male job exists in the same \vorkplace This is a serious problem since many -:,-omen work in workplaces that are totally or highly dominated by women and they may not he able to find a male comparator in the same workplace Sonae eyainpies are nospaafs. dentist s and doctor s ofi ices. retail stores. child care eenires social serk ice groups and nomes. In order to remedy this large gap in the Act. the Par Equity Commission was investigate how tcl extend authorized the Act to cover women in female-dominated workplaces. Their recommendations were released in October 1989 and will need amendments to the Act in order to be implemented. HOW MUCH WILL WOMEN'S WAGES RISE Although the wage gap caused by discrimination is 10% to 12%, pay equip:: will not close it completely. due to the above reasons. We will not know the answer to this question until 1993 hen all plans are posted, and the answer will differ significantly depending whether the Act is amended to cover we omen -dominated workplaces This article greatly summarizes ihe Pay Equity Act and therefore due; .not include an situations and exclusions. For specific information. NOTE: please refer to the Pay Equity Commission and their publications: Their address is 150 Eglinton Ave. East, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M4P 1E8 and their telephone number is 1 -800387 -8813. '3'.8"3".8'.5"3"3.833S3`.V.1453333.3".8333.33.13.8'.5.8S3,133.8.1"._VS3 SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SASS SSSWSSSS BOOK REVIEW Weivs ut K111.1;4;4)9 "Through . listening and responding, What i found valuanle about this book the is the volidatien the authors give to different ways of thinking and the Rule and Tarule Jill Mattuck. minds of those They. nelp to raise up. in the process, they often come to New York- Basic Books, 1986. heal, vdlue Women's Ways Of Knowing is based voiceis iwid minds as efeH " (pg. 48). Subiective knowing is also examined. upon research among several groups from the women ranging of This validates our intuitive selves political" and "the personal is educationally elite to women with no accepted. Truth comes in what "feels" or little formal education. What is critical in their finding is the comfortable. There is a gaining of a sense of self and self discovery. validation that there are different ways of thinking and that it is "okay" to th1nI4 differently And of course Procedural knowing is the application of Kr,: wledges in an objective fashion wnicn re$Jriti, in what is termed ii.eutirate knowing. Comuared to this is groups .l. -.also realized how difficult it is for we who enter academia-and faced with a majority of are patriarchal thought. in ell honesty it was exciting to read 'Wags of Knowing" and to realize how and mong of my friends think and to know that that thinking is valid._ And not just. valid, have known that all These :::setand mode of procedural knowing along, but that we join together in di farm? mods :. cif thought du not indicate different planes of intellect tormed connected knowing. Here the value is placed upon "the kind of truth we value- truth that is personal, particular and grounded in tirst hand experience." (pg 113) The connected knower fucuses upon the relationship, that thinking using ernpathu. Combining environment: The authors seem to Authf.ir:Eielenkg, Meru Field., Clinchu. Ellithe ficVicker, Goldberg, Nancy these oitiere.nce.s are in respect to untri per specti yes. but rather reflect lifes e4eriences percei,,Ing and living and our with the world, and knowing. Inc tiret mode which the authors explore is silence. Those interviewed acknowledge this as a time of they draw out and the voices and strenothen their own separate confinement and insecurity. Silence knowing, that which is attached to rules with connected knowing, that which is personal and spiritual was a tool used by these women to remain safe. "The women see blind results in constructed knowledge, The passionate knower". 'the obedience to authorities as utmost ronstructIve knower speaks with passiun of her work "They reveal in the way they speak and live their lives, their moral conviction that importance for keeping out of trouble and insuring their own survival" (pg 28). A e.eeond I I applicable to numerous oppressed I particularly gained a I great deal from the chapters on Subjective knowing and to know that I was not alone. It was a consciousness. raising experience and in a sense the book provided a support group reach but to touch the reader in a personal is political fashion, This is a have - been looking for The book thoughts therein. and dialogue of the authors was well worth the wait. It is empowering, personal and the kind of book you give to your special friends, I and read over and over: _ mode of thinking is termed received knowledge, or the role as listener. _ clearness that all of these ways are important. As read thought that of thinking may in fact be these The author's found that listeners encouraged others to speak. ideas and values, like children, must be nurtured, cared for, placed in the environment that helps them grow." Reviewed by. Kit Minor Thunder Boy, Ontario November, 1989 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 15 �Update 01,04441MAPC)44:044:441.441.4.0 NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO GLOBAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN'S HEALTH INFORMATION WOMEN announces that its kit What Can I Do? has been presented to local and regional libraries and Domestic violence is a cruel reality around the world says the report from organizations. WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE in NETWORK Washington. The kit is a resource book and video and will be useful for individuals and groups who have found problems in some part of the health care system and who want to learn how to make changes in that health care system. The video shows women in Northwestern Ontario who have made changes by sitting on a hospital board, joining the District Health Council, starting a lobby group and two self-help groups. The kit describes how various government departments are set up and contains workshops that people can use to develop strategies to ensure government legislation is responsive to their needs. Africa and India are identified as particular problem areas, but no society or socio-economic group has been spared the problem. "If a person is murdered because of her/his politics, the world justifiably responds with outrage. But if a person is beaten or allowed to die because she is female, the world dismisses it as a 'cultural tradition'," says the report. Societies tacitly condone the violence through silence "or worse yet, legitimize it through laws, customs and court opinions that blatantly discriminate against women-, United Nations Secretary General has called for redoubled efforts for women's rights stating that violence asgainst women is a major concern. What Con I 1-497 kit was made possible with funding from Secretary of State and Ontario Women's Directorate. Source: Globe & Mail / Kinesis For information about the kit, call WHIN at 345-1410 in Thunder Bay. The Thunder Bay Co-ordinating Committee on Family Violence is eHeited to announce, as part of their public education program during Family Violence Preventio Month (November), the COMPANY OF SIRENS, a feminist theatre troupe, will be in Thunder Bay Monday, November 27th through Wednesday, November 29th. The Company of Sirens performances will be SHELTER FROM ASSAULT. Performances are free of charge the public and will be held: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 at 2:00 prr in the BOAR LASKIN AUDITORIUM it the Faculty of Education Building; Lakehead University. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 at 7:30 fur in the LECTURE THEATRE at CONFEDERATION COLLEGE. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 at 1:30 pm in the LECTURE THEATRE at CONFEDERATION COLLEGE. Performances will also be held in high schools in Thunder Bay. Wat for posters and newspaper notice for days and times. NB: A possibility that a perfor- mance of The Working People's Picture Show will also be happening.) k.,_yemko owww-.2%,,et,ew, 0;;N $$$$$$$$$$$$$NEEDED$$$$$ Does the heading look familiar? Indeed, it has appeared in NIUJ many times over our 16 year her- story. Actually, we Weill made a funding appeal for a number of years, but with increased printing costs, federal government intentions to reduce postal subsidies, and the additional threat of the GST, the Northern Woman Journal finds herself in the not unfamiliar situation of Imminent poverty, Our readers have always rallied to our need and we are sure you will again. While cash donations are always welcome, the best help you can provide is encouraging two (or W-2 0-%( wAN Yo7.Wmkg' "AN c,0ctv, MUM We would welcome your suggestions for increasing Journal sales/subscriptions and will be grateful for any help you can glue. three or four or five! of your friends, neighbours, colleagues to subscribe to Nast'. If we doubled our subscriptions we'd have no financial woes. If we tripled our subscriptions we could even invest in new technology and supplies that would visually improve our paper. We can provide sample copies of the Journal for you to give as a subscribing incentive (pick these up at the Northern Woman Bookstore or write us at BoH 144, P7C 4115. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 16 �Second Class Mail Registration No. 5697 Don't forget to renew your SUBSCRIPTION INSIDE n2 EDITORIAL p2 60 YEARS A PERSON p3 ABORTION RE-CRIMINALIZED p3 GST p4 HERSTORY p5 ONTARIO WOMEN'S DIRECTORATE p6 STORY by JOSIE WALLENIUS p7 PAY EQUITY p8 SEXUAL TERRORISM, MALE TERRORISTS pll RAGING GRANNIES p12 CLINIC HARRASSMENT p14 RECORD REVIEW p15 BOOK REVIEW NAME ADDRESS POSTAL CODE RETURN TO: $ 6.00 Individual Institutional $1 2.00 NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL PO Box 144 Thunder Bay Ontario P7C 4V5 THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 Return Postage Guaranteed Nor-I-herr\ Woman 17)u_rnat 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 12 No 2 Description An account of the resource Vol. 12, no. 2 (November 1989) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: 60 Years a Person Abortion access Goods and services tax Herstories calendar Pay equity Xenophobia Sexual terrorism Violence against women Women and the skilled trades Raging Grannies Poetry Christian Right clinic harassment Women the the GST Record review of Walk that Edge by Heather Bishop Children’s helpline Feminist book review of Women’s Ways of Knowing by mary Field Belenky et al. Northwestern Ontario Women’s Health Information Network Global violence against women Thunder Bay Co-ordinating Committee on Family Violence Authors/contributors: Margaret Phillips Ontario Women’s Directorate Lynn Beak Melanie Randall Marian MacAdam Josie Wallenius Rosalyn Taylor Jane Saunders Kit Minor 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 1989-11 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/16/2820/1990_Vol_12_No_3.pdf 2891d90c876f0918c2671dd0423386ad PDF Text Text sj 5 Northern Woman Journal Volume 12 No. 3 Thunder Bag, Ontario REFLECT I NG RECOLLECT I NG RE- COLLECT- ING PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �EDITORIAL On December 6, 1989, fourteen women were murdered in Montreal. Bursting into a classroom at L'Ecole Polytechnic at L'Universite de Montreal, ordering the separation of women and men, a man shouted "I hate Feminists" and opened fire on the women. The carnage continued throughout other areas of L'Ecole Polytechnic, and when the man finally turned the gun on himself 14 women were dead. The violence against women did not stop in Montreal. In Thunder Bay, the feminist community was subjected to a more subtle form of hatred. Throughout the country Canadians mourned the Montreal tragedy. Privately and publicly vigils were held. In Thunder Bay, at least three vigils were held - a public vigil organized by the United Church, a University sponsored vigil, and a woman-only vigil coordinated by Northern Women's Centre. The decision of Northern Women's Centre (a necessary and important decision that we support absolutely) to hold a woman-only vigil unleashed a vitriolic and sustained women-hating attack by some local media, unmatched in recent memory. The need for women to gather in a safe place to mourn, to share our grief, to sustain ourselves and each other, and to engender the strength to carry on without fear, was denied to the women of Thunder Bay. Our attempt to quietly honour the Montreal women whose lives were taken was invaded by the greed, avarice and sexism of some local media. The relentless need of capitalist patriarchy to invalidate, diminish, invade and control women - battered us - but left us much wiser. Now weeks after the Montreal tragedy our grief is not abated. The healing process is only beginning. To assist this healing process this Northern Woman Joun provides a vehicle for women to articulate our pain, our grief, our rage. Many of the submissions are written anonymously as we believe while our feelings, our responses, a unique to each of us, they are also universal. We offer this Journal to 1 the women of Northwestern Ontario break our isolation and to empower all. '" .6vAec Links UsY411441in9 bt6 acujio- Charnovs In recent weeks we have been painfully reminded that we live, not only in a sexist society, but also in a racist society. Those of us who strive to make Thunder Bay a more just and humane community feel a deep sense of shame that our City Council (by a 9-4 vote) chose to pass an "English only" resolution. The Northern Woman Journal commends Councillors Kennedy, Miller and Laakonen and Mayor Masters, for their opposition to this repugnant and regressive action. The claim that the resolution was motivated by economics defies logic, as Ontario's Bill 8 does not require municipalities to provide (or finance) bilingual services. While only the individuals involved can define their particular motivation in supporting this resolution, the effect of Council's action has been to give credibility and licence to the bigotry and intolerance that is now being verbalized - in the workplace, in school, on the street - throughout our That great damage has been done to our community, its reputation, and our psyche, cannot be discounted. A very thin veneer lies over the ugly face of racism. We can only hope that the Thunder Bay experience will encourage us, individually and collectively, to examine, confront and eradicate, the racism within our society, our community and ourselves. I am a woman committed to a politics of transliteration, the methodology of a mind stunned at the suddenly possible shifts of meaning for which like amnesiacs in a ward of fire, we must find words or burn. -Olga Broumas, "Artemis" community. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman' Page 2 �WHY? WHY did fourteen women have to die in the prime of their life: because of a time? a place? a choice of career? WHY? As the pain numbs, I am left with the question WHY. Not why Marc Lepine chose to murder 14 young women; he left that message in the wake of his destruction. But WHY society chose not to believe him. WHY would they not hear his vengeful blaming of women and feminists for his failures? WHY they chose not to question further? Simply to label him mad. Close the book. WHY the fear in examining his hateful motive? Could it have been that to enter the debate may have caused a floodgate of other such blame and hate. A hate that society does not want to acknowledge could exist. WHY did men and women alike struggle so hard to distance this act from other acts of violence against women? Isolate it; not acknowledge it in the spectrum of violence; so horrendous, so unbelievable, impossible that it happened; impossible that it could ever happen again. WHY the backlash against the women's vigil? WHY did many assume that men had a right to invade women's private grief and prayer? WHY was the energy spent attacking WHY do we believe that we have exposed violence against women and children, that attitudes are changing and that society is responding? WHY when we look for answers, do we find only questions? WHY? <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> the women's vigil and not spent supporting and comforting at the other vigils which were held? WHY was gaining control of the women's vigil more appropriate than sharing the loss; each in their own way? WHY were some of us frightened for the vigil; for the women in the circle of grief? ' <><> < > <> < ><><><><>< ><><><> <><><><> < >< > < > <> < > < ><> <><> REFLECTING feminism?" she asked me. "Why?" There is pain in that question, and I search for the best way to answer. Feminism makes such good sense to her - my bright and happy young friend. It is mid-summer and we are enjoying our annual visit. My friend is full of news. She has just completed her Masters degree; several years of summer employment has resulted in a permanent job, an interesting career, with opportunity to enhance her creativity; and she is soon to undertake a permanent commitment with her much-loved partner. Life is good - the future looks rosy. that will absorb her strength for the rest of her days. How do I empower my beautiful young friend? For indeed, feminism is a life long commitment. A commitment that is hard --- is bone wearying. But, that it is the only life worth living. In the difficult weeks since December 6th, I have thought many times of my bright, young feminist friend. ******************************* I don't normally watch television before 10 p.m. But this evening I am "What really bothers me" she says doing craft work - making Christmas "is the sexism I find at work. I didn't presents - and I switch the tv on, expect it out in the 'adult world'. It paying it only casual attention. Prowas really bad at university, from both gramming is interrupted. News the students and the faculty, but I bulletin. A mass murder has occurred thought I'd be done with it when I in Montreal. A man with a gun has finished school." stormed into a university classroom separated the women and the men. No How do I tell her gently that sexism further details presently available. is universal? How do I explain that a More news will be forthcoming on the commitment to feminism is a struggle National. nw who has been slaughtered. I knew. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization watermarked The newsusing detailsathe massacre, I evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �I am in my kitchen preparing breakfast. Suddenly, tears flow down my face. I let the tears fall gently -until it is time to force myself to leave for work. So I wash my swollen eyes, and with halting steps leave the (relative) safety of my home. (This unexpected breaking into tears happens every morning until I leave town eighteen days later.) At work, the phone is ringing as I walk in the door. It is a local media representative wanting to know what is being done about a vigil. I later learn that every feminist organization in the community received similar calls. The local media are quick to explain the Montreal massacre as a random act of an insane man - to suggest a connection to societal violence against women is "overreactitie. Dkl th6 'same media ask themselves why they assumed the feminist community would organize a vigil? I hear again the ugly words - bitch, broad, cunt - from men who were threatened by my strength, my competence. I hear again, the venom in their voices. I relive, I relive, I feel the cold - cold knife against my throat. ******************************** I think of the dozens of times ov, the past fifteen years that we have asked this newspaper to cover a woman's event/issue, and their regu refusal ... their dismissal of women' issues as 'news'. the motions. A colleague comes by. "I can't do any work" she admits. "I just can't do anything." I know. I know. ******************************** I relive and relive incidences of violence I have experienced. Memories long buried leap unexpectedly to the forefront of my mind. I feel, again, the slap across my face from the teenage date who I refused to "obey". The stress settles in my back, restricting my physical mobility. I dec I need therapy. I am lying naked, electrodes probing and pulsating rm, aching back. Trying to maximize th healing process, I am jolted to hear doctor pronounce "I do not approve women holding a woman-only vigil This is a man who would proclaim abhorrence of violence. Does he or does he not understand the violence has just imposed on me? Sunday's paper contains front pa; headlines of our woman-vigil. A reporter, playing the role of a grievin woman, invades our grief, our heali Her article, awkwardly, attempts to sensationalize. It is hard to believe v attended the same event. are -37- go through the sifWitTairrEic. I learn the Wonlen's Centre is coordinating a woman-only vigil. I feel so relieved. Even though I still find it enormously difficult to speak about the massacre, even with my best friend, I have a tremendous need to mourn this tragedy with other women. *****************************: ***************************** I face a heavy work load - have major responsibilities to carry out. It is enormously diffIcUlt,to tackle even I receive a call from a local minister informing me of the vigil being held at Westminster Church. I help publicize this information. So many women are hurting. I a hurting so bad I cannot help anyone I worry about the women who, while still grieving the Montreal tragedy, must face hostile male environments. Especially the young women, the university and high school women. Daily we hear about incidences of threats ... at universities, at work places, at the offices of women's organizations, women's centres. I talk to a friend, a woman who has displayed courage in publicly challenging men to examine their violence. She has been harassed and trashed. She tells me of her friend who has received a death threat. She mentions the shit that was dumped on her door-step. And her refusal to allow a national television crew to film her reaction to this. The weariness in her voice overwhelms me. The hatred oozing from the new paper's editorials wears me down. Why do I stay in this misogynist tov I must not let depression overcome me. I must take action. I write a letter to the editor. I pc out men's hatred of women, both subtle and overt, and the promotior this hatred by their editorial privile I do not mail this letter. I rationalize and rationalize my decision not to send the letter. Eventually, I force myself to acknowledge my fear. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *$ Northern Woman e4 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �I was over 40 years of age when I first faced life-threatening violence. I survived - without serious physical harm. But I - my life - was changed irrevocably. It was the first time I experienced intense physical fear. The kind of fear thousands, millions of women around the world endure as part of their daily lives. Can you understand it without experiencing it? I doubt it. My danger lasted minutes. Many women's danger lasts a lifetime. The potential of such danger faces every woman every day of her life. ******************************** "Every time we fight for a basic human right for ourselves, a right that should be ours simply because we exist, we are told that we are infringing on someone else's rights - that 'WE are morally corrupt for wanting a decent life, control over our own destinies, and freedom from exploitation I know I must take action, somehow revive a strength to go forward. And so I begin to write. For me the greatest healing process. I pick up the pen. The words begin to flow. And the healing begins. and violence. We must recognize this as a patriarchal tactic to keep us on the defensive - to intimidate us, to send us home silen And: them-thegAntetieans invade. Back the Night ******************************** <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> NEVER SAFE: When they were young girls, I seemed always to be telling my daughters to call home to let me know where they were, who they were with, where they were going and when they would be home. Secretly it was to be sure they were 'safe'. They complained but they called and they were always 'safe'. On December 7, 1989 at 9:00 a.m. my daughter called me from her campus terrified and devastated. She was no longer 'safe'. As a student she was horrified at the killings of young women at the University of Montreal campus. She was scared the same thing could happen to her and other young women on her campus. "Why? What do I tell young women who are coming to me? What can we do?" We talked about the history of male violence against women and girls in the home, at parties, on the street, in the workplace, on campus. All horrendous acts of violence performed one at a time, every day, over hundreds of years and if not condoned by all of society certainly never legislated against. Montreal was a personification of this violence. How can a saddened mother, an angry feminist quietly talk to a terrified daughter? How can a grieving mother for those 14 other mothers assure a daughter 1,500 miles away? How can we justify years of protecting our daughters as children only to send them off as young women to a world of violence? How can we justify telling them they are as good as their brothers and male friends - they can become whatever they want to become- only to have them experience harassment in their workplaces and violence in their lives? We must continue to tell them they are wonderful, capable and now courageous women. We must also retell them of the work and struggles of their mothers and our mothers' work and struggles against male violence against women. We must encourage - demand - that they join us collectively in this struggle so that hopefully they will not have to worry the same worries about their daughters in a new generation. We must continue to be patient and loving and hopeful and courageous and allow them to spend their lives as normally as possible; when we allow them to spend the night with friends from elementary and high school, when we send them off to campuses at the begin-ning of a new life or the end of the holidays at home, when we say goodbye to them when they leave with a new career or husband to begin their adult lives. Must we instill a new fear in their lives that they will never be 'safe' again? PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Ncirthern Woman Page 5 �I think of a poster I have. I have always pondered the meaning of it. I wonder when the day will come 1990 YEAR OF THE GIRLCHI that life returns to bear the gifts of At a recent international congress, seven South Asian governments FREEDOM for and LOVE of women The poster says: I saw a woman sleeping. In her sleep she dreamt life stood before her and she held in each hand a gift. In the one hand LOVE and in the other FREEDOM. And she said to the woman, "Choose". And the woman waited long and she said, "Freedom". And life said, "Thou had'st well chosen, if thou had'st said love I would have given thee that thou did'st ask for and I would have gone from thee and returned to thee no more. Now the day will come when I shall return. In that day I shall bear both gifts in one hand." I heard the woman laugh in her Olive Schreiner sleep. A V A V A V A V A V A V A V A V A A V A V A V A V declared 1990 The Year of the Girl Child. The governments of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Banglad Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives wi undertake a year long campaign to educate their populations, particula men, on the value of daughters. Th campaign will stress the need to educate girls, feed them properly a recognize their important economic contribution to family and commur life. In these countries there is-a hid rate of female infanticide. Girls are often viewed as a liability, partly because of dowry obligations upon marriage and are not held in esteen This campaign is a bold step forwa for women in these rural developin countries. > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < >< > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > < > 4) FIGHT BACK As odd as it may seem to some people, I deal with many things in my life through music. Because music is such a big part of my life, when I am faced w'sis; wrtert tam- crystallized on one song. Out of this horrible tragedy, I have re-discovered an empowering song which I can "tap into" for strength and then use as my - struggling or celebrating, I often use music as a way to access my own feelings. As many "fans" of womyn's music have done before, we all identify with the songs which identify with us at our own particular points in time. The songs that touch us most perhaps we have heard at a time when we really needed to hear them written and performed by other women. Such songs affirm our experiences and serve to bond many women who are experiencing similar feelings. My reaction to Montreal was one of shock and horror, although I am never thoroughly surprised at the scope of men's actions when it comes to violence against women. I was quickly able to see beneath the surface and discover the deeper significance of the shootings. The aftermath of explanations, justifications, etc. that women had to provide in order to have women-only vigils and in general do what was necessary to survive further discouraged, frustrated and angered US. Like many other times before in my life when I have listened to songs for their healing power, my feelings Northern Woman Page 6 (from Imagine My Surprise, Redwood Records, 1979) is that song. The Montreal tragedy and the reaction to it are blatant examples of the woman-hating society we live in. What is even more tragic are the daily, "less noticed" examples - perhaps not even reported in our local newspaper or reported to anyone. Rape, battering, pornography are all part of this tragedy. The lyrics to FIGHT BACK reminded me, at the time when I needed it most, that I as a woman have strength. We as women are empowered. FIGHT BACK (Holly Near) By day I lived in terror, By night I lived in fright, For as long as I can remember A lady don't go out at night A lady don't go out at night. But I don't accept the verdict, It's an old one anyway, "Cause now-a-days a woman Can't even go out in the middle of the Can't even go out in the middle of the day day. And so we've got to FIGHT BA( In large numbers FIGHT BACK We can't make it alone In large numbers Together we can make a safe ho Women all around the world Every colour, religion and age, One thing we've got in common We can all be battered and rapes We can all be battered and rapec And so we've got to FIGHT BA In large numbers FIGHT BACK We can't make it alone, FIGHT BACK In large numbers Together we can make a safe ho Some have an easy answer, Buy a lock and live in a cage, But my fear is turning to anger And my anger is turning to rage And I won't live my life in a cag And so we've got to FIGHT BA In large numbers, FIGHT BACK We can't make it alone, FIGHT BACK In large numbers Together we can make a safe ho PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �had heard of the community vigil to be held that night at the United Church. One replied he never would go to a church anyway. That evening the abusive and threatening calls started at Anna's house. At the University four men approached her and called her a "fucking bitch". The women at the Centre were under incredible stress from being the target of so much rage. They were dreadfully hurt and angry at the misrepresentation on the radio and later on local talk shows and television. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 The local newspaper expressed it clearly. The shootings were caused by "the divisions created in Canadian society by the mere presence of the women's movement". By insisting on barring men from their vigil the Northern Woman's Centre "invites the very negative attitudes against women it strives to erase". The story made the national media. Almost all reports omitted the fact that there were two other vigil services in Thunder Bay much less describe the Centre's 'involvement with the other services. The impression created was that in Thunder Bay the women had decided not to allow men to mourn. The language used was instructive. The men were "barred", "denied entry" or "not welcome". The impression created was that there were dozens of men who wanted to attend the Woman's Centre vigil but were unable to do so. In fact we received no calls from men who wanted to attend our services. Nevertheless, the Sault Star headlined Thunder Bay Vigil Excludes Men (once again no mention of other services. No Men Allowed at Ontario Vigil thundered the Toronto Star also carefully omitting any reference to the other memorial services and forgetting their editorial approval given the day before to women holding memorial services. Men were "actually barred" a later Star article stated leaving the impression that men clambered to get in at the door as women organizers barred their way. These impressions were absolutely false and showed a shameful lack of responsibility on the part of the media not to mention a shameful forgetting of what the vigil service was supposed to be about. "Even if Brian Mulroney were to turn up in Thunder Bay he would be turned away", said the local paper. Others carried on in the same vein, one letter writer saying if the husbands and fathers of the dead arrived, they too would be barred. A spokesman for the 'other side' was soon found. A local alderman was quoted as saying that our actions were "mind terrorism". He was quoted (without further explanation) by almost every major newspaper and news broadcaster. Although Anna's explanations were usually quoted correctly, it was as if she hadn't spoken. She might as well have wrapped her words in a rock and thrown them into Lake Superior. No credence of any sort was given to women's desires or needs. We were thundered against in the press and on the radio. The local talk show host claimed he had thirty five male callers who were angry that men were excluded. The men objected: "Why must we be associated with the crazed killer?" And there is the nub of the matter. The callers to the talk line were not interested in attending a service; they believe the very fact of women getting together indicated they were being accused of the crime. They interpreted not being invited as an insult. Clearly, they believed it was their right to go wherever they wanted. We now began to get calls from feminists across the country wanting to know what was going on. Again the patient explanations and again almost all women said that by talking to us they had a different picture from the one they had picked up in the media. But in general, by now, the shift in focus from women's pain to men's perception of loss of rights was complete. As the same media mentioned just a day previously on December 8, we do indeed live in a very misogynous society. THE BACKLASH I do not want to give the impression that a memorial service in Thunder Bay created a backlash. As I have mentioned at the start of this article, the backlash was building from the beginning as shown by Barbara Frum's interview and the Montreal talk show. Incidents - some of them terrifying were happening across the country. University of Toronto employee brought a handgun to work and mad favourable comments about the killings. The virulent reaction to ou: memorial service was caused by the building backlash, not visa versa. The elements in the backlash shif rapidly from 1) Fru' m's contention t women were not the target to 2) suggestions from many media sourci that the murders were just the work an irrational madman without wider significance to 3) the contention that radical feminists were using this tragedy as a platform against men. By December 13, The Star, agai forgetting their previous commitme: to fighting misogyny wrote an articl about 'the confusion' caused by the killings and stated some men "find tl entire feminist analysis of the mass murders irrelevant, if not personally offensive". The same article mentioned a ma only service without comment (Star, Dec. 13). As one Centre member so wisely put it, when men get together is accepted it is-for a-sepietts-pmposi when women get together it is to exclude men. I want to make only one more comment on the backlash. That was Mike Duffy show aired on Sunday, December 10 and taped in Thunder Bay Friday, December 9. This show reveals a further mutation in the backlash. Anna agreed to be the Centre's representative and be televised at the local TV station and answer Duffy's questions through a telephone hook-up. I went with her moral support. The show opened with the usual questions about why Thunder Bay h decided not to allow men to mourn victims of the massacre. Anna patiei explained once again that there was community service open to all on Friday night. This was passed over silence. (After the taping, Duffy sail he was not aware of the other servic in Thunder Bay and said it was a shame that this fact had not been me widely publicized!) PDF compression, OCR, web using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Nciethern Woman Pageoptimization 10 �Once again as she had done for newspapers and radio hosts, Anna reiterated the reasons for a woman only vigil as well as a community vigil. I knew that in her mind, as in my mind, was the memory of the emotion and distress that women felt and were still feeling; but how to make people understand, believe it, want to help. She talked about emotional scarring and how people, both men and women, tend to underestimate it. She talked about how the slayings had triggered intense fear in women who had experienced violence. She talked about the need to be supportive of women in pain and that if men really want to be supportive they should do that in a way women ask them to do. Again it was as if she hadn't said a word. NoTelponse came from Duffy. Instead he called Thunder Bay the "emerging symbol of polarization between the sexes". He noted that we had been labeled mind terrorists. At one point he said something very revealing. "Surely the object of this whole exercise (the vigil) was to draw men and women together." Having created polarization, having heightened misogynist tendencies around us, the media now was expecting us to readjust our mourning to fit in with their definition of what mourning should be in order to solve the problem they had created. No better example of the power of the media and the power of definition (the power to create) can be found. Duffy's questions became more and more aggressive and these aggressive questions (but not all the answers) were edited out for the showing. Wasn't Anna doing what Marc Lepine did by separating men and women? (So absurd and insulting a question! We hope to heal women; Lepine wanted to kill them. There seems to me to be a fundamental difference here.) Aren't your actions paralleling those of Lepine, Duffy asked. And so on. AFTERMATH The memorial service at the United Church was well attended by the people of Thunder Bay. Many Centre members attended, many with husband and boyfriends. It was a beautiful and dignified expression of grief. The next night about sixty women attended the candlelight vigil put on by the Woman's Centre. Because of the intense feeling of powerlessness and silencing some women had experienced in their past and others were experiencing in their present, it was decided to let women speak. However the facilitator, Gwen O'Reilly, cautioned that the negative publicity should be left aside and the participants should concentrate on the purpose' of the vigil. We sang. Candles were lit around the circle. One woman read a beautiful poem she had written for the occasion, another sang The Lord is My Shepherd, another read the names of the dead women. Like many others I sobbed. Letters to the editor were read. A collection for a memorial was started. We sang again - We Shall Overcome - which seemed to fit exac About three quarters through the ceremony a slight young woman slipped out of the door. I was in the last row and because the ceremony was emotional and many women were crying, I decided to go after her and make sure she was all right. I met her on the front steps. She said it was a moving ceremony and that she too had suffered from abuse. I asked her again is she was feeling all right and she said she was fine and that she was a reporter from the local paper. Then she walked away. Her article was misleading and negative. It was a collage of details (some of them false) which in sum made the ceremony seem to be both ludicrous and hostile. Reverend Prinselaar of Nipigon protested the Chronicle Journal's coverage. He wrote "the critique of the Northern Woman's Centre's decision to have a vigil....points to a situation far more grave than even the slaying of the 14 women in Montreal. Behind the article lies the assumption that men know better, even when it comes to the expression of grief. To make the participation of men an issue of 'justice' or 'rights' is a serious distortion of the issue". He went on to describe the newspaper's description of the service as lacking "in the most basic ethical standards". He concluded that "the patent male chauvinism, paternalism and need for power even in a situation as tragic as this one illustrates how deep the roots of violence go". The editor followed this letter with a long defence and stated the reporter at our vigil could not ask questions because she was "concerned for her safety". Sometimes the mind just boggles. Nevertheless, our lovely gentle vigil was misrepresented as some kind of belligerent rant against men. Fortunately, we received many supportive letters in the press. Also the local men's groups supported us by holding a supporting vigil outside the hall at the same time. As the days went on, a spate of articles appeared blaming feminists for 'using' the killings. For example, Jeanni Read in the Vancouver Province (Dec. 10) claims that, although feminists were "impeccably correct in their societal critique". we were "using" the dead women as symbols and so dehumanizing them. There seems to be little real logic in that stance. One also sees the constant attempt to differentiate between women and feminists. According to this definition, feminists are extremists while women, on the other hand, are not extremists because "they don't make an issue of things" ie they are silent. Melanie Randall (Globe and Mail, Dec. 12) related the mechanisms of reaction. She noted among other examples that as early as the day after the killings CFPL-TV (London) termed a rally at the university as a "feminist diatribe". She says conditions have been created in which it is now "inappropriate" or "extremist" to view the killings as an act of violence against women. "How can we possibly account for this chilling display of threatening and hateful behaviour ? Nevertheless Randall is optimistic and hopes that feminists, progressives and pro-feminist men can work together towards an equal, peaceful world. I hope she is right. Page 11 Northern Woman PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �BREAKING FREE: A PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE TO » in 82% of the cases, it is the woman who leaves the home; seldom does the batterer leave ABORIGINAL FAMILY VIOLENCE Ontario Native Women's Association has recently released the above report. The results of the study reveals the depth of violence and the serious deterioration of the embodiment of the Aboriginal Family over the years. In summary: >> eight out of every ten Aboriginal women have been abused or assaulted or can expect to be abused or assaulted >> children are also highly victimized at a rate of four out of every ten >> the batterer was identified as mostly the husband at an incidence rate of 84% >> there is a serious lack of specifically trained personnel and resources in the area of incest, sexual and physical abuse counselling, especially at the community level >> 82% of the respondents said that the abuser should be charged; only 4% said "no" to the charges being laid » there are no distinguishable, culturally-appropriate services in Ontario directed at the batterer and only a few native-run crisis shelters that exist for native women and their children. A quote at the beginning of the report speaks to all of us, in all cultures. "Woman is the centre of the wheel of life. She is the heartbeat of the people. She is not just in the home, but she is in the community, she is the Nation. One of our Grandmothers. The woman is the foundation on which Nations are built. She is the heart of her Nation. If that heart is weak the people are weak. If her heart is strong and her mind is clear then the Nation is strong and knows its purpose. The woman is the centre of everything." From The Woman's Part, Art Solomon, Ojibwa Elder. The report is available at: Ontario Native Women's Association 101-115 May Street North Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 3N8 ######-#################################441411 A Tribute to Liz An inspiration of growth and maturity She will live in me for eternity Through her I will stand strong No longer will a man do me wrong Roses nodding in the breeze stemming her strength Her accomplishments we all know at great length The velvety red petals glimmering in her flame red hair The leaves growing out, the kindness she had to share Thorns revealing tribulations she had to fight She stands in a meadow, such a beautiful sight. Her stance, poise, smile, her face No one more beautiful could take her place In her last weeks, she had freedom, respect and pride Dignity was something she'd never hide In the wee hours of the night She bared her soul, I felt her fright There's peace in me knowing we're Determined to no longer live in fear. Rita Henley Elizabeth was a Northwestern woman who was killed by her husband in 1988. PDFNorthern compression, web WomanOCR, Page 12optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �BUSINESS AS USUAL At about the same time that the 14 women in Montreal were brutally killed because they were simply women, thousands of women, men and children were killed in Panama because they were simply 'the other'. Both terrible events should have brought Canada to a halt, but neither did. Business went on as usual. However, a shudder did pass over Canada because of the massacre in Montreal, while the deaths in Panama caused only a ripple. Why? And I ask this question to women in particular. Was it because we FELT more for the women in Montreal? Was it because it might be more dangerous to shudder about Panama, or have the M1 6s* done their job more effectively than we care to understand? (*television propaganda) Trying to come to grips with this question, I remember a paragraph in Maria Miles' book Patriarchy and Capital AccupulOon on a World Scale. She writes, "In the course of time it became clear to me that the confusions in the feminist movement world wide will continue unless we understand the women question in context of the global divisions of labour under the dictates of capital accumulation. The subordination and exploitation of women, nature AND THE COLONIES (my emphasis) are the pre-condition for the continuation of this model." So I wonder about this great lack of protest among the feminist movement on the subjugation of the colonies. Talking to a friend about this, I was told that a lot of women sincerely don't understand the connections. I would like to believe this is true, that it is this simple. I remember a Chilean woman telling me that after she had spoken to a group from Amnesty International she had a bizarre experience. She had explained very well the reasons why Allende was overthrown, and after a woman came up to her and said, "Never mind dear, now you live in Canada." So I've written a story. It sometimes works when facts and figures don't. . By Josie Wallenius THE THREE NIECES AND THE PLANATION OWNEF Once there was a street with many houses. Of the houses in the street, some looked drab, some even drabber, and some were being curtained off because it seemed as though the drab had got to them. However, the house I am going to tell of looked apparently not drab at all, or so it seemed to many. In the house apparently not drab at all, lived a white woman with a lot of children. Most of them were hers, daughters and sons, but some were nieces and nephews, children of uncles and aunts. In this house also lived adopted children from the drabber houses. The woman was the wife of the plaatitinOwnvagd.... 14he shirr of the houses his children. The a-a-opted children of course had different mothers, but they had the same father. The adopted children also knew about their father, at least most of them did, but they kept quiet about him for several reasons. However, the daughters and sons, nieces and nephews knew not about their father, and they knew not for an important reason. More of that later. This house was kept apparently not drab by the Plantation Owner because this house above all was where he wanted to keep some semblance of order. It was his home after all, and he came home nights, though very late, usually when his children were in bed. The wife very cleverly kept this semblance of order because of course it was in her interests too, this semblance of order. Her main ploy to keep this order was to put Ml6s in all the rooms of the children for them to watch when they weren't playing. Well, that was a very clever ruse too. From infancy her children were taught to feel that play was work, even struggling work, and at that time, if anybody had told them their work was really play, that anybody would have had a punch in the face. Now, the big reason that the children of the apparently drab house were forced to work so hard at play and watch the M16s was that they were to be kept too busy to think. Above all, to be kept too busy to wonder what there ancestry was, and who their immediate father was. Both of these questions were questions never, never to be asked, because if asked, it would be highly dangerous to the Plantation Owner. .t# V49. Aelts1 t2v,s9 uneasy In the hbuse were, 'one, the daughters and nieces, and two, the adopted children. At that time, not realizing they had all things in common, they got uneasy for different reasons. The adopted children still had this sneaky love for the house where they had been born, even if it had been centuries ago, and watched the goings on in the drabber houses with sinking hearts. The daughters and nieces were uneasy for a different reason. Something was going on in their own house. It was becoming clear to the daughters and the nieces that their mother favoured the sons and nephews, and what was worse that the sons and nephews seemed to drink this favour up without a qualm. As they began to get more and more fed up at this state of affairs, they felt something curious stir in their bones, as though there were memories actually in their legs as well as their heads, and they began to speak up. The sons and nephews and the mother got frightened and one day a son killed a daughter because he was so terrified of what the daughters and nieces were becoming and going back to. Northern Woman PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Page 13 �Now, coincidentally or not (and you all know about coincidences) the same night the daughter was killed, the Plantation Owner visited the mother. He was very busy at this time and only had time for fleeting visits. The daughters saw him because they were up late grieving for their sister. Usually they were too exhausted to be up late; exhausted from their forced play, or in front of their M1 6s or sitting haunted-like at meetings wondering why things were getting worse, and wondering why they felt like a bunch of cells that would disintegrate if they STOPPED. Of course the daughters and nieces KNEW about the Plantation Owner, but they had no idea he had any relationship with their mother. Actually, they quite liked their mother, give or take a Trade Deal or so, because she had this uncanny knack of keeping the house apparently not drab. However, the memories were stirring in their bones as I said, and the next day three Df the sisters decided to go and ask their mother who the Plantation Owner was to HER. The nexrday the three sisters were not around. They had disappeared, something that up till now had only happened in the drabber houses as far as the sisters and nieces knew, though of course that was a mistaken idea as the Black Panthers and AIM could have told them. The rest of the daughters and nieces noticed these missings and because these memories stirring were making them fearfully strong they sent a delegation of two daughters and two nieces to the mother. "Where are our sisters," they enquired, more coldly than their mother had ever heard them speak before. The mother was alarmed, she knew the old heritage of the young women and she became really terrified that they would ask now about their father, so she said, "Your sisters were terrorists and narco guerrillas, and of course communists, and this house does not need them any more than those houses out there", and she gestured out of the window with her jewelled fingers to the drabby houses. She thought that that would do the trick, as these children, like all of her children, had been brought up with the M1 6s. However, bone memories are bone memories and bone memories always know a lie, so the daughters and the nieces took a day off from their struggling play and went to visit an adopted son in his room. He was in his room because adopted children had difficulty in this house even getting paid play. They went to his room where he was lying on his bed and reflecting, and said to him, "Who exactly IS the Plantation Owner?" He answered, "he is all of our father." That night all of the nieces and daughters went into a room to plot. They argued. The M1 6s had done such a good job they couldn't come to any consensus at all. So they decided to keep watch and get more proof. On the next full moon, three nieces, bold young women, stayed up late while the rest of the family were lulling in front of the M1 6s. They hid behind the back door and peeked out of the back window. They heard a whir and a Huey helicopter helped the Plantation Owner to the ground with great reverence. He was wearing a pinstripe suit with gold fountain pens sticking from all of his pockets. He was very fat. He walked around to the front of the house to the front door. He was very bold, very confident. One of the sons answered the door. The nieces could see all this down the long corridor. They saw the Plantation Owner start up the back stairs. They heard his steps go straight and sure to their mothers bedroom which was right above the back door where they were hiding and they heard the bed begin to creak. It went on creaking for a long time. The nieces threw up on the carpet, they just couldn't help it, and what's a bit of sick after all. The three nieces knew they could no longer pretend to not know what they knew, so they went to report to the other nieces and daughters. This time there was no disagreement. They waited till the nex full moon, like their great grandmothers used to do because this had always been the best time and there was too much at stake here and they had no intention of being burnt a it. The same three nieces went because that had heard the bed creak and felt the betrayal more keenly. This time they waited behind the front door. The wife was waiting upstairs, they would deal with her later. They heard the whir of the helicopter. They waited. They heard the marines laughing. They heard the ponderous unmistakable steps of the Plantation Owner. He knocked. They opened the door, and the smell of blood from the drabby ho4.124N.eded him as he walked in. The nieces stepped forward, their honed daggers lifted high, their mind: and bodies at last in perfect harmony. Women hone your daggers, Hone them on a stone, The Stone that hones the daggers, Is knowledge. Subscribe to: Zeta Magazine 150 West Canton Street Boston, MA 02118 USA In These Times 1912 Debs Avenue Mt. Morris, IL 61054 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 14 �ATTEMPTS TO SILENCE The Conservative government has spent $11 million on the Goods and Services Tax (a dangerous tax that is opposed by 80% of Canadians). Currently, $14 million is being spent to advertise the GST. In 1990/91 the government had increased CSIS's budget by,almost $33 million and has allotted $2.5 million for a guided missile project. As well, $1.5 million has been provided in this year's budget for the Senate to build new committee rooms. Yet, according to this Conservative government, they must cut $1.6 million from women's programs "to reduce the deficit". Quite frankly, boys, we do not believe you. Rather, we believe, this particular budget cut is clearly designed to silence our voices. Voices raised in criticism of the patriarchal system that oppresses women, that dismisses women's needs, that strives to ensure the continued subjugation of women. 80 women's centres across the country had their funding cut 100%. Another focus of federal grant slashing, which we insist was deliberately chosen, was the elimination of grants to three outstanding Canadian feminist periodicals. Healthsharing, Canadian Women's Studies/Les Cashiers de la Femme Resources for Feminist Research/Documentation sur la recherche feministe. Cut 100%. (a lead up perhaps --ta_the,r4LwhiclaAtvilLdestroy the' majority of Canadian book and magazine publishing see NWJ Vol 12 #2. The only magazine of its kind, Healthsharing gives voice to women's health issues, empowers women to reclaim control of their health, their bodies, their lives. RFR/DRF - an important resource for academics, students and general readers alike, providing comprehensive information on new research, new insights, on the gamut of feminist issues. And Canadian Women's Studies - an important magazine of great depth and quality. Published quarterly, each theme issue includes analysis, herstory, resources and literary work. A recent Native Women issue was wonderful and with many Northern Ontario Native women contributing has particular meaning for us. The federal grant cuts place these magazines in a serious dilemma. It is our understanding that each of these vital publications is determined to survive. But we know the scenario they face. In order to maintain staff, office and quality of their production, new monies must be found. So the energy is diverted to fundraising. Diverted from the planning, the analysis, the writing! (How adroit our governments are in diverting us from the essential task at hand.) We say to our sister magazines WE NEED YOU TO SURVIVE. Do what you must. If you have to revert to a tabloid, put together in someone's basement - do so. But keep our VOICES ALIVE! Northwestern Ontario women's groups, while not amongst those whose funding was totally abolished will also be hurt. Decade Council, Regional Day Care Committee and local women's organizations, which have received their prime funding from Secretary of State women's programs, all experienced grant reductions of 15 - 25% in 1989 and fear further reductions again this year. This erosion of funding forces groups into the merry-go-round of the "grants game" with other funding sources, and again diverts us from our real work. That the government is determined to silence voices of its critics is further evidenced with the serious slashing of funds to Native groups. We are appalled that the Conservatives eliminated the Native Communications Program (NCP). We are particularly distressed about the implications these cuts have for Wawatay. a O O HEALTHSHARING Wawatay Native Communications Society not only is an essential service in Northwestern Ontario, but is a nationally respected communications network. The loss of the NCP not only will silence Native VOICE, but according to Wawatay's executive director Lawrence Martin the elimination of Wawatay's lifesaving trail ("bush") radio service also threatens lives. There is documented evidence that the trail radio program does save lives. To sever this life-saving program is absolutely reprehensible. Northwestern Ontario will suffer from the present cuts to Secretary of State programs - in the case of the NCP disproportionately so. But behind our worry for the effects of these budget eliminations, reductions, lurks an even greater concern. There is cause to fear that the Conservative agenda is calling for the complete dismantlement of the department of Secretary of State. It is, of course, the Secretary of State department that supports disadvantaged groups. Are we being too cynical when we suggest that the Conservative government is quite prepared to abandon any commitment to women, to Natives, to disabled people, to ethnic groups? We think not. But, we are here to tell you, boys, WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><»<><><><><><><><>><><><><><><> tNo oV't OM A new decade to decide through: c"?' to c919* N'cied ccosl vcotccs how we go on now must be better thought out, not fought out or bought out; with all the intuition and wisdom we have left out of our visions for so long. Ph`2 Ysicall because tit;a12,1 St bee ii7ove/17e4 ekeve that I feel by this ?kedge 0. rCcil, el22boni,,`°0'saYihg to,`,"e eco. :;4---cietit 12 '0122e/7R' 17;;;Ivehav thihgs7 ;212gerotisof th Ives arja lane Coa in hisi,ls t'ePaz4rch 0 chile', - r as 41 idea ci/ atki e com 112sof othe (1979) PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mall Registration Na. 5697 MAIL TO: RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 Return Postage Guaranteed Don't forget to renew your SUBSCRIPTION NAME ADDRESS POSTAL CODE $ 6.00 Institutional $12.00 Individual NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL PO Box 144 Thunder Bay Ontario P7C 4V5 Nor-1-hern Woman Tournat 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 12 No 3 Description An account of the resource Vol. 12, No. 3 (March 1990) Title: Northern Woman Journal: Reflecting, Recollecting, Re-collect-ing Topics include: Montreal massacre Violence against women Safe mourning Women’s healing Sexism Racism Women-only vigil Thunder Bay Hostility towards feminism Women’s pain Women’s safety Media gaslighting Backlash towards feminist analyses of the Montreal Massacre Aboriginal family violence Tribute to Liz (killed by her husband 1988) Violence against women and children in Panama Short stories Government funding cutbacks to services for women Aftermath of the Montreal massacre Emotional trauma Collective trauma Authors/contributors: Ola Broumas Rita Henley Josie Wallenius 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 1990-03 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/16/2821/1990_Vol_12_No_4.pdf feffe4b63021e9bf57d9872ad12f5934 PDF Text Text $1.75 rn Woman 4401011111lial July 1990 Volume 12 No. 4 Thunder Bay, Ontario PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Editorial // ////, / / / / / ,, .,, .4/W/he AV/14,14/h44/46/ Canadian women's freedom was short-lived. The dignity afforded women when the Supreme Court of Canada overturned the abortion legislation (January 1988) is again denied with the May 29, 1990 passing of Bill C43, which re-criminalizes abortion. Bill C-43 amends the Criminal Code to permit an abortion only if a doctor determines that continuing the pregnancy would threaten the woman's physical, mental or psychological health. If an abortion is deemed illegal, both the woman and the doctor will face penalties of up to two years' imprisonment. The supporters of Bill C-43 declare this law is an acceptable "compromise". While Bill C-43 does not become law until passed by the Senate (expected this fall) its impact is already felt. Four doctors staffing an abortion clinic at a Manitoba hospital have stopped performing abortions, forcing the clinic to cut back services. Doctors at major hospital abortion services in Alberta and Nova Scotia have said they will stop doing abortions when the law is passed. Closer to home we learn that Sault Ste. Marie doctors will no longer perform abortions except under "exceptional and lifethreatening situations". In a national survey the Canadian Medical Association found that half the doctors responding would stop performing abortions if the new law came into effect. Doctors appear to be succumbing to threats; by the anti-choice lobby which have announced that they will take every opportunity to lay charges against doctors who perform abortions. In May a sixteen year old Ontario woman was rushed to hospital following a botched "kitchen-table" abortion. '4(,40W;r2,7-MSVari,PSLAWaraVara, In June a twenty year old Toronto woman bled to death as a result of a self-induced abortion. How many Canadian women must die in the name of political compromise? Women who need an abortion will have an abortion. It is society's responsibility to ensure that women have access to safe, legal abortions. Should Bill C-43 be passed by the Senate the abortion "issue" will return to many more years of legal battles, court challenges. Its eventual fate will be decided by the Supreme Court. In the meantime Canadian women live with the knowledge that our government considers women less than fully human; considers women expendable; believes women must be denied the right to selfdetermination; is willing to risk women's lives. We must not tolerate such contempt. 4?,<MM-a4K0.4SWWW.ZAKASWA 1641)*,Wwipw-cipw-ripWaWAIOAWOAW4wWw-OminteiAtegie-4T2M..,ACWwW/AWWiAtrOAttie4WAi CANADA $$$$$$$$$$$$$NEEDED$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technoiogiest. Commission Royale sur les nouvelles techniques de reproduction PUBLIC NOTICE Does the heading look familiar? Indeed, it has appeared over our 16 year herstory. With increased printing cost, federal government intentions to reduce postal subsidies, and the additional threat of the GST, the Northern Woman Journal finds herself in the not unfamiliar situation of imminent poverty. Our readers have always rallied to our need and we are sure you will again. While cash donations are always welcome, the best help you can provide is encouraging two (or three or four or five) of your friends, neighbours, colleagues to subscribe to NWJ. If we doubled our subscriptions we'd have no financial woes. If we tripled our subscriptions we could even invest in new technology and supplies that would visually improve our paper. We can provide sample copies of the Journal for you to give as a subscribing incentive (pick these up at the Northern Women's Bookstore or write us at Box 144, P7C 4V5). We would welcome your suggestions for increasing Journal sales/subscriptions and will be grateful for any help you can give. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ The Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies has been established by the Government of Canada with a man- date to inquire into and report on current and potential medical and scientific developments related to new reproductive technologies, considering in particular their social, ethical, health, research, legal and economic implications and the public interest, recommending what policies and safeguards should be applied' Throughout the next year, the Commission will be conducting an extensive public consultation program to hear the views and experiences of Canoe ans from all walks of life. Public hearings will be held across Canada beginning in September 1990. To be invited to appear, a group or individual must submit a short brief or position paper by July 31, t990. Consultative meetings on specific issues are being organized tc provide those with a specific interest in one or more areas involving the new reproductive technologies to share their views on the development, impact and implications of new reproduc- tive technologies. Individual sessions can be arranged with those wishing to relate a personal experience, relevant to our mandate, in a private setting. The Commission is particularly interested in hearing a full range of views on the following issues: the implications of new reproductive technologies for womenS reproductive health and well-being; the causes, treatment and prevention of male and female infertility; all new reproductive technologies, including reversals of sterilization procedures, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfers, prenatal screening anddiagnostic techniques, genetic manipulation and therapeutic interventions to correct genetic anomalies. sex selection techniaties, embryo experimentation and fetal tissue transplants; social and legal arrangements, such as surrogate childbearing, judicial interventions curing gestation and birth, and ownership of ova, sperm, embryos and fetal tissue; the status and rights of people using or contributing to reproductive services such as access to procedures, rights to parenthood and informed consent; and the economic ramifications of these technologies, such as the commercial marketing of ova, sperm and embryos and the application of patent law and the funding of research and procedures including infertility treatment. - . You are encouraged to discuss these issues from a social, ethical, health, research, legal and economic perspective. Your views and experiences are important! $$$$$$$$$$$$$NEEDED$$$$$$$$$$$$$ To find out more about the Royal Commission and how you can participate, call our toll -free information line: 1-800-668-7060, or wnte; ROYAL COMMISSION ON NEW REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGIES P.O. Box 1566, Station "SOttawa, ON KIP 5R5 PDF compression, OCR, 2 web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page �LETTERS Dear Northern Woman: I have just read your March issue and wish to commend you for a terrific publication. More importantly, I wish to thank you for the sensitivity with which you dealt with the Montreal massacre, and as painful as it was, for helping me reflect and recollect... I began my job with ASWAC on December 4, 1989; two days later fourteen women were murdered in Montreal. My daughters, 18 and 20, were frantic that it would happen to me because of my virtually instant feminist visibility in the community. I was frantic because what we as women know, is possible and actually happened, and that none of us are ever really safe. I will never forget those fourteen young women, and I trust and hope that none of us do; just as we cannot forget those of us who die little deaths daily. In love, sisterhood and woman power. Noreen Bell Project Coordinator 1. To help to "demystify" the trades for women...this is where some women are working and this is what they do in their job. 2. To help to dispel the myths surrounding the trades and women...re: physical strength; combining work and family...their own view of themselves. 3. To uncover benefits of a non-traditional skilled trade as a career option for Northern Ontario women...money, mobility, job satisfaction. This bilingual journal (English/French) will be a very visual rather than print booklet. It is our belief that pictures convey a thousand words, so we hope to receive a wide variety of shots of the women at work, with their families and friends. The Kenora Office of the Women's Access to Apprenticeship Training will be coordinating all aspects of the project. However, the publication of the journal will be a cooperative effort with the five other Northern Ontario Access Coordinators. There are Coordinators in Sudbury, Timmins aria address and relevant particulars. Thank you for your time, cooperation and support. Sincerely, Marion MacAdam Coordinator Women's Apprenticeship Plan Box 722 Kenora, Ontario P9N 4B5 Dear Northern Woman Journal: WOMEN CAN GET AIDS is a new poster produced by the AIDS Committee of Thunder Bay. This poster is available free of charge to all health care professionals, health organizations and all agencies. Distribution is already underway, and the WOMEN CAN GET AIDS poster has been well received in the community. To receive the WOMEN CAN GET AIDS poster contact Eileen Parker, Communications Coordinator at 345-1516. VVVVVVVVVVV VVV VVVVVVVVVVVVVVV un Bay. Dear Northern Woman Journal: We have received confirmation that our funding proposal for a Northern Ontario photojournal for and about women in Non-Traditional Skilled Trades, titles "FREE TO BE ME", has been approved by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. The other funding agency, the Ontario Women's Directorate will be letting us know if they shall be contributing dollars shortly. In the meantime, we wish to let everyone know what we are trying to do and initiate the preliminary work to ensure that although we are starting the project a bit late, we will be able to successfully complete the journal close on schedule. We wish to photograph Northern Ontario women: English, French, native and non-native currently working in non-traditional trades (all trades except hairdressers). The women can be qualified tradespeople or apprentices or women considered role - models in that they have successfully broken into what was considered traditionally men's work. The purpose of the photojournal is: Our women's access to Apprenticeship Project's mandate is to provide public information and education about the skilled trades. All coordinators locate and support women involved in a non-traditional occupation and/or trade. Therefore an infrastructure exists throughout the North for the collection and compilation of these photographs of women and the women's accompanying descriptions of their work At the back of the journal will be a resource list of where to go for further information on training; job opportunities bridging programs and organizations designed to help women explore career options. To make this photojournal the best it can possibly be, we need your cooperation and support. We would like to know what training programs or assistance you know of for women interested in a nontraditional job. Please make your comments in point form as space will be at a premium in this journal. If you know of potential women for our photojournal please contact the Access Coordinator in you area or mail me this woman's name, HERSTORY NOTE "Never retract, never explain, never apologize. Get the thing done and let them howl ". Nellie McLung, 1873-1951, Canadian writer, speaker, teacher, suffragette. Elected to Manitoba legislature 1921. ************************* ************************* ************************* ************************* ,page. Northern Woman PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �UNTITLED by Josie Wallenius At the Journal office this month we talked again about how writing helps to keep one sane. So I said I would write a piece about asking women to submit to the Journal or write letters in response to articles and editorials. Now, before I go further I must recount an experience I had in Grand Marie yesterday. I met up with a women called Chris Gedarburg from the U.S. who is a professional performing artist. She does one woman plays. The plays are about women in the past, in the U.S. and in Europe and with this work she is showing women who they are ie. they were strong, strong women. Now Chris and I are doing a workshop in Minneapolis in June, and after talking only for a few minutes in Grand Marie, we decided to call the workshop, "The Healer and the Heritic" because it was so obvious that our methods were different, in fact we were polarised, and potentially confrontational. Though I myself need healing to keep on, basically I feel that Chris' position, which is to heal women to strength and then to action is flawed but there are so many flawed 'new agers' around who will not ever, ever begin to take social action, that it undermines her theory. As I said bluntly, "You get healed, then what, you feel better, your partner feels better, your work friends feel better, but what about the woman Tonita in El Salvador whose only healing comes with the oblivion of death? My position was that if one is a heritic, one heals oneself in a way, because at least you spit out the poison of the lies and you really can't heal over poison. She said, "But then you lose your audience, they will dislike you." I said, "I thought we were talking about healing, not liking." She laughed. We were both looking forward to this workshop I can tell you. So back here to this appeal to women to write in, use another name if what you are thinking is SO TERRIBLE that you think people will shun you in the streets for saying it. (Actually you would probably get a great hug for naming what we are all thinking beneath our pleasantries and back rubbings.) So I'll start the ball rolling with a heritical letter, bearing in mind that if another heritical woman reads it and thinks it's a crock of shit she will not mutter behind my back but say, "Josie, that was a crock of when she returned she found the children decapitated and the decapitated heads had bee placed in front of each torso with the hands placed on top of the decapitated heads, onl the hands of the youngest had been too short so they had been nailed in place. And this was done by the U.S. trained Salvadoran Army' Atlacatl Battalion. I don't know what to say any more to women I love deeply who have babies who ar an extension of the love I feel for them, when I read that the children in Honduras are growing up 2 cm smaller than their parents. shit". Dear Northern Woman Journal, We've got about 10 years left and I'm tired of people when it's unseasonally hot saying, "Oh, isn't it a lovely day". I'm tired of answering, "Well, I'm a bit worried, I think it's the ozone layer". I'm tired of my lack of guts in not answering, "Bull shit it is a lovely day, the evil profit hungry Godfathers don't give aflyingfuckingthought about us gasping and croaking in ten years time, and I'm telling you next time one of THEM visits town I think we should go and transport him back on his jet and tell the pilot to drop him off at the White House to tell George we are not impressed with pictures of him and Barbara all surrounded with their gleaming grandchildren, because he does not care for children, even his own, and we do, even if they are not our own. Like we care for the aforementioned Tonita and her children, because we heard that two years ago Tonita left her three children in the care of her mother while she took her husband his lunch, and So write women, write, tell me Honduran babies have nothing to do with you and tell me to go throw myself in Lake Superior before it warms up AT ALL, but please don't tell me you feel helpless. Tonita doesn't feel helpless, she's fighting. Even write to tell me gently it's all a lost cause and that really everybody knows it and is just trying ti make the last years as good a possible. Just say it, write it, and it doesn't have to be about ANYTHING of the above, was just giving my example. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< 40.41) 144 Lakehead University A Northern Vision WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAM CO-ORDINATOR/SESSIONAL LECTURER Lakehead University is initiating Interdisciplinary Women's Studies an Program The University is beginning 1990. seeking a part-time Co-ordinator/Sessional Lecturer to teach the core course "Introduction to Women's Studies" and to co-ordinate program development and activities. 1 September Preferably, the incumbent will have a minimum_ of a doctorate, teaching experience and an interest and experience in women's studies. Applicants are requested to submit a resume with the names of three references by 20 July 1990 to Dr. J.H.M. Whitfield Dean of Arts and Science Lakehead University THUNDER BAY, Ontario P7B 5E1 AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Ntart4ern 14/0111,114 �FEMINISTS IN SPIRITED RESISTANCE ACROSS THE COUNTRY by Nancy Pollak Reprinted with permission from "Kinesis" The spring of 1990 will be remembered as the season when feminists not only raised a huge public cry against funding cuts to the Secretary of State's Women's Program, but managed to keep alive, at least temporarily, many of the centres and groups most badly stung by the cuts. The season isn't over. As Kinesis goes to press*, women's groups across the country are forging a proposal for the Secretary of State Gerry Weiner, a proposal which will formalize demands and conditions for the reinstatement of core funding-and for the preservation of the Women's Program itself. Weiner is expecting a proposal, although he is not expected to readily embrace the contents. And thereby hangs a tale... Occupied By Occupations, etc The $1.6 million cut to the Women's Program in the February budget was most damaging to Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Yukon and British Columbia, where almost 80 women's centres lost all their operational money. In Quebec, 39 centres lost their federal core grant and were forced to fall back on much smaller provincial grants. Four national women's organization (including three feminist periodicals) lost 100 percent of their funding, and national advocacy and education groups were dealt 15 or 20 percent cuts. The fight was on. Women's groups launched full-scale letter writing campaigns, visited cabinet ministers at their offices, protested at their speaking engagements (notable Mary Collins, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women), held symbolic bake-sales atgovernment offices, and in various other public and notso-public ways requested that Gerry Weiner meet with the groups whose funding he had cut without warning. Public support for women's centres was widespread and immediate. Groups received donations and offers of support, and their demonstrations were wellattended--women and men are clearly angry about these cuts. With prompting from feminists, mainstream media had no difficulty presenting a sympathetic portrait of the local women's centre, struggling to survive, Editorial writers grasped that the funding cuts were at least impolite, and probably contrary to the government's stated support for women's rights. The Progressive Conservatives in Ottawa had a harder time getting the picture. Despite formal requests from affected groups, Weiner made no move to meet with women. In the Yukon, the Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre formed a coalition with Native political, communication and social organizations also cut by the Secretary of State (SecState). The Yukon Coalition Against the Budget, with major community support, took out full-page ads protesting the cuts on March 8 (IWD) and again on March 23rd. On March 21 in Montreal, 75 women attempted to enter the SecState offices but were refused entrance to the elevators by security guards. During the noisy, allafternoon demo, they faxed their demand to Weiner: meet with us. The following day, he invited them to an April 9 meeting in Ottawa. It took him a little longer to respond elsewhere. Women in St. John's, Newfoundland were the first to stage a full-fledged occupation of a SecState office. On March 26, 60 women announced "the newest women's centre in Canada," and set about using SecState's telephones and fax machine to get what they came for: a meeting with Weiner to discuss full reinstatement of core funding. Over 400 women, including elected NDP and Tory politicians, participated in the week-long occupation; a unanimous motion of support passed in the House of Assembly; a local fish and chips joint delivered lunch for 50--and Gerry Weiner sent an official to discuss project funding. We're Not Just Projecting Luring women's groups with offers of short-term project funding has been the government's standard strategy since the cuts were announced. Here's how it goes. Imagine you are the government. Your first move is to hammer home that core funding is gone for good--blame it on the deficit. Then say women's centres are a provincial responsibility anyway because they're so service-oriented. Second, emphasize how much project funding is available. In the western region, stress how it's been increased--but don't explain that that's only because so much core funding was cut. Write letters to the editor about all the project money. Third, phone up women's centres on the brink of closure and say they can have project money in a matter of days--it's called "fast tracking." Mention that the centres can use the money for operational expenses if they like (wink wink, nudge nudge). Add that there is money for winding-down expenses -Tray-t5T-r-tire-phot settle up with the landlord, sleep tight. Finally, watch in consternation as groups across the country turn down your proposal because they have more political sense and solidarity with each other than to accept an offer of perpetual instability. Newfoundland women rejected the project funding offer by Weiner's official in late March, reiterated their demand for full funding and set an inspired example for the rest of the country. The centre in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia took the next step, deferring a project grant for $46,000. National groups, other Nova Scotia and Quebec PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION Nbrthern PDFCompressor WOEW-IPagbr'S*. �women's centres, and the BC and Yukon Association of Women's Centre followed suit, and a gradual boycott of project funds grew. Coast to Coast Despite poor national press coverage of the Newfoundland occupation, women across Canada were aware of the events in St. John's and prepared to show their support. On the first Monday (March 26), women in Toronto attempted to enter SecState offices and were met by closed doors and over twenty police officers. Four women were gently hauled away. In Vancouver, a symbolic sit-in took place in the SecState vestibule. As the week wore on and the Newfoundland occupiers showed no sign of giving up on their major demand, Vancouver women made plans to mirror the Atlantic action with a little of the Pacific kind. Friday March 30: Within an hour of occupying the 12th floor Vancouver offices of SecState, 20 or so British Columbian women learned the police had arrived in St. John's with a new offer: leave or be charged with mischief. A few hours earlier, women in Halifax had met an instantaneous police response when they had attempted to enter government offices. The Tories, never enthus'iastic about the idea of talking with women, were now drawn to the idea of arresting them. The women in Halifax and St. John's were "escorted" from the offices by the police and no charges were laid. Back at the women's centre in St. John's, telephone contact was made with the Vancouver occupiers and 40 weary but elated Newfoundlanders sang solidarity songs over the speaker phone to their west coast sisters who, shortly afterwards, noticed the arrival of the police. The Vancouver occupiers made the same demand as other groups: full reinstatement of funding to the Women's Program and a meeting with Weiner. As they waited for a reply to the faxed demand, the women asked SecState to call off the police while negotiations were taking place. The answer came near midnight. Wendy Carter, Regional Director of SecState, reminded women of the easy availability of project funding. There would be no discussion of other matters except during regular office hours and, because there were no negotiations, the police would not be called off. By midnight, under a threat of mischief charge, Vancouver women were escorted from the building by police. The following Monday, the St. John's office was revisited by protesters, still seeking a meeting with Weiner. Twenty women and two men were arrested and charged with mischief. The scene repeated itself in Vancouver on April 5. With a spirited demonstration taking place below, twelve women attempted to enter the SecState offices to deliver another letter to Weiner. Met by locked glass doors and security guards, the women slipped their letter to director Carter and sat down to a wait Weiner's reply. His reply was another letter. Weiner would not reinstate funding, would not meet with women in BC, but would invite a designated representative to meet with him in Ottawa on April 11. Not satisfied, the women refused to leave. By dinner time, they were arrested for the steppedup offence of "assault by trespass" and carted off in a police wagon. Charges have not been laid. Meet Me in Ottawa, Meet Me in Montreal Across the country, special security guards were posted to protect government offices from rampaging females--the kind who want to talk to ministers of the crown. The federal NDP Women's Critic Dawn Black told parliament she had calculated the government would spend about $560,000 on security fees over three months--almost a third of the budget cut. MIL HONK iW' FOR While the public protest were going on national organization such as the National Action Committee on the Status of Wbmen (NAC), ti Canadian Congress for Learnir Opportunities for Women (CCLOW), and "Healthsharing" also tried to set up a meetir with Weiner to specifically discuss cuts to their operations. While women's centres hz captured the public and media's attention, the advocacy, research and publication groups hit by thE budget hadn't fared as well. Yet the cuts they sustained (between 30 and 100 percent J two years) are considered a strong indication of how far the Tories may go in completely dismantling the Women's Program. As Kinesis goes to press national organizations are still awaiting confirmation c meeting times with Weiner, w1 refused a request to meet wit them collectively. But he did meet with thE women's centres. Bowing to public pressure, Weiner met c April 9 in Ottawa with Urgenc Secretariat d'Etat, the QuebE women's centre ad-hoc coalition, and again on April 11 in Montreal with invited representatives from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, BC and the Yukon. The meetings were as different as cheese and chalk--or were they? Weiner did most of the talking after receiving the Quebec women's demand for ful reinstatement of funding. He turned them down flat, suggesting instead that they look to grants from the SecState programs for "doubly disadvantages women"--the government's term for women c colour, Aboriginal women and women with disabilities. The Quebec women left the meeting disappointed and angry at sue an obvious attempt to play women off against each other. The April 11 meeting unfolded differently. The 7 anglophone representatives ha been selected by Judy Wright, director of the Women's Program. The night of the 10th, Wright and Danielle Remillard, Weiner's representative, encouraged th women to consider making the minister a proposal, rather than a direct demand for reinstatement. They also insisted that only women's centre funding could be discussed, saying that separate negotiations were taking place with the nationa organizations despite the fac that no such meetings had bee held. CENTRt4ES And the women did come up with a proposal for Weiner fund women's centres at 198889 levels for two more years during which time the federal government would negotiate a provincial/territorial take over of women centre funding. NNESIS may 90 continued pg 14 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor -.46ithei.W.Voittalipacie 6 �REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE....REDEFINE by Nancy Lyons When I first heard of the 3 R's I had a difficult time accepting the fact that our environment was being destroyed. Day by day the realization set in and I learned how selfish I was being to be robbing 'Mother Earth' of her riches. It seemed so reasonable to blame others for this disastrous situation that exists in our society. Though others may be more abusive to 'Her' than I, I failed to accept the fact that I too was contributing to this disastrous situation. REDEFINE. I looked at my surroundings, and asked the simple question, "What can I do to help repair the damage?". I then began to search for answers to help create a change. What I soon discovered was not only would I be contributing to a change in our environment, I would also be changing the way I live. REDEFINE. I began to throw away old habits I had previously accepted as 'convenience' in this throwaway society. Today, I reuse my grocery bags, attempt to purchase products without excess packaging (although I feel that manufacturers could help out in this area), save my tin cans, and glass jars. I built a bigger compost (I was surprised to learn that I could dump my leftover water from boiling vegetables in the compost rather than in the sink). I now turn off the tap when I brush my teeth, and 'flush' only when necessary. I also discovered I get just as clean with a quick shower as I do if I take a long one. I use refillable bottles to purchase my environmentally safe soaps and detergents. I use vinegar and baking soda to clean, and discovered they work. I also spread the word that cloth diapers are as convenient as 'disposables', given the benefits to the environment. REDEFINE. I still catch myself throwing things like glass away, only to dig it out of the garbage, and put it down in the basement in a box with 'Blue' written on it. I'm waiting for the day when it's discovered that its cheaper to put blue boxes on the street than it is to pay for irreparable damages to the environment. I am still in the 'Redefine' stage of awareness and action, and open to any suggestions I may receive. For today, I stand tall on my compost heap, knowing that I am helping to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE our environment. I am optimistic!! ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< WOMAN PLAN THUNDER BAY by Lorilee Wright Women surveyed in 1989 told the Northern Women's Centre that one of its major roles should be empowering local women around local issues to make local change. That same survey also showed us that while there are many women in Thunder Bay with valuable expertise in diverse areas, there has been little integration. Of course, with funding being what it is, the immediate response was, "We'll hold a Conference!" So plans are being made. The first Woman Plan Thunder Bay Conference is set for November 16-18. Women involved in planning for this Conference are insisting that the planning process will be as important as, if not more important than the Conference itself. This process will hopefully create a network in which local women can and will become involved in the decision- making structures that affect them. Women are becoming involved. We have long recognized that women meeting women to discuss issues is the process by which women will end their isolation and marginalization in society. For years women have lobbied consistently for programs, policies and legislation that would make their lives and the lives of their children safer, more comfortable, less restrictive and less stressful. Woman Plan Thunder Bay will continue and expand that effort purely on a local basis. Our first Committee workshop defined some broad objectives for Woman Plan Thunder Bay: CONNECTING and networking with women and women's organizations, and combining resources in order to decrease alienation. EMPOWERING women by developing decision-making skills, assertiveness, selfknowledge, lobbying skills, land by using women's experience as the basis for action and re-evaluation. DEMYSTIFYING established institutions (media, financial, medical, governmental, etc), and examining our internalized racism, sexism, classism and our own stereotyped perceptions. ACTION around issues identified by community women in group consultation and at the Conference. Our greatest challenge in all this will be in changing attitudes - attitudes within the power structures and attitudes of women themselves. If you want to become involved in the Conference, or in the planning process call Lorilee at 345-7802. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor ..14Pr.th8F11..11.3FWY, ,.Page 7 �by arja lane so we struggle to get past the bull-poop the power-plays the guilt-trips to where life is true to the living where what you want isn't a contest where being wrong isn't a life- sentence OLD HABITS where love is more than a four letter word based on ifs where humanity extends past man-made barriers by Gert Beadle where we strive I can't believe after all this time I still wake up expecting to hear someone in the kitchen lighting the fire releasing a rolling man fart as a call for my rising whether it is my father or the one who came after my reflexes are still tuned to proving my willingness to take instruction. Half out of the bed the reality of my enfranchised position as a free woman strikes deep into my consciousness I turn the pillow over to the cool side and go back to sleep. to revive the basics of living where giving balances out the taking so we'll survive until the last bull-pooping power-playing guilt-tripper ceases to be CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Les Editions Comrnuniqu'Elles 3585, rue StUttein Siteg Monti* Ouibsc, Canada HSOC TEL: (514) 844-1751; Fats (514) 842-1057 Call for Submissions Canadian Women and ALS Les Editions Communiqu'Elles, a Montreal-based feminist publishing house. is now seeking submissions for an anthology to be entitled Candies Women and AIDS: Beyond the Statistics. We will consider scholarly articles, research papers, ficdon, poetry. personal testknonies and interviews from HIV-positive women and women with AIDS, caregivers, relatives. lovers and relatives of HIV-positive women and women with AIDS, researchers, social scientists, sex workers and activists. The Book will be divided into sections on research. reflecdon and action. Topics can include but are not limited to: . The politics of women and AIDS . Differences between AIDS in women and in men . Women, AIDS and IV drug use . Living with AIDS . Ethical issues involving AIDS in women . Poverty: the economic effects at AIDS . Safe sex for heterosexual and bisexual women and lesbians . Caregiving . Feminist issues . Sex workers and the AIDS epidemic . The epidemology of women and AIDS in Canada and elsewhere . Social and psychological issues . Sex education . Violence against women and power dimensions in relationships between the sexes in the' bathe against AIDS in women . Young women and AIDS The deadline for all submissions is September 1, 1990, but potential contributors are strongly advised to send material before that data Contributions can be in either Engieh or French; articles will be printed in their criginal language with a sun/nary provided in the other language. Depending on funding, contributors WI be paid. A national advisory cownittee wit oversee the selection process. The intended schedule will see the book launched on December 1, 1990, to coincide with International MOS Day, which this yew will focus on Women and AIDS. Please forward submissions to Jacquie Marshorne, Editor, Les Editions Communiqu'ESte, 3585 St-Urbain, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 2N6, or tax them to (514) 842-1087. For further infomwdon, write to the same address or cal (514) 844-1781. What is lesbian community? How are we building it? Call for submissions to New Canadian Anthology of Lesbian Short Stories, to be published in 1991. Interested in a wide range of styles and approaches, powerful stories 1500-6000 words, that describe turning points in the formation of our lesbian identities and the building of our lesbian community. Payment for successful submissions. Send submissions and queries with SASE (including sufficient Canadian postage or International reply coupon) to: Lee Fleming, editor gynergy books Box 2023 Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7N7 DEADLINE: September 30, 1990 Lee Fleming has edited "By Word of Mouth: Lesbians write the erotic" (gynergy books, 1989) SUBMIT PDF Northern compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Woman Page 8 �SUMMER 1988 by Josie Wallenius This Canadian woman just back from the Philippines said to me, "Where is the revolution in Canada?". DRIVING ACROSS THE PRAIRIES FOR THE REVOLUTION My mate Sylvia phoned up and said, "Bring your slides of Libya to Medicine Hat". (Libya is in Africa, and Suffield, in Medicine Hat, makes chemical weapons for use in the Third world.) So I got on the train to Medicine Hat where Sylvia and her mate Shirley were organising for International Women's Day. They had worked very hard to get a series of very...political ...workshops for women on the agenda. Workshops on economics and so forth. So we did all of these workshops on International Women's Day and went home and chewed the cud. The next morning we got up early, saw the kids off to school then went to the Medicine Hat T,V. station for me to be interviewed on who are, and who are not, the terrorists in the world. The young woman_who interviewed me was very surprised at all this news, but I must say very interested too. Then Sylvia and Shirley took me in the evening to Medicine Hat University so that I could show my slides of Libya and talk about who are, and who are not, the terrorists in the world, and after we all got into a good talk about masculine and feminine and Peace and Justice, and apathy and T.V. and fascism. Then we went home and talked some more and went to bed and got up and saw the kids off to school and set out to Lethbridge. Driving from Medicine Hat to Lethbridge seemed a long way to me, but its not far to Prairie folk. Well, we went straight to the Lethbridge University to show my slides about Libya, Africa, again, and the girls and boys were as surprised as everybody else had been. They were so surprised that their jaws hung open, which actually is no surprise to me, having university students with jaws hung open, poor things. They got really interested when I told them why the U.S. wanted to get people believing in West German connections with Libya. I love it when people get interested in the interesting things. So straight after that Sylvia, Shirley and I ran staggering to the Lethbridge T.V. station where I did a 60 minute interview on Libya, Africa, and talked about who are, and who are not, the terrorists in the world. Ten minutes before the end, my voice gave out. It must have been all the talking in the car. So anyway, this T.V. camera man obviously wanted to hear the last ten minutes of who are, and who are not, the terrorists in the world, because he brought me a warm water gargle. So I gargled and finished, and the last slides were of some Arab children. I was so glad it wasn't a phone in, as I did not want someone phoning in and saying, "Ahhhh, children are children everywhere", because children are not children everywhere. Some children get blown up and some don't. So after all of this Sylvia, Shirley and I piled in the car, hoarse but happy, and the snow started a blowing, and this is the Prairies remember, where the snow doth really blow. Now, it seemed, unbeknown to me, that Sylvia had promised her daughter that she would drive her to dancing classes that night, and we had to get hamster feed too and groceries, and in fact all of Sylvia's and Shirley's children had not seen their mothers for some days for more than an hour or two, and you know what guilt is. So Sylvia starts to go faster. Then, for goodness sake, as well as snow blowing, it starts falling from the skies too, and there is nothing but transport trucks passing us and a-blowing up more snow, so we all got sort of agitated, especially Sylvia, who was driving. Sylvia started to screech somewhat. (she was speaking about South Africa the next day) "I wish those bloody truckers would have a bit of consideration for people in small cars, and if anybody thinks I'm driving out to Seal Island tomorrow in this blizzard to talk about South Africa, they can think twice". I started cracking up in the back seat. "What's the matter?", asked my mates Sylvia and Shirley. "Don't you understand?", I croak, wiping my eyes. "This is it. The revolution. Driving in a blizzard across the Prairies talking about Africa." The next day, in the snow, to Seal Island. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX cec e7;is- S m niE4" .*****.*.***.o.*.**** PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 9 �COMMENTARY By Joan Gullen, Family Service Centre of Ottawa-Carlton. Originally printed in CCSD, Vis-a-vis, Spring 1990. A caution about men's groups The enforcement of changing policies for men who criminally assault their women partners has an ironic twist. At a time when resources for women's support groups are still below par, there is now a competing pressure to provide more treatment groups for men who abuse. As more men plead Guilty in the courts, judges are wont to direct men to counselling as a condition of sentencing, rather than the obvious alternative -jail. There are few in-between options. Groups for men certainly are opportunities for many individuals to change their thinking and their controlling behaviour. However, women and the general public have unrealistic expectations of their long-term value. While we wait for the federal evaluation of men's groups, I would say only some men who have been in groups sustain their non-violent behaviour. Many find more sophisticated ways to direct the motivating force of violence - the overriding need to control. Women's support groups, on the hand, have lifted many women out of their debilitating state of guilt and self-blame. They have given those women the strength to say, "No" to violence, and have allowed them to take charge of their lives. Most of these women move beyond wanting just an end to the physical abuse. They want a healthy adult relationship. So where are the large public expenditures to evaluate women's groups? There is an insidious shift away from seeing women's interests to men's interests. It starts with those questions which arise at every workshop - "What about groups for men?" as though that were the fundamental question. It certainly is the question increasingly asked by media and public officials. More subtly and equally dangerous is the public's tendency to see men's groups as the main way to stop the violence. This is a simple and misguided emphasis. It ignores that the chief catalysts for change are forcing public consequences for violent behaviour and giving women more strength and resources. Why is this happening? First, it reflects the age-old view that male interests should come first, and tells us that we have a long way to go to place women's interests more securely into the public consciousness. Secondly, men's groups are more centralized, run longer, are better staffed and have a higher profile than women's groups. With few exceptions, women's groups are more dispersed within otherogm..- community based organizations. This has made it difficult for women's groups to get organized into larger associations. But men's groups, which are a more recent development, are already forming provincial associations. A founding conference to form a national association of transition houses has yet to be funded a level that will involve a: shelters across Canada. In public education seminars and conferences, mo are gradually taking over ti public issue of wife assault Men's group representatives tend to be articulate and intelligent, which helps secure them public attentioi By inference, when men talk about their treatment groups they are also trying to describe women's reality usi feminist rhetoric. Women speak about the experiences of women, their feelings and their emotions, within a conceptual framewo/ However, that approach ofter doesn't work in the public forum - it gets dismissed as biased and subjective. The public must be told over and over again, that improving women's condition is the mainspring prevention. The voices of men's groups should only complement, not drown out, that main theme. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ><><><><><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><: WORDS FROM WITHIN: WOMEN PRISONERS WRITE 11111 WNW women's PRESS The Women's Press is requesting submissions for an anthology of writing created by the voices of women in prisons across the country. Writing by ex-inmates is also welcome. All forms of writing, including songs, essays, poetry, are appreciated. A writer's fee will be paid upon publication. Women interested in contributing their writing to such a project, please contact: Pinelopi Gramatikopoulos c/o The Women's Press 517 College Street Suite 233 Toronto, Ontario M4G 4A2 () () () () () () () () 0 () () 0 () 0 () 0 () () () () () Northern Woman Page 10 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, OCR, web �Congratulations 4 to the Faculty GRANTS Women Studies Group on their successful bid for a minor program in Women's Studies at The Univerity. Lakehead interdisciplinary program will offer a full-year core course Women's to "Introduction Studies" commencing September Ontario Women's Directorate 1990. 99999999999999999999999999999 WIFE ASSAULT Community groups involved in providing wife assault programs, New Faces and Voices at the OWD Northern Office... Those of you public education and/or assistance, e.g. shelters, co- who have called or come in to the Northern office in recent ordinating committees, advocacy groups, and counselling centres may apply to the OWD Wife weeks will have noticed a number of new faces and voices. First off, The Northern Office Resource congratulations!!! to Lynn Beak on the birth of her son Andrew David on June 15. oz. Andrew weighed 7lbs., 15 Both mom and babe are doing Lynn will be on leave well. from the OWD until February 1991. Pam Wakewich will be filling in for us during Lynn's absence. a broad range of Pam has research experience on women's issues and will be working with Rae Anne Honey in a community development capacity. Julie Faucher-Trudel, RESOURCE CENTRE our support staff person moved to Ottawa June 21st to join her We Will miss Julie's family. Centre has publications, videos and books available to the community, on a lending basis. Some of the recent additions developed by the City of Toronto to introduce women employees to non-traditional occupations, has financial with produced, assistance from the OWD, a new video to complement the manual it published last year. The 15 minute video is designed to encourage businesses to retrain women already employed within nonfor companies their The video traditional jobs. endeavours. Giselle Chiasson has joined the Northern staff as a Summer Experience Student. Giselle is a 2nd year student in Women's Studies and English at the She University of Waterloo. will be updating our resource centre over the summer months. Jesse Russell, Native Policy Consultant, will be working with and women's groups native sharing her expertise with both Thunder Bay and Toronto staff. Women in Canada - A Statistical Report. 2nd Ed. Major aspects of women's lives are followed with respect to family status, education, health and work experience. The new edition includes reports on housing, aboriginal groups, immigrants and women with disabilities. Making a World of Difference: A directory of women in Canada specializing in global issues. University of Toronto Press, This is a resource book 1990. of women in Canada specializing in global issues including peace, the environment, development and related economic and social justice issues. No Kidding. Inside the World of Myrna Kostash. Teenage Girls. Toronto: McLelland and Stewart, Selected by Macleans as 1987. one of the ten "best books of the year." Good Luck to the eight women graduates of the first 16 week Business English Program funded by CEC and organized by the Immigrant and Visible Minority Women's Committee. A Special Thank You to Linda Penner, Project Manager, for her dedication to this project and especially for providing meaningful job placements for all students. project project advertising, etc.. Normal annual operating costs are not eligible. completed the program. Employment Resources Human Equity program at Confederation College. care; BRIDGES, an innovative program tremendous organizational skills Industrial Relations and the child development/implementation, but wish her well in her new new until a replace Julie support staff person is hired. the in is a student Joy on-site include: entitled "Bridges: Women in NonTraditional Work" features four women who have successfully Joy Kilner from Go Temp will Assault Grants Program for up to $2,000 for public education funding. Funding may assist conference/workshop resource personnel travel, honoraria; Women and Labour Market Poverty. Advisory Canadian Ottawa: Council on the Status of Women, June 1990. Too Few to Count: Canadian Women in Conflict with the Law. Ed. Claudia and Adelberg Ellen Vancouver:Press Gang Currie. Publishers, 1987. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS JULY 13! COMMUNITY The OWD Community Grants Program communityfunds innovative, to designed based projects promote the social, economic and legal status of Ontario's women. Preference is given to community groups whose proposals address the OWD's priority issues of: employment equity; prevention against women; violence of measures to achieve economic equality; and elimination of sex-role stereotying; and target groups of elderly, francophone, visible immigrant, native, minority, low-income, northern/rural women and women with disabilities. SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 1st! Recent grants to the North include: Kenora Area Committee for Skills Development $7,514 to develop and distribute a photojournal on women doing non-traditional work in Northern Ontario. Sudbury Ontario Native Women's Chapter $3,770 to hold two oneday information session on human rights, training opportunities, programs and employment community services for Native Women in Sudbury and surrounding area. This page is sponsored by the Ontario Women's Directorate. The material contained on it may be photocopied and distributed without permission, but with credit to the original source or the Ontario Women's Directorate. Congratulations to the Immigrant and Visible Minority Women's Committee on a first successful training program. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Morthern Woman Page 11 �CHALLENGES In March over 250 women (and a few men) attended "Women of the 90s; Meeting the Challenges". Cheryl Ball and Mary Cory are to be congratulated for their excellent efforts in organizing this very successful event. Guest speaker was Meg Luxton, Professor of Women's Studies, York University, and author of More Than a Labour of Love, and co-author of Through the Kitchen Window. The following are excerpts from Meg Luxton's address. I hope to be provocative because I believe that we, in Canada, face a crisis in the way our society is organized. A crisis - so profound, so deep, that unless we begin to resolve it effectively now, we face a decade of degeneration and potential social chaos. We need imagination and creativity. We need the courage to look critically at some of our most deeply cherished beliefs about the world. We need a new vision of what we want for our lives, and we need the daring to strive for it. Canadian society, like all capitalistic societies, needs two basic types of labour to keep it going...the production of goods and services produced for exchange in the market - paid labour, and the production, and caring, of people - domestic labour. But since the 19th century the way capitalist societies have been organized has been such that these two necessary labours are fundamentally in contradiction with each other. The requirements of paid work are incompatible with household and family life; the demands of the household are at odds with paid work. In the early part of the 20th century this fundamental incompatibility between the two necessary labours was recognized and the proposed resolution was to insist that society should be organized around a division of labour where men engaged in paid work, women engaged in domestic work. The lynch pin of this division of labour was marriage and "the family". Thus, at the level of ideals, ideologies - the best way to organize society = heterosexual nuclear family. This ideology permeates all aspects of society from the way work is organized through income tax laws, building codes, holiday plans, laws re who can live together. The more people live differently, the greater penalties in practice. Of course, people live in a variety of ways. Some come from different traditions, some prefer different arrangements, some are unable to live that way. Among those who do conform we find that despite claims that the nuclear family is the best way to live, too often it is the site of violence. (97 women were murdered by their husbands in 1989; in the majority of child sexual assault cases, the children were molested by their fathers, brothers or other near relatives.) Even for those who find deep happiness, joy and delight in families, what we have seen through the 20th century is that the nuclear family and the sexual division of labour is not successful in resolving, or even managing the tensions between the two spheres of work. Firstly, many Canadians value different arrangements. Secondly, few families have ever been able to survive economically on the earnings of one man. Even in well-to-do families women are economically vulnerable. The idea that women are supposed to be wives and mothers supported by their husbands has been used since the 19th century to justify excluding women from many paid jobs, particularly the most skilled and best paid. Young women are discouraged from obtaining the education and training needed to qualify for such jobs on the grounds that their main occupations will be that of wives and mothers. Jobs held primarily by women are systematically paid less than jobs which require the same or even less training but are held predominantly by men. This discrimination has been explained by claiming that women are secondary earners. Because of this discrimination, there is a major economic compulsion for women to get married (especially if they want to have children) so that they can have access to the (usually) better wages of a man. For men, the fact that they are expected to be earners, providing the economic support for their wives and children means their primary orientation is to paid work. The assumption that men have wives to do domestic labour, especially child care, reinforces employers' assumptions that such workers can work eight hour shifts or longer, can be required to travel, to do overtime, to not need to take time off for the arrival of a new child or to care for sick children. For many men, their responsibility as earners justifies their reluctance to do domestic labour and reinforces their assumption that it is women's work. As a consequence, for the majority of married people, the rhythms of daily life are profoundly different for women and men. For men, there is a clear hierarchy of determination in their daily life, with the demands of their paid work imposing quite strict limitations on the other activities in which they engage. Married women, whether they are employed or not, are usually at least in part economically dependent on their husbands. As a result, the demands of the_husband's wage work often imposes serious constraints-On their lives as well. For women, domestic responsibilities, and particularly child care, are at the top of the hierarchy of constraints. Women's capacity to take on paid work depends on their ability to make alternative care arrangements for their children. Furthermore, as women's incomes are often considerably lower than those of their husbands', married women often have to juggle the demands of their husbands paid work in ways that men rarely have to take account of their wives' employment. In the last twenty years there has been a major shift in the way married women and men organize their family households, and in the way they divide their time and energy between domestic labour and wage labour. Increasingly women are entering paid labour and staying at their paid jobs even when their children are very young. As part of that change, women are challenging existing practices of job and wage discrimination in the paid labour force. At the same time, both the practical demands of their paid jobs and their perceptions of fairness are motivating women to RomanOCR, ,.PAgeweb .44 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDFNorthern compression, �Over the last hundred years there have been significant changes in people's practices around: childbearing, child rearing, marriage and household formation. People are living longer. People are having fewer children and the number of years they spend in bearing and rearing children has decreased. In the first half of the 20th century most women spent 10-15 years bearing children compared to five years or less today. The number of years women spend actually living with at least one child has decreased from move into the paid labour. By the mid 1980s, 56% of all women were employed in paid labour and women comprised 43% of all workers. More significantly, in 1987, 69.6% of women with children under 16, and 63% of women with children under 6 (compared with 49% in 1981) were in the paid labour force. The economic imperatives for women's participation in the paid labour force are 30 to 20. Marriage rates have declined. Rates of first marriage are the lowest they have ever been in Canada, they are lowest in Quebec which has one of the lowest rates in the world. However, the majority of people do marry, and while the numbers of women having children without marrying has steadily increased, there is still a very close association between having children and being married. Divorce rates in Canada were sharply affected by the 1968 law reform making divorce easier. Throughout the 1970s divorce rates increased. They levelled off in the 1980s. These changing patterns of longevity, marriage and childbearing mean that women spend a much smaller proportion of their total adult lives involved in childbearing and child care. As a result, there is now a greater diversity of practices. Some women complete childbearing in their twenties which means they finish active parenting in their forties; others begin in their late thirties or early forties so they don't finish active parenting until they are in their sixties. Whatever they do, women who have children now spend less than half of their adult lives actively parenting. These changing patterns of childbearing and marriage are intimately related to the changing patterns of labour force participation for women. In the late 19th and early 20th century, a typical pattern was for young working class women on leaving school to seek paid employment until they were married. Married women worked (unpaid) on their farms, in family businesses, or in their own homes providing services for pay such as laundry, sewing, room and board. At various points throughout the 20th century when there have been labour shortages (such as during the wars) employers and governments have actively encouraged women to take on paid employment. Throughout the century, the constant and increasing need for cash combined with the decline in domestic income generating possibilities, have prompted increasing numbers of women to clear. Even married women whose husbands earn enough to support them and their children are only a death or divorce away from poverty. In 1986 51.5% of married women with children under 6 had husbands earning less then $30,000 per year. 39.6% of employed women are single, widowed or divorced and must support themselves and their dependents. 40% of female headed families are poor. One in five two-parent families with one income was below the poverty line in 1985. This is three times higher than when there are two wage earners. As more and more women have entered paid employment, the fundamental incompatibility of domestic and paid labours has emerged as an increasingly intense social crisis. Let's look at this crisis. The crisis is experienced personally by: the Red Queen syndrome, the constant pull between the two spheres of labour, many people living in ways that are not satisfying to them (i.e. being constantly tired, eating fast foods, missing school concerts, being cross/snappy or ill, having no time/energy to give friends support=guilt, sadness because of lost time with children). This stress is inevitable when the full responsibility for children rests with one or two people, as children need 24 hour loving attention. Some children are not getting the care we wish for them because their responsible adults are absent, tired, stressed, ill. The crisis is experienced socially by: women not being available for public life, trade unions, politics, etc., and massive financial and social costs re health and unhappiness. The crisis is managed personally by: heroic juggling, or part time employment, cooperation of husband and children, and not having the children you want. The crisis is managed socially by: ad hoc solution (a good day care centre here, maternity leave in one workplace, parental leave in another). What solutions there are result from women organizing through trade unions, the women's movement, etc. to win: women's equal right to employment; maternity leave; parental leave; day care; etc. But the crisis has taken on new dimensions in the 1980s, with a dramatic change in the dominant economic philosophy of the ruling parties. From 1945 - 1980 the three major parties agreed that (1) the severity of depression would not be replicated if there was a minimal safety net, ie no guaranteed employment but U.I.C., hospitalization, education, health care, etc. (2) Keynesian economic theories assumed it is the role of the state to intervene in the economy through fiscal policies especially taxes and interest rates to provide a "healthy investment climate". What we have in the 1980s (1979 Thatcher, 1980 Reagan, 1984 Mulroney) is "stagflation" ie high unemployment and high interest rates, which is a break with Instead previous policies. this is based on Freedman's theories - a neo-conservative economic philosophy - reduce government intervention, cut government spending, give the private sphere back to capital. PROBLEM: This philosophy has nothing to say about how the incompatibility between paid work and domestic life might be resolved. It offers no insight and is unable to resolve this problem. In its more benign form it simply ignores the problem; many of its advocates urge a return to what is called "the traditional family" as a solution. But this has already been proved to be completely unsuccessful. So, we are left with a crisis. The economic philosophy currently in vogue cannot resolve it. continued pg 15 TlieWelfarePiother Folly half of all low4seasse earners are single mothers sr :color (Mamas PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woken Page �CMHA - SOCIAL ACTION SERIES NATIONAL ACTION COMMITTEE Women and Mental Health is the new first publication in this new series published by the Canadian Mental Health Association focusing on social issues from the perspective of health promotion. The cost is $2.00. A second issue, Immigrants and Mental Health, describes the challenges facing immigrants in Canada. Future topics will include Child Care, Child Sexual Abuse, Family Violence, Housing, Child Rights and Welfare and others. To order write CMHA, National Office, 2160 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4S 2Z3, 1(416)484-7750. has announced a new program which benefits NAC - the new Bank of Montreal Mastercard. The Bank of Montreal contributes directly to NAC every time you use this card to make a purchase. This contribution ensures that NAC's independent voice for women grows stronger. PENSION CHANGES In June 1989 Parliament passed the Statute Law (Superannuation) Amendment which removed provisions that had suspended surviving spouses' pensions upon remarriage. The pension plans affected cover federal public servants, veterans, and members of the Armed Forces and the RCMP. Applications to reinstatement of benefits (payments are retroactive to June 29, 1989) may be made by contacting: Public Service Pensions: 1-800°561-7930 toll free Armed Forces Pensions: 1-800-267-0325 toll free RCMP Pensions: 1-613-993-3492 Collect calls accepted. ############################## ############## <>< ><><><><>< ><><> <><><<><> <><>< > <><> <> <><><><>< ><><><><><><><> continued from pg 13 What we need is a new vision, one which takes seriously the challenge of resolving this contradiction, by reducing the incompatibility between the two essential, parts of life. We need to reverse the priorities so that caring for people, especially children, is primary. We must establish as a principle that child care is not a personal hobby but a social responsibility. We need to think critically about our assumptions about what is best, what is possible, and think of what we want, need, dream of... and look to other ways of organizing social life and work. We must seriously consider advocating for a 6 hour work day. We need extended paid leaves for people who are actively parenting, and. for people caring for sick and elderly persons. We need to link school hours and work place hours. We need child care centres 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Child care centres that are flexible and supportive to parents needs. These are not solutions per se. Rather we need energetic public discussion of the issues so that we can develop policies rooted in what is possible, informed by our vision of what could be and committed to creating a society where life and work are mutually supporting. This is one of the challenges we face going into the 90s. SHARING OUR EXPERIENCE A BOOK OF LETTERS BY WOMEN OF ETHNIC AND RACIAL MINORITIES The Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women will be putting together a book in which the voices of under-represented groups of women will be heard. It will be a collection of letters written specifically for this publication. We are looking for the living, personal accounts of women who, because of their ethnicity or racial origin, believe it important to share their thoughts and feelings. We want to hear your description of the difficulties and pleasures of living and working in Canada. Whether you were born inside or outside Canada, we ask you to share your ideas and experiences with regard to racism, sexism, and discrimination in the paid labour force and in home life. The deadline for letters will be October 30, 1990. If you are interested, let us know and we will send you more details. Contact: Yuen-Ting Lai Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women Box 1541, Station B Ottawa, Ontario KIP 5R5 Telephone: (613) 995-2492 Fax: (613) 992-1715 Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women Conseil consultatif canadien sur la situation de la femme /V VVVVVVVVV V VVV\ PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy ofNorthern CVISIONWoman PDFCompressor Page-1:5 �by Margaret Phillips Finally a few warm, sunny days and thoughts turn to summer - relaxing with a stack of good books. As women's writing expands and expands, there is a profusion of wonderful books to choose from. I'll start by talking about books I've read recently that have delighted me. SWANN: A MYSTERY by Carol Shields is an intricate story - stories of four - five very different people linked together by their fascination with the obscure, deceased poet Mary Swann. Superbly crafted and plotted SWANN is undoubtedly Shields' best work to date, and it is destined to become a classic of Canadian literature. I've just caught up with Joan Barfoot's DANCING IN THE DARK (PUBLISHED 1982) - an intriguing story of one woman's oppression and (unconventional) freedom. Barfoot's ABRA is in the top five of my all time favourite novels, and I'm looking forward to her newest book, FAMILY NEWS. THE BOOK OF JESSICA: A Theatrical Transformation is the amazing and sometimes painful narrative of Linda Griffiths and Maria Campbell's collaboration in the process of developing and producing the award winning paly JESSICA. In the beginning of the book Campbell says, "... I still feel like some Siamese twin with her. I want her to go away, to leave me alone, but we're by the river...and she's dipping her toes in the water and I hear myself saying Let's tell the story of what happened, if we do that then maybe we'll be free of the whole thing, heal everything." As readers we can be grateful that this story has been told. Some of my friends will be pleasantly amused to learn that I am immersing myself in STARHAWK'S writing. Having for years resisted her - being of the mind set that one is either "spiritual" or "political" - it is a true delight to ponder on the possibility of integration of these dimensions which Starhawk advocates. Knowing I was going to meet Starhawk this summer, I decided I should read THE SPIRAL DANCE and, of dourse, couldn't put it down, and I am now engrossed in both DREAMING THE DARK and TRUTH OR DARE. I also want to mention two other wonderful books, BELOVED by Toni Morrison, and MAMA DAY by Gloria Naylor, both of whom I highly recommend. The pile of books I'm setting aside for my summer retreat contains FRIENDS OF MY YOUTH, Alice Munro's newest collection of-short stories. By preference I am a novel rather than short fiction reader, but as Munro's DANCE OF THE HAPPY SHADES is, in my view, the best collection of short stories ever published, I am eager to read any of Munro's new work. And I can't wait to get at A NATURAL CURIOSITY - some people declare it is even better than THE RADIANT WAY which I consider Margaret Drabble's best work. CROSSING THE RIVER: Essays in Honour of Margaret Laurence is also on my summer reading list. In her introduction to these essays editor Kristjana Gunnars says "Margaret Laurence has been a founding mother of Canadian literature. She has given voice to the Manitoba prairie. She has raised the value of all sectors of society by showing the full humanity of the most neglected and forgotten among us. From her example we have learned the value of Canadian literature and culture; the importance of art history; the truth of fiction and poetry.... Margaret Laurence writes about ... people largely ignored for lack of interest; old women; single women in middle age; people on the fringes of society... She pushes us to see their full value as human beings ... Her most significant gift may be the reminder her work issues in all its force that we are fools to create outcasts. That we are misguided to think ourselves better than anyone else; that ambition, wealth, power, status are things that entirely miss the point. True value is somewhere else, and-her journey is a slow discovery of where that 'somewhere else' is". Graphic: International Women's Tril Centre The list of wonderful books is endless and I'll jus mention some of the newer paperback fiction (as summertime is fiction reading time). FRAGMENTS I SAVE FROM THE FIRE by Mary Anne Ashley, FAMILY NEWS by Joan Barfoot, BINGO by Rita Mae Brown, WAVERLY PLACE by Susan Brownmiller, THE VICTORY OF GERALDINE GULL by Joan Clark, A NOISE FROM THE WOODSHED by Mary Dorcey, INK AND STRAWBERRIES; An Anthology of Quebec Women's Fiction edited by Beverly Daurio & Louise vc Flotow, TRACKS by Louise Erdrick, HOME IS THE HEART by Roberta Gibson, CLICKING STONES by Nancy Taylor Glenn, ZERO AVENUE by Leona Gom, STRANGER THAN FISH by J.E. Hardy, CHARADES by Janet Turner Hospital, VOYAGES OUT 1: Lesbian Short Fiction by Paula Martinac & Carla Thomas AFTER THE FIRE by Jane Rule, THE FABLESINGER by Judith Woolcock Colombo; and for mystery fans: 'F' IS FOR FUGITIVE by Sue Grafton, A LITTLE CLASS ON MURDER by Carolyn G. Hart, DO COLLAR MURDERS by Barbara Wilson. In the next issue we'll focus on new non-fiction work We'd also like to hear from you about your favourite books. For now, HAPPY SUMMER and HAPPY READING. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *) **************************** ****************************11 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Second Class Mall Registration Na. 5697 MAIL TO: RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 Return Postage Guaranteed Don't forget to renew your SUBSCRIPTION NAME ADDRESS POST AL CODE $ 6.00 Institutional $12.00 Individual NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL PO Box 144 Thunder Bay Ontario P7C 4Y5 Nor-I-hem Woman Tournat 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 12 No 4 Description An account of the resource Vol. 12, no. 4 (July 1990) Title: Northern Woman Journal Topics include: Re-criminalization of abortion AIDS Women writing Women’s Studies program Lakehead University Kinesis Canadian women solidarity Recycling Ecofeminism Woman plan for Thunder Bay Poetry Canadian Women and AIDS call for submissions Lesbian community building Men’s groups Women in prison call for submissions Wife assault Women of the 90s: Meeting the Challenges speaker event Women and mental health National Action Committee Pension changes Immigrants and mental health Book of letters by women of ethnic and racial minorities call for submissions Feminist book list Authors/Contributors: Josie Wallenius Nancy Pollack Nancy Lyons Lorilee Wright Gert Beadle Arja Lane Joan Gullen Ontario Women’s Directorate 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 1990-07 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/16/2822/1990_Vol_13_No_1-2.pdf 3fd363c30b19b647c12abd79f805170d PDF Text Text CELEBRATING S ilLethern Woman \Northern, w' Journal $ 5..00 Journal Ia. I I 75 I Ia. I Northern Woman Journal "°\ E V Aye* blella Y. 9INItter E REFLECT ING N DEC MEE ;-.:ANUANY ,92F- 79 V01:0111° 5-c 95 lc 6 r RECOLLECT ING THE HOR'THERH WOMAN T...-Ategt 0 14 E RE- COLLECT- ING t ZHE WORTEitRN 1,100,01 wors.-. .... , .-r, . -'41 . 4ersosorc.... i tf ' %.+ 001 Oa'se ..-c47...,./1,-./7,2Y-' ,,.....--, -- / .- --- LL Woman -... t;s1.1' : i413 my) appy 5th Birthday ----Vol 8 No 5 too n northern Woman Journal .90 Northern Woman Journal v 0 I. 8 N0.3 OP VIERVISAE AN, vISICWiN. ArIEMV£ CA wa 7AT MVO py ASFC7S6 OLN LDS PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Edith This issue of the NORTHERN WOMAN celebrates ourselves. What cause for celebration you ask? Have we suddenly achieved: economic equality? freedom from violence? freedom of reproductive choice? universal child care? recognition of the value of women's work? eradication of poverty? Have we eliminated the systemic discrimination that marginalizes older women, young women, lesbians, women with disabilities, Native women, immigrant women, ALL women? To these questions we, of course, must answer no. The issues that face us in the 1990s are as profound, as painful, as the issues that brought us together in 1973 and gave birth to the feminist movement in Northwestern Ontario. Nonetheless, we think it's worthwhile to celebrate our successes, our persistence, our survival. For seventeen years the NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL has provided an alternative to male-stream press, has given voice to women's interests, women's reality. Our readership is small, although it extends throughout Canada and overseas. We know that our most consistent readership comes from women in small Northwestern Ontario communities and we're glad the information and analysis the NORTHERN WOMAN provides helps ease the isolation regional women experience. In celebrating the seventeen years of collective NWJ effort, we pay tribute to the women who were/are members of the collective throughout the years. We've contacted as many of these women as we could ... and their voices are heard throughout this paper. We celebrate the enormous efforts of collective members past and present; we celebrate our contributors whose analysis, stories, poetry and graphics enrich us all; we celebrate the feminist groups throughout Northwestern Ontario who daily support and empower women; and we celebrate you ... our readers. Our reflection on the NORTHERN WOMAN's herstory will, we hope, reenergize us for many years of publishing, and, we hope, will re-energize you in all your feminist endeavours. 31, eCej r we must work collectively After seventeen years one might say that the NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL has a life of her own. Her evolution has ebbed and flowed, her collective ever-changing, her contributors come and go, her home shifts (always coming back to Bay St.) but the NORTHERN WOMAN just keeps on being, always trying to fulfil her purpose: (see sidebar) It is easy to lose track of our herstory. So, the present collective - none of whom were founding collective members - have perused old Journals and communicated with earlier Journal women to put together this overview of our herstory. (If we missed out or misinterpreted we're sure that any number of past members will challenge us. May we hope for a reactivated YOUR VOICE column!). It really all began in 1973 when Northwestern Ontario feminism erupted as 600 women gathered at the Northern Women's Conference. For many women who attended, the 'high' of that weekend remains a critical moment of their lives. Although some feminist University-based activity (primarily the Birth Control Centre) had occurred in the late 1960's, it really was the Northern Women's Conference that sparked the NWO feminist movement and the development of many women's organizations and services. if we don't , our energies die continued pg 3 PDFNorthern compression, OCR, Woman Woman Page 2 web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor . �Herstory Continued The desire to maintain communications amongst Conference participants prompted the birth of the NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL, which began in May 1973 as a newsletter - a "bulletin board" of events. Very quickly however, the newsletter's collective determined the need "to unify women of Northwestern Ontario in their attempts for political and personal emancipation" and the NORTHERN WOMAN joined the growing ranks of Canadian feminist publications. (Of those early periodicals only KINESIS, NORTHERN WOMAN and (perhaps) the OPTIMIST survive.) Publishing a feminist newspaper has always been a struggle --- with enough joy and satisfaction mixed in to keep going. An early collective stated: "Embattled and beleaguered, without public support, we became an oasis for the woman who had reached the end of her endurance and needed the support that only women who genuinely care, can give. The newsletter bound us together and in its pages we poured out all the rage and frustration that comes when we are surrounded by an indifferent, uncaring and sometimes malicious public". EDITORIAL POLICY The Northern Woman Journal is a vehicle to encourage a feminist awareness of the situation of women in our society. The Journal strives to be a communication link between women in Northwestern Ontario, thus in addition to featuring articles of global and national concern, it will also seek articles of particular relevance to Northwestern Ontario women. The Journal, portraying women in a positive light, and portraying events from a woman's perspective, serves as an alternative to traditional media. The Journal's goal is to publish as much original material as possible. Current information/reviews etc. will be preferred, although feminist classics may be reprinted. The Journal must establish a solid political base, and contributors will be encouraged to develop a strong feminist analysis in their writing. The Journal Collective may choose for publication articles that reflect views that are not the position of the Collective. However, as feminists, we will not publish material that is offensive and opposed to basic premises of the Women's Movement. The material selected for inclusion in the Journal will be chosen by the consensus of the Collective. Where solicited contributions are not accepted for publication the Collective will make personal contact with the author to explain the reasons for non-acceptance. In the case of non-solicited contributions efforts will be made to communicate with the author, and where appropriate, encouragement given to assist the contributor to continue her writing. (3-2) In 1975 the NORTHERN WOMAN changed her format from a gestetnered newsletter to a tabloid and "dreamed of a wider distribution, a broader range of gut issues that effect all of us as we explore the ever growing move to equal status..." In assessing progress and seeking greater readership support in 1976 the Journal stated, "As we move with the times and sense the changes in our own' perception of ourselves, we are overwhelmed again at the responsibility of a feminist press. To keep the core intact, the values defined, to question the legal structures that betray our right to be full and participating partners in this society and this country, and keep uncommitted women informed as to the energy, the sacrifices, and the triumph that a struggling minority make on their behalf. If, in the final analysis, through our pages, a cleared vision of the term 'sisterhood' emerges and calls for your support and goodwill, you will join a growing number of women who have taken a second look and found us worth the price of subscription. Our intent is to consolidate not divide, to inform not to persuade, and to charge us all with the growing excitement of what it means to be a woman in these changing times." The desire to develop a strong 'collective' and the demands of `publishing' the paper have always been contradictory pulls on feminist periodicals (and always will be). Ensuring that the collective members' needs are met through collective process, and readers' needs are, met by getting the paper into print is a delicate balancing act -- not always successfully achieved. This is a refrain repeated a number of times over the Journal's seventeen years. Eujel)ttema Transthon %use POST OFFICE BOX 172 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V8 C=. S HOMES CELES.7.:76 COMMITMENT OF THE JOURNAL COLLECTIVE WHO, OVER THE PAST SEVENTEEN YEARS, HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO PROMOTE FEMINIST AWARENESS AND ACTION. THE ROLE THE JOURNAL PLAYED IN OVERCOMING THE ISOLATION OF DISTRICT WOMEN, PARTICULARLY IN THE EARLY DAYS, CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. IN PROVIDING A FORUM FOR THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND INFORMATION, IN GIVING MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN AS THEY ORGANIZED AROUND ISSUES AND BROUGHT THEM TO THE FORE, THE JOURNAL HELPED SUSTAIN US AND, IN THE PROCESS, INSPIRED AND EMPOWERED OTHER WOMEN TO BECOME INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY. WE LOVE YOU. WE SALUTE YOU. IN SISTERHOOD, CRISIS HOMES INC. FAYE PETERSON TRANSITION HOUSE continued pg 4 - Crisis Hams Inc. - titfrttfrktfrit PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page'3 �70; 4 .71 71 75 11. 1°9°9°0 A new Journal era occurred in 1977-78 when money was obtained, through government 'make-work' projects, to hire a Journal worker. This solved the 'publishing' problem - the paper was actually printed on time - but did have ramifications for the collective. More and more work - and decision-making- was assumed by the paid staff. Volunteer involvement fell off -- collective process dissipated. The grant ended - one or two women kept the paper alive, and a collective building process had to start THE CANADIAN-- anew. 3 3 II 3 73 7 73 73 73 7 7 3 7 73 73 7 13 3II 5 1 Herstory Continued ITEPSTOQY II 3 5 WOMEN'S CALENDAR HERSTORY 1991 THE CANADIAN WOMEN'S CALENDAR Herstory 1991 is the 16th issue compiled by the Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective. As Herstory has evolved and changed over the years, so has the collective. Although, none of the original members remain active, the current collective still maintains the sense of commitment to recording the achievements of Canadian women, which distinguished the original Herstory collective in 1973. As a collective they produce a lasting record of the achievements of some special Canadian women. Herstory 1991 continues to present a wide variety of subjects and biographies. Herstory represents women from all regions and areas in Canada. In addition to some very fine historical and contemporary photos, there are also articles on several women's organization. Each year Herstory keeps getting better and better. New to the calendar this year are "year-at-a-glance" page markers, a 1992 planner and an address section. Plus Herstory 1991 has all the regular features-weekly calendar pages, phases of the moon and statutory holidays, weekly quotes, the recognition of important dates and anniversaries in women's history and complete references and sources for each subject. For more information, please contact Joy Turner, Promotion Coordinator, COTEAU BOOKS, 401-2206 Dewdney Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, S4R 1H3 (306)777-0170. canadian woman studies les cahiers de la femme C WS/Cf ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL ISSUE ON NATIVE WOMEN $10 per copy. Special 10% An incredible double issue of CWS/cf on Native Women in discount on bulk orders of 20 Canada -the reality of their ORDER Native Women NOW! or more. Add $1/copy for experiences recounted in postage; $2/copy abroad. their own wordsNoices. Please send me copies of Native Women. Name All orders must be prepaid. Enclose cheque or money order and send to: Address City Prov. Postal Code Country Canadian Woman Studies 212 Founders College York University 4700 Keele Street Downsview, ON M3J 1P3 The 'excitement and inspiration' fel by this feisty group soon was confronted by the 'collective-process/publishing' contradiction. So a decision was made in June 1980 to stop publishing for six months and devote that time to collective building. In that period ... "the collective regained its stamina ... The born-again collectivist worked on issues of the family; sexuality; was urged to read feminist books; and basically got to know herself and the other members" ... and began publishing again in February 1981. The core of this collective (with a few new members, a few departures) stayed together until 1986 when a number of the women felt it was time to move on to other endeavours. The camaraderies of this collective continues however in personal interaction and mutual support. The highlight of Journal publishing in these years was the Prisons issue (see sidebar for Prisons issue editorial). For a period of about a year C86/7, members who wanted to 'retire' made a conscious effort to recruit new Journal members, working with them as the new Journal learned the publishing skills and built collective confidence. This transition process occurred again in 1989 as new members became involved and others Aside from a small grant to cover office supplies in 1973, this 1977-78 grant was the only time the Journal accepted government funding. The issue has been debated regularly by Journal collectives and the decision has always been - no government funding! The paid staff volunteer collective dilemma was only a small factor in this decision. The major issue was seen to be the threat of government control of our agenda. The demise of sister magazines - e.g. HERizons and Newsmagazine for Alberta Woman who folded when government funding ceased, and the financial crisis Healthsharing, RFR, and CWS are presently facing, are vivid examples of the withdrew. danger of depending on government The Journal is not only a paper anc funds. (We applaud the determination of a collective, but also a "space". Earlier these latter magazines for surviving, and reference was made to Bay St. and there urge them to persevere.) is considerable nostalgia amongst longThe issue of government funding is time feminists for 316 Bay. Originally an on-going dilemma for feminist operating from members' homes, the organizations. There are certainly strong Journal moved in April 1974 into the arguments for the position that women's Archibald St. YMCA space occupied by groups deserve government funding women are taxpayers and we should have the newly established Northern Women's Centre. The collective felt inhibited by,the, some return for our tax dollar. No doubt Women's Centre, seeing it as a place for the funding question will be debated again women just beginning to consider by future Journal collectives. It would be feminism. These women would feel nice to be able to pay our contributors. intimidated by a radical feminist paper" so Women writers and artists should be paid. in 1975 the Journal moved into her own But we as women must control our own space at 316 Bay St. (space formerly agenda, and until we have a government occupied by the alternative newspaper the that women can trust, the question of Black Fly). government funding will always be In 1977 the adjacent restaurant problematic. space at 316 Bay became vacant and a The cover of the October 1979 number of women's groups took over the Journal asked "Is the Journal Dead ... or space - Women's Centre, Rape Crisis only sleeping?" The small group that had Centre, Decade Council, Northern been holding the Journal together threw Women's Credit Union, Crisis Homes. As out the challenge to other women. these groups grew and space was juggled, And respond they did. The the Journal ended up in the kitchen... not December 1979 Journal began with a letter great lighting but a marvellous layout table! to readers: "The Northern Woman Journal For various reasons the original groups is alive! A new feminist collective has been later decided to move to other locations meeting every week for the past two and the Journal reclaimed her store-front months. It is the first time for us to both space. When Women's Centre, the last work together collectively, as well as put group to go, relocated, a major decision out a feminist newspaper. Our experience was required. Journal's little room was in the women's movement varies... A few adequate but we loved the whole space of us have been active in feminist activities for many years, while a couple of us have that had seen so many intense recently recovered from the 1975 'feminist discussions, celebrations, and joyful times. So the Journal and other long-time burnout'... Others in our collective are feminists committed personal money to relatively new to the concept of feminism pay the rent and Women's Space (in the collective sense) and possess an developed as a comfortable, warm, energetic enthusiasm which seems to tie welcoming Space for women to meet, or the whole thing together... All in all the to use for individual endeavours/needs. challenge of putting out this paper has In 1983 the Northern Woman's been exciting and inspiring for all Bookstore came into being and needed involved... We realize the need to establish storefront space. So it was back to the a political base (a solid foundation) on kitchen again, which Journal did happily, which to build our paper. To do this we will rejoicing in the thought of a feminist need your help in the form of feedback bookstore in Thunder Bay. both supportive and critical. We have continued pg 5 chosen not to seek any form of government funding. All our workers are presently volunteers. Any contributions to aid us financially will be greatly appreciated." For faster service call (416) 736-5356 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 4 �Herstory Continued The Journal, Space and Bookstore continued merrily through 1984 - then disaster - the building was sold and we had to move. By this time Women's Centre had become disenamoured of their second floor office and approached Journal about sharing space again. On New Year's Eve we made a weepy good-bye to 316 Bay and Journal, Bookstore and Centre located at 69 N. Court St. (In the following months Women's Space as an entity simply faded away.) Not long after locating at Court St. the building's owner died, and an unsettling eighteen months was spent until the building was sold and the need to move was finally known. In early 1987 Journal, Bookstore and Centre moved down the street to 184 Camelot. By the summer of 1988 the Journal determined that its requirement for "a space with positive feminist energy ... (needed) to provide a feminist press alternative for all women" could no longer be met at 184 Camelot, as "the relationship between Northern Women's Centre and the Northern Woman Journal had deteriorated to the point where we no longer shared collective space but existed as landlord and tenant." So the Journal moved again - -and, happily, back to Bay St. The present Journal shares space with the Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee at 281 Bay St. and we feel safe and happy in our "women-only" space. This discussion of our herstory must make mention of finances. With the exception of the brief government funding previously discussed, the NORTHERN WOMAN had always been self-sufficient. Our revenue is derived from subscriptions, donations and occasionally advertisements. In 1980, the Journal was the beneficiary of the profits from Gert Beadles's poetry publication Rising. This generous gift provided a cushion which saw us through financial short-falls for a number of years but was exhausted by 1986. The Journal takes pride in her financial self-sufficiency. But many, many times it is so close to the line. We are fortunate to have a patient printer, Web Press, that is prepared to wait three or four months while the new subscription money trickles in and enough is collected to pay the last printing bill. Too many times Journal members have used personal money to buy supplies and postage. When a financial crisis looms the JoUrnal has made an appeal to our readers for donations. And you have responded generously. Without your donations the Journal would have folded long ago. The current financial situation is no better than other years. We are in the black -- but barely. We would enjoy the luxury of having a comfortable credit union balance, so our energies could be devoted to Journal content. We could achieve financial stability if we significantly increased subscriptions. In the past our readers have been asked to help in this regard -- you can expect to be asked again in the future. A word of explanation about the numbering of the Journal Volumes is in order, as no doubt some of you will ask why this is Volume 13 - if the Journal's been publishing for 17 years. The simple answer is lack of awareness of publishing niceties. Originally the Journal was published six times per year. This schedule wasn't always maintained and in the early '80s it was decided four publications a year was more realistic. However, we continued to print 6 issues per Volume, even though it might take 18-20 months to complete a Volume. (In retrospect this certainly added to various financial crunches as we continued to charge subscription rates by Volume - not year.) In 1985 we began 4 issues per Volume. Some years we've only published three issues, but provided 4 issues per subscription. Is this clear...or are you more confused? Because of the extra effort needed to do this Anniversary issue we've enlarged the publication and made it a double issue. We will return to our 16 page format for future issues, and we have the goal of publishing quarterly. (The realities of a volunteer publication means our goal isn't always met and we ask for your indulgence.) Throughout her seventeen years the Journal has been much sustained by our sister Canadian feminist publications. Early collectives were greatly inspired by Upstream and The Other Woman. Broadside was a mainstay for many years and is sorely missed. We relate to the concerns, problems and progress of other smaller publications. Our herizons are expanded by CWS, RFR, Women and Environments, Healthsharing, The Womanist and others. Kinesis continues to be an inspiration. On several occasions Journal women have participated Irra Canadian Feminist Periodicals Conference and have returned with renewed vision and energy. The output of Canadian feminist newspapers and magazines is really quite astounding. While some disappear from the scene, new ones keep emerging. While recognizing that the 1990s will be difficult, we are confident that feminist periodicals will not only survive but will expand in influence and importance. A gathering of feminist periodicals could be empowering and we hope this may develop. The cooperation, support and sharing of other feminist periodicals, past and present, has been a rewarding experience for the Journal, and we thank all of you most sincerely. The present Journal collective (seven of us) have been working together for only a year. Some of us are long-time community and feminist activists, others are newer to Thunder Bay (and younger), bringing new feminist energy to the NORTHERN WOMAN. As we get to know one another our collectivity strengthens, and our determination grows to ensure that the NORTHERN WOMAN survives. Sometimes Journal tasks feel almost overwhelming, more often it is challenging and fun. We believe the NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL is important. PRISON S ISSUE EDITORIAL Many months ago, as the Northern Woman 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. An so, this "Prisons" issue was born. Prisons is not a cheerful topic. Yet, an understanding that the factors that imprison women are systemic is crucial. The "prisons" 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,tiae,Apgautops!-trom4auwmeiwnormal desire for warm. carina relationships. We will only regain control of our own well-fare when we acknowledge the misogyny of many "experts" (medical practitioners, counsellors, etc.) who have usurped women's traditional healing roles. And it is important to recognize and analyze the renewed economic oppression 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 "prison wall". (editorial, Vol. 7-6). Congratulations for your achievements over the past seventeen years. ATIKOKAN CRISIS CENTRE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY MARC 11 8 1986 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 5 �%%LYNN SIHVONEN"% PAT GRAVER ESTELLA HOWARD 11S/°A s % ." % aek i al LYNNE THORNBURG 1 GERT BEADLE GEORG/NA 1 CARY MARSHALL GARAE7"7" trx004Stt IVOR4Eiv ItANIVkN PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor EVE PYKERMAN- DOWSON �<><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><> KAREN A V A V A V A V A V A V A V A V A V TA TA VA DONNA MAKI tii, PHOENIX TA TA TA dir'r,i)p TA t- A, 4 -re/ <4. MARGARET PHILLIPS ti CP r4 rP ROSALYN TAYLOR'` tACCOU" J.? ARJA LANE IVO/ko IV 44 1#0/0 MIRIAM WALL .4).4> Cilfb a -4> 4, 4."-<>.-4.><> <> <> <> <> <> <> < > <> <> <> <><><><<><>.<> LORETTA ROSE '7 L-7 /1117 PAVAN pirns KIT MINOR RAE ANNE HONEY CAROLYN GREENWOOD MARY ANN CINDY 4 KAREN MAKI KLEYNEDORST 91.012 MARGARET PHILLIPS 4 DONNA PHOENIX 6111 P4 1:1 1111r.' 'V 47 <7 98 9 <7 <7 <7 <7 47 'C ".. V.N. Tv- v RAE 4140E t. V A woo T,), V.s.. N.. DEBBIE BENNIE IS .1. N". > N<> VI C > ><> "x -c-.N. N'.1. A MARGARET PHILLIPS V A V A V JANE NItliCIS A V A KIT MINOR V A V MARGARET JOHNSTON ts, <><><><>< e 47 v r4, ANNA 41? ' " V.I. V.N. A '<><<><><> <><><><><><><> v., NANCY LYONS V j°SIE WALLENIUS ci 0 V A V Woman Page 7 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISIONNorthern PDFCompressor �OUR FONDEST MEMORIES OF THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL.. when Margaret, Nancy and I were sitting in the office one night planning our Montreal issue. Perhaps it was the occasion when I felt the strongest about my connection to these two very interesting and different women. We three were one in our thoughts at that time and ... place. the Prison issue. the sense of achievement when Kathryn taught us how to lay-out and produce the HERE'S WHAT SOME OF THE PAST AND paper properly. PRESENT NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL... the excitement and energy generated COLLECTIVE MEMBERS HAVE TO SAY... when Noreen, later Anna, later Carolyn reported back on Feminist Periodicals Conferences. ... the mutual nurturing/support of the 82... ... 86 collective ... the hours spent (82-86) in feminist ... gathering with the collective to look at what was going to be included in the "next collective process. issues". sitting down together and looking over what had been submitted. ... sorting it all out together. ... reading out material. ... listening to other viewpoints or ones that confirm your own reality. Inspirational! ... ... working on the issue dedicated to the women of Montreal was a wonderful collective experience. I participated in every facet of publishing the issue: typing, writing, paste up, mailing, etc, etc. ... my own part in its production, my respect and affection for the collective, and my passion for the idea whose time had surely come. ... as a reader, I remember how grateful was to receive'an issue while I was in Norway House 1981-83, so isolated from the women's movement. I am almost as pleased today, to learn you' are still in circulation, representing a very important constituency. cutting and pasting up on the old lunch counter in the Bay St. location, with the omnipresent smell of greasy fries. ... I o 50c thorn 6 .1. Gm an Journ r wonTIZitti ... I enjoyed the camaraderie that existed between members of the collective as we put out each issue of the journal. ... the work and resulting feeling of satisfaction was rewarding. ...my first time sticking pieces together. ---14/N904 ... ... ... getting it out on time - what fun! meetings, meetings, meetings. early stage of women's movement. -r--fsA 4-y.,000 getting it out. when we went painting at the Kangas. Noreen asking me to do a cover. ...that we are still there for each other, even now. ... ... ... ... every time I was able to go without the twins to chase after. ... seeing the first paper that I worked on to it's completion. ... learning what it means to be a collective member (i.e. What do you think?) ... seeing my first article published. I liked the women and the ideas and I liked making a contribution to feminist work, but the actual work on preparing the paper wasn't really pleasure. ... in one of our first issues, that was in newspaper form, we printed a list of extremely derogatory words that are directed at women, mostly by men, i.e. cunt, pussy. It was a list of about twenty words. Correspondingly, we could only come up with about five for the male. I think this same issue contained fuck too. "Kill A Man For Motherhood" was done tongue in cheek, (oh really). Anyway we did have some concern about reader's reactions, however, the feeling of power of the printed word and our collective decision overshadowed other concerns. We had fun imagining the reactions of ... pasting up the typed columns under a single lamp in the back of the old restaurant on Bay Street (278) that was the W.W.C. ... Rosalyn and I sat side-by-side surrounded by old restaurant equipment, the Gestetner, and odds and ends, trying to be as creative with layout as we could given our limited materials. Rosalyn was a new inductee and great company and a real booster to my enthusiasm. ... the Journal printed one of my poems years after I was no longer involved. readers. *************************************** Northern Woman Page 8OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, �OUR FAVOURITE ANECDOTES, HORROR STORIES, ADVENTURES/MISADVENTURES... the radical irreverence with which we looked at life/our lives/men. ... the anger and the unpraised fists when we/someone became really mad. ... the "don't give a damn" attitude of the old Journal. ... I'm proud of our caring stance toward ... the only anecdotes I can think of are the ones where we had misunderstandings. ... the only mentionable horror is the scuzzy sink of cups with mouldy tea bags when we were on Bay St. We'd clean the cups, make tea on the gas stove and then sit on the old stuffed furniture and discuss. ... all women. being able to witness Margaret's utter devotion. ... ... too crazy to think about it, probably blocked a lot out. the controversial cartoon. the hours spent debating the political correctness of accepting an ad from a ... ... when I took the July 89 Journal to the Post Office, the woman asked me why we had not filled out a Statement of Mailing she said that we had an editor who was paid to do such a job. She got a bit of education on collective publishing and volunteerism that day. ... hairdresser. there were so many terrific articles. I was impressed by Margaret Phillips. After she went to a Creative Writing program in the States - she wrote many interesting articles. I always enjoyed it when a woman came back from something challenging and shared her vision with us. ,,i4,4-44111111iNioub..e.. ... I always enjoyed Gert Beadles poetry. ... I enjoyed Donna's pregnant pot. ... ... ... my misadventure was being a paid staff person. I was hired at $128.00/week on a Canada Works project to do the journal and various printing jobs the Women's Centre did. The contradiction and crux of my problem was that I had to revive a collective, but wasn't a true collective member because I was paid staff. At meetings, and lay out sessions I had a vested interest in making things work because it was my job. This weighted the collective in my direction. Hence publishing the N.W.J. was often a solitary task for me. That's why my fondest memory is being side by side with Rosalyn. ... The great thing about being paid staff was by being at NWJ 40 hours each week I met so many people whom I will never forget. ... having to listen to my (then four and half year old) daughter ask me why she had to go to "my" boring meetings at NWJ!?! Hearing her explain how these meetings were my work, not hers, and that she shouldn't have to go. I ended up promising her that I would not drag her to "my meetings" ever again; thinking these meetings will be "hers" as well, sometime in the future, if I don't turn her off by pushing her, forcing her to go. ... I had worked on several issues as typist, gatherer of Update information, mail person, etc. felt quite confident and fulfilled as a collective member. However Margaret and I seemed to be the only two who were able to work on an issue and together pasted up the whole issue. It took several evenings to paste up my long article. The time and effort to do that one article made me wonder if this was what I wanted to do with my free time. Seeing that Journal published with straight columns, correct sequentially number pages and great graphics assured me it was. the next issue was fun - it was assumed by some that I knew what I was doing and could teach them these skills. I ... doing one page about 10 times and nobody getting ANGRY. ... every issue. ... that someone who couldn't spell worth a shit had no feeling for punctuation and was not thoroughly politicized could take up all that printed space is still a revelation to me. ... when "they" didn't understand my design of woman with wings out of the bulk. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Page `9 Northern Woman �OUR INVOLVEMENT IN FEMINIST ISSUES/SERVICES... ... very concerned with young single mothers and resources for them. ... have met with others who share that concern. I work to improve the lives of women...whatever work I do, I instill feminist values into it, I bring along with me to whatever situation I'm in, the sense that there are options and choices, creative alternatives to be developed by women for the betterment of life. Feminism isn't an issue or a service I provide, it's a lifestyle I'm trying to live, one that takes responsibility for the changes it's creating, with care. presently, my commitment to teaching leaves me little time/energy to volunteer. ... in the past I have worked at 3 different Transition Houses and I feel that the issue of violence against women and children h my main feminist issue/interest second tc lesbian issues. *************************************** *************************************** ... ... everyday I meet someone who is a fellow traveller, and we are all making an imperceptible difference just by being who we are. *************************************** I support every woman's clinic and abortion rights, support nothing financially that does not support the cause and will do 2 Feminism and other right Brain Ideas this fall. ... *************************************** CARAL, Ogden East Community Health Centre (community development). *************************************** ... I'm involved in equal education for all. want to do all I can to see the barriers to employment removed for women. I try to equip women with the information to help them (e.g. Where to find good child care. Who to go to for financial assistance). I attempt to steer women who are interested towards a future in computers or to nontraditional occupations in the trades. I *************************************** I attend C.A.R.A.L. meetings. That is about it. ... LEAF - a group involved in Charterbased issues affecting women. ... I exercise a feminist perspective in my legal studies. ... *************************************** attempting to educate people not to assume and stereotype. I am actively involved in this pursuit being a lesbian co... *************************************** parent. ... *****************************4c******** the Northern Woman's Bookstore. *************************************** ... I'm a Board member of Faye Peterson Transition House lobbying for a new larger shelter for district women and children and working to end male violence against women. I am a feminist who brings something to everything I do, although my analysis isn't always as sharp as it could be. ... ... *************************************** ... Peace and International Justice. ... I am too busy co-parenting twin male toddlers in a lesbian/feminist household. *************************************** Director of Physical and Sexual Assault Centre. Still plugging away, and getting paid for it. ... *************************************** ... council member of: Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and NW Ontario Day Care Committee. *************************************** Union - Public Service Alliance, Canada Employment and Immigration Union Loca 623 Chief Steward mainly women membership. CARAL - still trying to phase the organizing over to new membership. ... **************************************36 CONGRATULATIONS ! NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL "Women's weapons are traditionally their tongues and the principal revolutionary tactic has always been the spread of information." Germaine Greer The Female Eunuch WiMLEANCIES IKEN ORA Women Helping Women PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 10 �The JOURNAL ... covered ... CONFERENCES ... OUR WRITING/PUBLISHING... WOMEN AND POLITICS 1975 NATIONAL WOMEN'S CENTRES 1975 WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE 1976 ... no, no, no. None. ... this is not entirely original but I'd like to share it. "Feminism is the right to examine the world from a woman's viewpoint and analyse that viewpoint" i.e. Economic equality, Physical integrity (birthing/abortion/battering/ incest/pornography). *************************************** WORKING WOMEN 1977 writing proposals for work. ... wrote "What can I Do" with Diane Loucks and Donna Mikeluk and other members of W.H.I.N. published 1988. ... REGIONAL CHILD CARE 1977 *************************************** DRYDEN CONFERENCE FOR WOMEN 1978 WOMEN AND STRESS ... am too busy to write much beyond material required for my courses. LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY *************************************** WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 1979 ... no time for my own writing, promoting other women's writing instead. 50 YEAR A PERSON CELEBRATION ... no time at the present. *************************************** I write every day in my mind, though I rarely take time to put it on paper. ... I have submitted an article to the Journal and it was published. This left me with a great sense of satisfaction. plan to attempt to contribute an article of interest to all upcoming issues. ... I *************************************** I write poetry, and editorial-kind of letters about various issues affecting our communities. I am being published by NORTHERN LIFE newspaper (sister of LAKEHEAD LIVING) in Sudbury and by NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL in Thunder Bay. ... *************************************** WOMEN IN SINGLE INDUSTRY TOWNS WORKSHOP WOMEN'S HEALTH 1981 ... not writing concretely, but in my head all the time. I won't be truly fulfilled until have written some fiction, published or not, that I am satisfied with. ... I write all the time for broadcast - short, single thought sentences, that are an art in themselves. ... articles are occasional like for Polyphony, or something for Women's Health Information Network. Helped edit out of town birthing. ... can't seem to get away from it in some I WOMEN AND STRESS 1982 WOMEN AND ECONOMY 1983 DRYDEN CONFERENCE 1984 FORUM ON WOMEN AND THE NORTH 1984 WOMEN AND DISABILITIES 1985 NORTH SHORE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE 1985 capacity. YOUNG WOMEN 1986 *************************************** GERALDTON WOMEN'S CONFERENCE 1986 *************************************** KENORA CONFERENCE 1989 sneaking a minute to jot down something in my journal. ... plugging away at my Master's Thesis. ... *************************************** writing music, performed by myself and other groups, i.e. The Portland Lesbian ... .90 Northern Woman Journal VOLE. No.3 CONGRATULATIONS ! ! ! ! Choir. ... Northern Women of The Journal on your writing the odd poem. *************************************** perseverance and commitment over the past ... Northern Woman Journal, Humanist, Womanist, Canadian Tribune, Change for Children, W.I.L.P.F., Lakehead Living column. seventeen years of publishing. You have been one of the consistent supports for all on LITMATLFE 1.7 YE V1SI0M, *************************************** A UTEPA11PE F CIAKE OAT MIES ALL AV women in the north. 1S 6 OLE LIZ personal journal. ... a book on my recent hysterectomy ... called "How to turn pain into butterflies and let it go". *************************************** the local paper seem happy to print my poetry and have on several occasions printed ver batim speeches I have made. ... I contribute to several B.C. newsletters. ... I do From the Crones Nest for ... May you collectively publish forever. $1.00 Northern Woman Journal VOL. 8 NO. 6 Staff Ontario Women's Directorate Northern Office Herspectives. *************************************** I've been preparing people that when I retire I'm going to write Gothics. They think I'm joking. Romanticism with a strong woman lead - that gets the guy - though not sure she wants him and lots of humour. I need a good laugh! We all do. ... *************************************** Jesse Russell Pam Wakewich Rae Anne Honey Nicole Laberge PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern-Woman Page 11 �OUR THOUGHTS ON FEMINIST PUBLISHING IN CANADA TODAY._ ... scarcity. I subscribe from Newfoundland to Vancouver, and find the Journal is still to me closer to the bone, uncompromising in its feminist ethic and the only journal can read 3 times over and get a real sense of the people writing it, since I refuse to give up my lust for rage and have at no time been impressed with scholarly dissertations on how we should proceed. find a lot of feminist writing today without heart or spirit. I keep thinking about how few books paper in Africa, Latin America. ... when I last visited the Vancouver Women's Bookstore I was dismayed to see so few feminist newspapers. The N.W.J. used to exchange with twenty or so feminist publications in the seventies from all across Canada, US and England. I think the powerful feminist books written during this time could be suggested reading, along with the, much appreciated, suggested reading list that the Journal prints each ussue. I am building up a feminist library, that I never had/could afford by purchasing from "garage sales" and used book stores. realize the financial problmes of the feminist press is a serious consideration. ... I am extremely proud that the N.W.J. is still being published. You all should be commended. Happy to see MS is back without advertising. *************************************** ***************************** I I *************************************** I ... persistent - survivors. *************************************** ... I hate to say it - I haven't read that much fiction or theoretical works lately of feminist authors/publications - except Atwood, Vale Allen, Sandra Butler. In the early days I consumed everything - I don't need to read - my experience with the work I do is enough reality. ... it is very encouraging for me to see some Women's publishing in Canada Women's Press in Toronto, Harbour Publishing in B.C. These are publishing important feminist and lesbian books, guides, fiction, and feminist issues are being published too - technology, poverty, ... etc. *************************************** *************************************** ... struggling still. Every time I subscribe to something it hits a funding crisis. Herizons, Healthsharing, and on and on. It gets very tiresome, but there doesn't seem to be the population base to support feminist ... magazine. ... Journal is erratic and often not worth the wait. still want feminist magazines because although they are less and less set apart from mainstream because feminist publications just don't have the writers, there is the occasional startling idea that hasn't been mainstreamed. Information is big stuff now - it's everywhere and easier to access--much of the alternative press isn't alternative in the true sense or the word and you really have to publication shop to get the whole range of thought these days. ... I I have made a vow to attempt to read only works written by women. Presently much of time is not reading for personal pleasure, but reading "Where is Spot?". ... I support in heart all Feminist works. *************************************** I don't access journals much. I need the local Women's Centre newsletter to know what activities are going on. Now and then I have to read a book or position paper on feminist thought and analysis. My escape reading is almost exclusively Canadian women writers of the last 20 years - I get these books from the library usually. *************************************** ... we seem to be losing ground. *************************************** ************************************** I am very grateful to the woman's Bookstore because I know I can have access to specifically feminist books. ... *************************************** ... ever-expanding. *************************************** ANSEA JOANNA MCLELLAND 1975 pioneer Rainy River woman ABBIE HOFFMAN 1977 Canadian sports heroine MURIEL BOYCE 1978 poineer Sioux Lookout woman SUZETTE DOWNEY 1977 Longlac artist L4URETTA JOHNSON 1979 Thunder Bay businesswoman GAYLE CHAPPLE 1979 Thunder Bay artist HEATHER BISHOP 1979 performer, singer, painter, carpen DUSTY MILLER 1979 municipal politician LAURIE CONGER: SINGING OUT LOUD Canadian singer song writer SHIRLEY BEAR 1982 Native artist & activist KIM ERIKSON, PATRICIA LUDWICK & SVETLANA SYLIN 1985 composer, playwright & director MARY BURNS, MITZI HAUSER 1985 actors SIDE EFFECT ... despite problems - it is still vibrant. My major regret is Broadside closing attributed mainly to burnout. The other feminist periodicals (e.g. Herizons, Newsmagazine - Alta.) fell into the trap of depending on government funding and were unable to survive funding setbacks. There are an amazing number of little publications and specialized magazines (Flip, Tiger Lily), that are surviving - more new publications arise - than old ones fold. However, we need a truly national, monthly paper. Kinesis comes closest to filling this need and we should probably support its growth and national evolution. (The Womanist isn't developing as the major national paper because of its erratic publishing schedule). We do need a Feminist Periodicals Conference to plan some national strategies and re-energize everyone. *************************************** ... COVERED INTERVIEWS ... ... RUTH CUNNINGHAM 1986 Women's Programs Director C.C. SASHA MCINNES 1986 tapestry artist JOSIE WALLENIUS 1988 acoustic storyteller DOROTHY O'CONNELL author In her study, Northwestern Ontaric Status of Women Initiatives 1973-1987, Fiona Karlstedt says of the Journal, "Timely, provocative and relevant, the Journal serves as an alternative to traditional media, covering issues and events from women's experience and perspective...A social document, broader in its implications as a political journal, symbolizing the ideas that were being nurtured by a group of area women simultaneously, the NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL is required reading for anyone studying the history of the women's movement in Northwestern Ontario. ??????9Y9???Y99 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 12 �... COVERED ISSUES ... THESE HEADLINES DEMONSTRATE ... OUR THOUGHTS ON THE BLUE COLLAR BLUES MEMOIRS OF A STRIKER THE CRISIS OF SOLE SUPPORT MOTHERS FEMINIST MOVEMENT WOMEN AGAINST RAPE IN CANADA TODAY.. LIFE IN A SMALL TOWN EQUAL PAY CONFERENCE: ANOTHER PLACEBO BLOOMERS FOR GIRLIES, BUT SHORTS FOR BOYS THE DYNAMICS OF CABIN FEVER MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE CERVIX WORDS THAT MAKE WOMEN DISAPPEAR OBSCENE USE OF POWER SHADES OF REGRESSION LESBIAN MOTHERS IN MOTION A COLLAGE OF BARRIERS DOING IT TO US: MANPOWER & U.LC LONG DISTANCE DELIVERY A FEAR LIKE STONE A MATTER OF CHOICE I have Orfect confidence in the .110"1"*iw inevitability of change. Feminists are thinking how can we keep the vision and survive in an oppressive culture. In B.C. women with feminist grounding are into Metaphysics and simply shoring up the inner resources to resist all external pressures, all religious and political thought that is detrimental to free choices. I believe these women will not give up this sense of self under pressure but are the new wave to future change. ************************************** ... we grew up - (the oldies, I mean) - it's still there, won't go away, nor should it. But we still have a long way to go. I make a small contribution. I worry sometime that we are still a minority. There should be more to pass on the flame. Society is still traditional and God help us! The last 9 years the mood has been right-wing reversal. *************************************** glad to see new blood, but the adolescent woman is still in outer space as far as an analysis of patriarchy is concerned: need to reach her at gut level. ... *************************************** it amazes me that feminism is still thought of as the F word. It concerns me that young women still believe that Prince Charming will sweep them off their feet and they will live happily ever after. When will they learn that when you have a horse someone must clean up the shit and that it's usually not Prince Charming. ... *************************************** I know that many women are working towards change in Canada. Sometimes we feel isolated because of geography. We are only as isolated as we make ourselves. There is an adequate amount (could always be more) of feminist activity in Canada. Some could use more publicity (like the NWJ). ... my feminist energy was drained, and is still low. Except for reading, speaking out when necessary and attending most rallies/protests in Van. I have not been doing much else. I did go to the W.R. Women's Centre a few times but have not met anyone at my level of awareness of women's issues. This centre is typical of so many in that it is always concerned about loosing its funding, and this is reflected in their "safe" activities. I think some of us who have been active since the sixties and seventies are tired. I get so impatient with anyone who becomes defensive with a particular statement I'll have made. Their arguement with me is usually on a personal level with a "blame the victim" mentality. It is terribly frustrating and discouraging. I think "The Personal Is Political" needs to be discussed/written about more. When women can see that their personal failings are not their fault, but the fault of a society which keeps them powerless, dependent and frightened in every aspect of their daily lives. Are these insights "clicks" happening to young women today? One of the main ways that women in the past got involved in the Women's Movement was in consciousness-raising groups. This is still where the "person is politic" will take on real meaning. Right now I think I'd like to start a CR group. Anyone know where I can get a copy of Bonnie Kreps' book "Guide to the Women's Movement? I also think I should get involved with Kinesis the Van. feminist publication. Overall I think the feminist movement's impact on the lives of women has been overwhelmingly positive from the point of view of choice, and will continue to do so. ... *************************************** slow but steady. I find most people are open to listen to, and attempt to understand many feminist issues. However, I find most exposure to feminist issues are limited to a selective population. For example in the classrooms and at work "Boys will be boys, and girls will be girls". When will the day come that people can just be people! Perhaps I am anxious to see the end result before our work is done. I congratulate all women who are committed to this end. ... *************************************** ... from a woman's position I see us redescribing the world. *************************************** directed and controlled too much by middle class women AND government funding. The feminist movement has evolved from an exciting radical theory into a bureaucratic lip service (i.e. talk with no action) that has alienated and/or turned-off too many women. ... *************************************** I miss the solidarity of our collective but still feel that each woman is doing her best individually to keep feminist principles alive. Sometimes I feel alone and I think might be losing impact. When I feel this way, all I have to do is call a member of the old collective and I feel strength returning. also know that another group of women are keeping up the good work. ... I I ... I think there is no turning back now. I can see the results on my own street--stay home fathers. Women may not consciously call themselves feminists but they are living with feminist attitudes because of the changes wrought by feminism. The people overlooked are poor, native - this is as much because of classism and racism and a lack of a unified voice, as it is sexism. Although sexism is alive and well, it's not so threatening to me now. educate the people around about feminism and lesbianism. ... *************************************** *************************************** *************************************** ****************************** ... would be a major essay. *************************************** ... I feel like we have a long road ahead of I *************************************** ... where is the revolution? *************************************** us. I try and make a conscious effort to still not getting through to women at work, i.e. all the other women. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor NI:Ahern- woman' ,'Page 1: �Gert Beadle I am 75 this year, deteriorating at a normal pace physically but still functioning above average as far as I can see mentally. I am totally selfish and selfabsorbed, allowing only friends of choice to invade my solitude. I take this message of independence whereever I am invited and have no interest whatsoever up anybody's poor self image...I in shoring am part of the collective at the W.C. but only as a supporting voice. I enjoy their support and affection. I host a full moon coven, and have for three years been their Crone. Women are my family, and first consideration after me. I love my life, I feel creative occasionally and still write both poetry and letters to the editor. (Lavoie) am Noreen DunbarWhite Rock, B.C. and the out of I live in and work employed by the City Centre. This is Activity and I am also a Senior Citizen casual employment worker for the Surrey My Retard respite care For the Mentally ft to be on Association 19, recently daughter Marcy, in Vancouver with two her own and lives an equal (I pay half) ith a man, friends. I share in relationship with support concerns economic not share my He does This Charlie. oppression. is somewhat about woman's relationship contradictory many other mutual interests balanced camp, and explore We dance, We coast well we share. B.C. and the west to receive beautifUl I was fortunate In May collective together. gift from a former trip to was a a generous Beadle. It Gert friends member, feminist I had a fewwould be just perfect Europe. If here life (sisters) out a visit. I'm into come for learned it from, for me. At least as a hobby, stained glass Charlie. you guessed it, Doreen Boucher Director of Physical and Sexual Assault Centre. Married in 1976, but involvement with Journal/Centre prepared me...gave him a long list of I won't do's, and he married me anyway. No kids...please refer to above statement. Leisure...I'm learning to slow down-no choice-getting old and selfish. For fun I do nothing..read junk/sew. Creativity...this job. Travel...fear of planes/flying-I hear Murillo is nice this time of year. this past Helen Ha let and is She left Thunder Bay Sunshine Coast, for the summer living in Sechelt. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Gavrett Aa:It1y busy and Pk cornp\eY, tNes youv year nlost second \s Geor4\na the 1\11.10e1s un111ce eet bo1.11 not year days, corop\etog one jbs, am ttlese With at tNo two sons, degvee, Of Vol sLive.1 12).1 laW pavOrne enjoy P and A oi My wov1( 1 one 1t. Tnocnas Peggy Smith After living number of years, in Saskatchewan for a she returned Bay in 1987, and is now in her to Thunder forestry final year of at L.U. Peggy behind the formation was the impet us Citizens Concerned of Thunder Bay about Free Trade. MO miss W1k1110.1 13) and but 1 do 00* 1nnipeg, tea\ sense oA in and 111(e11ving 5ay, that 111k.,Indet the e)sts thee. corncnt.i01.1 Sara Williamson Same job, family gone, more time outdoors. Donna Phoenix am an occupational with Ontario Hydro. health Branwen April 23/90.Tanya had babynurse my mother, I went to Britaingirl June 90. Bob building with underground and I are Lake Rd. house on East Oliver Rosalyn Taylor I recently married and had another son, Patrick Ryan Dowhos. I am still teaching at N.E.O.P (Native Employment Opportunities Program). I haven't done too much creatively, although I still maintain that pregnancy and childbirth are creations from within. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 15 �Oe her adventurous (Aesoiuton, in Fort adult KaA.hyn She contnues was in she vvordng we heard Last Territory Brute CAROZYW' GRee Ts sti21 the Nk7. taking Aictures the pctures Pe i ank for on p her 9.17. for Northwest education. Arja Lane I write, care for children, do landscaping and carpentry work, partt promotion contracts, blueberry pickinc seasonal work. I swim, play baseball tennis, cycle around...learning how to hopscotch again. Videowork and photography are a kind of passion wil me, along with writing. I have proud callouses from guitar playing. live wi daughter, a lover, our dog Sisu and ti housecat Muru, neighbours and Men( a big old house. I Teresa Legowski with Centre. I'm working with people C Living disabilities for Independent Lynn Beak spirituality. I'm married my I'm developing I travel to the on with a 4 year old daughter. boy, and is endeavours baby had west coast. My creative arrangements She just from the Ontarioyears of pressed flower include: large many cards; absence canoeing, leave of Directorate after and small pressed flower family. camping and hiking withWomen'sthe legal field. work in Elaine Lynch I have 3 children, married - 2 boys and 1 girl. I have worked at CBQ for 6 years both freelance and full time (currently freelance). Like everyone at the Journal, still imagine a time when I will write in a Viola Nikklla Toronto.She Is living and working In fiction or poetic mode, and not be so involved in journalistic writing. I do a lot of laundry. My big leisure is making sense of it all with other women of a similar orientation. PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 16 �Kit Minor She is a "still struggling" feminist professor at Lakehead University. She has recently been involved in the formation of the Women's Studies Program and in teaching the course "Women in Social Policy". Her book, Issina.w, is due in the New Year, and she is hard at workout on two other books, one on Counselling, the other on Women in Social Policy in Canada. Loretta Pavan She has returned (Manitoba) to study Socialto university Work. and the Land Stolz \Nomens director at Cindy She enjoys She is art recreational enjoys untry e. She and tea dean Markting. cooking, Sportop music, co: Josie Wallenius Writing, international performing networking, for women. art, womyns chocolate. Rae Anne Honey women's groups in the I work with difficult at times but I It's busy, community. grown...I'm free to children are love it. My in winter). read, begin travel (Florida Joni Mace She is happy living in "Women's to be back home and with partner Cindy, Land in South She makes braces dogs, cats and Gil lies horses. in her spare time and artificial limbs, and reads, and makes beautiful cares for leather craftedanimals, gifts. Margaret Phillips Major volunteer involvement (beyond Bookstore and Journal) is with INTER PARES development - a very special agency working overseas for change and in Canada. Jane Saunders I am a grade teacher 8 instrumental with the Lakehead music teach piano and write musicBoard. i also inspired. when sports, In my spare time, do crafts, enjoy read, pay Ontario, Northwestern etc. our p artner Nancy, Daniel, Debbie Bennie with my and I live old boy s Justinand our two month twin 18 Amelia, birth was Retriever our Golden and Shila. Giving I've had experience cats Bentley Daniel. Justin and in the most meaningful know next to getting to get my Master's time trying to I'm busy wish I had more journal done Psychology knitting, writing in my for sewing, and Nancy! Mary Ann Kleynedorst She lives Gullies. "on the Farm" In her if hours in South and works on the house.she ride s horses, Rose Pittis She works at Lakehead Regional beautiful South Family Centre and lives in the Gillies. Rose enjoys the horses, the outdoors and peace and quiet on Farm. Nancy Lyons I am presently working with people with physical limitations, assisting them with re-entry into the workplace. Co-parent of 18 month old twin boys. Recent travel to the Michigan and Nova Scotia. Leisure..house renovations...paint...drywall...paint...change diapers...take the dog for a run...feed the cats...and more paint! PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 17 �AN NDP ONTARIO In September the unbelievable happened - A New Democratic Party was elected in Ontario. Analysts contrive to explain this surprising event, proclaiming that voters certainly weren't supporting NDP policies, merely "protesting", teaching the LiberalS a lesson. These experts are also quick to issue dire warnings that the NDP must not alienate the big business interests that have controlled Ontario's agenda. Meanwhile, social activits (on recovering from initial shock) are also pondering what an NDP victory means. The policies established by the New Democratic Party in respect to social, environment and justice issues, have, in many instances, been viewed as politically progressive. The expectations of activists are high. Will an NDP government, in fact, implement the Party's policies? Do we dare HOPE? The feminist community is certainly asking this question. Feminists (those who still hold faith in political systems) are encouraged by the number of women elected, and particularly encouraged by the number of women appointed as Cabinet Ministers (including Port Arthur MPP Shelley Wark-Martin). That women compose 41% of the Cabinet, and 50% of the "Inner Cabinet" is viewed positively. Of greater importance is the recognition that a number 'Of these women have deep roots in the feminist community; have been actively involved in grass roots women's services and issues; and most significantly, define themselves as feminists. The expectations of women are high. Will an NDP government address the feminist agenda? Do we dare HOPE? Given the few short weeks that the NDP has been in power it would be inappropriate to make a conclusive assessment of how women will fare in an NDP Ontario. However, it is important that on-going analysis be made. Of government actions to date we suggest there are some encouraging signs - and some serious dissappointments. - THE PROMISES During the election campaign the NDP's 'Agenda for People' made specific promises in some 30 economic and social development areas. Promises that would have particular impact for women include: Increase in the minimum wage to 60% of the average industrial wage, over four years. Funding of 10,000 new non-profit child care spaces and subsidies on 10,000 spaces in each of the next two years. Increase in social assistance rates. Pay equity legislation that covers all women. No Ontario income tax for individuals or families living at or below the poverty line. Improved pregnancy and adoptive leave policies. Improvement of the Employment Standards Act to increase the protection of workers facing layoffs. Employment equity legislation. Rent control. And of significance to the North: $25 million per year to train Native Educators and health workers, improve community infrastructure and improve housing. $400 million over two years for a Northern Fund to promote economic development, job protection and job creation, and improved services throughout the North. *************************************** *************************************** INTRODUCTION TO MACROBIOTIC COOKING 8 weeks Wednesday Evenings 7:30 - 9:30 Starts January 9, 1991 Limited Enrollment SELF-SHIATSU 8 weeks Tuesday Evenings 7:30 - 9:30 Starts January 8, 1991 Limited Enrollment HOPE FOR WOMEN999997999 THE THRONE SPEECH Those expecting that the NDP's Throne Speech (delivered November 20) would be a dynamic, creative departure from traditional (vague, bland) Throne Speeches were disappointed. People anxious to see what the 'action' will be must wait for announcements from individual Ministries, as the Throne Speedoutlined concepts, but avoided specifics. Comparing the Throne Speech announcements with the above-noted `Agenda for People' promises, we find that the government does intend to increase the minumum wage to sixty percent of the average industrial wage (over five years rather than four); will "increase protection of workers facing layoffs through a wage protection fund for workers of bankrupt companies;... support for labour adjustment committees in industries affected by dislocation; and ... stronger measures on layoff notices, severance and other adjustment issues." Legislation will be introduced to improve pregnancy and parental leave...". No details of the scope of such legilation were given. The government pledged "to continue the reform of Ontario's social assistance system and address thg shame of child poverty...". In late November Socia Services Minister Zanana Akanda announced social assistance increases of 7% for basic allowances and 10% on housing sbusidy maximums (effective Jan. 1, 1991). This announcement can only be viewed as a tiny step and will not seriously address the deplorable poverty experienced by social assistance recipients, nor will it eliminate the need for food banks - a long enunciated NDP goal. Absent from the Throne Speech was any reference to the promise of an Ontario income tax for those below the poverty line. There was the announcement of the plan to "establish a Fair Tax Commission to assist us in the design of a tax system that is more equitable for every citizen of Ontario". No date for establishing the Commission, or an expected reporting time was given. There was no reference to the `Northern Fund' in the Speech. We really can't assess what this means. With six Northern MPPs in the Cabinet, Northerners expect some appropriate consideration of Northern issues. We'll take a wait and see approach on this one - we Northerners are a patient lot ... but we won't wait too long. While committing to "make major strides in negotiating aboriginal selfgovernment and in improving the quality of life of aboriginal peoples", the specific initiatives related to health, education and housing that would impact positively for women were not mentioned. "Consultation" is a oft-repeated term appearing in the Throne Speech. As Northerners, who most frequently decry the lack of consultation, it may seem strange that we are wary of "consultation". While we applaud the government's stated intention to consult broadly - particularly with those most alienated from the political process - we have genuine concern that "consultation" could result in lack of action on issues that require immediate action. Contact Leah or Karen 344-5392 continued pg 19 PDF compression, Northern Woman,OCR, paw 18web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �AN NDP ONTARIO A case in point. "After consultation" ... the government intends to introduce employment equity legislation. Will the business interests opposed to employment equity manipulate the consultation process to prevent early legislation? Will the government permit this? And on pay equity, where the government "will work with employers and employees to find practical ways of achieving equitable wages for all Ontario women", we fear 'working with' anti-pay equity employers could result in many years of inaction, letting the government backtrack on their commitment to pay equity, which they many now find 'too expensive'. A further pay equity issue - the government indicated that they would "make early progress on redressing unequal pay in areas such as child care, where grievances have been long-standing and unresolved". Of course, child care workers deserve immediate pay equity adjustments, but so do many other women. The potential divisiveness of awarding pay equity to some groups and continuing to exclude others is very troublesome. In terms of provincial responsibility, child care is undoubtedly a most urgent issue. The meagre reference in the Throne Speech to "extend child care" is deeply distressing. In fact, the Agenda for People's promise of new spaces and new subsidies is itself inadequate. A few bandaids on the crititally ill child care nonsystem is not sufficient. Unless this government undertakes a fundamental restructuring of child care to ensure fairness and a measure of equity, proclaiming a commitment to women and children will be nothing more than hollow rhetoric. Northern Woman's Bookstore 184 Camelot St, Thunder Bay, Ontario (807) 344-7979 At a Journal meeting, summer 1983, talk turned to books - the tremendous growth of feminist theory; the wonderful literature of women writers; and wouldn't it be nice if we had access to this literature. "Let's open a feminist bookstore' someone suggested. "Oh sure" another replied "how would we run a bookstore when we can't even get the damned paper out on time". Much discussion later it was determined that the idea of a bookstore should be pursued, not as a collective effort, but as a partnership of Anna McColl and Margaret Phillips, with lots of Journal moral support. So in December 1983, Anna and Margaret opened the store - and what did we call it - the Northern Woman's Bookstore - of course. Journal members were the Bookstore's first customers, and most enthusiastic supporters. (Even if the silly plant almost caused a collective crisis.) There are so many wasp that Journal women have helped the Bookstore: constructing walls, building bookshelves, taking photographs, with creative contributions, staffing the store in emergencies, carting books to meetings; and continuing through the Bookstore's seven year life to support and promote women's literature. The Bookstore and the Journal complement each other, in our goals of providing access to feminist books and to alternative journalism. The Northern Woman's Bookstore thanks the Northern Woman Journal members past and present for your support and your friendship. OTHER INITIATIVES Bill 124: An Act to Amend the Children's Law Reform Act has been of great concern to women. Bill 124 could have laid the framework for mandatory mediation and forced unsupervised access visits thereby increasing the danger to women and children, particularly where a history of violence could not be proven. It is with great relief that we learn that Attorney General Howard Hampton announced at the O.A.I.T.H. lobby that Bill 124 would not be proclaimed. However, the government must take the necessary further step of repealing this Bill so its threat won't hang over us in the future. We welcome the announcement by Health Minister Evelyn Gigantes that the government will speed up the licensing of free-standing abortion clinics and cover ati their costs, and that the northern health travel grants program will be extended to cover women who must travel south to gain access to abortion. The more pressing issue though is the federal re-criminalization of abortion through Bill C43 which is currently in the Senate. While the Ontario government opposes Bill C43, and has expressed the hope that federal Minister of Justice Kim Campbell will not proclaim the legislation, they have not made the desired strong political statement that the bill would be unenforceable. *************************************** JOURNAL WOMEN AT BOOKSTORE OPENING THE BEST IN WOMEN'S WRITING THE FUTURE Is there HOPE for women in an NDP Ontario? The low priority given to child care, the hesitancy to move quickly on substantive issues, the overall climate of 'caution' is very worrisome. Will the feminists (and pro-feminism men) within the NDP caucus be able to carry forth the women's agenda? Will they be able to avoid being squeezed (demolished) by their colleagues on the right who ascribe to patriarchal values, and their colleagues of the old left who still believe women must wait until 'after the revolution'? There are many who believe that the face of politics has changed with the appointment of eleven women to Cabinet. And the NDP women themselves firmly believe that they can make a difference. What does this mean for feminists outside the NDP ... for grassroots feminists... transition house organizers, rape crisis workers, CARAL members, day care advocates, feminist newspaper collectives? It will be important for feminists outside the NDP to support and nurture the feminist politicians, as we expect them to support and nurture us. We have a bigger responsibility however. What the election of the NDP means for feminists is that we have to work harder than we've ever worked before. We must keep the feminist agenda visible and vocal ... every hour of every day. Our advocacy must be brilliant, creative, practical and empowering. And it must be relentless. ************************************** PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 19 �CONVICTION I believe in women The women in aprons, the women carrying briefcases, holding textbooks and/or babies, stringing telephone wire, repairing automobiles, playing guitars and pianos, using artist brush and easel, writing furiously into the night.... I believe in the women marching, singing, chanting or quietly standing and watching banners held high words illuminating our paths, our lives, dreams and soon-to-be realities I believe in the women of all ages, from every walk of life, rich and poor forming a never ending circle, building bridges of caring and strength gathering all people together to make this world an infinitely better place in which to live. WOMEN I HAVE KNOWN It was a natural mistake He thought the life, in her life this bubbling cauldron of spirit that tantalized his imagination and obsessed his dreams surfaced only at his bidding. Some sense that he was the key that wound her up and turned her on Like the magic lamp he stroked her and she shone, the genie appeared one knee bent, whispering master When he learned everything turned her on he felt betrayed as though she were less virtuous, the lascivious woman of the old testament, winking on the street corner, her finger crooked Separating her from her joy wasn't too difficult. keeping her pregnant and under his hand took away her song and rotted her teeth When he left her because she was a drag a fat slob with poor teeth she recycled herself in less than a year to a formidable competitor. She lives to beat the bastard - it turns her on. Gert Lynette Rich, 1982 AS I SEE IT From the privileged position where I ruminate upon the past, percolate in the present and speculate on the future, I am satisfied that we have raised the consciousness of both men and women internationally. If you believe as I do that conscious thought is the tool of evolution then the world must give credit where credit is due to Feminism, woman's revolt through the ages against man's domination of thought and practice. For the past 25 years it has been a time of preparation for a future harvest, clearing the ground for new thought processes, picking the stones, cutting the brush that has Ilealthsharing A Canadian Women's Health Quarterly HEALTHSHARING is Canada's only national magazine addressing women's health issues with a feminist perspective. Healthsharing provides current information, practical advice and insights on a wide range of health concerns affecting women. Feature articles cover sexuality, reproductive health, nutrition, the environment, violence, and much more. Subscribe to-day! ej 1 year (4 issues) individual $12 (personal cheque only) 1 year (4 issues) institutional $24 USA add $2 diminished our vision and crushed our spirits, and sowing the good seeds of self respect. We are changing the landscape of possibilities for the whole human family - that is gender balancing in itself. There is always a tendency to cut the corn before it is ripe, to bring in the sheeves in the green and to seed before the soil is cultivated because we have waited so long and need so passionately to leave our woman's imprint on this male driven, male ordered period of our history. Feminism gave some of us permission to examine in the light of our own experience all supposed truth as imposed on our consciousness by Patriarchal religions and other oppressive structures, gave us permission to trust our own gut feelings and begin to act in our interest and that of other women, an inner knowing that choices were ours to make and ours to act on. This is a life changer, a view enlarger and out of it come the visions to fill the vacuum created by the trash of old think we have discarded. Other add $3 (International M.O. only) Make cheque payable to: WOMEN HEALTHSHARING 14 Skey Lane. Toronto. Ont. M6J 3S4 *************************************** My truth is my own truth, I write it, I speak it, live it, my self esteem depends on it, I am We have created a general unrest in this male world, the cauldron of life is at the boil continually refining the tenets we have taken for granted if we take our eyes off the prize and allow those of us who are the spinners and sowers of the new reality to lose our clarity of purpose and crumble into pettiness of personal conflicts, lose our sharp edge of anger at injustice and give up that spirit of optimisim that fuelled us in the beginning and is so needed for the future, we will be stalled. There is a great deal to do to build that confidence and passion that kick started us into this great adventure. I wish I could pass along the pure joy feel when one woman takes her place in this world as a contender for the rights of all. Pat Broder, congress woman on Roe versus Wade speaking out "rescind this law and your jails will not be big enough to hold us all. Your streets will not be safe." Can we do less? I The truth is all, is in process, keeping the communication current, this discussion alive is in the hands of the spinners. We have told the world what turns us off internationally, nationally, provincially and civically, we are out of order and out of control. What more do we need to make us radiantly happy, what can I say? What we need is a break from the tyranny of impatience, a little more dependence on the natural spirit of women to defy authority, demyth religion, delay absorption and generally seek her own path to liberation. She is being felt in the culture today, taking back her spiritual energy from religion, taking back her dependence on daddy, taking back her power to decide, putting the emphasis where it belongs - on her potential for change. Gert I a sower of heretical thought, feminism without dogma or apology or ceasing. It is taking root in ways we cannot forsee, will bear fruit we cannot imagine, even the storm troopers of the old way, the realistic, active equal for lifers will not subvert the winds of change. *************************************** *************************************** PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman ,Page.20 �OUR SISTERHOOD SAVING GRACE London, Ontario in the summer of 1987, met a woman named Nancy Vanderburgh who had ridden her While living in I out of pace with the world in space of my own not alone just not a clone born to beat time to death . . mountain bike from Portland, Oregon to . Boston en route to the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. We soon became aware of our common interest in music. I was most intrigued in a newly formed group of which she was a member, the Portland Lesbian Choir. A funny anecdote goes like this Nancy was using her office photocopier to . out of pace with the world without the big race there is no reason to try, there are reasons for why . . . hear my cry of resistance my yell of rebellion Arja Lane . . copy music as a favour to the group (an illegal activity at the best of times!) when she was approached by a co-worker who said "Oh, are you in a choir?" Nancy replied "Yes, the Portland Lesbian Choir." The woman seemed a little stunned but managed to say "Wow, no men, eh?" I enjoyed that story a great deal and as we regaled each other with similar stories, I decided that my contribution to the new choir could be a 'theme song.' I composed Our Sisterhood" in the style of "Every Woman," a Teresa Trull classic. The choir has since performed it many times in concert, including their set at GALA Ill (a Canadian - American Gay/Lesbian Choral Festival). I had an ad hoc choir which performed "Our Sisterhood" at the L.S.W.A.G (London Status of Women Action Group) 10th Anniversary Potluck in London, 1988. The lyrics are, hope, inspirational. Maybe someday you will hear the piece sung by a women's choir. It is a powerful experience. I Verse 1: MEDITATION I seek to know And in knowing, to understand. This knowledge is gained Through awareness Of myself And in so knowing, Of others. While we are so different, We are so much the same That in unity We join peacefully To form a life force that joins The unified field. I celebrate the knowledge that is nature That is within us all As nature's creatures. I celebrate the knowledge of cells, Of their simplicity That becomes so complex In our attempts To translate in order to understand. My only duty is to seek nature's beauty Without translation, To seek her clarity And her truth, And in so seeking, Become engaged in a journey, A process of enlightenment A process of knowing Of feeling Of becoming Of being. For too long Our voices have been silent We were living in the dark We knew nothing of our power Then we felt the spark! The spark burst into flame The flame burst into light And now we know That our voices are our right! Chorus: We will sing out loud We will sing out proud For our strength For our freedom For our Sisterhood We will sing our song Won't you sing along? Verse 2: Now our voices They speak of love They sing of battles we have tried Of the struggles yet to come And they sing of pride! Of pride for what we are Of pride what we'll be Our fears have kept us bound Now our spirit sets us free! Jane Joyce Ann Michalchuk PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION NorthernPDFCompressor Woman Page 21 �TO THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL AND THE COLLECTNE WOMEN WHO .1.75 Nerthern Woman HAVE PRESERVED ITS PRESENCE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. Journal Seventeen years of work and pride, Documenting women's lives, For: About: Produced by women, Where we are, Where we've been. July 1990 Volume 12 No. 4 Thunder Bay, Ontario Recording women's herstoty, Issues, stories, poetry, Articles, feminist reviews, Women's plans, events and news. Sharing experience and thought, Exposing myths which we were taught. Providing forum for women's voices, Affirming women's worth and choices. Writing, editing, volunteer hours, Graphics, layouts, volunteer dollars. Struggling to get to print on time, Feminists working side by side. A lesson each of us should heed, The collective effort can succeed, Demonstrated proof to all, We applaud the Northern Woman Journal. -me. i-f00Z:--. Ma-nee Davis designed the cover for our last issue, Volume 12 No. 4. We apologize for not crediting her. THANK YOU FOR BROADENING OUR HORIZONS, CHALLENGING OUR THINKING, AND FOR BEING AN INVALUABLE LINK IN THE NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO WOMEN'S NETWORK. The Northwestern Ontario Women's Decade Council. ################################################ U-TURN FOR CHILD CARE The crisis in child care continues as families struggle, unsuccessful to find accessible, affordable, comprehensive quality child care. Recommendations recently made by the Ontario Coalition of Better Child Care would begin to turn this around and develop an adequate child care system in Ontario. The key elements of the Coalition `U-Turn for Child Care' include: EACH CHILD CARE PROGRAM WILL BE FULLY FUNDED BY THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COST RECOVERY THROUGH A SEPARATE ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM. Child care programs will no longer operate on a fee-for-service basis. All non-profit child care programs will become provincially funded services similar to other child welfare and education programs. Child care programs will be directly funded based on annual budgets approved by the provincial government in accordance with provincial guidelines. Recovery of costs from parents and other levels of government will be the responsibility of the provincial government. THE PROVINCIAL CHILD CARE SYSTEM WILL BE NON-PROFIT All programs will be operated by non-profit corporations, municipalities or Indian bands. Existing for-profit programs could become part of the provincial child care system by conversion to non-profit status; those not choosing to convert will continue as they are currently. THE PROVINCIAL CHILD CARE SYSTEM WILL BE COMPREHENSIVE A range of regulated services will be provided, including full day group child care, half-day and part-time programs, private home day care, before- and afterschool programs, parent-child resource centres, and services for shift workers and seasonal workers. The Coalition presented the position to the new NDP government at a Lobby in Early November. The government called the paper a 'practical' document and promised to study it. Nortfietn Woman Pageweb 22 optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor PDF compression, OCR, �`CONGRATULATIONS to members of the Northern Woman Journal collective on THE DANGEROUS STRUGGLE seventeen years of thoughtful and stimulating dialogue on women's issues." from LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S STUDIES GROUP by Josephine Mandamin How do you explain something that transcends all time, space, and energies of the earth? How can the questions of Oka be answered in one sentence? It is not easy to explain what flows through your veins. The blood lines that are intermingled with _Mother Earth are the same energy and blood that runs through our Native blood. The Oka standoff could have been averted had the politicians listened seriously to the Mohawks' request for negotiations, six months prior to the occurrence. In a show of police and army strength, the government portrayed the Native people as criminals for the whole country to frown on. Meanwhile, Native people were gaining a momentum of support from Canadians in all walks of life, showing the government, the will of Canadians to stand beside each other in time of great strain. The supporters who went to Oka represented men, women and children from across North America, in all four directions. Sacred pipes of prayers, and Elders from these four directions were gathered at the barricades where there were continuous spiritual ceremonies conducted daily for strength and encouragement for the families behind the barricades. This show of unity has been felt by all peoples throughout the world as words of support came through the messengers. It seemed that time stood still as Native people waited and prepared: for the moment in history, for the bloodshed of their Native brothers and sisters, for the ghost dance. The power of the Elders' ceremonies will never be forgotten, as strange occurrences were reported by participants in their circles. Time, Space, and Earth energies are powerful especially when the pulse of Native blood runs with her energies. We knew then that events would not allow for the ghost dancers to dance their last dance. Not this time. How can this feeling of unity with the earth and Native people be explained? Some things cannot be explained with words. Our children know and understand without explanation; it runs in their veins. They are part of the earth. We are all a part of the earth. Therefore, we all need to protect her, for giving us her gifts of food, water, air and fire. This is our role. MEGWETCH! .90 Northern Woman Journal Women Unite -Ye-45,1 TAPESTRY Silence catch the motion of carousels turning, touch the shadows of beach fires burning, hear the call on the shore of the lake lone scavenger searching, crying out for a mate. feel the stillness of night with relief from the day, count the stars in the sky as they revolve on their way. chanting waves lullaby the sea comforting sounds floating for free. the coolness of sand relieved of its warmth now feeling the dew damp in the hand. see the moon and catch its glow lighting the sea as her essence flows, darkness is mine until the dawn, silence is mine, love the sound. i Viola PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor *Northern WP B, pipe 23 �Beendigen Inc./Native Women's Crisis Home, Thunder Bay easy-to-read pamphlets for native communities. Ontario Women's Directorate Direction generale de la condition feminine de l'Ontario RESOURCE CENTRE Services/Funding for Adult Incest Survivors within Ontario; A report for the Ontario Women's Directorate in Connie Guberman, December Geraldton Family Resource Centre, Geraldton performances by Family Life Theatre Group. 1989. The Healing Way: Adult Recovery from Childhood Sexua] Abuse; Kristin A. Kunzman, Hoshizaki House, Dryden - bus displays; display board; buttons; radio/newspaper ads. WIFE ASSAULT PUBLIC EDUCATION GRANTS As one of her first official announcements, Anne Swarbrick, Minister Responsible for Women's Issues, declared November Wife Assault Prevention Month. In the house on November 26, Minister Swarbrick said that violence against women is recognized by this government as a power imbalance between men and women in our society. When the community and government work together to eliminate wife assault much more can be achieved. Agencies and groups working at the local level are in the best position to convey the message that "Wife Assault is a Crime ". The following Northern Ontario groups have received OWD funding to get this message out to their communities. 00a A.C.F.O. (Association QL. Canadienrie-Francaise de l'Ontario), Timmins community theatre in French and English; bilingual billboards and posters. Canadian Mental Health Association - Family Resource Centre, Matheson - annual community film festival on wife assault. Chadwic Home, Family Resource Centre, Wawa - information sheets distributed to post office boxes, schools, and libraries; local newspaper advertisments. Nishnawbe-Gamik Friendship Centre, Sioux Lookout workshops to include police, hospital workers, chiefs and social workers. Northshore Family Resource Centre, Marathon - one day workshop for police and 1990. Positive and gentle guide to recovery from childhood sexual abuse with special emphasis or its relationship to alcoholism. Immigrant Women's Planning Committee, Thunder Bay workshops for volunteer immigrant and visible minority women. Kenora Family Resource Centre - workshops; billboards. Ecole Secondaire de Hearst workshops for high school girls on dating violence. Esprit Place Resource Centre, Parry Sound - one day legal workshop for community organizations. Family Services Centre, Sault St. Marie - performances by Family Life Theatre Group in seven high schools. Habitat Interlude, Kapuskasing - billboards developed by elementary school students. Manitoulin Haven House/Manitoulin Interagency Committee Against Family Violence, Mindemoya - one-day workshop including performance by native theatre group with Company of Sirens. Ontario Native Women's Association, Calstock - oneday workshop open to the community. Pavilion Family Resource Centre, Haileybury - radio campaign; public transit sign; materials distributed throughout community. South Timiskaming CoOrdinating Committee for the Prevention of Wife Assault, Haileybury - pamphlet; radio advertising campaign. A.E.F.O. (Association des Enseignants et des Enseignantes Franco-Ontariens) Thunder Bay - theatre production for francophone women and high school students. (1 Social Movements/Social Change: The Politics and Practice of Organizing; Society for Socialist Studies, 1988. This book goes beyond abstract debates about the relevance of new movements to socialism by providing firsthand stories of organizing. Subjects discussed include disabled women, labour and ecology, schooling, peace, self-help, childcare, the March 8th coalition, gay politics, the campaign for free-standing abortion clinics, visible minority women, and the culture of resistance. The Infertility Dilemma: Reproductive Technologies and Prevention; Heather Bryant, Department of Community Healtl Services, 1990. Hidden in the Household: Women's Domestic Labour under Capitalism; The Women's Press, , 1980. THANK YOU WOMEN'S GROUPS who found time in your hectic schedules to meet with Joan Andrew new director of Policy and Research Branch. Special thanks to groups whosE time was rescheduled to compensate for Northern trave] conditions....Joan's flight t( and over Thunder Bay and late return. public. Rainy River District Family Violence Network, Fort Frances - billboard. Thunder Bay Co-Ordinating Committee Against Family Violence, Thunder Bay handbook Women in Crisis Sioux/Hudson/ North, Sioux Lookout - one-day workshop for assaulted women. This page is sponsored by the Ontario Warren's Directorate. The material contained on it may be photocopied and distributed without permission, but with credit to the original source or the Ontario %men's Directorate. Women working in nontraditional occupations met on November 26th to talk with each other. Another meeting will be held on MONDAY, DECEMBER 10 at 4:30 al Ontario Women's Directorate Office, 107C Johnson Avenue t( begin planning a conference. If you are interested and wane to become involved, if you have great ideas or just want more information, call 3456084. PDF Northern compression, OCR,24web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Woman Page �STATUS OF WOMEN REPORT Remember the Status of Women Report? Maybe only those of us over 40 do. But for the budding Canadian feminist movement of the early 1970s the Report was an important document. After three years of research and considerable input (public hearings, written submissions) from Canadian women, the Royal Commission on the Status of Women presented their report on September 28, 1970. The Report's 167 recommendations addressed many issues - economics, education, health, poverty, legal, participation in public life. As this was a government appointed Royal Commission report, the recommendations received much public attention, and many promises of government action. Canadian women were hopeful that our concerns would be taken seriously. Twenty years later it is harder to be hopeful. Witness: - the escalation of violence against women (in its many forms); - legislation to re-criminalize abortion (passed by the House of Commons but still before the Senate); - funding cuts to (Secretary of State) Women's Programs and a multitude of community women's organizations; -, the wage gap (women's earnings 65% of male earnings); - the feminization of poverty, and. on and on. A document 'TWENTY YEARS LATER', provided by MP Dawn Black, NDP Status of Women critic, offers an assessment of the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. This analysis reveals that many of the Report's maior recommendations have not been implemented; others only partially addressed; some implemented in theory, but not in practice, while many of the fully implemented recommendations were the "easiest" (least likely to affect the status quo??) - Northern Woman Journal 111 M. ...Ow, So we see implementation of recommendations such as "the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act be amended so that its provisions will be the same for male and female contributors", and "that the federal government change its passport application forms in order to indicate that a married woman may obtain her passport either in her maiden surname or in the surname of her husband". Useful changes for the affected individuals no doubt, but hardly likely to impact the power imbalance. More problematic are the "theoretically" adopted recommendations that appear to have addressed inequities but in fact have not achieved their goals. For example, the recommendation that "the Female Employees Equal Pay Act be amended to apply to all employees of the Government of Canada." The Canadian Human Rights Act came into effect in 1978, yet in 1988 the Human Rights Commission noted that "administrative delay and bureaucratic infighting remain more the hallmark of the program thus far than any genuine move toward pay equity". As recently as January 1990 the federal government compensated for underpaid employees (secretaries, data processors and clerks). However, in the view of the affected union the compensation is between one quarter and one third of what the women are owed, thus complaints have been filed, and no settlement yet reached. Understanding that twelve years after the Act was passed its intent is still not enforced demonstrates the lack of commitment to fundamental change that still exists. The continued discrimination faced by immigrant women in respect to language training programs, places "triple burden" on immigrant women. Why has there been so little action on the Royal Commission's recommendations regarding immigrant women? The lack of consideration of the needs of women prisoners is a national disgrace. Most women offenders are victims/survivors of abuse and need supportive, not punitive measures. In 1970, the Royal Commission recommended the closure of the Kingston Women's Prison. At least eight subsequent studies have reiterated this recommendation. Recently the government indicated the prison will close by 1994. Twenty-four years to achieve an obvious solution is hardly defensible! 20 YEARS LATER In some instances forward looking recommendations not only haven't been implemented, but government action has worsened the problem. Family allowances have not increased, rather they have been indexed. Enhancement of birth control information has not occurred, rather funding to Planned Parenthood has been consistently reduced since 1977. Financial support to community women's groups is also increasingly being eroded. In 1990 the federal government tried to impose 100% funding cuts to women's centres. Effective protests from women across the country reversed this decision, but for one year only, and in a few brief months the women's centres funding crisis will again be upon us. It is instructive to note that the major recommendations of the Royal Commission have not been enacted. We do not have a national child care program We do not have pensions for homemakers. (Unless its stalls in the Senate) we shall soon see a recriminalization of abortion. We must understand, and give continuing analysis to the realization that the recommendations that have not been implemented are those that would address the systemic discrimination and misogyny faced by women, the recommendations that would impact significant numbers of Canadian women. The report of the Royal Commission was a stepping stone which brought women's issues into the public domain. Twenty years later we find that the substantive changes women need have not been addressed. We also find a systemic backlash that threatens our very modest gains. We do not need another Royal Commission to tell us what the problems are. We know the problems. We need action. And we need the energy to continuously place the feminist agenda out front ... loud and clear. (The report TWENTY YEARS LATER which assesses and discusses the status of each of the Royal Commission's 167 recommendations may be obtained from the office of Dawn Black MP, NDP Status of Women critic, House of Commons, Ottawa. IONA REFLECT ING RECOLLECT ING RE- COLLECT -ING Music composed/arranged for special occasions . . Jane Saunders . 807 475 9147 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 25 �CROSS CULTURAL FORUM ON INCEST/CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: SURVIVORS' PERSPECTIVES Women's Place, Kenora sponsored a cross cultural forum on the issue of incest and child sexual abuse from the perspective of survivors. The forum took place May 10th at Inn of the Woods with approximately 130 people participating. People attended from Fort Frances, Lac LaCroix, Dryden, most reserves within the Treaty 3 area, and from Kenora. There was representation from most service agencies including mental health workers, police, alcohol counsellors, community health reps, crown attorney's office and other groups and individuals working on the issue. The purpose of the forum was to enable service providers to hear the perspective of and experience of survivors as a basis for discussion of a community response to the problem. Presenters were Brenda Daily, coauthor of 'The Spirit Weeps: Characteristics and Dynamics of Child Sexual Abuse with a Native Perspective', and Julie Lee, executive director of Survival Through Friendship House in Goderich and the first woman in Canada, as an adult, to have her stepfather charged with his sexual abuse of her as a child. Brenda provided a historical perspective of the problem of child sexual abuse in native communities and discussed responses to the problem, barriers to treatment and the interrelationship of violence and substance abuse. Julie presented a feminist analysis of child sexual abuse and discussed models of service delivery from the perspectives of survivor and therapist. Both women delivered very personal and powerful presentations and the response from participants has been positive and encouraging. Friday the 11th was set aside for the individuals, groups and agencies to meet separately with the resource people to discuss their own concerns. This proved to be very successful and was very much appreciated by everyone who met with Brenda and Julie. There are about 25 individuals interested in meeting again and it is our hope that this will provide agencies/bands and survivors of abuse an opportunity for networking and discussion of follow up. WOMEN'S PLACE KENORA INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTRES IN ONTARIO Reprinted from Women's Place Kenora Reprinted from Women's Place Kenora November 1990 November 1990 When Women's Place Kenora moved into our newly acquired home in November of 1987, we wondered how we would ever fill all the space. Well, in no time at all, we have found ourselves short of space - for our expanding library, the additional staff for the Kenora Sexual Assault Centre, for the numbers of women attending special events, and for the other women's groups now using our Centre for meetings, etc. In March, 1990 we presented a proposal to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, to construct an addition to our building. This addition will provide us with a large meeting room which can accommodate up to 50 people. We received notification of the approval of our Grant in October and Zeke's Carpentry was contracted to carry out the construction. The addition will also provide wheelchair accessibility to our Centre. The walls and the roof are up and there is hammering and sawing and measuring going on, and at this rate, the room should be available for use in In May of 1990, the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres and the Ministry of the Solicitor General arrived at an agreement regarding appropriate funding for Sexual Assault Centres in Ontario. The welcome increase in funding has allowed the Kenora Sexual Assault Centre to hire two and one-half staff persons. Bernice Connell and Charlotte Holm are Co-ordinators, and Brenda Duncan is our part-time bookkeeper. For the first time in fourteen years, we have been able to set up a yearly budget and to actually engage in planning of our program and activities rather than just responding on a crisis basis. The funding requirements have necessitated the Incorporation of the Sexual Assault Centre as a separate entity from Women's Place Kenora, which became an accomplished fact in September of 1990. Many thanks to the Kenora Community Legal Clinic, which assisted us in this effort. We appreciate the efforts of the Negotiating Committee of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres who have represented us so well and worked very hard on behalf of all R.C.C.'s in Ontario, c a number of staff within the Ministry of the Solicitor General for strong support. As always, we also want to express appreciation to the many women who hay staffed our Crisis Line and served on our Board over the years, and to the individuals and organizations who have supported us in many ways. December. ************* ************************* During their annual meeting September 30, 1990, ONWA elected their 16 board members. Board of Directors Corinne Nabigon, president Leona Nahwegahbow, 1st vice president Michele Solomon, 2nd vicepresident Sue Anderson, secretary Dorothy Wynne, treasurer Northern region Board members Agnes Bachman Donna Leckner Willie Flamand Josie Necan Western region Board member Carol T. Desmoulin Connie Devall Eastern region Board member Andrea McGraw Alice Souliere Southern region Board member Suzi Anderson Nora Rhinelander Joan Simcoe « « « « « « « « « « « « « «« >>>> > >>>>>>>>> >> > > > > > > > > > > > *************************************** THE THUNDER BAY ART GALLER' AND THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD 01 CANADA PRESENT A FESTIVAL OF FEMINIST FILMS works by and about women Friday, January 11, 1991 8pm at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery Five Feminist Minutes - a collection c sixteen eclectic five-minute films directei by female artists from across the country Five Feminist Minutes spans all filr genres, from animation to documentary Including: New Shoes by Ann Marie Fleming. , self-referential film that also deals wit the exploitative and manipulative natur of documentary filmmaking, and th arbitrary limits this medium imposes its subjects. We're Talking Vulva by Shawn Dempsey. A rock video with a life-sizec dancing, rapping vulva shopping fc groceries, working on a construction sitE and toboganning in the snow. Rhea by Angele Gagnon. A film the examines the definitions of womyn an OUR LITERATURE MST BE VISIONARY, A LITERATURE OF CHANGE THAT MIMS ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES earth as providers of life - definition imposed on them by a patriarchs society. PDF compression, Northern Woman OCR, Page 26web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �I Am nose I am a deep AiveA bedded on Aock a. existen ce manic-depessive petals who knom what subteAtanean stuams have kept me undiminizhed what magic 4ittets o4 the isout stitt wo bowt. WoweAL and thonns in socketax. submenged that givethxeaten as they - keeps me toying In4inite and Indesttuctabte I hotd the seed o6 the wonid in my tebettious Betty only I know the sttength o4 the de.stAoyeA that steeps in my cuttents onty I know how much I would tisk to dnown. viota z 0.47(Z 4ot acaecu4ated Inch wAitten by GeAt Beadle (!on the InteAnationat Women's Yeat Ptanning Seminat, Novembet 1974) The solistice is the outermost Limit of die sun's rays upon universe. And, in these winter months it provides us Long nights and chilling air. The spirits bless us with this very special tying to gather fueL and Light; And critically to give warmth to others, the deep warmth of women in friendship. This is not a dark, mysterious tyme; tut rather it is a balance. A tyme of neither tight nor dark, but a blending twilight, Holding the power of aLL that has been and can be. 'it is nature's den-it-ut that we revountze her balance; And that we Fiend into the twilight. A simple thought: to take tying to cleanse; to renew; and to dun* the spirits and Goddesses who guide us. And perhaps, just nutybe, to thank the special f fiends who keep us in care. May Mother truth and The Spirits "Ness us rya-9 One"; And Likewise. 4c_ A km jPappp s,ohitire front Portbern Woman lournat PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Northern Woman Page 27 �OUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL.. .. the Journal I can speak only to the future and pledge my support for the kind of free thinking that justifies any feminist publication. future issues is doing a great perhaps it would job. In interesting be to reprint articles written collective m members by past with name original printing. and d ate of It might di scouraging also be on that i ss ue. if there has been no progress ... I think we should feel free to print more radical material in order to further challenge "our readers" to examine their relationship with reality and mainstream ... som etimes is an exciting we need To continue ... The Journal publication.part of it...writing, sobering to be paste up. more womenyes, even illustrations, ti life. ... I hope you keep working as a collective, and I look forward to seeing you in print for the next 20 years at least. ... others go under, others rely on outside money. The journal is pretty unique. So is Margaret. co, on ern r,4 6 K'iWk spirit born I feel there has been a new glad I'm born here at the N.W.J. and I'm celebrate in this new birth. I plan to exercise a strong commitment, and and contribute to keeping this spirit alive helping watch it grow. journa .. the Journal seems vision, to have its spunk, have lost its its things like spellin to small purpose I don't know of the the Journ al now. feet and struggles It drags its end result hardly to be published, seems worth Either a Renaissance but the the effort! ... , * 4'e : or demise ., ; is in order. "Kon'Aern jc,...nar the process and the I enjoy the people, what could the And oh, commitment! more of us? if there were Journal be ... ... qr.,_ 24m4,7. --- I am proud of you. it is am were times would not there are a Good work ... .., the journal has seen many changes but I think this is good. Evolution should be part of revolution. Keep the blood flowing and stay alive! Northern Woman Page 28 the Journal is of enormous importance in my life. I'll do almost anything to keep her alive. ... PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor �Wand Class Mall Ileilstratlan Ns. 5691 MAIL TO: RETURN TO: THE NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL P.O. BOX 144 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7C 4V5 Return Postage Guaranteed IS THERE AN ASTERISK ON YOU11JABEL?? PLEASE RENEW YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Don't forget to renew your SUBSCRIPTION NAME ADDRESS POST AL CODE $ 6.00 Individual Institutional $12.00 Collectively produced NORTHERN WOMAN JOURNAL PO Box 144 Thunder Bay Ontario P7C 4V5 DEBBIE BENNIE, RAE ANNE HONEY, MARGARET JOHNSTON, NANCY LYONS, MARGARET PHILLIPS, JANE SAUNDERS, JOSIE WALLENIUS. Nor+ielern Woman Marnat 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 13 No 1-2 Description An account of the resource Vol. 13, No. 1&2 (December 1990) Title: Northern Woman Journal: Celebrating 17 Years Topics include: NWJ Herstory Faye Peterson Transition House Crisis housing Herstory Canadian women’s calendar Misogyny of ‘experts’ List of contributors to the journal throughout the years Collective members’ memories of the journal NWJ involvement in feminist issues & services throughout the years Feminist publishing in Canada Feminist movement in Canada Bios of contributors to NWJ NDP and women Northern Women’s Bookstore Children’s Law Reform Act Healthsharing Poetry Childcare crisis Provincial childcare Oka standoff Public education grants Resources for northern women Status of Women Report Cross-cultural forum on incest/child sexual abuse: survivors’ perspectives Feminist film festival Women’s Place Kenora Sexual assault centres Ontario Authors/contributors: Gert Beadle Lynette Rich Arja Lane Joyce Ann Michalchuk Jane Northwestern Ontario Women’s Decade Council Josephine Mandamin Viola Nikkila Ontario Women’s Directorate 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 1990-12 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Published on this site with permission. Language A language of the resource English