Women's rights actions planned in Canada, United States
BY ROSEMARY RAY
TORONTO--Women's rights supporters in Canada and other countries are building a World March of Women 2000 to protest violence against women and the conditions of poverty facing millions of women in the world. They have been holding actions since March that will lead up to nationwide protests in different countries in October. An international delegation from women's groups around the world will join protests October 17 at the United Nations in New York.
In Canada, the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC), Quebec Women's Federation (FFQ), and Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), as well as World March of Women (WMW) committees across the country are planning demonstrations in Montreal on October 14 and in Vancouver and Ottawa on October 15. Organizers say they expect tens of thousands of protesters, the biggest women's rights actions in years. Local committees have formed across the country open to everyone who wants to build the actions.
In the United States, the National Organization for Women will be demonstrating October 15 in Washington.
The demonstrations in Canada will focus on protesting government cutbacks in social services, education, and health care, and the disproportionate impact these cuts have had on the lives of women. The WMW is demanding that the federal government in Ottawa put $2 billion into a national child-care program, increase and extend unemployment and welfare payments, raise the minimum wage, and institute equal pay for women in the workplace.
Other demands include increased government funding for rape crisis centers and housing for women who face domestic violence. The WMW also calls for defending the rights of immigrants and canceling the foreign debt of several third world countries.
The initiative for the WMW came from the Quebec Women's Federation, which organized a Women's March Against Poverty in Quebec in 1995, when 850 women's rights activists marched for 10 days and were greeted by a demonstration of 15,000 outside the provincial legislature in Quebec City.
NAC and the CLC have made posters and T-shirts publicizing the World March of Women. The CLC is committing resources for transportation and publicity material, and has written to all member locals encouraging participation. The United Food and Commercial Workers has issued a poster that says, "UFCW: Yes, We'll Be There on October 15." In Quebec, the three union federations have endorsed and are building the march. Industrial and public sector unions are chartering buses to get union members to the demonstrations.
The Canadian Federation of Students is organizing buses from campuses.
For more information on World March of Women activities across the country, phone the Canadian Labour Congress at (613) 521-3400 in Ottawa, NAC at (416) 482-4460 in Toronto, or the Quebec Women's Federation at (514) 876-0166 in Montreal.
Rosemary Ray is a member of United Steelworkers of America Local 5338.
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